It is a bitter cold day at Jerdan Weyr. It seems like there is little difference in temperature as you come from between. You think about how greatful you are for the wherhide clothing you're wearing although it does little to protect you from the biting winds.
The snow cushions your landing, and you only feel a slight bump as you land. The green rider helps you descend from the staggering heights. You think to yourself that you'll never get use to riding on dragons. You thank the dragonrider and give the green a thankful thump. Then you head to the Lower Caverns to get a cup of klah.
You walk into the crowded cavern. All of the tables are packed with dragonriders and weyrfolk. You work your way to the klah pot and manage to get a cup of the hot drink. As you turn around and head for the far wall, somebody falls into you. You struggle to regain your balance, and the cup of klah flies from your hand. You fall onto the cold stone floor. Then, your world goes black.
A few hours later
You slowly open your eyes and quickly shut them again. It seems like the room is spinning. You let out a loud groan and imediately hear footsteps coming toward you.
"I can see that you're awake," a recognizable voice says. "I'll go get Laurilyn."
You hear the person's footsteps quickly leave the room. Then you think about the name Laurilyn. It sounded familiar. Wasn't she a dragonrider? Yes, that's right. She rode Green Reamith. Why would she be treating you?
Your thoughts are interrupted as the door to the room creaks open. You hear two feminine voices. One belongs to the person who left earlier, and the other, you conclude, must belong to Laurilyn.
You open your eyes again. The room isn't spinning quite so much, and you leave them open. You look around for the two ladies and spot them talking near the door. Laurilyn's black hair glistens in the dim light of the glows. The other person is a tall red head.
"Zaeralis," you gasp in disbelief.
She comes over to where you are lying. "How are you feeling," she asks as Laurilyn joins her at your bedside.
"I guess I'm okay. I don't exactly remember what happened," you say thinking back.
Zaeralis looks at you for a moment. Then she turns to Laurilyn. "I'll let you tell the story," she says. She walks away and sits down at a table near the door.
Laurilyn looks at her for a moment. Then she begins. It took us a couple of hours to sort through the story, but this is what happened. While you were walking away from the hearth, Zaeralis was also walking across the room. Somebody pushed their chair out too fast without looking behind them, and the chair hit her. She fell into you and caused you to fall. Then she brought you here. Since the weyrhealer isn't here, I treated you for that bump on your head. Zaeralis stayed with you all night despite Cymbalth's reassurance of your recovery. She feels terrible about the whole thing."
"How long have I been here," you ask after a long silence.
Laurilyn laughs. "Only a few hours. You'll be able to leave tomorrow."
You supress a sigh. "But I'll have to go back to my hold tomorrow. I wanted to visit Zaeralis and Cymbalth."
Laurilyn glances over at Zaeralis who gives her a smile. She turns back to you. "If you think you're strong enough to reach her weyr, you can go. But, you must lie down when you get there," she says shaking her finger at you.
With Zaeralis's help you manage to get to her weyr. You take no notice of your surroundings as you stumble into the cave with your eyes shut. You collapse onto the bed that she leads you to.
"Do you feel alright," Zaeralis asks with concern.
"I'll be fine," you reassure her, "once the room stops spinning." You lie there for a moment. Then you open your eyes again. "Where's Cymbalth and Treble?"
"Cymbalth's on his couch, and Treble is right by your shoulder," she laughs.
You raise up to the bronze's shrill.
"I think he's a bit upset about being woken up," she says as Treble disappears into between.
"Zaeralis, who is with you," Cymbalth asks as he stirs on his stone couch.
"A visitor is here to see you," she answers.
You look over towards the couch. Lying on it is a blue adult with slow whirling eyes. You look at him in awe at his size.
"He's so big," you say as you walk over to the dragon.
"Zaeralis, could you ask our visitor to scratch my eye ridges? It would be wonderful, and I would be very thankful," Cymbalth says looking at his rider.
Zaeralis relays the message, and you rub the dragon's eye ridges until his eyes close in sleep once more.
"He's beautiful," you say sitting down at a small table. Zaeralis joins you. There is a moment of silence before you ask a question that has been bothering you. "He's an adult now isn't he?"
"Yes," she says looking at her dragon affectionately.
"Can he participate in a flight," you ask causiously since you don't want to offend her.
"Yes, he can," she says calmly.
"How would it work with you being his rider," you ask curiously. You pause for a moment. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. I'm just curious."
Zaeralis waves off the apology. "I get that question a lot. I'm not quite sure how all of it will work. All I know is that during the flight he participates in, I have some one to be with.
"Really? Who's the lucky guy," you ask smiling.
"His name is Tazin," she says dreamily.
"What's he like?"
"He's great. He's about 6'2. He has blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. He lives here in Jerdan, so I get to see him a lot."
"Does Cymbalth like him," you ask.
"Cymbalth understands. He likes Tazin."
"Tazin," you say aloud. "I think I know him. I've seen him helping with ground crews after Threadfall. He seems like a good person.
Zaeralis sighs and walks over to the ledge. "Oops," she says suddenly, "I have got to get you back to Laurilyn. She told me to have you back for the evening meal," she says as she grabs your hand, and together you leave the weyr.
Stats
Name: Zaeralis
Age: 17 turns
Job: Journeywoman Harper
Parents: Jamas and Susair
Siblings: Blazin brown dragonrider, Emelsa
Birthplace: Athal Hold outside of Southern Weyr
Dragon:Blue Cymbalth
Age:Adult
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