What It Takes: Daring (2/4)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Corrin, Shawna
Date Posted: 11th April 2026
Characters: Zariah, Sybana, T'gyrlan
Description: Zariah takes Sybana to Dolphin Cove, as promised.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 22 of Turn 13
}:It’s time. Wake up,:{ from Relsath’s tone of impatience, that wasn’t the first time she’d said that. Zariah made a groggy, annoyed noise, opening her eyes to the pitch darkness of the middle of the night. }:Panitath is rising. You wanted to know when SHE was going up.:{ There was a testy tone to the green’s mindvoice that wasn’t entirely characteristic.
Shells and shards. That brought Zariah to full alertness. **Tell Galgaith that Sybana needs to get dressed. We’ll have to leave shortly.**
The green gave a mental huff, }:I already did.:{ Well, she’d passed along that Panitath was rising and she was trying to wake up Zariah, that was close enough.
Trying not to wake the bronzerider next to her, Zariah slowly rolled to the edge of the bed, feeling around on the floor for yesterday’s clothes. No one would care what she was wearing, and turning on the light to find something clean would certainly wake T’gyrlan.
He woke anyway.
Bleary, half in a dream, T’gyrlan reached for her. His fingers brushed her back. It was cold outside of the furs. “Zariah?” He was usually the early-avian, of the two of them. “What time is it?”
“Inhumanely early,” Zariah’s voice was barely more than a murmur. “I have to go take care of something. I'll be back in a few hours.” She turned back around, giving T’gyrlan’s chest a gentle push, “Just go back to sleep. And stay in bed,” she softened the demand by leaning over for a quick kiss.
“Mmrph,” T’gyrlan said into her lips, but he kissed her back and burrowed under the covers again.
If she was very lucky, Zariah thought, she might even make it back before dawn and could crawl back into that bed. She felt Relsath’s scoff at the thought of a goldflight that short, but ignored it as she quickly dressed, closing the curtains over the doorway as she headed to the main room, hoping at least there was some cold klah left.
---
It wasn’t too long until Relsath relayed Sybana’s arrival. She was waiting at the caverns-side entrance to the weyr with a small glowbasket and a pounding heart. Dressed in her oldest, simplest flightleathers, helmet already loosely in place, she looked passably like any other rider.
Checking that the curtains to the sleeping area were firmly shut, Zariah cracked open the door just wide enough to let Sybana slip through. Putting a finger over her lips in a gesture for silence, she motioned the young woman to follow her towards the front of the weyr.
The moonlight was enough light for Zariah to give her a once over, and she reached out and adjusted the old green shoulder knots Sybana was wearing with a fond smile on her face before asking seriously, “Are you sure you want to do this?” Despite the question, she was moving to put Relsath’s straps on, the motions instinct by now, easy to do even in the dark.
“Yes,” Sybana said resolutely. “I have to feel it again. I have to know I can handle it.”
Zariah just nodded, finishing prepping Relsath for the quick flight over to Dolphin Cove Weyr. When she helped Sybana onto the green, she checked the straps holding her to Relsath, as if Sybana weren’t a rider in her own right. “They’d have my head if I dropped you,” she joked quietly, “Let’s go.”
Compared to the dark of the middle of the night, the early/late/mid afternoon sun of Dolphin Cove Weyr was blinding. Relsath did one small quick circle, then dove for the ground, landing with a flare of green wings that glinted in the sunlight.
“Show off.” Zariah said fondly.
“She’s… very fast,” said Sybana diplomatically. The sharp dive had her feeling rather like her stomach was still somewhere up in the air. Galgi never took her down like that--
A roar split the air. Over at the feeding pens a fight was breaking out amongst the blooding males. Their riders were beginning to gather and, beyond them, Sybana could make out the doors that surely led to the flight rooms. She hurried to dismount.
“Thank you,” she said, patting Relsath on the way down. “Both of you.”
Relsath arched her neck, looking pleased despite herself, but it was Zariah who said. “You’re welcome. Stay safe. Remember what I told you-- you absolutely can knee someone if they’re getting handsier than you want, even under these circumstances. Be careful.” Which was the same as “stay safe”, but Zariah couldn’t help herself.
Sybana nodded and was off.
**I should keep an eye on her. Why don’t you go play on the beach?** The greenrider said, eyes narrowed in worry.
}:You’re going to ignore me, too?:{ The green flicked her tail once, hard.
**Why are you in such a pissy mood? You love the beach.**
}:All of the bronzes and browns are busy. No one is going to care that I’m here.:{
**Why should they care that you’re-** Zariah stopped, tired mind doing quick mental math, and cursed outloud. **Do we need to find someone else to come-*
}:I wouldn’t rise here,:{ the green said huffily, }:let Panitath have her day.:{
*How gracious of you to not want to compete with her, my love,* Zariah didn’t try to hide her sarcasm. *I’m going to go lurk where I can keep an eye on the crowd.*
Last updated on the April 26th 2026