A Promised Dance

Writers: AL, KC Free
Date Posted: 1st April 2012

Characters: Meledei, T'aesh
Description: T'aesh and Meledei dance at the festivities after the Hatching
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 11 of Turn 6

T'aesh finished the sweet roll he had been chewing on, and made his
way toward Meledei. He approached her quickly, because it seemed like
every rider in the Weyr wanted to take a turn about the dance floor
with her, and T'aesh did not plan on missing his chance. He had
promised her at the last Hatching, when brown Raisheth had found him,
that he would dance with her at the next Hatching, and he meant to
keep that promise. The fact that this event was for the first clutch
of Elleth's egg only made this all the more special.

"There you are." Meledei greeted the brownrider with a smile when he
approached her. She put aside the glass of wine that she had been
working on then turned back to T'aesh. "I was wondering if you were
going to keep your promise." She hadn't forgotten. Meledei rarely
forgot things.

T'aesh gave her a sheepish grin. "No I didn't forget, just had to
wait until you were free" he informed her. He gave her a quick once
over and nodded in appreciation. "You look stunning, if I may be so
bold" he said playfully.

"Thank you." Meledei inclined her head and then drew closer to slide
her arm through his. "You look quite handsome yourself. Not that you
didn't before, but you clean up nicely." She motioned to the floor.
"Shall we?"

T'aesh nodded again and held out his arm so the he could escort the
queenrider to the area that had been reserved for dancing. The
current group of harpers were taking a break, and another group was
taking their place. The young brownrider hoped that this new group
would be playing some lively music. T'aesh didn't like dancing to the
slower stuff.

He was in luck. They started out with a lively dance that made feet
want to kick and twirl. Meledei laughed and drew into T'aesh's arms as
soon as they hit the floor.

T'aesh laughed as well as they twirled, skipped, kicked and jumped to
the lively beat. The last time there was a Hatching feast. Meledei
had recovering from a run in with Thread and wasn't able to dance.
This time, T'aesh was going to take advantage, and celebrate twice as
hard, for his Impression and Elleth's first Hatching.

"You're keeping up pretty well for a weyrling." Meledei teased as she
allowed T'aesh to lead her all around the floor. She was going to be
really sore in the morning, but she honestly didn't care. She was
enjoying the party too much. "I didn't know you could dance."

"I've been doing a little practicing in my free time" the young
brownrider admitted. "I definitely couldn't be seen dancing with a
queenrider and looking like a one legged wherry. Besides, my father
always said, dancing with a pretty women is always better when you
know what your doing."

"A shame you're not dancing with a pretty woman." Meledei's gaze
slipped away from T'aesh to dart around the dance floor briefly.
"There's one over there. Very pretty. She'd make you look good."

T'aesh dismissed the girl, and the comment with a roll of his eyes, as
they twirled around the dance floor. "Pretty enough I suppose, but
I'd place all my marks on the fact that I'm currently dancing with the
prettiest girl here."

"I'd place my marks that you're a flatterer, but I suppose I'll just
have to take the compliment." Meledei laugh, twisting with the music,
her words coming a little heavy with her breath as they continued to
move. "Excited about the next chapter in your training?" She knew they
had moved past another milestone - one that many weyrlings were eager
to reach.

"No not really, you know Raisheth and I are aces are this whole dragon
rider thing." T'aesh said playfully. Even though he enjoyed the fast
paced songs, he was a little glad when the next one slowed down just a
bit. "What about you? I bet you and Elleth are itching to get back
into the skies."

Meledei was rather relieved at the slower pace - it meant she could
talk more easily! She moved with T'aesh, allowing him to guide her
through the motions. "Yes, I think so. I mean, Thread isn't fun to
fight but...there's something about being up there. We know we belong
up there, helping, fighting, protecting."

T'aesh nodded in agreement, "Of course you do, or else you wouldn't
ride a queen. I can't wait until me and Raisheth are up there do,
doing what we're meant to do." the brownrider said fervently. Once
again the music changed, to an even slower song. "Did you know any of
the candidates for Elleth's clutch?" he asked casually, really not
paying to much attention to the music anymore, other than making sure
they were one beat.

"Oh yes, there were still quite a few from other times I've stood."
Some of them still didn't Impress, which had left them heartbroken.
Two would be too old by the time the next clutch came and Meledei felt
especially bad for them. "And I tried to meet as many of the new ones
as I could."

"You are always so social. Were they properly in awe of the woman who
rides the queen who is the mother of the eggs that would hatch the
dragons they hoped to Impress?" the dancing brownrider said, laughing
a bit at his own words.

Meledei laughed and nodded. "Most were, though I find it funny. I may
ride a gold, but I'm really no different than them. I'm still a person
and not any better than they are."

}:Yes you are.:{

**Love, you would think so and I thank you for it.**

Not knowing, T'aesh agreed with Elleth. "Of course you are. Or else
every woman who enters a Hatching Cavern would leave it with a gold as
her lifemate. Not everyone is built to be a goldrider, so you are
special, and cut from a different cloth" he said, continuing to turn
about the floor, though truth be told, he wasn't too sure about the
steps anymore.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean that other coloured dragons and the
people who ride those colours aren't important." Meledei countered.
"Golds are important, but so are greens, despite what some people like
to say. We couldn't do a Fall without them. They're imperative.
Maybe I was meant to be in this position, but someone else was meant to
be in another. What they do isn't any less important, it's just
different."

"That's true, every stone that makes the bridge is important, but the
keystone is what holds everything together. Greens are good, but
greens don't keep us with dragons to protect our homes. No one is
saying greens aren't important, just that golds are just a little more
important. It's all great at the end of the day" T'aesh said. He
didn't want Meledei to ever think she wasn't important to the Weyr and
to Pern.

"I think we're going to have to agree to disagree. I know golds are
important, but I don't like to play down the role that other colours
take. Including browns." Meledei managed to give a little poke in
T'aesh's arm.

"Well of course everyone knows that browns are the superior breed. We
just don't like to flaunt it, that's all" T'aesh said, spinning
Meledei around quickly, laughing once again.

"Don't like to flaunt it, eh?" Meledei's voice bubbled out in laughter
as she twirled about, then moved back into T'aesh's arms. "I'm going
to keep you accountable to that."

T'aesh grinned "Of course you will" he said as they continued to twirl
about the dance floor. This had turned out to be one of the better
promises he had made, and kept.

Last updated on the April 11th 2012

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A Promised Dance