It is a cloudy day at Jerdan Weyr. You think about the possibility of rain as you spiral down on the brown you're riding. You mention this to the brown rider.
"Yeah, there will probably be a cold rain today. Nothing that a hot cup of klah won't cure," he says cheerfully.
You land with a bump. You thank the rider and give the enormous brown a greatful thump. You decide to go to the Lower Caverns and head in that direction.
You walk in, and you are greeted by the strong aroma of freshly made klah. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you see that the Lower Caverns are almost completely empty. You reason that most of the people are in their weyrs since you saw very few people outside.
You get a cup of klah and sit down at a table close to the hearth. You sip your klah slowly, and suddenly, a shadow falls over you. You look up and greet the person warmly.
"Hello, Zaeralis. Would you like to sit down with me," you ask politely.
"I would love to," she says sitting down across from you.
"How is everything," you ask conversationally.
"Everything is great," she says sipping the cup of klah in her hand.
There is a moment of silence. You look towards the entrance. "It looks like it will rain today."
"Oh, I hope it doesn't. I have plans to bathe Cymbalth this morning," she says looking in the same direction.
"Zaeralis, am I going to get a bath today," Cymbalth asks his rider.
"I hope so, my love. You need one terribly," Zaeralis replies mentally.
"If you bathe him now, you won't have to worry about rain," you point out.
Zaeralis smiles at you. "You're right. I'll go ahead and do it now. Would you like to help? It'll get done much faster if you help."
"Alright, I'll help you. I would never miss the chance to bathe a dragon," you say enthusiastically.
"Then, let's go," she says getting up and walking towards the entrance.
You follow her example and leave the table. You walk out of the Lower Caverns to find the clouds growing more dense. You look over at Zaeralis who is also looking at the clouds.
"We better hurry if we're going to do it," you say walking quickly towards her weyr. She runs past you.
"Come on! There's no time to waste," she calls over her shoulder.
You take off after her, and together, you make it across the Bowl in no time. As you enter Zaeralis's weyr, you notice very few changes. It is still very tidy. There is a loud bugle from the back of the cave, and as you get closer to the sound, you see a blue weyrling lying on the stone couch.
"Wow, he's beautiful and so big," you say in awe.
Zaeralis pauses in gathering her materials and looks at her dragon. "He has grown a lot hasn't he," she says reflectively.
"Let me help you carry that stuff," you say taking two long brushes from her.
"Can I have my bath now," Cymbalth asks plaintively.
"Yes, we're ready, Cymbalth," she says aloud. She walks with you and Cymbalth towards the entrance.
"Do you hear that," she asks puzzled.
As you draw closer to the opening, you hear a soft roar. You look on in dismay as you round the last corner. Through the entrance you can see the sheets of rain pouring down.
"Shards! Now I can't do what I need to do," Zaeralis exclaims in exasperation. She slides down the rocky wall to the floor.
"How does this interfere with the rest of your plans," you ask bewildered.
"I need to oil Cymbalth, but before I do, I like to bathe him to get all the dirt off of his skin," she explains. "I guess it can wait until tomorrow."
Cymbalth scratches his back and dry pieces of skin flake off of him. "Zaeralis, I itch terribly," he complains.
Zaeralis gets up and walks to her dragon. "I know," she sighs and pats him affectionately.
You look at the pair and then back at the entrance. An idea forms in your head. "Hey! Why can't we bathe Cymbalth?"
Zaeralis looks at you annoyed. "Because we would get sick in the rain."
"We don't have to go outside to bathe him," you say excitedly.
"What do you mean," she asks confused.
"Cymbalth can stand on the ledge while we stand under the overhang. We'll still get wet, but we won't get soaked," you say smiling.
"Great idea! Let's get started," she says with her green eyes sparkling. "Wait one moment while I tell Cymbalth what we are going to do." She relates everything to Cymbalth who agrees, and you walk with her to the entrance. You pause for a moment.
"Where's Treble? I haven't seen him all day," you say scrubbing Cymbalth's hide as water splatters you.
"Oh, he is on an errand for me," she says calmly. You accept the answer, and you and Zaeralis set about the task at hand.
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:Weyrling
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