I'll Stay with What I'm Used To

Writers: Devin, Jane
Date Posted: 27th May 2007

Characters: R'masu, R'harne
Description: R'masu meets R'harne while taking Kannoth to clean water to bathe.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 3, day 23 of Turn 4

R'harne was swamped by the unexpected wave. He coughed out water as he
got back onto his feet and looked around for the culprit. Not very
surprisingly it was a dragon. Another brown, probably at the
picturesque lake for the same reason he was.

"Hello," he called to the other rider, not recognising him from that
distance, but waving a greeting with the soft-bristle brush he had been
using on Guieth's muzzle.

**It's bad enough when you soak me, but you're soaking innocent
bystanders!** R'masu scolded. The other rider didn't seem upset, though,
so he returned the wave. "Hello. Sorry about that!" **Let's move closer
so we don't have to yell,** he told his brown. R'masu picked up his
scrubbing supplies and started toward the other brownrider.

"Looking for clean water?" R'harne called, trying to recall the other
brownrider's name.

}:Kannoth.:{

It was enough of a hint in this case but often Guieth's promptings were
just annoying. The brown always knew the names of other dragons. It
was some sort of instinct with dragons that R'harne couldn't match.

R'masu.

"Yes. And thanks to Kannoth, it looks like I'll be having a bath as
well." R'masu pulled at his soaked tunic.

"You know a way to wash dragons without taking a bath?" R'harne asked,
his tone bland by his eyes alight with amusement.

"That would be quite a feat, wouldn't it?" R'masu chuckled and picked up
his brush.

"I'd have to see it to believe it." R'harne scrubbed around the brown
muzzle, working back toward the area around his dragon's sensitive eyes.
"This is a nice spot," he commented. "If the lake was a bit warmer I
wouldn't mind coming here more often." He looked around the lake, with
the forest skirting it around half its shore. "Nice for a change."

"It is," the other rider agreed. "I've been out here a few times just to
relax."

"Is it very busy? The bluerider I got the visualisation from said he
was out here quite often, too." Every rider had their own favourite
spots but this one had become public knowledge when so many riders had
been looking for a convenient spot to wash their dragons while waiting
for the effects of the river flooding to subside.

"Not usually. There are more people around on restdays, of course. But
there's plenty of space to spread out and have an area to yourself."
Kannoth leaned his arm into the brush, eyes whirling contentedly as his
rider scrubbed.

"We don't tend to leave the Weyr on restdays," R'harne commented, airing
his thoughts aloud. "I don't know why. Too big a family, I suppose."

Ignoring the ache he felt, R'masu asked, "So you spend a lot of time
with your family?"

"Not mine so much; my weyrmate's. My own family is smaller. More
independant. Hers is very close. What about you?"

"I have a few relatives, but I don't see them very often." R'masu
focused on scrubbing. His dragon crooned, sending comfort and love.

"Not such a bad thing, sometimes," R'harne muttered, thinking of the
things Teykara's sisters dragged him into. "Wingmates'll do instead of
family. They never pester you when you're trying to have a quiet drink."

R'masu made a noise. "Maybe _your_ wingmates don't."

"_What?_" R'harne grinned as he finished up Guieth's head. His duty to
his dragon was done and he asked the brown to get out of the water and
start dripping dry. "Your wingmates are a disgrace to dragonriders
everywhere."

"Oh, it's not so bad." R'masu waved a hand dismissively. "I usually only
have to tell them twice to leave me alone," he smiled.

"Girl-wingmates?" R'harne guessed.

"Some of the men, too."

"You need to ask for a transfer, then." He waded out of the lake and
stood on the beach of pebbles. "Can't trust them when you're having a
quiet ale - can't trust them in 'Fall."

A new wing? With new people and new problems? "Thank you for the advice,
but I'll stay with what I'm used to."

Last updated on the July 18th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

I'll Stay with What I'm Used To