A/n: Well, it's been awhile since I last posted, hehe. ducks between to escape angry fans Any good writer knows how it is, you get in rut sometimes, or you exhaust your muse on a certain story and have to stop and focus on other things before BAM! it hits you again. This chapter is dedicated to eminempern for obvious reasons:P
Disclaimer: The Dragonriders of Pern series and ideas are not mine, they belong to the wonderful Anne McCaffrey whom I have the utmost respect and admiration for.
It's Later
K'dra tried to act as normal as possible, but the nervous flutter in her stomach belied her self-delusion, and she concentrated on breathing for a few moments before opening her eyes.
The air whistled by her ears and her stomach fluttered again, this time because Terranth shifted her shoulder slightly, dropping the pair into a half circle dive as they erupted between over their birth Weyr.
Terranth gave an enthusiastic warble in announcing herself to the dragon and rider on watch, receiving a reply that was as exuberant.
We're home! We're home! the little green kept creeling in delight.
Despite her nerves, K'dra couldn't stop the grin that crossed her face as they passed the watch pair, returning Et'an's wave, laughter stolen by the rush of air at Tilanth's greeting. The striking brown was on his back haunches, supported by his tail, wings spread, and making such a racket that K'dra could hear him in head as well as her ears.
Terranth and K'dra are back! They're home! They're home! Shrith! They're home!
They're here? They're HERE! S'na, Terranth and K'dra are HERE! a lighter, more melodic mind voice chimed in with just as much anticipation and glee.
K'dra saw out of the corner of her eye as they came to land in an oh-so-familiar Bowl, the other green dragon come bursting out of her weyr on the second tier, wings outspread and a joyful trumpeting of greeting. Sunlight glinted off her grassy colored hide and the little odd strip of tan that was her underbelly. Her eyes whirled colors that any other time would be cause for alarm but was now a cause for celebration.
The commotion had, naturally, caused others to come investigate what had set the dragons off, as even other Weyr dragons had added their voice of welcome and curiosity to the fray. There was a small crowd of weyrfolk gathered or milling around, but only one person stood out.
She pushed her way through assorted crowd and raced toward the landed dragon pair and threw herself at K'dra who had just dismounted. Terranth even obliged by stepping back and moving her forelegs so she wouldn't hinder the other girls' progress.
"K'dra! Terranth! Kendra! K'dra! Oh, whatever names you're going by I don't care but the fact that you're back! You're back, you're back, you're BACK!" S'na hugged her friend and the pair swayed side to side as they hugged and spun each other around and laughed and gibbered incoherent words to one another but that was okay, neither minded.
A dragon's happy cry of warning gave the hugging pair enough time to stand aside before the just relieved watch pair came in for a landing and a tall, lanky figure practically leapt off his dragon's neck, long strides tearing up the distance between the girls and soon there was a rib crushing group hug as the trio was re-united after long last.
"You would think that three seven-days wouldn't be so long seeing each other, but that's almost a month, and we've all been busy one way or another, and…OH…MY…Dragon EGG! She rose! Terranth rose and you lost it!" S'na shrieked as she babbled away and she squealed, squeezing K'dra again.
Well, I guess I shouldn't have been nervous, figured S'na would get right down to it, K'dra thought wryly. She choke-laughed when three mind voices answered, Of course!
Et'an laughed and playfully shoved the overexcited dynamo away from his other best female friend, who shot him a thankful look as she could now breathe.
"Slow down, Shaw. Kay's got to breathe and I need a drink, watch was as tedious and prolonged as usual and I'm parched. We can grill K'dra more comfortably inside."
The trio laughed and joked their way to the kitchens, not stopping even as K'dra was greeted warmly by rider and weyrfolk alike, and two greens and a brown dragon took flight to land side by side on the Weyr rim, mimicking their riders need to catch up.
"So, you slept with both of them? You lucky bitca!" S'na grinned in delight at her friend's embarrassment. It was about time, she thought smugly, eyes twinkling.
"Yeah…K'vic was kinda, I dunno, an introduction, y'know?"
"Yeah, we know," Et'an gave that knowing smirk that only males seemed to have mastered. Both girls smacked him and he pretended they hurt him, wincing and pouting.
"Baby," both girls snorted out and humphed. Et'an stuck his tongue out at them.
"Well, it seems that when Terranth got proddy, I got…er, um…y'know," K'dra continued, blushing.
"You got…" Et'an trailed off, urging her to continue, waving a tuber for emphasis.
The threesome was seated at what used to be their usual table, having sat only Et'an and S'na most mornings lately, and each had some supper and goblets of wine in front of them. Jackets were loosened, helmets and gloves splayed out haphazardly, legs propped up on table braces or each other, the riders relaxed.
"She got friendly," S'na waggled her eyebrows, sharing a conspiratorial grin with her fellow weyrbred friend.
"Ah," Et'an grinned back.
"No! I mean, kinda, but I wasn't friendly so much as…pliable. No, not like that, eew gutter Et'an, S'na. Well, maybe later, but not then. Just…sheesh!"
K'dra buried her face in her wine goblet, savoring the sweet Benden flavor even as she knocked a few gulps back, face almost as red as the wine she drank.
"We get it. You were more…open to the subject," Et'an tried not to laugh or grin to big.
"Exactly," K'dra nodded, relieved. She set her goblet down and attacked her food with renewed vigor. She sighed in pleasure, tasting the familiar cooking, enjoying the play of the roast and sauce against the tang of the wine, humming to herself as if she were a dragon or firelizard.
"Well, the good thing about her coupling with two, strong, virile men is that her appetite's sure improved," S'na nodded to Et'an in her usual blunt manner, laughing as K'dra sputtered and swallowed hard.
She glared at her two laughing friends, mock pouting, and turned her shoulder to the pair, trying not to laugh herself or let them see that she thought it humorous.
"Oh, c'mon, K'dra you know it's true," S'na shook her head and rolled her eyes at her best female friend's antics. She took a casual sip of her wine, eyeing K'dra's shoulder thoughtfully, smirking and raising an eyebrow.
"Your food's getting cold and Et'an's trying to eat it."
"Am not!"
Et'an snatched the offending hand away from K'dra's plate. K'dra twisted around in her seat so she could eye him, and he gave her an angelic smile. Her eyes narrowed.
"Thank you," she said, sniffing haughtily and spearing a vegetable with her fork, munching on it rebelliously, in defiance of nothing in particular, just showing off.
"Those riders from Halcyon must be pretty good then," Et'an couldn't help but tease.
"They sure are, you should try one, but stay away from my boys, me n' Terranth have dibs on 'em."
"Ha ha. Well, Lady Smarty-pants, I have to inform you…R'ahvin's not really my type, even though, I hate to admit it especially to you considering, I think we had great unresolved chemistry," both girls groaned and he continued oblivious, "But I already tried a Halcyon rider and she's good."
"That's right, I nearly forgot. Green rider, correct?" K'dra's brow furrowed as she thought.
"That's right," Et'an nodded.
Correct.
Jynth's rider.
Bria?
Three answers popped into her head and K'dra had to blink, not used to the triple contact after so long.
"Ah, yes, Bria, Jynth's rider. Thank you, Shrith, Terranth, Tilanth," K'dra verbally thanked the dragons in descending order.
Welcome, came in stereo.
"So how is she? And I don't mean give me gory, sexual details."
"Darn," S'na snapped her fingers and pouted.
K'dra just rolled her eyes, "Sorry, Shaw."
"It's okay, I probably know them already," S'na waved it off, popping a fried tuber in her mouth.
"Ahem! Can we focus on me and not my sex life?"
"But we were focused on you," K'dra protested innocently.
"And your sex life," S'na added impishly. Et'an shook his head and sighed.
"C'mon, buddy, spill!" K'dra laughed.
"Well…she seems to be doing good so far. She really seems to enjoy it here."
"As opposed to her weyr back at Halcyon or during a mating flight? I thought we agreed no sex talk?"
"Shauna!" the other two used her full name in admonition.
"What? What did I say?"
"Nothing," it was K'dra's turn to sigh. "Guys, how am I going to break this to my family?"
The stunned silence that greeted her was not reassuring.
How do you guys like that? Hehe, what a perfect cliffy to leave ya with. Hehe.