Where are they now?

Writers: AL, Heather K
Date Posted: 14th May 2011

Characters: E'ril, Meledei
Description: E'ril and Meledei catch up while bathing their dragons
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentor Approved

Meledei leaned over and reached to scrub the the under belly of her dragon.
Of course, Elleth chose that moment to flop over, pulling away from her
lifemate.

**Why didn't you do that before?** The rider asked, taking the three steps
forward to bring her back to her dragon's side. **Of course, now you're
going to have sand all over your other side.

}:You didn't ask me.:{ There was humour in Elleth's mindvoice and she craned
her neck to look over at her lifemate as Meledei scrubbed that golden
tummy. }:And you haven't scrubbed that side yet.:{

**You're going to have to dip in the water and get as much off as you can. I
don't want to have to spend all night scrubbing you!** There was no heat in
Meledei's words as she set out with both hands working on the gold to get
her nice and clean.

E'ril chuckled as he came upon the scene of a mischievous golden dragon with
her rider in the lake. The petite size of gold and the long brown hair of
her rider told him that this pair could be no other than Meledei and Elleth.
Before he could speak Dawenth, who was plodding along beside him, broke into
his thoughts.

}: Let's go say hello. It's been a while since I visited with Elleth.:{ With
that the blue waded into the water and greeted the gold with a rumble and a
nod.

"I see she's still up to her same old tricks, eh Meledei," the bluerider
called as he waded into the water, his own scrubbing brush for Dawenth in
hand.

Meledei looked up from where she had been practically sanding her dragon's
hide and straightened, a grin on her face. She was almost as wet as the
dragon, dark patches all over her trousers and tunic and even the tail into
which she had put her hair had gotten wet enough that some strands stuck
together and looked darker than others. "Hey E'ril." She greeted warmly.
"Yep, she sure is. She's already managed to splash me a couple of times, as
you can see. How's it going?"

Elleth straightened her neck, eyes going to the lake and she rumbled a
greeting to the blue, but she remained where she was. For now.

"Oh same old, same old. Senior weyrlings are just about ready and just in
time too. I have a feeling that this next group is going to be a handful.
Reminds me of your old class. Seems like forever ago, doesn't it?" The man
smiled in fond memory of that time in his life. Meledei's class had been
some of his earlier pupils and they had certainly given him a run for his
marks.

"Oh yeah? Well, some _are_ still from my old class." Including Taeshin and
Tanom who had both stood multiple times. "It does seem like a long time
ago." Meledei agreed as she gently slapped her lifemate's hide and asked her
to rinse off the sand in the water. "How do they remind you of us?"

Dawenth laid happily in the water as his rider scrubbed the dust and grime
from his side. His dark blue hide started to look darker as the dust washed
away. He started to blow bubbles in the water when his lifemate paused in
his work.

E'ril leaned around to look at Meledei, "Come on now, your class had some
real winners in it to start with. Mostly it's just all the usual stuff,
Holdbred kids adjusting to Weyrlife. Weyrbred kids getting cocky and causing
trouble. Just the usual stuff, you know?" He silently asked for his blue to
roll over and rinse before he continued. "Young bunch of kids too but you
all seem to grow up so quick after Impression. How do you feel, Meledei?
Feel old beyond your years?"

"And a bluerider who Impressed totally unexpectedly because he made his way
onto the sands when he shouldn't have?" Who could forget _that_?
Unfortunately, Meledei couldn't. So why couldn't she? She shouldn't have
brought it up, thinking of him only left a sour taste in her mouth. "Anyway,
I guess I see what you mean. Still, would you really want a boring class?"
She shook her head. "Nah, I'll always be young at heart, though I think a
lot of my fellow candies and weyrlings thought I was a stick in the mud."

"Oh, I assure you from this side of things there is no such thing as a
_boring_ class," he said with a smile. Boring was the time between classes
for him. It happened occasionally and it might just happen again soon
leaving him with a sevenday or two of rest time. Then he sighed, "You were
young then. Well, younger at least. You have grown some, you know? You may
still be young at heart but there's something different now, more mature.
Besides, all those naysayers from your weyrling days will have nothing to
say once Elleth rises."

"Yeah, well, there are still comments from time to time on her size."
Meledei really wished people would just shut up about it. There was nothing
wrong with Elleth, she was perfect. She was just small. The healers said
dragons were just like people. Some were smaller than others and while there
was an average range, sometimes a person or a dragon stopped growing
somewhere outside those ranges. They were just ranges, they didn't apply to
every dragon - or person! "I honestly don't feel like I've changed much -
except that I'm much happier with Elleth in my life.

The bluerider didn't have to look at Elleth to understand Meledei's comment.
"You know they just say those things because they're jealous. She's a
beautiful queen and you two deserve each other. Not every queen in Pern's
history has been gigantic and they did some extraordinary things and lead
their Weyrs with just as much authority and grace as any large dragon." He
stopped then to admire his blue's own stature and now clean hide. A wave of
warmth flowed between the two when Meledei spoke of her own dragon bringing
happiness into her life. "Good for you then. No one ever said you had to
change who you are and if you're happy then that should be enough for
anybody."

Meledei nodded. "It should be, but some people just don't think like that.
I'm _trying_ to ignore them." The last was stated with a grin.

}:Are you going to finish bathing me?:{ The gold finally interrupted, her
whirling eyes settling upon her lifemate and conversation partner.

"Elleth's getting a little impatient. Want to help?" Meledei asked,
motioning to the half cleaned dragon.

With a lighthearted laugh E'ril replied, "Absolutely. I think Dawenth just
needs a rinse anyways." Then he looked up to address Elleth herself. "Sorry
to make you wait, m'dear. We'll have you sparkling in a jiff." With that he

Last updated on the May 18th 2011

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Where are they now?