The Case of the Glamourous Goldrider: The Investigation Begins

Writers: Corrin, Estelle
Date Posted: 2nd September 2025

Characters: L'keri, N'kyri, Rasme
Description: L'keri and N'kyri begin their investigation by interviewing Rasme
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 4, day 27 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Aydhan, Saibra, K'mai, Thiseta

L'keri

N'kyri

Rasme

"So - let's see. What have we got so far?"

L'keri looked out across the bay towards the goldriders' weyrs, hands on hips, searching for a glimpse of a glittering hide. Like any good investigators, they'd started their search in the Lower Caverns, where the best gossip was to be found, but the results were inconclusive.

"Most people seem to agree that Aydhan has a bronzerider weyrmate, so she's a strong possibility," he began. "There are rumors about Rasme and various bronzeriders, but then, there always are with goldriders. However, several people mentioned her being seen with a handsome _bluerider_, so that's a point in her favor. And she's a dragonhealer, so we could start looking for her in the dragons' infirmary."

It was easy enough to get directions to the dragons' infirmary. It was across the field--the bowl--from the dining hall. The walk gave the intrepid detectives some time to sort out their plan. Or try to.

"But how should we approach her? I could feign an injury, but I don't know about Oriath..." N'kyri raked a hand through his hair, thinking hard. "We could nip back into the dining hall and bring her a lunch tray or something... Or I could... I could come up with some message from Saibra?" It wouldn't be the first time he'd used his foster sister's name for his own gain.

"That could work." L'keri thought it over for a moment. "How about this: 'Dear fellow goldrider, I'm sending you these two strapping, handsome dragonmen to assist you, in whatever way you may desire. Love and kisses, Saibra.'"

N'kyri laughed, a bright, incredulous bark of amusement. "Love and kisses-- Saibra doesn't even send_me_ that, and I'm her favorite! Rasme is going to know it's a phony--" He paused, hearing himself, and the wheels in his mind began to turn.

"I supposed that doesn't really matter though, does it?" He tipped his head thoughtfully. "It just needs to get us in the door, give us an excuse to talk to her. It _could_ be a recipe to clean bedpans for the afternoon, but if she _is_ our fun-loving, threesome-having, glamorous goldrider-- it could lead to something infinitely more fun..."

"Can't expect to earn the reward without taking a risk," L'keri agreed, trying not to think about what a dragon's bedpan would be like. "And we can rely on our natural charisma to carry us through."

They quickly forged a message on a page from the notepad N'kyri used for sweeps and soon they arrived at the entrance to the infirmary. L'keri put a hand on the door to push it open. "Here we go..."

Their unsuspecting victim, Rasme, was standing by the main circulation desk. She wore an apron stained with dragon ichor from the work she'd been doing on a young green's neck. Her frizzy blonde hair, which she normally wore braided out of her face while working, was framing her unsmiling face. She looked just as intimidating as her reputation said.

Buoyed by his own self-confidence and anticipation of solving the mystery in the most satisfying manner, L'keri strode up to the desk and bowed. "Good day! Do we have the honor of addressing Master Rasme, rider of the magnificent gold Piketh?"

Rasme's eyebrow arched a little at the greeting. "You do." Her eye flicked to the patches on their riding jackets. "And who might you two be?"

"N'kyri and L'keri of Dragonsfall," said the bluerider, bowing as well. "At your service this afternoon." He proffered her their little forgery with a flourish and his most charming grin.

She was immediately suspicious, but took the note. "What must the two of you, a brownrider and bluerider, have done to be reduced to messenger duty?"

"Reduced? Perish the thought." L'keri feigned shock. "Delivering the letters of our Weyrwoman is a great honor, only assigned to the most trustworthy wingriders."

The woman read through the note without an inkling of emotion showing on her face. Whether she believed them or not could not be discerned.

"Come with me, gentlemen," she said, folding the note again and leading the way to her small office. She expected they would follow.

N'kyri glanced at his co-conspirator. One eyebrow raised. Could this be it?! Rasme had turned out to be older than he personally had pictured their mystery woman to be, but she was certainly fit and there was something the allure of an intimidating older woman...

They hurried after her. L'keri's grin broadened as they entered an office; no bedpans in here, but there was privacy, and a desk... He had a brief moment to wink at N'kyri behind the goldrider's back before adjusting his expression to one of respect - with a hint of eager anticipation. "How may we be of assistance, ma'am?"

Rasme took a seat behind her desk and then pointed to the two chairs on the opposite side. "Sit," she ordered. Smoothing the 'letter' on the desk in front of her, the dragonhealer steepled her fingers together. "Now, gentlemen, you can tell me why you are _really_ here. You both seem too old for pranks, but one can never be certain. What I am certain of is that Saibra did not write _that_."

Well, that was less promising, but his foster didn't raise a quitter!

"We would never prank_you_, weyrwoman," said N'kyri as he sat, the very picture of respect, except for his dimpled grin. "You're right of course, Saibra didn't write that. It's all quite a long story, one we'll gladly share with you, but first-- does the name K'mai ring a bell?"

Having been a goldrider for forty-one Turns, Rasme knew a lot of names, she even knew a lot of names that started with a 'K', but this one didn't ring a bell. "No, should it?"

L'keri's cheerful expression wavered slightly, but he considered. Perhaps K'mai had not given the pair his real name? Or she might simply have a superb dragonpoker face. Most goldriders did.

**And even if we're wrong...we could still be in luck. She hasn't thrown us out yet.**

"He's our wingmate, the rider of blue Sebeth," he explained. "He's my age, and my...well, N'kyri's height. Blond hair. Thinks he's incredibly good-looking. And he's always up for a drink and an evening's fun in the tavern at Amber Hills..." He watched her hopefully for any signs of familiarity.

"Sounds like every bluerider I've ever met," Rasme said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Now, come out and ask me what it is you really want to know."

Still nothing. Not a hint of recognition or knowing amusement. Either she was very, very good-- or she wasn’t actually their mystery goldrider. N’kyri was beginning to suspect the latter-- and that her patience was wearing thin. Well, he had no desire to make an enemy for a senior weyrwoman. He could only hope she’d be amused by the truth as he spun it.

"Alright, alright," he said, spreading his hands in surrender. "We're just trying to get to the bottom of a mystery. Our wingmate, K'mai, claims to have had a brief, but passionate liaison with a goldrider." N'kyri tactfully left out the threesome element for now. "He just showed up shockingly late to drills one day, head in the clouds, stumbling about like he was a weyrling again-- and then at lunch he told us this wild tale of a goldrider who picked him up at a tavern. L'keri and I are trying to find out if there's any truth to it, or if he's full of dragon dung."

"The thing is, K'mai is a scamp, but he's generally not a liar." N'kyri leaned back with a grin that was part apology, part mischief. "So we've been trying to ask around. Trying to see if we can find anyone who looks the tiniest bit guilty or smug when we bring him up-- not that you have. Not a flicker. Which means either we owe you an apology for wasting your time... or you've got the best dragonpoker face in the Weyr."

For the first time, Rasme's eyes glowed with a glimmer of amusement. "While I _do_ have an excellent dragonpoker face, you're right, I am not the goldrider in question. I had my fling with a bluerider decades ago, and now he's become a near-permanent fixture in my weyr." But oh, how C'ris had boasted and bragged for months on end, a bluerider having landed a goldrider. "There are goldriders scattered all across Pern. What part of your investigation brought you to Barrier Lake?" Now she was intrigued.

"Ah, now that was a matter of brainpower and skillful deduction," L'keri said, proving that blueriders weren't the only ones capable of boasting. "First, we eliminated the Dragonsfall goldriders. The gossip would have spread immediately, and besides, neither Saibra nor Tsaera would ever have let him be late for drills. Our most promising clue seemed to be the tavern. The one at the Vintner Hall is popular with our Wing - as it is with riders from your beautiful lakeside Weyr, all of us being in the same timezone. And then..." Now he judged that a dash of flattery was in order. "Who, of all the goldriders here, would be the most desirable, the most free-spirited, the one whose company would leave even a hardened bluerider dazed and daydreaming like a sun-struck wherry..."

"Fortunately for you both, I am not the only goldrider at Barrier Lake." Rasme thought their deductive reasoning was rather sound.

N'kyri was encouraged. She hadn't blown up in a fury and thrown them out of the office. In fact, was that... amusement in her eyes? "Well, that's a relief, If you were, we'd have to pack up and move on, and frankly-- I was hoping for a little more adventure out of this trip."

He leaned in conspiratorially. "But if it's not you... I believe that leaves Aydhan? Possibly Thiseta? But I hear she only just transferred, so unless she checked out the tavern beforehand, she seems unlikely. Do you think Aydhan is the type? Do you know where we might find it?" N'kyri softened the barrage of questions with a cheeky smile, "We appreciate any insight you might have. You could be helping us uncover a _terrible_ falsehood-- or the juiciest gossip."

"I think..." Rasme, for once in her life, tried to speak as tactfully as possible, "that Aydhan and her bronze weyrmate are a very unusual couple. Unfortunately, I can't even begin to imagine which tavern they might frequent. We have one near the Weyr, but also the Vintner Hall is just a short flight away."

L'keri's brow rose as he detected a hint in her carefully chosen words. Could they be a gold-bronze pair 'unusual' enough to invite a handsome bluerider from a tavern back to their weyr? This called for further investigation.

"What a shame. From the moment we walked into this infirmary, I was rather hoping that we'd found the answer to our mystery," he said, with his most winning smile. N'kyri was right, there was something decidedly enticing about the Master Dragonhealer's sense of authority... "I suppose our search must continue, but perhaps we might return one day and recount how we solved it."

The hint of a smile played around the grizzled goldrider's mouth. "Yes, I would very much enjoy hearing the results of your investigation."

"Well then, we'll certainly be back. We owe you that much for your patience and assistance." N'kyri stood, sketching Rasme a shallow bow-- more rakish than formal. "Until then, fair skies-- and thank you."

Last updated on the October 3rd 2025

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The Case of the Glamourous Goldrider: The Investigation Begins