Welcome to Gaia! ::

Talela stood in the doorway of her new weyr and sighed. There was sadness, a little relief, and a healthy dose of frustration in that sigh. It was still a nice stone weyr, a cool and comfortable cavern carved into the caldera wall… but it was on the ground. Instead of a wide ledge for her and Vimiath to descend from with grace and dignity, she stepped outside onto a dirt path through the grass, worn over the turns by the weyr’s previous residents.

That Hestina! So much for equality! So much for fairness! So much for—

Even as she thought those words of protest, she knew that the Weyrwoman had only meant the best for her. At least, she hoped that was the greenrider’s intention. Certainly it had nothing to do with preserving one of Pern’s most prolific gold dragons, a dependable source of new soldiers for a growing Weyr… right?

You are overthinking this, dearest, Vimiath purred. Talela looked out toward where her dragon was, and spotted the slender queen resting among her court, eyes whirling in contented dark blue and purple whorls. At least a dozen male dragons of all shapes, colors and sizes were gathered around her, lazing about in the warm sunshine. A handful of greens and another gold were also there, either paired or grouped off and nestling with other dragons, or sitting in a rough semi circle with Vimiath to chat. The queen herself had a small brown snuggled up against her, and her wing lay over his back in an affectionate embrace.

Am I, love? Do you think it was the right thing to do?

Vimiath’s eyes stayed focused on hers for a few moments. Yes, dearest.

A twinge of outrage was quickly swallowed down. If her other half believed it was best, then it had to be, whether she liked it or not. But Vimiath had more to say.

What would have happened if Dalbath had not flown by and seen you there? Bursts of gray cut through the deep colors in the gold’s eyes, circling slowly at first, then faster. You Faded again, and I was not there.

The woman gathered her thick ginger ponytail into her hands, stroking it compulsively as her mind went back to that breathtaking moment of terror. She’d come back to herself lying nearly flat on her face in the palms of a hovering dragon, looking down between its arms at her death below on the caldera floor. Her toes were mere inches below her weyr ledge when she’d been caught. What had she been thinking when she took that fateful step? She couldn't even remember why she'd been on that ledge in the first place.

Fading. That was Vimiath’s word for those spells. Those times when Talela forgot herself. She would fade out, and then later return not knowing what had happened in between. She’d apparently had entire conversations that she had no memory of, sometimes even with Vimiath! It was only because those episodes were so rare and minor they were allowed to fly drills or Thread at all these days, and that being only at the lowest level, where Vimiath could easily remove herself and her rider from battle without putting anyone in danger, if necessary. Otherwise, they would have been grounded turns ago. But that last fading... it couldn't be overlooked, not with another dragon and its rider as witnesses. The thought of being grounded made Talela’s stomach burn.

Not to worry, her dragon said softly. We watch. No harm will come to you, dearest. And we will certainly not be grounded.

Vimiath’s love and reassurance embraced her, and that last was said with such decisiveness that it was impossible for Talela not to smile. Thank you, love. She felt much better, but her thoughts turned back to Hestina and the rest of the Council. Her dragon was confident, knowing her own abilities, but would that be enough, by human standards, to keep them in the fight against Thread?

And if so… for how much longer?