Not Your Normal Greenrider

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd May 2012

Characters: U'kaiah, Cyradis
Description: A mistaken first impression
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 21 of Turn 6

Cyradis

With the baby still needing so much of her time, it had been hard for
Tavia to take care of both him and Sawauth full time. When Kaiafel
slept, so did she, leaving U'kaiah with time on his hands.

}:Kalamath, would you ask Sawauth if she would like a bath and an oil?:{
he asked his bronze. After all, U'kaiah was sure Tavia hadn't had time
lately. She probably had plenty of Candidates who could wash her, but
since he was there and had little else to do, he figured why no offer at
least!

Sawauth was very agreeable for Kalamath's to give her a bath and oil.
In fact, she was eager. Her hide itched in several places and she told
him so. She even offered a leg for the bronze rider to glide down to
the lake with her.

U'kaiah stripped down to his underpants and set to work, rather enjoying
the physical activity of giving the greens hide a good scrub. It always
amazed him how small the green was compared to his giant of a bronze.
He hummed a bawdy tune as he worked, making sure not to miss a single
spot on the beautiful green hide.

Once that was done he put a hand against the green's neck. "Well, girl,
come on, let's get you oiled up." As they walked up out of the water
together, U'kaiah noticed a woman sitting not far off. As their eyes
met he smiled at her and gave her a polite nod. "Hello there."

She was in the process of oiling Shadow. He'd been rather demanding
after they'd finished with Panitath but the candidates had gone now
that the gold had flown up to sun on the heights. So, she'd bathed him
as well and was just finishing up his oiling.

"Hello," she called. She though she'd seen the pretty green before but
didn't remember the rider. "I don't know if we've met. I'm Cyradis."

"Ah, the new goldrider," U'kaiah said with an even bigger grin.
Bronzeriders always kept up to date on the movement of golds around
Pern. He reached his hand out to her. "How do you find Dolphin Cove?"

"I'm enjoying the weather. It's a nice change from where I was
before." She'd seen that kind of look many times though she didn't
normally get if from a green rider.

"From your Weyr up north, you mean?" he said, trying to show off the
fact that he kept up with politics, as a future Weyrleader should. "I
suppose Dolphin Cove would be quite a change. You're working on your
tan, I see. It's coming along nicely."

"Yes," Cyradis smiled. For some reason this rider certainly didn't
seem to act like a typical greenrider at all. But then maybe he was
one of those that liked to do slumber parties with the female riders
and play with their nails and hair and talk about men. She'd known a
fair number of them in her time. One of her best friends back up North
in fact. E'mael had been every bit as outraged as she was when
Panitath hadn't risen first. He'd brought her sweets and a good book
and spent hours condoling with her.

"I have it from a friend that it's a good thing to do in winter here.
The summer sun just get's too hot."

"Ah, but it's the perfect time to strip down and get a little wet," he
said, with a nod towards the water in case she might think he meant
something else, which of course was also one of his favorite summer past
times. And every other season besides!

She smiled, that was one of the reasons she'd been taking some
swimming lessons with the dolphineers. Spending time in the water
around here would be a good idea during the heat of summer. Tossing
Shadow into the air she stood. "Good idea." The sun was warm and the
water looked great. In fact there were others around doing just that.
The loose dress she wore was simple and comfortable swinging mid-calf.
It was great for dragon bathing leaving her arms free.

She whipped the dress off over her head revealing her bathing suit
underneath. Then she quickly twisted her hair up on the back of her
head and stuck a stick into it to keep it there. She grinned at the
green rider then stopped for a moment walking up to him and turning
his back. "Quite a score there."

U'kaiah turned his head to look at the spot out of the corner of his
eye. It was hard for him to see as it covered much of his shoulder
blade and the back of that arm. "That would have been the fourth Fall
of
the Pass. I'm sure you remember how it was then."

"Aye," she said. Her eyes were almost black with the memory of the
pain of that time. "So many good people lost." They hadn't any idea of
what they were really facing when Thread reappeared. "Looks like you
had a good healer though, that had to have been nasty."

"It just wasn't my day to die, I guess." He shrugged the shoulder, not
particularly wanting to remember that moment. "And what about you? Any
scars you'd care to show me?"

"No it wasn't," she agreed. She cocked her head slightly genuinely
puzzled at his tone, "and why would you be interested in that
greenrider?"

"Wait, what?" he asked, genuinely shocked. Did she really think he was
a greenrider? Whatever on Pern gave her that idea! U'kaiah had been
accused of many things throughout the Turns, but no one had ever
mistaken him for a _greenrider_ before! Suddenly he remembered why he
had come to the beach in the first place. Shards, how it must have
looked! "Oh no! No no no no," he protested vehemently, "She's not
mine! She's Tavia's. I'm just washing her while the baby sleeps."

He realized he had not actually told her _his_ name yet. "No, I'm
U'kaiah of Dragonsfall, rider of bronze Kalamath." U'kaiah stood a
little straighter, confident that her own knowledge of politics would
fill in the rest of his title.

"Tavia? Oh!" Cyradis chuckled. "I knew you didn't act like most green
riders I've met. She's in my wing then, the one on baby leave. Very
nice to meet you U'kaiah." She smacked him on the shoulder. "How about
that swim?"

"Well, I promised to oil up this beauty," he said, pointing a thumb in
Suwauth's direction. "But after that I'd be game for a dip. Do you
think your goldrider pride could bend enough to allow you to lend me a
hand with a tiny little green?"

She mused on the bronze rider from another Weyr bathing a green dragon
for a rider here who just had a baby and came to the right conclusion.
"Sure I can help," she smiled and bent to pick up a paddle. "So what
did she have?"

At talk of the child, a grin light up his face. "A son. We named him
Kaiavin."

"Oh that's wonderful," she said reflecting his smile. "I've had four,
two boys and two girls. I'm so happy for you! Does she need anything?"

"Just someone to wash and oil her dragon from time to time, maybe. At
least until the baby goes to the foster mothers." He knew how hard it
was going to be for Tavia to relinquish their son when the time came.

"I'm sure we'll take care of that." Cyradis made a mental note to make
sure Panitath kept track of the green's needs. She was sure Qorri was
on top of it but she'd make a point of asking anyway. It was part of
her responsibility as Wingleader anyway.

"And I'm sure she'll be as grateful as I am," he smiled, handing her an
oiled rag.

She took the rag slowly as she stared at the bronzrider. **That
smile.** She'd seen that smile before. She couldn't place it but it
somehow seemed very familiar in the oddest way. She turned
thoughtfully back to the pretty green.

Last updated on the May 15th 2012

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Not Your Normal Greenrider