[PRP] Green meet Gold [R'am, Ameliah, and co.]

[Waiver]

Ameliah loved her home and missed the cool northern air during the hot summers of more southern climates. As long as she didn't cause trouble and managed to keep a reasonable amount of control over Sharath, she could visit for a little while. Thankfully her dragon had taken an interest in the Weyrlings that were toddling around the Weyr and decided she was going to place herself squarely in the center of the Weyrbowl, golden, preening queen that she was.

She had decided to humour her dragon and taken to oiling the queen while they had easy access to hide oil in the Weyr - it was easy enough to trade some for the coin she'd earned from her firestone delivery. It reminded Ameliah of the day she Impressed, her golden companion front and center commanding everyone's attention. Rubbing oil into the queen's side, Ameliah grinned as she worked, this was so very nostalgic... she remembered barely being able to keep up with Sharath's growth spurts and in a way envied those bonded to the smaller dragons - less hide to oil over all.

Sharath snorted and tilted her head, But I am a Queen, Mine, and you did wonderfully.

"You say that now, love, but you complained bitterly of itching at the start." Ameliah laughed, slapping the side of the queen good naturedly.  

[Bronze Coffee]

It was time to oil down Lemath again. Three times a day he did this, like clock work. He was getting faster at it, but liked to take his time even still. Lemath liked it when R'am took his time, too. He scratched all her itchy spots and soothed them other. Afterward she usually got a snack because hers knew she was starving a lot more than most of her siblings.

R'am tried to feed her just like the schedule said, but he noticed she got lethargic if he didn't give her a snack, or another full meal at least sometime between her midday meal and her final meal. He tried to do a week with only the three meals, but she'd lost weight and looked so much smaller in comparison to her siblings. So, he fed her when she complained. As long as it was a reasonable amount of time after a meal.

The green dragonet waddled her way to place to be oiled and stopped in front of R'am's usual place before she even noticed the larger gold. She was taken aback. Her eyes swirled with excitement and a bit of hesitation.

R'amine! Who is this? I don't know her! Look how she glitters! The dragonet bounced on her feet, eager to scoot over to the glittering gold, oiled dragon that looked a bit like her mom. She didn't, however. Wandering up to random adult dragons wasn't in her best interest if she didn't know them.

"I don't know, Lemath," he responded, rolling his eyes with a grin. "Why don't you ask her name?" He looked to the rider by the gold and gave a friendly smile. "Hello! I haven't... seen you before." R'am was always busy and overlooked things, even before he became a Weyrling. "Ah, I'm R'am of Green Lemath." He opened the jar of oil and hesitated before he began. "You've got a very beautiful gold."

Waiver

 

[Waiver]

Ameliah was wiping her brow when the other waved at her and she grinned, waving back. She was clad in a dirty, worn pair of overalls with large, thick boots, and her mess of hair was pinned up in a bun, a streak of dirt across her face. "Hello! I'm not surprised, I only drop in every now and then... I'm not actually stationed here. Ameliah and this big lump is Sharath." She gestured up at the gold to her side. "Thanks, I try but she also makes it easy."

Sharath rumbled, pleased by R'am's comments, and turned towards the young green, her tail flicking like a content cat's. She lowered her head, touching chin to ground in order to chuff at the new green curiously. Hello little one. Yours is a good one. I am Sharath... you are Lemath? The mental nod from Ameliah confirmed what she'd overheard and she shifted her attention to R'am briefly, golden head looming beside Ameliah as she bespoke R'am with a tone of approval and gratitude, Thank you.

Ameliah was relieved. When she wasn't worried about rivals, Sharath could be a wonderful companion. Then again... R'am had started things well to garner a favourable impressed. The miner chuckled as she shook her head, "I bet you've been busy, eh? They grow so quickly! She's so pretty, you're doing a good job of keeping her oiled. Sharath was a nightmare to keep in good condition let me tell you." She grinned and stuck her hand in the large pail of oil to grab the rags she used.

Peppermint Coffee

 

[Bronze Coffee]

R'am gave a grin and a little flush when Ameliah said he was doing a good job with her. "It's really difficult. She wakes me up every night really early. She doesn't sleep long and decides she's so bored, so she just... Pounces on me. It's not great." He rubbed at his chest a little where Lemath liked to step on him. After that, the same hair pushed through his sandy blond hair that was tipped with brown before looking to her dragon. Such a beautiful queen! He wasn't jealous exactly, but he was at the same time. He had his lovely Lemath, the one he knew his heart was going to belong to, but he couldn't help but admire the metallics.

"Her mother is a gold.."

Lemath tried to inch closer to the gold, but R'am grabbed her by her middle and dragged her back into the proper spot. R'amine, I wanna go see her better...That's all, I promise! She sounded so sad. Lemath's head hung, but her eyes were still a mix of happy and curious. She wanted to get that much closer to this gold! Lemath's checkered wings flapped hard, if not a little awkwardly still.

"Well, I hope Lemath makes things easier for me, but I've got a gut feeling... it's going to be a lot harder once she can fly." He hung his head. R'am was looking forward to the day and not at all at the same time. He started the process of oiling his dragonet, finally, starting with her neck and head.

I am Lemath! I would come closer, but.. Even R'am could feel the mental sigh. It made him roll his eyes, but Lemath's eyes stayed on this new dragon. You're not from this place! You're from out there. What's it like out there? I bet there's a lot of playthings...

Waiver

 

[Waiver]

Ameliah chuckled as the other complained about early mornings, "Enjoy it while she's little enough to do that. Soon she'll squash you if she sits on you." The golden mother comment made her blink and tilt her head, "As far as I know, all dragons' mothers are golds actually. They might be half-siblings depending on which Queen's clutch she belonged to - I've been out of the Weyr for the last one. Fianth is Sharath's mum but... she's got a bit of a thing where that's concerned."

Sharath's rumble of displeasure that they were discussing a gold other than her was not subtle, the slight twirl of orange through her eyes as she tilted her head to better see R'am. Is he gold-stunned, Mine? He's stopped making much sense...

Ameliah shook her head and bopped the queen on the cheek, "Be nice now." The gold whuffed and turned her attention to the straining green and the bright green-blue of her eyes shone as she playfully stepped closer, looking like a giant hatchling herself the way she waggled her wings and tail. Well I will come to you then, Lemath. Never mind them, come play with me!

At the mention of flying, Ameliah lit up, "That's one of my absolute favourite things! You can go anywhere, see anything in a blink of an eye. I grew up here you see, I'd never see the ocean or walked on sun warmed beaches until Sharath and I left the Weyr to make our own way. I'm sure you'll love it as much as she will."

Sharath dipped into a playful bow and puffed at the green, filling her wings with air, There are many interesting things out there... a chance to find to your way, see vast ocean and mountain... to soar above dense jungles and not a thing any of the Weyrs can do about. As she spoke, Sharath's mental voice was echoed with images of the places they'd been - the mountain vistas surrounding High Reaches and the thrill of leaping of a precipitous, tall cliff into the sky; the stretches of sandy beaches and warmth of the water while she scrubbed in the shallows; the scent and infinite shades of green of the southern jungles, steam rising from the plants in the late afternoon; and of course image of herself stationed in Nabol, starting her own gathering of dragons.

Amelia side-eyed her dragon something fierce at this haphazard recruitment effort and sighed, That didn't go so well last time you tried love.

It will go better this time. The unshakable certainty of Sharath was soothing, somehow, and entirely frustrating at times. Sharath touched her nose to Lemath's gently, as if sharing a secret.

Peppermint Coffee

 

[Bronze Coffee]

R'am sighed when Ameliah told him to enjoy it. No, he wasn't going to enjoy the green dragonet sitting on top of his chest until he woke up. There was no enjoying not being able to breed properly. But he knew he'd look back on it fondly and miss it. At least, that's what he thought. Either way, he watched the gold and green enjoy themselves and sighed. It was peaceful, really. He knew he needed to oil her down, but...

Getting grabbing his things and stool, he sat down beside the preoccupied green and started oiling down her back while he could.

"So, is it a year and she'll be big enough to take me flying? Or... I...don't know how to phrase that properly, but you understand what I'm trying to say." R'am was maybe a little tongue tied. The green started squirming as the gold kept talking to her and he sighed as he got whipped with her tail in his side. He grunted and just made a face, but grabbed that tail to oil it down instead. Might as well if it was within reach, right? "So a ways to go, but hopefully this one won't get too anxious about it and try early."

Lemath's wings were flapping rather uselessly around her as she pranced around, her feet never really stopping their movement. She bounced on her toes and hopped a few times at the gold and giggled.

The ocean! I wanna see the ocean. Will you show me, Queen? Will you fly with me and Mine and show me the ocean when I can? Lemath's eyes swirled with the happiest colors they could. A dreamy look appeared on her face and she just sighed happily and wiggled her rump. It made her tail fly out of R'am's hands and she heard a frustrated growl from him. Craning her head to look at R'am, she made a crooning noise before honking good naturedly and tried to sit still now.

I wanna see outside the hold!

Waiver

 

[Waiver]

Ameliah plopped down on the ground beside R'am and dipped a rag into the oil, holding onto the tip of Lemath's wing to keep it stretched out as she moved around, running the slick fabric along the joints and sails of the wing finger. “Around about there. If she grows to be a big green, possibly sooner, but don't let her go full on flying before conditioning her wings. It'd be like trying to swim the ocean after sitting in a tub.”

The goldrider nodded, “I'm not sure about Greens but Sharath here Rose for a Flight relatively soon after she matured into an adult. I think it just depends on the dragon, if that's something you're worried about.” She smiled encouragingly, “It's a bit of a surprise the first time but nothing you can't handle. Are the Weyrs still allowing riders to leave now that Thread as returned?”

Ameliah's tone grew a bit serious as she asked the question, looking overheard at the silhouettes of other dragons. “I must admit I worry about getting trapped here... And I'm not here enough to really get a sense of how things are going.” She honestly seemed concerned about being ordered to stay.

Sharath rumbled with amusement and nosed the little green, eyes whirling blue, Of course I'll show you. It's blue and as wide as you can see. You can between vast distances and still be above it. She shared a mental image of the ocean expanding from horizon to horizon, the water a deep blue-black and small wood-coloured ship with bright white sails below.

When you learn to fly, I will show you places you and Yours will enjoy. The gold settled on to belly, lounging like a giant cat, wings held loosely at her sides for a moments before she yawned, stretching them out and shading a large area as they shuddered with the stretch. Tell me little one, what other dreams do you hold? I would like to know.

Peppermint Coffee