5. Mating Flight Without a Dragon

It was still dark when Tanelor was woken by a chirp beside his ear. Drowsily he opened his eyes to see a gently whirling blue/green eye surrounded by brown hide, L'san's fire lizard.

"Go 'way," he muttered.

"I'm still sleeping."

Closing his eyes he rolled over and tried to snuggle up to M'rek again, but the pesky creature wouldn't let him be. This time it tugged at his hair, hard enough to hurt.

"Ow!"

"Tanelor, just go with the damn thing," M'rek mumbled sleepily, "then I can go back to sleep."

"But it's still dark..."

"Your fault, love. You should've done those chores last night like L'san told you. He said he wanted an early start because he had training today. Now go."

Grumbling, Tanelor got out of bed, tucking the covers back round his mate, and fumbling in the dark for his clothes.

Dressing quickly in the cold air, he passed Sorelth with barely a glance and hurried down the ramp to the bowl, stopping off at the kitchen to grab a mug of klah and a slice of bread.

The smith was already in the forge working on a commissioned piece. As Tanelor entered he glanced up and bid him good morning.

"Huh!" Tanelor muttered.

"It's still the middle of the night. I can't think why you like starting this early."

"You were told to have the forge ready for me by breakfast time. That gives you about two hours. I suggest you get started. I have limited time available and I need to make the most of it."

For a moment Tanelor stared in disbelief at the smith, then swallowing the last of his breakfast he got on with the work. He was annoyed at being dragged out of his bed at such an unearthly hour, but M'rek was right. He'd agreed to work for L'san, it was up to him to do the job properly.

He pushed himself hard and a few minutes before the deadline he was able to tell L'san,

"Everything is done."

"Thank you, Tanelor."

The brownrider set down the blade he'd been working on.

"This is pretty much ready for delivery now. Let's go get breakfast."

Tanelor agreed readily, what he'd had earlier hadn't really been much of a meal.

Dawn was lightening the sky as they walked across the bowl to the kitchen. Neither man spoke. Tanelor was still smarting from the rebuke he'd received earlier, and L'san was still unsure how much leeway he could give his assistant. Only time would tell how well they could work together.

As they sat eating other riders and residents drifted in for their meals. Tanelor kept a look out for M'rek, but his weyrmate didn't appear. That wasn't like him, he was usually up and about bright and early.

As they walked back to the forge Tanelor looked across the bowl to M'rek's weyr. Sorelth lay on her ledge but there was no sign of her rider. L'san noticed his glance and his sympathy went out to the older man. For as long as the brownrider could remember Tanelor and M'rek had been together, their dragons always mated. Had Tanelor realised yet what the Weyrleader and other riders knew, that sooner or later Sorelth would rise to mate and it would not be Zirth who flew her. Another dragon, another rider would claim the prize.

"Come along, just another couple of hours and you can go to him."

"Yes, Wingsecond. It's just that... I know she'll rise soon and without my Zirth... I don't think I can face seeing him with another man."

"You'll get through it. You're strong enough."

"Am I?"

Tanelor tore his gaze away and continued on his way. They were halfway across the bowl when Sorelth skimmed low overhead on her way to the feeding grounds. Tanelor stared after her, bemused, half imagining that his thoughts had prompted her action.

"No, please, no," he moaned, distraught.

"I can't take this."

He turned but before he could run L'san grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back towards the lower caverns.

"You're not going through this alone," he said.

"You have friends who will stay with you."

Tanelor was scarcely aware of what they were doing. He didn't see that J'than, Z'kiel and Hestia were heading the same way. They met at the entrance, the three green riders surrounding Tanelor and leading him to a nearby table. J'than held a couple of wineskins and a stack of tumblers. Pouring wine, he handed it round. Tanelor downed it in one gulp and held out his tumbler for a refill which J'than readily supplied.

If he couldn't take part in this flight, the former rider decided, he was going to drink enough that he would be past caring.

L'san raised his glass, but stopped with it halfway to his lips.

"Shards!" he swore.

"Carynth has decided to join in."

"Go," J'than prompted.

"We can handle this."

The brownrider set down his glass. He turned towards the entrance, then changed his mind as an idea occurred to him.

"Don't let him drink too much yet," he whispered to J'than.

Only half aware of his friends L'san let his mind link with his dragon as he pursued the green, watching as one dragon after another dropped out. The flight was swiftly over, Carynth, despite his years was still one of the swiftest dragons in the Weyr. And maybe he had told Sorelth the suggestion that L'san had shared with him. At any rate, Carynth caught her and they joined in their mating.

L'san turned to Tanelor.

"Go to him," he gasped.

"Be with your mate."

"But..."

"Go!"

L'san turned to J'than, knowing that his weyrmate would give him what he needed as Tanelor hurried outside. He pulled M'rek away from the group of bewildered riders and led him into the nearest flight room.

"Tanelor, what are you doing?" his lover asked.

"Hush, M'rek. L'san gifted this to us. Don't question it."

Neither said anything more as they came together, first in a loving kiss, and then in the mating. But neither would ever forget the wonderful thing L'san had done for them.