All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

31-05-02: Rayne drops
Yet another of Ista's residents who went off to Impress gold elsewhere returns; and friends have lazy discussion on the beach.

You stride down the ramp from Llysereth and Ahreluth's ledge, to the bowl.

Rayne grins as she slides down from Ilveraeth's neck, tossing a mock salute to the brown rider. "And Western's to Ista!" The woman grins, crossing the distance to M'kan. "Did ya miss me?" She spreads her arms open for a hug from the brownrider, just being amiable, of course. "Ah, sweet Ista, how I've missed thee!"

He rolls up the hides and then quietly grins before moving close and embracing the recently landed goldrider, hugging her tightly then. Sweeping her easily off her feet, M'kan finally settles her and grins, "I could say.. maybe..." He teases.

Lydiere wanders down the ramp from Llysereth and Ahreluth's ledge, her hands slung loosely into her pockets. The Junior Weyrwoman grimaces at something, stepping from ledge to bowl floor, and then her eyes catch upon Ilveraeth, then Rayne and M'kan, and they lighten. "Duties to Western!" she calls, stepping towards the group at a more lively pace. "Rayne, welcome back."

Rayne relaxes into the embrace and laughs as she's lifted off the ground. Once returned to a stable state, the goldrider turns at the sound of Lydiere's voice. Another salute and Rayne offers "And Western's to Ista" with a sly smile. Her spirits immediate lighten, and Ilveraeth echoes her riders happiness, merrily bouncing in place, watching the going-ons of this new place. "Well, I said I'd eventually come back. How goes everything?" Rayne especially peers at Lydiere. "I've been hearing very interesting things out of this weyr."

Once he releases her, M'kan steps back and then looks up to the gold dragon. If Tiregeth were here.. he darn not say it and then looks over to the pair, grinning slightly, head shaking and then he coughs, "Well, glad to have you back.. at least for a visit." He cants his head, speculating, "Time sure flies.."

Lydiere returns the salute with a flick of her fingers, hand automatically seeking out her pocket once more as the young woman comes to a halt just a few steps back from M'kan and Rayne. "It does fly indeed," she agrees, a nod punctuating her response to M'kan's comment, "She's grown immensely since I saw her last, Rayne. Very nice." There's a faint blush that comes across her gaunt, pale cheeks, and she murmurs something impossible to hear before adding, "Oh, well, things are things I guess."

Rayne shakes her head, glancing at her lifemate, then around the bowl in general. "No kidding. I still remember Khayla taking me off to Western from here. So quick, it all passes." Removing her gloves as her body is reminded of Ista's heat, a sly grin tugs at her lips. "My dear weyrwoman, Ista, hohum? I can't imagine things dull around here. But alas, to each his or her own. How is G'wain fairing? And J'ey?" That last name that escapes her lips brings her around to face M'kan again, inquiring.

He seems to be more than contented to answer, "Busy... .but other than that, he's doing rather well." M'kan cheerily intones but then he regards Rayne, the question to Lydiere, and wisely, he doesn't comment. Chuckling mildly, he murmurs. "Haven't been better, in fact..."

"It depends on how you define things being dull," Lydiere elects to conclude, somewhat lamely. "G'wain's well. Had a bit of an unexpected holiday, so he's now throwing himself back into his work with a vengeance, the poor thing." A bright smile is placed upon her face, perhaps /slightly/ fake, her head nodding up and down cheerfully.

"Good to hear, M'kan. Please give him my warm regards, then bap him a good one for not being around." Rayne finishes removing her jacket as Lydiere speaks, distracting her noticing the jr. weyrwoman's expression. The cool wind feels good now, and she is content. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything terrible. I had hoped to come and show Ilveraeth your coastline here. She often wonders how I could miss such a thing so much. Perhaps I could persuade one of your to come for a swim?" She would love to chat with Lydiere, having been recently fed the new gossip about the weyrwoman's recent disappearing act.

"What can you expect, he's an assistant weyrlingmaster, Rayne, I won't bop him on the head for that!" M'kan scoffs, shaking his head, chuckling after a while, amusedly but then he casts Lydiere a gaze before murmuring, "You're not even close... but.... things maybe have been a touch on the sour side of things, they are upon the slow mending, I think..." HE trails off, thinking. "Swim? Maybe.. later."

Lydiere wrinkles her nose, a glance going up towards the ledge upon which Llysereth is curled, dozing in the sun. "I'll come," she agrees, after a moment of hesitation, "And Llysereth seems inclined to agree, although I'll warn that she's not in the best of moods-- she /hates/ being pregnant, and hates it more now... well." She lifts a quasi-innocent eyebrow at M'kan's glance, keeping her lips pressed into a tight smile. "Mmm," says she, non-comittally.

Rayne crosses her arms across her chest, giving M'kan a measuring look. "You don't say. Interesting, M'kan." Ah, Llysereth's pregnancy was one of the things the woman had heard about. "Ah, well, the warm water will sooth her, I hope. And for one who shines so beautifully during pregnancy, she should have no worries. I'll warn Ilveraeth to calm herself for once. She so.. hyper.. at times, it can be taxing." She would rather her dragon avoid any conflict on her first visit in.

He chuclkes under his breath but then admits, "I suppose swimming doesn't hurt, actually.." M'kan willingly admits and then he regards Rayne but eyes Lydiere with a careful gaze, as if he's about to just poke her totally with his eyes alone. Or something along those lines.

Lydiere's stance turns slightly uncomfortable under M'kan's gaze, and she averts her eyes, finding suddenly fascination in her feet of all things. "Oh, thank you. It's hard to not upset the poor thing at the moment, but every little bit helps. Ilveraeth's an active one, then?" She casts an apraising glance over the young queen, adding, "She's big, too. Loads bigger than Llysereth."

M'kan shakes his head, as if in disgust but then leaves the Istan weyrwoman on her own, even while his gaze does drift to her now and then. The blazing blue orbs briefly flashing afore he glances to Rayne then, but the fire within the eyes dies down to something more gentle. He then makes the motion of a round middle, for Rayne's purpose and then points to Lydiere.

Rayne glances lovingly at her lifemate and laughs. "Sad but true. The shortest of the candidates to get the largest of the dragons. Insane, it is. There was a thirteen turn old that stood with me that was a head taller than me. But now I have Ilveraeth to make up for it." Big dragon=instant soap box. M'kan's actions cause her to start laughing, though she quickly regains her composure. "So I gathered, my dear brownrider. Well, shall we head to the shallows? Ilveraeth's getting restless." Indeed, the young gold bugles loudly, calling for her lifemate and who ever else to come and play!

"Ironic," says Lydiere quietly, amused. "No, you'll never fail to get noticed now, /that/ I can assure you without hesitation." Rayne's laughter draws a frown, and a glance towards M'kan, but Lydiere misses the gesture, and shrugs it off, responding: "To the shallows, indeed. Llysereth's impatient, too; she says she doesn't feel so heavy, in the water."

You head down the stairs to the beach.

Rayne mentally directs her lifemate towards the beach, who in turn heads immediately for the water after her rider has properly removed her riding straps. Reaching the shallows, the young gold unfurls her wings, tipped in blue that matches Ista's waters. Rayne smiles, giving her permission to frolick about with respect to her seniors. Ilveraeth turns her head to Llysereth, lowering it in respect to the older dragon before moving on to deeper waters. "Wow, I've missed this place." A large blanket is removed from one of the satchels attaches to Ilveraeth's straps and placed on the ground, the Western rider offering her friend's a seat in the shade while the dragons situate themselves.

Llysereth is already half-immersed in water before the arrival of anyone else, as if she's shy of her own bulkiness and wishes to hide it. A short warble is made towards Ilveraeth, somewhat weary and sharp, as the gold sinks further into the water, sending deluges towards the shore in the form of extra waves as she moves. "It's not hard to miss," agrees Lydiere, thankfully accepting a seat upon the blanket, her legs stretched out in front of her.

M'kan quietly watches but then he slips along and pauses, chuckling. But his dragon isn't about, so.. that means he's occupied. Definitely. Chuckling under his breath, he intones. "No comment." Standing besides a rock, he flickers a look between the goldriders and wisely doesn't say a word.

[DTU/Project] Llysereth senses that Ilveraeth is rather ecstatic. << Your water here is marvelous. Rayne was right! Good for swimming. >>

[DTU/Project] Ilveraeth senses that Llysereth's touch ripples silver and lavender, an icy ocean from which tendrils of pale light seek to wrap about her softly musing words: << The water is enjoyable. It is soothing. >> She's quiet, stiffled, bound up within herself.

Rayne sighs a bit, watching the dragons play in the water. "Don't get me wrong, I couldn't live without my Ilveraeth, but sometimes I wish I could just come back here. If there had been any color but gold there for me, I could've returned." Her thoughts are carefully guarded from her lifemate. But Rayne turns a smile on Lydiere. "I take it certain recent twists in life were unexpected?" Discreetly, the younger rider pats her own belly.

Lydiere coughs into her hand, especially upon Rayne's patting of her belly, turning her head away. "I know how you feel," the woman states instead. "If I'd Impressed anything but gold, I might have been able to keep up my craft, in some capacity. Dockmaster-- I could have enjoyed that. But... things turn out the way they do for a reason, I expect." With a half smile, her voice lowered, she adds, "Untimely, more than unexpected, I would say."

Rayne rests back on her hands, regarding the weyrwoman. "I see." She feels a surge of sympathy, sure that she doesn't even know a quarter of the story. "My apologies, Lydiere. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I ask only because I care. I learned much during my time here, watching you and Lymera. I'm fortunate to have the two of you among my role-models." Rayne leans forward, unlacing her boots so that she can feel the sand again under her feet. "I owe you for your hospitality in my time here. If there's anything I can do, you've only to ask. If only it is a discreet, sympathetic ear." Such are so rarely found in Rayne's current weyr.

Gold rider talking. M'kan the wisely moves along, making sure he is definitely out of hearing range, considering he's only a brownrider, RIGHT? Ahem, disregard him totally. Moving to one of the rocks, he sits down and gazes along the beach/shoreline, pensively pondering.

Lydiere shakes her head rapidly, expression apologetic-- "Oh, no, no need to apologise, Rayne. I'm afraid," she gives a wry smile, "that things are just a little difficult, and I seem to tend towards brooding more than anything. I'm flattered that you would consider me to be worthy of being a role-model, although I do insist that if you have questions, you know that you can come to me." Lydiere flits between topics, half closing her eyes as she rests her hands back into the sands. "I-- thank you, Rayne. It's nice to know that people are willing to listen." She glances after M'kan, then shrugs, turning her attention back to her feet.

Rayne smiles and nods at Lydiere before turning her attention to M'kan. "Don't go and wander off, dearie. I just have to drag you back over here. Come," she pats a spot on the blanket, "have a seat." Oh yes, little Rayne dragging big M'kan across the beach. At least it would be entertaining, yes? "Besides, M'kan, I wanted to talk to you about a hunting holiday later this Turn."

The thing is, M'kan might throw the little Rayne into the water. But then he ers, "Gold riders ought to bond without the brown rider in the .. midst of things." He sweetly reminds, shaking his head and then silently approaches, anyhow.

"No, no, no. We like having the brownrider in the midst of things-- this brownrider, anyway. Be social, M'kan." Lydiere seems all the more comfortable to have a third person around, although she distracts herself to stare off at Llysereth, who has almost entirely submerged herself, blobbing mopingly.

Rayne grins. "Aw, now that's a good, um, big, M'kan. I've chilled water in one of my bags should anyone want it." Boots kicked off, the goldrider stretches out on the blanket, feet buried in the fine sand. "So, someone load me up with some gossip. How fairs Lymera and R'yn? And W'yn and Ly'ette.." This list could get rather long.

His eyes roll and then shaking his head, M'kan is more than content not to say much before making a face, at the mention of Lymera, of course. "You know... I've recently visited Tia.... but Viam ended up winning a green flight." He chuckles dryly, lifting his shoulders, "But Xaeloth wasn't into it..."

Lydiere catches M'kan's face at mention of Lymera, her lips quirking slightly. More easily, however, she adds, "All well, on the whole, I think. Ly'ette's as busy as ever with the weyrlings, and W'yn with all his hidework-- he's really quite obsessive. Ooh, how /is/ Tia, M'kan?"

"She seems pretty fine to me, nothing too bad about her." M'kan grumbles then, "The horrendous tease as always." His eyes roll and then he leans back, "But I was prepared, so I shot quite few things back at her."

Rayne just shakes her head at the mention of flights. "Flights.. I suppose Ilveraeth will have hers soon enough. Should be an interesting experience. Though, unfortunately, we've not many bronzeriders at Western that are, well.. appealing? A couple of good brownriders, though. Time will tell." The mention of Tia brings a smile to her face. "Pity the girl didn't impress brown." Ahem. "I'll have to find time to visit her soon, as well. So everyone's busy? Seems normal enough. Did that tavern of Zaeni's open?"

"Ilveraeth's probably a little young yet," murmurs Lydiere, casting a glance towards the gold, "But I'd wager that she will have flown before I give birth. I don't envy you that first experience of flights, Rayne. Or any, when it comes down to it, although I had reason to, naively, look forward it the first time." She grimaces in memory, drawing her knees up towards her chest. "Good for you, M'kan. Oh, yes, the tavern's open. Quite a nice little place, really."

A glance to Lydiere, but then M'kan ponders a moment but speculates he will be more than happy to just keep his mouth shut. However, he eyes Rayne, the mention of brown and then he remarks, finally. "Blue chose her, so that's the end of that, no?" He then flickers a look between the pair, "I am more than happy to hide when a gold goes up."

"I don't doubt that, M'kan." Rayne smiles, understanding. Ah, that first flight. "True, still many, many sevendays before I have to worry about flights. And yes, M'kan, a blue chose Tia and Viambath is a fine dragon. Strangely, Ilveraeth has an odd affinity for the blues at Western. Perhaps something she picked up from me?" An odd sadness lingers in her voice for just a moment, interrupted by a shrill of glee from her lifemate. "I don't know if I'll be able to pull her away from this place, now. She can be quite willful, Ilveraeth can."

Lydiere fills her hands with sand, scooping it over her feet lazily. "Always possible. Llysereth seemed to pick up her love of the ocean from me-- or perhaps that was just innate, something that she found in me that matched her. Who knows." She glances up, remarking, "You'll just have to be a frequent visitor, then. Perhaps you could even convince Senior Weyrwoman Lor to send you here for a few sevendays of specialised training... in something."

Rayne tilts her head in thought. "Perhaps. I'll have to look into it. Perhaps at least a sevenday of respite after graduation, which I'm told should be soon." Yay, more responsibility. If it weren't for Ilveraeth, she would resent it. "Ilveraeth is odd like that. I've always had a deep love for the ocean, stemming from my family. I've found Ilveraeth has an odd knack for knowing when a storm is coming which has been rather useful at times. Ah, the days when life was so simple."

He is more than happy to know that the gold out there, Rayne's that is, prefers blues. And then M'kan falls relatively quiet, shaking his head but then he looks from one to the other. Simply, he remains there, but offers no comments.

"Oh, of course. I'm sure you'll have plenty on your hands getting used to things, without anything added to it," agrees Lydiere, placidly. "I could have buried myself in a hole for months, right after I graduated. It's a little overwhelming, to say the least." She laughs: "Oh, simplicity is something you'll want to grasp when and if you ever can. It doesn't come often, in the life of a goldrider. Or the life of any rider, I guess."

Ilveraeth's splashing ceases for a moment as the giant golden head turns to regard her rider. Frowning, Rayne stands up. "My apologies, but Rysith and the weyrlingmaster is calling Ilveraeth and myself back. They get so ansy when we leave." She steps her feet into her boots and loosely ties them as Ilveraeth bounds back to shore. "My thanks for your time Lydiere, M'kan. Be sure that I return." A thought.. "And keep that blanket, it will be my excuse to come back." With a wink, Rayne gathers up Ilveraeth's straps and heads up the beach to the bowl, trailing behind her dragon.

Rayne grabs hold of the flight straps and hoists herself to Ilveraeth's neck, using the offered forelimb for a boost.

But then as he looks after the leaving goldrider and the gold, M'kan ponders before shaking his head. "WEll..." is about all he can muster before looking over to Lydiere, "How you coming along?"

"Well...? I have to say, I miss having Rayne about. I swear, all of our residents seem to off and Impress elsewhere, and it's all very frustrating." Lydiere stretches out her legs again, leaning backwards, using one hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Oh, I'm getting there. Things aren't so bad."

"It can be, but that's how things are, I guess, you can't stop them from going." M'kan intones, but smiles softly, reaching over to gently tap her shoulder, "I am betting we'll have a fun time with the next hatching." He eyes the queen of Lydiere's, too.

Lydiere shakes her head. "Of course you can't. Obviously, they went to where their lifemates were shelled, and I'd never want to take that away from them." Lydiere nonetheless gives a wry smile, turning her head about so that she's facing M'kan as he taps her shoulder. "'fun' might not be the word /I'd/ use. Any reason more than usual, for this one to be fun?"

However, M'kan seems to think. "As long as I don't have to stay on those sands for longer than necessary, or even avoiding them as much as I can!" HE cheerily intones, winking before admitting, "I don't envy G'wain one shardling bit."

"Nice for those who have a choice about it," grins Lydiere, nodding her head rapidly. "I don't look forward to sands sitting again, especially since I'll be fat, this time around." Stretching her toes, the woman adds, "I'm sure it could be worse."

M'kan's thoughtful. "Wear lose breathable clothing and make sure you have a fan?" He nods once, thinking, "You should be able to take your breaks." He gently teases, "Ask G'wain to bring you cool drinks, make sure they are cold when he gets it too you!"

Lydiere's head is nodded several times, quickly. "All good ideas. I'll make sure we work out some kind of system. With any luck, I might be able to sit in the galleries for most of the time, too, as long as Llysereth's not too broody."

M'kan tilts his head thoughtfully but chuckles under his breath, "Only time will tell you know?" He laughs then, speculatively looking over the beach and then turns back to eye Lydiere.

"Of course. And there's still a while to go before I really have to worry about any of that, and I intend to enjoy it!" She grins broadly, lolling her head back so that the sun shines upon her face.

"And you'll be nicely grounded for now, anyhow." M'kan sweetly intones, but then moves before he's hit or something along those lines.

Lydiere fastens a glare to her expression, aiming it at M'kan. "Your reminders are oh-so-appreciated, M'kan. Isn't it ironic, the moment my pregnancy allows me to go between, and now Llysereth means I can't."

"If you go between later, you're going to lose the child." M'kan shakes his head, but then doesn't seem to be fazed by the glare, simply he smiles and assures, "Don't worry too much, you'll have enough to worry about."

Lydiere nods. "Dangerous in first and third trimester, allowable in second. I'm in second now." Her nose wrinkles, her eyes rolled. "Hah. Easy for you to say. I don't know if 'worry' is something that I know how to live without, for the moment. But, anyway. How're you?"

"I suppose, but you'll probably be grounded out of safety.." M'kan murmurs under his breath, pensively but then he nudges her in the ribs, lightly. "The father probably figures it's his?" He wonders, speculatively. "At times, I wish J'ey was assistant weyrlingmaster. I resent the time I don't get to spend with him..."

Lydiere grimaces, her head nodding, the nudge in the ribs drawing a rueful smile. "Uh, yeah. Something like that." She glances out, over the sea, her head nodding. "I know. I feel that way about G'wain, sometimes, and I'm sure he always did about me, too. It's /hard/, trying to have a relationship on stolen moments between one thing and the next."

"But at times, I try to ..." M'kan trails off, pensively before looking over the waters, thinking, "But you know... we can't always wish to take their time, 100%... that's what I try to remind myself, they have to be happy too..."

Lydiere glances across at M'kan, her eyebrows raising slightly. She nods, shortly, giving a half-hearted, tight-lipped smile. "But that's easier said than done," she surmises. "In some ways, it makes me look forward to sands sitting-- since G'wain'll make an effort to be there whenever he's not actively doing wing stuff. At least we can do hidework together, or something. But it'd be hard, for you and J'ey, I know."

"I am feeling like I don't have much to do... but since my arm got better, I'm back to sweep rides and hunting along the ground." M'kan admits, leaning over to add, "Don't tell J'ey, I'm hunting snakes again, he'll have my head."

Lydiere nods her head sagely, lips quirking briefly. "I'll keep absolute silence, of course. The picture of discresion, that's me."

Etienne uncurls herself from the shadows, waking up at an unusual time. Still oblivious to the pair down the stretch of sand, she makes a face and sputters, "Sand.. never sleep in sand.." she reminds herself, "Especially not Ista sand.."

"So long as your dragon doesn't spill it out." M'kan murmurs but then looks over, blinking. "You've been here this long.. slept..." But he grins at Etiennc, chuckling. "Next time, blanket!"

"Llysereth'll be good. At least, I hope she will be. You never know, the way she is at the moment." Lydiere glares out towards her lifemate, still bobbing about in the weightless relief of water. M'kan's comments to Etienne draws her to notice the other woman, a smile playing out upon her lips as she greets her with a nod. "Or better yet, finding a bed?"

'Etiennc' snorts, "Next time, bite me.." she rolls her eyes and flops face down into the sand again, muttering about it being too early for this. "Beds.. overrated.." she mutters through her arms.

"J'ey's much nicer to bite." M'kan reminds, laughing merrily and finally leaning back. However, he looks to Lydiere, blinking, "I don't want to know."

"No, you probably don't," agrees Lydiere lazily, towards M'kan, with a grin. "Well, they're better than sand, aren't they? /I/ think so. Sleeping on sand is /not/ fun."

Etienne snorts, "I know.." She winks at M'kan, "I'd rather bite either of you any day.." She sits up and makes little gagging sounds theatrically, "Maybe.."

"You might not be able to bite into me." M'kan intones, grinning mildly, admitting, "Cause it's all too tough for you to sink your teeth into!" He jokingly intones.

Lydiere rolls her eyes at both Etienne and M'kan, laughing. "Keep the biting away from me, if you do decide to test that out, thank you."

Etienne shakes her head, "Never imply I can't do something, M'kan.." She grins, and looks over at Lydiere before playfully diving at her.

"I prefer J'ey biting me, he's got a nicer set of teeth." M'kan intones, being most biased, "And the most lovely of dragons, too..." He stops, "No, Xae, you're considered HANDSOME!" He laughs quietly.

Lydiere yelps theatrically, grinning ruefully as she wiggles back. "Eep, and all of that." She laughs cheerfully at M'kan's comments. "Llysereth's offended. She wants to be called lovely, too, but she accepts that no one is lovely when they're all balloony- like she is." Her eyes roll.

Etienne beams and leans over to pat Lydiere on the head. She eyes M'kan and sticks her tongue out, "Whatever you say, M'kan."

He merely shrugs it off, chuckling. "Besides, I find J'ey more attractive, anywho." M'kan teases Etienne, amusedly, but then remarks. "Sorry, Lly, I can't do that, or Tiregeth will have J'ey do unspeakable things to me."

"She understands. At least," Lydiere rolls her eyes, "she'll go on making excuses, and complaining about how awful she looks. Faranth knows how she'll cope when /I/ get fat." She attempts to duck Etienne's head patting, laughing cheerfully, and then slowly draws herself towards her feet. "Alas, I've work to do. Nice to see, and talk to, both of you. C'mon, Llysereth-- time for a nap, don't you think?"