Choosing the Right Buck

Writers: Eimi, Heather
Date Posted: 7th December 2017

Characters: R'sedel, Zh'no
Description: R'sedel and Zh'no have a more normal conversation... almost.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 10 of Turn 9

R'sedel was up early, early enough to catch a perch on a rock near the
Feeding Pens and watch the sun rise as Eniidith swooped over the
herdbeasts, gleefully watching them scatter before pouncing on the one
she thought looked best. The greenrider didn't take many quiet moments
like these, but he enjoyed watching his lifemate in her element. The
rising sun cast an orange, burnt glow against her emerald hide, which
was nearly flawless, except for a few scars from Threadfalls.

A blue dragon's presence wasn't enough to catch R'sedel's attention,
until he saw movement from the corner of his eye. A grin spread across
his face.

"Well, look who it is. Zh'no, long time no see." He hadn't forgotten
about the surly bluerider, so it was fortuitous that they happened to
be at the Feeding Pens at the same time.

The bluerider had just hitched his foot up onto the bottom rung of the
pen when he heard the sound. It startled him. Usually he was aware
of the people around him when he entered a space. Staring at the
greenrider, he at first could not place where they had met or why it
had been a long time. "Good morning. My duty to you and yours," he
said with a nod as he went through the excruciating task of trying to
place the face out of context.

R'sedel stayed on his rock for the moment. "I think this is the first
time I've seen you outside of the work out room," he said, watching
how Eniidith changed from the eager huntress she'd been before, to a
more demure and flirty creature around Peohth.

Oh, right. The proddy greenrider. Now Zh'no remembered. "I suppose
that's true." He certainly hadn't noticed him elsewhere, but then
again, he hadn't been looking either.

"It's nice out here before everyone else gets up, isn't it?" The Weyr
was still rather quiet, with only the morning drudges up and about
getting things ready in the Dining Cavern. He'd seen a small handful
of riders getting an early start on some jogging, but other than that,
there was a stillness over Dragonsfall that only existed in the wee
morning hours.

"Yes. I prefer this time." Especially on mornings when there was
fog. Zh'no loved walking in fog. It made the world literally
disappear.

R'sedel's eyes flicked over to the bluerider. Yeah, he seemed like the
type to enjoy the solitude and quiet of the early morning. R'sedel
filed this information away for when it would be useful. "Got a busy
day planned?" he asked.

"A run, drills, and then crafting duties. A pretty typical day." And
because convention dictated it, "You?"

"I have drills first, although I kind of like it that way, so I can
have the rest of the day to do other things. I've got some transports
to take care of this afternoon." R'sedel typically liked
transportation duty, as social as he was, flying people around was a
good opportunity to meet new people and have interesting
conversations. "You said you craft?"

"Yes, I'm a beasthealer." Zh'no looked up as Peohth made a wide turn,
still surveying his options. "Do you craft?"

R'sedel shook his head, "No, a long, long time ago I was an apprentice
miner. It wasn't a craft as easy to keep up after dragonriding like
harpering, beastcrafting or dragonhealing."

"I suppose that's true," Zh'no said, though silent added **If you
weren't so dedicated to the craft to begin with...**. "Did you not
expect to Impress then?"

The greenrider shrugged, "I was a kid, kid's don't always make good
long term plans for their future, do they? It was a good thing
Eniidith found me, I was a terrible mason."

That made Zh'no smile a little. At least the greenrider wasn't
arrogant. "I guess our dragons know when they are needed."

"Absolutely, I would be nothing without her," R'sedel's eyes were back
on his lifemate, and the words were probably the most serious he'd
ever spoken.

Zh'no looked up at the green high in the sky. She certainly was a
pretty thing. Even Peohth seemed to think so, or else he would have
chosen his meal by now rather than continue to glide around pretending
to look for just the right one. His blue certainly enjoyed company
far more than his rider. But, at least this time the greenrider
wasn't eyeing him like his own next meal.

"How long have you been paired?" the bluerider asked.

R'sedel's eyes narrowed marginally as he did the numbers in his head,
"Twenty-seven Turns now," and then he made a face. Had it _really_
been that long? That made him feel older than he felt. "You and
Peohth?"

"Twenty. Right here on the Sands." Zh'no had never transferred
elsewhere and never had any intention to do so.

"That must be nice, to have that connection with the Weyr you're
living in." R'sedel finally scrambled off of the rock he'd been
perched on and stretched out his long legs as he went over to stand
beside Zh'no at the fence as Eniidith finished up with her last beast.

The bluerider resisted the urge to move a few steps away. He was a
rather tall man himself, but was surprised to see the greenrider still
had a couple inches on him. That had been less noticeable when he had
been leaning against the workout room wall. "I feel no need for
change. Peohth and I are content here."

"That's the way I felt about River Bluff," R'sedel said honestly, not
fishing for pity about the lost Weyr. He'd noticed if he mentioned it
in conversations he received the annoying, sympathetic head tilt and
nod. "Well, I'm glad to know you won't be going anywhere any time
soon, that just gives me a longer time frame to convince you to go on
a date with me."

**And there it is.** Zh'no watched with no emotion on his face as
Peohth finally chose his target and swooped down for the kill. "Be
patient, greenrider. You haven't been at Dragonsfall long. You might
find other blueriders more to your liking. Don't just settle for the
first buck that catches your eye or you may go hungry."

R'sedel chuckled, as incorrigible as ever, "I've been around long
enough to know what I like in a buck, Zh'no." He took a step back as
Eniidith came over and landed behind them. "Time for breakfast and
drills." The greenrider smoothly mounted and shot Zh'no a jaunty
salute and grin as Eniidith spread her wings and flew them off across
the Weyrbowl.

Zh'no gave them a nod as they took off. **That's what I'm afraid of.**

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

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Choosing the Right Buck