These halls weren't built for my wings

[taylor]

On a normal day, Rineska would be running around with her little mini dragon, calling herself Ri'a as she and Bubblyth fought Thread and saved Pern. Sadly, today couldn't be a normal day. Bubbly had gotten hurt during their playing yesterday. Kariss said it wasn't too bad - just a "sprain" whatever that meant - but now there was a stick strapped to her friend's leg and he was supposed to rest. Rest, pft. Well what was she supposed to do?

Find a new friend, she supposed. She'd asked Kariss to braid her hair today. Once her mom had headed off to do Candidate chores, she'd poked around in her little bag of medical supplies and helped herself to some bandages. The braids were now sloppily wrapped in bandages, turning them into little white spikes that hung down from her head. Next, she'd found a white shirt in her mother's clothes and pulled it on over her normal clothes. It was baggy and reached to her knees. If she held her arms out, there was a bit of fabric which hung down from them.

Equipped with headknobs and wings, she ran out of the room, considering herself a passable white dragon. Time to find herself a wingmate. Or a rider. Either was fine, but she couldn't save Pern alone. Maybe there would be someone in the creche to play with her. She'd fly there first!

Arms out, "wings" fluttering a little in the breeze created by her running, she sprinted down the hallway, making a "whoosh" noise. This was fine when she was all alone, but as she got down into the crowded part of the weyr, there were more and more people to avoid. But that was okay! Whites were agile 'n' stuff! With some more "whooshes", she tilted her arms and this way and that as she wove through the crowd. Unfortunately, she wasn't perfect, and she suddenly felt her arm smack hard into someone. She stopped quickly, eyes the size of dinner plates, and turned to the person she'd just hit. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I am a dragon and I didn't mean to do that but my wings aren't fitting well in this hallway and I'm sorry I'm sorry!" The words tumbled out in a repentant rush.

[Elessar]

He was in the lower caverns, searching for cats, because that was what Iro'ris did. Saekath was washed and oiled (which had taken a considerable amount of time, given how large the topaz dragon was), and he couldn't possibly do paperwork or anything serious, so instead he went to the lower caverns, one of his own cats kept carefully in his arms, to search for kittens.

Unfortunately, his search with Fennel, one of his current cats, was uneventful. There were no cats to be found in the lower caverns today, it would seem. Somewhat disappointed, Iro'ris collected Fennel in his arms once again, and began to head back to the more crowded area of the Weyr. He had in mind that perhaps a cup of klah (fellis laced, of course) would be nice, before Saekath's voice cut into his mind and he stopped moving.

Watch out.[/color]

The topaz rider barely had time to wonder what in Faranth's name his dragon meant when something tiny and white was careening into him, and then babbling apologies all over the place. How on Pern his dragon had seen the child coming, Iro'ris would never know. He didn't question his Lion Queen, especially not at times like this.

Kneeling down, Fennel still held carefully in his arms, Iro'ris smiled. "Hello there, little white dragon!" He said happily, blue eyes crinkled at the edges from his smile. "Your wings indeed are not fitting very well with all these people around. Where are your parents, little dragon? Do they know you are here?" He glanced around, but none of the people around him seemed to be missing a child.

Frowning slightly, he put a smile back on his face for the girl, and extended one hand to her. "Little dragon, why don't we go somewhere with less people? What is your name?"

[Thorn]

Jisene turned the corner and came to a halt, blinking in surprise. Wasn't that...? "Rineska...? What...?" Her gaze ran over the little girl, and she just managed to hold back the burst of laughter trying to fight its way out of her mouth.

Obviously, the little girl had decided that today she was a white dragon, complete with her mother's bandages tied into her braid. Bandages that Jisene had watched Kariss wash just the other day. A smile pulled at the young blonde's mouth, but she resisted the urge to give in to it.

Looking over at the rider that Rineska had bumped into, she grinned cheerfully. "Rineska's mother is one of the Candidates here, Sir. I share a barracks room with her here." Kneeling next to the girl, she smiled at her. "Rineska, do you remember me...? My name is Jisene."

[taylor]

Rineska was holding herself tense, waiting for the man to yell at her. When he instead knelt down and smiled at her, she relaxed, beaming back at him. He was nice. She liked him. They would be friends, she decided. She shook her head at his question. "My mom's saving cows. Or runners. Something. She's saving things. Or she's washing things. She's being important, is the thing. And my dad is secret. He doesn't know I am here." She had a serious look on her face, but it wasn't hard to see that she was fighting back a grin. She liked having a secret. It made her feel grown up and important.

Rineska reached out and took the topaz rider's hand. She opened her mouth, about to answer his question, when she heard her name.

She turned, seeing Jisene. She was certainly familiar, and Rineska even knew from where - she wanted a dragon like her mom, right? - but she couldn't remember her name. "Hi!" She smiled cheerfully at Jisene. Just because she didn't know her name didn't mean they couldn't be friends. All three of them could be friends and maybe - she gasped out loud. Maybe they could be wingmates!!!

She nodded at Jisene's question. "You're gonna get a dragon with my mom." She pulled her hand from Iro'ris' so she could point to him. "He has a cat." It may have been exceedingly obvious, but it was exciting enough to point out.

Bouncing on her toes a bit, she proposed the brilliant idea which had come to mind. "Wanna be my wingmates? We can go kill Thread together and save the day and then we'll eat bubbly pies to celebrate!" She looked from one adult to the other, grinning at both.