It has been pointed out that my updates of late have been erratic and infrequent, so I offer my sincerest apologies to anyone who has been kept waiting. I will endeavour to rectify these circumstances in future.
Jeez that sounded stuffy.
"They're back," J'nin said, handing M'kai a cup of klah. M'kai nodded his thanks, and cautiously sipped at the hot liquid. He had eaten, but still felt exhausted.
"That sure was a wild flight," J'nin commented, seating himself on the log next to M'kai. "The other two I was involved in were nothing like it."
"Hello, M'kai, J'nin," Drianne said, coming up to the fire, her hand still entwined in B'kennor's. "Mind if we sit here?"
"Why would we mind?" M'kai asked jovially, gesturing to them to take the opposite log. "Pull up a log."
"I just wanted to thank you for supporting me during the flight," she said awkwardly as she sat.
"That's all right, Drianne," M'kai said, blushing a little. "What are friends for?"
"Don't just brush it off like that," J'nin warned. "I've never seen someone keep their head like that in a mating flight before."
"That's my buddy M'kai!" said B'kennor, stretching his boots out to the fire and watching them steam as they dried.
"Is there enough log for me to sit on too?" D'ron asked, joining them. He held up a platter of food. "I brought enough for everyone."
"Well, there isn't really any more room, but we'll move up for the bearer of food," M'kai said graciously.
D'ron grinned, and sat down on one of the empty logs. "Very funny. Dig in, everyone," he said, offering the platter round.
They helped themselves, then M'kai slid down onto the ground and lay back, using the log as a headrest. The others followed his example, and pretty soon, they were all snoring.
x
"So, M'kai. B'kennor tells me that you were the only bronze rider to keep your head during Camanth's flight. Is that true?" Lessa asked, gazing at him thoughtfully as she reclined in her chair.
M'kai stood even straighter, trying not to blush. "Yes, Lessa, that is correct."
"Do you know why?" she asked.
He hesitated, then answered, "It may have something to do with my… inexperience. I am only seventeen, and am not used to the… sensations a mating flight produces. At times, I felt that I was inhibiting Tyrith, that I couldn't bond with him properly because I couldn't understand what was going on."
"I doubt that that was the reason, young M'kai," F'lar chuckled. "Most boys know and understand the feeling of lust. I know my friends and I did at your age."
"Then, I can't think of a reason," M'kai replied, secretly grinning at the thought of a seventeen-year-old F'lar lusting after a girl. Everybody knew that he had no eyes for any woman except Lessa.
"Have you considered the fact that you are more practical than the people around you?" Lessa asked, ignoring her weyrmate. "Norekke tells me that you see the things that need doing and do them, while most people are unaware of them or feel that these things are not their responsibility. You saw that Drianne needed support, so you gave it to her while all the others could think only of their lust." She rolled her eyes. "I never could understand what men find so fascinating about lust."
M'kai couldn't help himself; he just burst out laughing. Luckily, F'lar did at the same time, so Lessa had to spread her glare between them.
"I'm glad you two find this so funny. M'kai, from what I've been told, you keep your head in a crisis and are perfectly capable of giving sensible orders. You are hereby promoted to wingsecond, and will serve under K'dric, an experienced wingleader, until we consider you fit to lead your own wing. Or maybe until I consider you ready," she added, eyeing the helplessly laughing F'lar.
"Go and find K'dric now, and tell him I sent you to him as a replacement for M'din. M'din was injured in the last Fall, and will be out of action at least until Hanrahan is up and going. I'll reassign you when he recovers. Off you go!"
M'kai gave her a quick bow. "At your command, Weyrwoman," he replied formally. "And thanks!" he added with a grin as he began the descent down their stairs.
x
At the bottom of the stairs, he was accosted by an anxious Drianne, who was waiting to find out why Lessa had summoned him on their return from Hanrahan.
"What happened?" Drianne demanded. "Are you in trouble?"
"Not at all," M'kai reassured her. "Quite the contrary, in fact. Lessa decided that I had shown I was 'able to give sensible orders and keep my head in a crisis'," he grinned, "so she's made me a wingsecond to K'dric."
Drianne squealed and threw her arms around his neck. M'kai gently disengaged himself, and said, "I have to go find K'dric now, but I'll meet you later. Bye!"
"B'kennor, D'ron and I are having a picnic dinner tonight. Meet us at B'kennor's weyr at the eighteenth hour so you can come with us!" she called after his rapidly retreating back. He waved an acknowledgement, and hurried on to find K'dric.
x
"So, you're M'din's replacement, are you?" K'dric said, eyeing M'kai. He was a grizzled old man, and was missing an eye from his long battle with Thread. He had a scar that ran from his earlobe to disappear into his untidy grey hair under the patch he wore to hide his empty socket, and the old brown dragon snoozing on the ledge was nearly as scarred.
"Yes, sir," M'kai replied, trying to hide his nervousness.
"First assignment, huh?" K'dric asked, leaning back in his chair.
"How can you tell?" M'kai asked dryly.
K'dric chuckled. "At least you have a sense of humour, boy. Tomorrow, my wing has the sweep where our territory overlaps with High Reaches. Not a very challenging area, so it's the perfect spot for a beginner. In my wing, I give the orders, and you see that they're carried out. When we begin, watch G'flem. He's been filling in for M'din until Lessa assigned someone else and he's already familiar with the routine, so you'll soon pick up on what to do if you keep a close eye on him. Report to my weyr at the seventh hour tomorrow morning for instructions, and don't be late!"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," M'kai answered, and turned to leave.
"Oh, and M'kai? Don't call me sir. You're to address me as K'dric, or Wingleader, understood?" K'dric called after him.
"Yes, K'dric," M'kai replied, and with a casual salute, marched out.
x
"Drianne tells me you've been promoted to wingsecond, M'kai," B'kennor said, reaching for another portion of fish.
D'ron looked up from the tuber he was eating and said indistinctly, "You made wingsecond? That's great, M'kai!"
They had left B'kennor's weyr as the sun set and were now enjoying a picnic with their backs settled against a large rock and their booted feet stretched out towards a roaring fire. It was a beautiful cloudless night, and though neither moon could be seen, the stars that were scattered across the sky gave a faint light of their own.
"This is such a perfect night," Drianne murmured, leaning into B'kennor, who absently put his arm around her.
"It certainly is," he agreed. "You know what would make it even better?"
"What?" she asked, trying to hide a yawn behind her hand.
"A little music. M'kai?" he asked, his lips curving into a smile.
"Only if you all join in," M'kai agreed lazily, poking at the fire.
The others laughed and agreed, and soon the sound of four voices floated up from their camp and drifted aimlessly on the night air until they could no longer think of any songs they all knew all the words to. "Now play something, M'kai," Drianne said sleepily, snuggling into B'kennor.
"What makes you so sure that I have an instrument to play?" M'kai asked, putting his hands behind his head.
"Because we know you M'kai, and we know that you always have at least one pipe tucked about your person," D'ron laughed.
M'kai grinned, and brought out a pipe. "Caught!" he said amiably. The others laughed as M'kai brought it to his lips. He blew a soft note, then began a piece he had composed a few days earlier.
Drianne sighed in contentment as he finished. "I love listening to you play," she yawned. "Play another one, please."
M'kai laughed, and lifted the pipe again. As he played the last few bars, he opened his eyes to find Drianne and B'kennor asleep against each other and D'ron propped up against the rock, snoring gently.
"Says a lot for my playing, if my audience falls asleep during a performance!" he murmured to himself, a slight smile curving his lips. He then yawned, and realised how tired he was.
He pulled his discarded jacket over to himself and rolled it up, making a rough pillow. "Good night, everyone," he whispered, lying down. He was asleep before his head touched the wherhide.
x
M'kai, you must get up. The sun is rising, and Syndrath says G'flem is looking for you, Tyrith told him. He also says if you do not come very soon, you will be late, and K'dric will be angry with you.
M'kai sleepily opened his eyes and yawned, then as what Tyrith said registered, he sat bolt upright. "Oh no!" he exclaimed.
He leapt up, and pausing only to shrug on his jacket, vaulted onto Tyrith's neck. To Benden! he cried, visualising their weyr. The big bronze he rode gave a mighty leap and went between.
x
"Where have you been, M'kai?" G'flem asked when they landed. A middle-aged man, G'flem had brown hair he kept cut short and brown eyes. In fact, he was brown all over, from his skin to his dragon Syndrath. In the shadows caused by the early morning sun, he was nearly invisible.
"I had a picnic with my brother and some friends last night, and we fell asleep out there," M'kai hurriedly explained, splashing water on his face and roughly drying himself before throwing on a new tunic. "Do I look presentable?"
G'flem examined him critically. "No, but K'dric doesn't put much store on appearances," he sighed. "We have five minutes before we're expected at his weyr, so move it!"
x
"You did well this morning, M'kai," K'dric said, watching the rest of the wing as they returned to their weyrs. "If you continue to perform the way you did this morning, you should be ready to handle your own wing by the time Hanrahan is ready to be occupied. Of course, I'll have to see how you do by yourself, first," he added, glancing sideways at the youngster.
M'kai nodded, blushing a little. No matter how often he was praised, he always felt slightly embarrassed by it. "I'll do my best, Wingleader," he said with a short bow. "But now, I must hurry to the Weyrling Hall, or I'll be late for my class."
"Until next sweep, then," K'dric said, clasping his forearm. "Check the timetable posted in the dining hall to see when it is. I think it's noon in two days' time, but check anyway, just to be sure."
"Yes, K'dric," M'kai replied, returning the clasp, secretly thrilled. The forearm clasp was the salute of dragonriders, and showed that K'dric considered him a man.
Variety is the spice of life, so I decided to put my disclaimer down here for this chapter. You all thought I'd forgotten it, hadn't you?