Going Elsewhere

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 17th November 2014

Characters: J'nus, Kapera
Description: J'nus invites Kapera to an upcoming Gather.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 7

Kapera

"Did you hear? There's going to be a Gather at Coral Bay Hold!"

J'nus smiled a little as he overheard the news in the hall. Everyone loved
a Gather. At Dragonsfall Weyr they'd been an excuse to escape the cold,
but it seemed like the dragonriders found the idea of a Gather just as
much of a treat here at Dolphin Cove. He stuck his hands in his pockets
and continued on his way down to the beach, where Kopth was currently
entertaining his new mate.

The sun was already down, but the sky was still that lovely shade of blue
that left it light enough to see by. J'nus picked his way through the
foliage until he found the beach. Several small fires had been lit, and he
could see more than a few dragons and dragonmen enjoying the water.
Riyanth's hide glittered in the twilight, and Kopth crouched beside her
like a dark shadow.

"Hello!" J'nus called as he approached. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Kapera said, waving as she recognized who it was. "I'm
enjoying what might be my last glimpse of the horizon," she added with a
laugh.

"Riyanth is getting bigger, but she's not that big yet." J'nus sat on the
sand next to the goldrider. "I think you'll be seeing a few more horizons
before she Clutches."

"I certainly hope so," she said, reluctant already at the idea of living
inside the Hatching Grounds. "How was your day?"

He shrugged. "Not terribly exciting. Drills. You?"

"The same," she said. "It seems a little easier now - Cyradis is leading
the Wing again, and I feel a bit more respected." As though things had
been proven to work out.

"Good." **About time.** The sky was darkening enough that the bonfires on
the beach cast orange light on the sand, and the stars were coming out one
at a time. "Actually, I was going to ask-- there's a Gather at Coral Bay
Hold this restday. I was going to go, but if you're interested, I'd be
happy to have company."

"I think that would be excellent. I do love Gathers, and we've found some
nice bargains there together. You're far better at it."

He smiled in the dark. "What can I say? I had a good upbringing."

She moved her hand over to find his and lay back farther, watching the
sky. "You should tell me some stories, sometime. Of what the traveling is
like, the freedom. Or if it's far more awful than the romanticized tales
say."

"A little of both? It's a good life to live, but a hard one." He closed
his fingers around hers.

"It sounds like it was better than living in a Hold. At least, maybe it
was before Thread."

"I don't know. Thread is a menace, but how much of it actually makes it to
the ground?" He shook his head. "It's horrific to think about, but how many
actual deaths from Thread - that aren't dragonmen - have there been since
all this started? Not that many. The Traders are pretty safe."

"You know, I've never thought about it," she admitted. "I suppose it's
just that the idea of being outside without a dragon is terrifying."

"I agree - I wouldn't want to be out there! But when Thread started, and the
caravans needed to travel... it's something I thought about." He shrugged.
As much thought as he gave his family, anyway. After Impressing, they'd
drifted apart.
"There are shelters along the roads, but whether they're in good repair or
if you can get to them on time..."

"I wonder if people work on the upkeep. And I'm sure with time, you get
used to judging the distance." Again, she hadn't had to worry. "It's just
one of those strange things you hear about and wonder."

"Sort of like the strange things they hear about dragonriders?" J'nus
smiled again.

She laughed. "Exactly like that. The point still stands - I'd love to tag
along to the gather. You hunting for anything in particular?"

"Not really. I haven't even fully finished unpacking after moving, so I
really don't need anything new. Except maybe a dance or two...?"

"You can always have as many dances with me as you want," she said
seriously. "And Gathers do tend to have the most impressive music."

"If I had as many dances as I wanted, your feet would fall off by the
end of the evening."

"What a way to lose them," she said with a light laugh, stroking her
fingers against his. "Thank you for thinking of me."

"You asked me to take care of you and Riyanth when you were in the
Hatching Cavern. I'm just laying the foundations." He leaned back
beside her so that he could watch the stars come out. "I figure it'll
pay off later on."

"We both appreciate it."

The gold crooned her satisfaction. }:Your rider is gallant. I have
good taste in mates and you in lifemates.:{

Kapera snickered. "She's picking words out of my mind again."

"They do that. What does she say?" Dragons were as different as their
chosen, and he'd often wondered what other dragon-rider pairs
talked about.

"She called you gallant. It just seemed rather formal of a word. I
used to read her those dreadful printed romances for our first
clutch," she reminisced with a soft smile. "You know, beautiful maiden
rescued by a dashing bronzerider."

The bronzerider in question laughed. "Dashing? If you insist... and thank
you Riyanth!" he called to the gold. "Do you still read Harper romances?"

"I do," she confessed. "You can find the most dreadful ones at Gathers.
She thinks they're funny to listen to. Sometimes I'll read her a Craft
tale, but no Hold ones."

"Why no stories set in a Hold? I thought you grew up in a Hold," J'nus
asked curiously.

"I did, but what kind of stories do women get from there? It's all about
the hunky men sweeping up the women. If it's from her point of view,
here's how to be a good wife, a good mother. No adventures happen to women
in Holds - unless they're being taken away from them."

"Interesting." That was something he'd never thought of... not that he'd
read many
Harper romances to begin with. But it made a sort of sense, that being a
good wife or mother was the focus of so many stories for Holder girls. It
explained why so many were eager to come to the Weyr, and why so many
weren't. If those were the only stories you were told then no wonder so
many were shocked when they arrived.

The bronzerider shifted on the sand to move a rock beneath his hip into a
more comfortable position. "Well. I won't get you reading material set at
a
Hold, then. But we'll have to stop by the stalls for something to keep you
entertained while there's eggs on the Sands."

"I think that would be lovely. It must have been lovely having the Harper
and Printer Halls at the Weyr with - no /betweening/ to worry about, just
walking over there to pick something up. Now I have to make sure I have
everything before she grounds."

"Which is exactly why I'm taking you to a Gather," he said.

She grinned. "I know Riyanth already said it, but you're the best."

Beside them, the gold crooned.

Last updated on the November 30th 2014

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Going Elsewhere