Taking Risks

[darkwanderer]

Miros chuckled behind his hand,
"You're going to make an amazing Dragonrider!" he exclaimed, imagining her astride her beast and pointing to the horizon, shouting "CHARGE!" before sliding off her Dragon's back to let the beast frolic in the sea. Miros beckoned her to follow, eager to go outside and soak up some of the sunshine. Svak followed him down the twisting corridors and out into the open air. The sun was just beginning it's descent in the sky as they headed down the dirt path towards the long sandy beach,
"Sometimes people find Fire Lizard clutches in the sand. I always wished I could find one, but they're hard to find" Miros said as they stepped onto the sand. Surveying the long beach, Miros spotted two dragons splashing about in the water further up. He motioned for Svak to follow and the pair approached the pair to get a closer look. Both Dragons were young adults, large enough to be ridden but not yet quite fully grown. One was a a most stunning Starlight Dragon, it's dark blue hide speckled with orange and yellow starburst markings. It's play mate was a Sunset Dragon, it's hide the beautiful yellows, oranges and reds of sunset. The pair were splashing around in the shallows quite happily while their riders lazed on the beaches. Miros admired the Dragons wistfully,
"What must it be like to have a Dragon like those?" he sighed.

[Void]

The beach is so nice Svak thought as she listened to Miros tell her about the ever elusive Fire Lizard clutches. She took her shoes off to better feel the sand under her feet. She tried to remember if she had ever been on a beach before. She couldn't remember. The sand was so nice and soft and warm. The only thing she could think that was like it was moss but even that wasn't right. The Ocean spread out before her taking the entire horizon and melting into it. It was quiet and amazing view. She had seen so many new things today it was slightly over whelming.

She tuned back into Miros wondering about having a dragon like that. In a moment of brashness she bent down and ran her fingers through the sand. Picking up a handful she watched it slip between her fingers then tossed it at Miros hitting him square in the chest. "Lets find out!" She called bursting into a full sprint down the beach toward the water.

[darkwanderer]

Miros was surprised by the sandy projectile that slapped into his chest. He looked to question Svak. but saw her charging off down the beach. With a huge grin he gave chase, pumping his legs as fast as he could to keep pace with her. The water splashed up around his knees as he went and it felt great to be running around like a youngster again! He followed Svak closely, curious to know what she was planning to do.

[Void]

The water felt cool on her legs as she ran through it. She could see how even the most stuffy of dragons could drop a little of the stiffness and enjoy the good water. She felt like she was 10 again happy to just splash around in the water. She slowed down and stopped running out of breath, breathing heavy from the run through sand and water. She looked up at Miros and grinned the effects of the beach and water clear on her face. She collapsed into a sitting position not caring that the water was chest high when sitting just enjoying the feel of the water.

[darkwanderer]

Miros looked down in puzzlement at Svak, but then realised how refreshing a nice sit down would be in the warmth of the day. He dropped with a splash into the water that reached nearly to his chest and shivered as his clothing absorbed the water. The waves lapped slowly and lazily around the two friends,
"What was life like in the Hold you came from Svak? I've only ever lived here and never been travelling" he asked.

[Void]

She thought about the question for a second pondering her options for answers. "It's totally different than here to be sure. There are Mountains, and Hills just scattered all over the place at Dragon Ridge. I've imagined that from the air it looks..." she paused trying to find words to describe her mental image. She crab walked backwards to the edge of the water and took a handful of wet sand and shook it onto an area of beach just out of reach of the water. She then dropped large clumps down randomly and swooshed her hand through the water toward the mounds of sand. The water rushed up onto them seeping away leaving them smoothed, worn, and declining in height the closer they got to the water until it leveled out even with the surrounding beach. Leaving cliffs of dried sand showing how far the flood of water had reached, dropping down into rounded mountains leading into aged hills and worn knolls. "Like this."

[darkwanderer]

Miros leaned closer to the sculpture Svak had made with the sand,
"So...no jungles? No beaches? I can't imagine what it looks like" he breathed in awe. Grass land made of hills and valleys? He looked at her,
"What was the Hold like? Do you have herd beasts? And runners?" he asked eagerly, climbing further out of the water to look at the sculpture, the ideas of rolling grassy hills becoming clearer in his mind,
"I bet you could take off running across the land for miles! Do you have Fire Lizards there?" he asked, but realised he was giving her no chance to answer,
"Please, forgive my excitement" he said sheepishly.

[Void]

"We have Forests in the higher mountains but I don't really know how they are compared to Jungles. Some say they are completely different and others that they are exactly alike. I've come to just realize that if want to know I'm going to have to look at a Jungle myself. We definitely don't have a beach." She ran her fingers through the sand the whole beach idea still novel to her. "We would get fog a lot. Fog is the best it muffles all sound and hides you better" She said with a mischievous grin. "Oh and because we don't have a beach we don't have any firelizards. We have Whers we use them to transport the rocks the miners dig up and whatever they get from the veins such as Shale and Halite. Sometimes we even get Gold. You know what signs there are that Gold is around?" She asked "Quartz. If you find a vein of Quartz Gold is usually nearby."

[darkwanderer]

Miros listened to Svak, completely enthralled by her words. Mines filled with quartz and gold? It sounded so fanciful, but he knew it to be true. As Svak spoke Miros's mind raced with images of huge beasts hauling mysterious rocks up from the bowels of Pern. He let out a little sigh when her story concluded, and covered it with a delicate cough,
"When I become a Dragonrider, I'm going to see the lands for myself. I want to see a mine one day, I've never seen quartz before" he said with a grin. As quick as lightning, a small green Fire Lizard zipped over head, squeaking urgently as it went around it's business in a mighty hurry. Miros chuckled, but was then reminded of the return of his father. S'Ros would most likely be home with his mother right now. He turned to Svak,
"I don't mean to impose, but would you like to meet Recenth, my father's Dragon? He's a wonderful Green beast, he lets me oil his skin as practice for when I have my own Dragon" Miros said enthusiastically.

[Void]

"I'll have to be your guide in Dragon Ridge of course!" She grinned. "We should go exploring together. When we graduate from Weyrling status maybe they will let us visit other areas. I don't know what we do after we graduate. Who knows!"

She looked at Miros. "Really? I could come and meet your father and Recenth? I would love to!" She

[darkwanderer]

"I could think of no one better to be my guide!" Miros said happily. He knew they had some amazing adventures ahead of them. He stood up and brushed himself off,
"Of course you can meet her! Let's go and see Recenth's weyr" he said enthusiastically. The pair made their way back across the beach, Miros telling his friend stories about growing up with a Dragonrider for a father. They re-entered the Weyr and Miros led the way, showing Svak to Green Recenth's personal little weyr ledge. Sure enough, the Dragon was already there, her lithe body stretched out and relaxed,
"Hello Rcenth, this is Svak my new friend" Miros said to the Dragon. Her head swung around and cocked slightly to the side. Her eyes whirled over a serene pale blue,
She likes you Svak" Miros chuckled and approached the Dragon, rubbing her eye ridges. The Dragon gave a rumble of appreciation.

[Void]

She walked after Miros listening to his story of how he grew up. It was so different to how she had lived. When they got to Rcenth's Weyr she saw the Green stretched out enjoying the sun. Svak thought the whirling blue eyes complemented the Emerald tone hide very nicely. "It's nice to meet you. Miros was telling me all about you" She grinned toward Rcenth.

[darkwanderer]

The Dragon made a deep crooning sound and then rested her head on her fore paws,
"She's so patient with me, even when I was much younger and clumsier" Miros explained, scratching a spot on the back of her neck. The Dragon snorted as if in agreement of Miros's assessment. Miros knelt down to examine her emerald coloured hide,
"Father must have just oiled her, she's looking wonderful" Miros said, making Recenth purr in appreciation,
"Come on, she'll let you stroke her" Miros offered, indicating the beasts eye ridges.

[Void]

"Really?" She asked. She rubbed along Recenth's eye ridges the hide feeling almost soft to the touch. "Such soft hide" She remarked to the dragon watching her swirling eyes. The dragons hide was visibly gleaming in the sunlight due to the oiling. "How does one oil a dragon? I bet it takes forever, I can't imagine trying to oil a Gold. I bet it takes all day!" She exclaimed imagining a Gold she had seen the other day remembering how she marveled at its size.

[darkwanderer]

Miros chuckled at the thought,
"I don't know about a Gold" he said and wondered for himself how long it must take to oil such an immense creature, "But Recenth here doesn't take too long. She tends to make your job easier by indicating where she needs oiling" Miros explained, stroking her down her side. She gave a snort and rolled, showing off her belly. It was looking very round and Miros guessed she must have just eaten,
"It doesn't matter how you lay Recenth, you always look beautiful" Miros chuckled. The Dragon turned a half lidded look on him that clearly showed her disapproval of his slight sarcasm. But she was obviously not insulted as she contented herself with enjoying Svak's attention.