The first time he flew had been amazing, even left behind on the ground. It was really the first time Ichta had realized just how connected she was going to be with her blue for the rest of her life and had her feet not been planted firmly on the ground, the line between where Ichta ended and Aurinkoth began would have been lost in that moment. There was absolutely nothing that should have brought her down from that feeling, not when her heart was still up there in the sky, even after her bonded had landed and they’d been physically reunited. At least, there shouldn’t have been.

Was I wonderful? Did you see it? Aurinkoth had been full of joy and questions ever since his feet had touched the ground again, and Ichta answered each one dutifully. I did see it, love. Yes. It was wonderful. Yes. Yes, we’ll go together soon. How do your wings feel? She knew the answer before she even asked and it would be the only reason she knew how he felt. Walking across the sands, the two suddenly stopped. Or rather, Ichta stopped and Aurinkoth immediately stopped on her heels, thrumming with confusion. Ichtamine? Did you hear me? What’s wrong? She reached out with a hand to pull his head closer to her and Aurinkoth nuzzled it up against her cheek, crooning reassuringly.

The wave of panic that had hit him had been felt on a small scale only once before when a Weyrling lesson had been interrupted by a drunken rider going on a tirade. Aurinkoth had never wanted her to feel that again. But this was worse. Ichta? he pressed again and she nudged her mind against his. There was no reassurance, only an attempt at it. The blue looked over the sands and it wasn’t long before he spot the offending shape - a woman. She was a squat woman who walked with a wobble in her step that made him wonder if she was going to fall over. By his considerations, she looked absolutely harmless.

But he knew better, and it was with an easy step he placed himself between his chosen and this mystery woman, one wing flaring out to cover up the woman behind him. If this stranger made Ichta nervous, he would trust her judgement. Tell me who she is. You’re safe with me, he assured, tucking his head under the same wing to croon reassuringly at the young woman who took up his head in both hands and pressed her forehead against his. That….is….Tchose. My mother, she answered. Aurinkoth didn’t understand, but he had time to understand later.

For a moment, Aurinkoth was sure he had supplied an ample hiding place for his dear Ichta. The woman - this ‘mother’ - looked over him with a sort of vague indifference, after all. But it wasn’t perfect.

“Ichta,” her voice was soft, ginger, “Are you hiding behind this beast?”

Ichta flinched involuntarily when she spoke. Aurinkoth felt a brief flash of offense - beast? A wher was a beast! He was a dragon. He huffed once, keeping his wing around Ichta like a protective cape as she stepped out from behind him. Where he expected a frown, he found instead an expression of impassivity. Ichta steeled up her nervous heart and Aurinkoth reinforced it. If he could not protect her physically, he would keep her steady in other ways. Ichta stopped purposely out of the woman’s reach. “We were talking,” she said, voice shakier than he’d ever heard. The woman’s eyes narrowed, then her brows lifted before she held out her arms, as if beckoning Ichta to her. Ichta remained. The woman sighed and motioned in with her arms, clicking her tongue in disapproval. This time Ichta, albeit hesitantly, moved into them. Her mother pulled her close so that Ichta’s head rested uncomfortably against her shoulder. Her mother stroked her hair.

“I thought we had talked about this, Ichta,” she said after a moment. Ichta’s heart tightened so quickly that Aurinkoth jittered, flaring both of his wings out and beginning to circle the pair as he keeled. Tchose shot him a sharp look of disapproval. “We….a long time ago. Yes,” Ichta winced internally. Aurinkoth pressed; What did you talk about? We..talked about dragons. And what kind of people could be riders. she explained. The red haired woman nodded slowly. “So you remember that conversation, then?” Tchose asked and Ichta again flinched internally. “I don’t not remember it,” she fidgetted with the edge of her tunic. Her mother pulled away from her, nodding slowly.

Taking Ichta’s jaw firmly in her hand, Tchose forced the girl to look her in the face. “And yet, I find you here, playing with beasts that aren’t for good girls. Are you not my good girl anymore, Ichta?” her tone, still sweet, held a disappointed accusation. Aurinkoth thrummed angrily. This woman...this woman was hurting his where nobody was allowed to touch! Ichta attempted to recoil away, but Tchose squeezed harder, causing Ichta to hiss in pain. “I….” Ichta was interuptted by her mother pulling her face in closer. “You’re a nasty girl on a nasty blue beast. Not even a girl’s dragon. I heard there was a gold. What is the point of being on a dragon if it’s not a gold?” she asked, sweet tone growing slowly lower in volume.

Ichta continued to whimper in pain as Aurinkoth forcibly shoved his snout in between Ichta and Tchose’s faces, rumbling in his throat in mock threat. Tchose thumped the dragon on the nose with her free hand. Her jolted back with a start, then again wedged his head between the two, this time not removing his head as the woman repeatedly pounded her hand against the side of his face. Only when she hit an eye did Ichta recoil, pushing the woman with both of her hands. Tchose didn’t release her hold immediately and Ichta’s face was pulled into the side of Aurinkoth’s head with enough force to cause both rider and dragon to recoil, Ichta rubbing her face with one hand and her bonded’s with the other.

Aurinkoth pulled the young woman into his side again, keeping his wing over her. With his chosen now safely up against his side, he rumbled with more purposeful threat at Tchose. The woman looked at the blue, then at Ichta.

“You disappoint me, Ichta. I raised you better than this,” she said disapprovingly, though a violent thump of Aurinkoth’s tail was enough to send the woman away. Only once she was out of sight did Ichta crumple into the sands to weep against her dragon. Aurinkoth wrapped himself around her, crooning his sunny reassurances that everything was now alright. But he still sent a call out for his brother.

Elzebuth. When you have time, I feel mine may need yours.