Tarina Backstories

[Andrea]

I figure since Tarina is a goldrider, I ought to post some backstories about her here...

A World Away
By Andrea Hutchison (Tarina)

24.13.25, early morning at Igen Weyr

Tarina enjoyed the crisp morning air of the Igen Weyr winter. She had been up with the dawn checking on her beloved runners in the beasthold. They weren’t technically hers, of course. The grey gelding Thread was, but he was the exception. When you stayed up caring for them when they were sick or hurt and cried over their births and deaths, they became yours though.

She did not feel the cold of the mountain air through her ratty brown wherhide pants or her thick riding jacket, but within a few minutes of being outside, her tanned face became red and her chapped hands tingled. “Chilly morning Thread,” she told the runner as she held out a bit of sweet cane for him. “Think a quick ride before I go might warm you up?” The gray snorted and sputtered. “I thought so,” she said with a grin.

Within moments, Tarina had him saddled and out the door of the beasthold. They ran a quick lap around the Bowl to warm up and she led him out to the rocky valley below the Weyr for a real run. Her blonde curls were flying behind her and the cold wind bit into her red cheeks and nose. She let out an exuberant yell and turned the gelding toward home. She slowly let him wind down and by the time they were back at the beasthold, he was at a placid walk. She put him in his stall, brushed him until his coat shone like silver, and gave him a feedbag.

She found X’nder in the dining cavern sitting with some of his wingmates. She waved to him, got herself a sweet roll and some klah, and joined them. “Good morning,” she said cheerily.

“Are you all ready, Tarina?” the polite brownrider inquired. His gaze drifted to her mussed hair and stained pants.

“I will be after I finish my breakfast,” she told him with a grin.

The other riders at the table snickered. Tarina didn’t much care. She knew they were glad a more presentable girl had Impressed their new gold. She ran her hands through her curls and found some hay bits stuck in them, as well as the gritty feel of sand and dust. “I’m only going to check up on some of their runners. It’s not like I’ll be meeting the Weyrleaders or any Lord Holders while I’m there.” She was normally at ease with her rough appearance, but today she felt a need to justify it.

X’nder nodded and took another sip of klah. “I’ll introduce you to my sister and some of my old friends there if you like. I think Kadyra would like to meet you even though I don’t think she’s ready to come face-to-face with anyone who handles runners. She’s still sensitive about what happened.”


One of X’nder’s companions blushed and left the table. Tarina raised an eyebrow and the brownrider explained. “That was M’lan. He interrupted Kadyra’s weyrling training to meet her one time. Jina’s flit practically took all the skin off his arms. I guess he’s still embarrassed about it.”

Tarina nodded. X’nder’s sister was more than a little bit off. She would never say so, but she secretly thought Kadyra might have hit her head a few too many times falling off her runner. She took the last bite of her sweet roll and drained her klah mug. “I’m all set. Ready when you are.”

X’nder took one last swig of klah and stood. He towered over Tarina, who was fascinated by his enormous height. He was such a nice guy and his height made him so interesting that she would have considered dating him. Unfortunately he looked like a wherry, and as any relationship required some degree of physical attraction, they remained good friends.

When they got out to the Bowl, Naphth was waiting for them. He was the color of klah with cream and had rather angular features. Tarina liked that about him though, and often told him he was beautiful when X’nder was out of hearing. He looked like he had been chiseled right out of a desert cliff. She patted him on the muzzle when he bent down to look at her and took his gently offered foreleg as she scrambled up his side. He had a spicy earthy smell, and his hide was soft and warm. He made her regret not Impressing, but then if she had Thread beneath her, she was glad she was still a crafter.

With a jolt, Naphth was airborne. She watched Igen grow smaller beneath them until everything went black and cold. She suddenly remembered her gloves were on her press back in her room, but it was of no moment. Before she could wish for her scarf as well, they were in the hot sun above StarRise and she was undoing her jacket as the brown lazily circled to the Bowl floor. He bugled to the Watchdragon and several dragons bugled back in response. She had never been to StarRise and already it had a warmer feel than Igen. Most dragons did not greet outsiders there.

When they landed, X’nder helped Tarina down from his big brown, who immediately took off to find a good sunning spot on the Rim. “He says Kadyra is on her way. It seems she’s twisted her ankle and is on light duty.” He frowned as he always did when he knew Kadyra was hurt.

The limping greenrider looked awfully strange as she half ran toward her brother. He closed the distance between them in a few easy strides and she was soon off her feet in his fierce embrace. X’nder kissed her lightly on the cheek and carried her back to meet Tarina.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you,” Kadyra told her after X’nder had made the introductions. “X’nder has mentioned you often in his letters.” She gave Tarina a pensive look, but smiled after a few moments.

Tarina grinned back. “It’s nice to meet you, too. X’nder never runs out of tales of his baby sister. I’m glad to finally know the person behind all those incredible stories.” The most recent of which had X’nder high tailing it out of Igen immediately at ‘Fall’s end to make sure green Tamoth was only chased after by suitable dragons during her maiden flight. Tamoth had been flown by some wingsecond’s bronze if she remembered correctly.

Kadyra blushed as if suddenly remembering the event of a sevenday or so before. “Well, if I can, I’d like to disprove the myth that I’m a klutz while you’re here. However, since you saw me hobbling over, I’m sure that I can’t. And no doubt, you know it’s no myth.” It was obvious to Tarina that it was hard for the greenrider to get the details of her flight from her mind as quickly as she would have wanted to. “Anyway, I guess if you’d like, X’nder and I will show you to the Weyrherder’s office in the beasthold.” Tarina nodded her response and the trio was soon making its way across the windy Bowl floor.

###

StarRise Weyr beasthold

Journeyman herder Tomeral watched as Tarina checked each runner for signs of laminitis and colic. She remarked that the brown mare in stall 4 was pregnant, which he had known. She asked about the odd choice of leaving a soft-tissue abscess open to heal, which he explained as a peculiarity of the gelding’s healing. This prompted her to ask about how it dealt with strangles and other illnesses. Tomeral smiled.

Tarina thought the herder odd. Some beasthealers had notions about their herder counterparts, and it seemed this one confirmed them. When someone asked a question, the proper response was not to smile at them no matter how correct or ridiculous their assumption. It turned out, that runner had other problems dealing with infections, so he probably had something their records called an immune deficiency. The runner would probably die young as a result from some simple injury or infection.

“Well,” Tomeral told her. “You’ve been correct in all of your diagnoses. The only thing you missed was an internal parasite in one of the foals, but we just mucked out the stalls this morning, so it’s understandable.” He scratched his head in contemplation. Like Tarina, he wore an old scrub top and worn wherhide pants. His boots were scarred and had reinforced toes. “You sure you like working out at Igen?” He smiled at her again. “We could use someone like you here. Herders know breeding and numbers. Our healing’s good, but it’s nothing to those that specialize.”

“I appreciate your praise journeyman,” she told him frankly, “but Igen is my home. My sister is there. My friends are there. I’m content.”

Tomeral nodded. “Our loss, I guess. You can bet I’ll send a good report back to Yesmine with our Weyrherder’s seal of approval as well. You’re more than fit to go out as a consultant.”

Tarina thanked him again and went to find X’nder and Kadyra. The StarRise journeyman waved at her as she strode away, went back into the Weyrherder’s office, and made a note of the occasion that read, “Journeyman Tarina is a fine example of the herder subcraft. If there is any way we can get her to come work for us here, we will take it.”

It was lunchtime at StarRise, so Tarina wandered into the Weyr’s large dining cavern. X’nder and Kadyra were at a crowded table in the center of the room. The brownrider looked uncomfortable around so many people, but he had an easy smile on his face despite the stiffness of his pose. By the look of it, he knew all of the assorted people there, since he even spoke to them every now and then. Kadyra spotted her and began waving her over to the table, so she quickly maneuvered through the lunch line and joined them.

Kadyra was trying her hardest not to think about Tarina’s profession as she introduced her to Alissi, Felice, and Laria. “So, how did it go with Tomeral?”

“I’m allowed to go out on consults now,” she said with a grin. “If my luck keeps up, I’ll make senior journeyman before I know it.”

“That is, if she doesn’t Impress first,” X’nder put in. “Naphth’s not a Searcher, but even he can’t deny what a great rider she would make.” He shrugged. “Perhaps at the next Hatching, eh?”

Alissi smiled at X’nder’s compliment. It was obvious to her that he felt something more than friendship for the beasthealer, but his feelings were not clouding his or Naphth’s opinions on her drive, intelligence, or determination. “It’s nice to meet you Tarina,” she said.

“You too, Alissi, Felice, Laria,” she replied, looking suspiciously at the goldrider. “I’ve heard a lot about all of you. I’ve also heard about your brother and sister at Crescent, Laria. My brother M’tan is a bronzerider there and he speaks highly of K’ryst. And I’m sure if Karysta is half as pretty as Kithra, that’s the reason he mentions her so often in his letters.” Although an outsider, she felt comfortable with these StarRise riders, more so than with her few acquaintances at Igen.

Laria snorted at Tarina’s mention of K’ryst and X’nder concealed a smile. The Crescent brownrider probably only had M’tan looking up to him. More likely they were partners in some folly or other.

Their lunch was slightly rushed, as they had a late afternoon ‘Fall at Igen. Tarina and X’nder said a quick good bye and promised to keep in touch. Kadyra quickly flew to her weyr to get their jackets, gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, and watched until they disappeared ~between.~

###

24.13.27, StarRise Weyr Council Room

“Sioranth has been complaining again,” Melina announced as the meeting began. “She wants a bigger selection of Candidates than the Searchriders have been bringing in. And soon.”

Vinalli frowned. Queens were particularly demanding when there was a gold egg on the Sands, and Sioranth was no exception. That gold had made terrorizing the Sands into an art form. “What do you want to do, Melina?” she asked as she scratched her chin in her own contemplation. She knew that Melina was likely to be irritable until something was done, and hoped she had her own solution.

“I think we should apply to other Weyrs to borrow their Queen Candidates.” Melina was quite blunt, as usual. “Igen just Hatched a new gold, so I’m sure we could borrow some of theirs. Or keep them, if they are crafted in areas we need.”

Vinalli concealed a smile and hoped the broody Sioranth would not take offense to some other gold dragonet’s castoff Queen Candidates. She looked around to see if anyone else had something to say before they started and noticed that Alissi looked uncomfortable. “Did you have something to add, Alissi?” she asked pointedly. This had not been on her agenda of things to cover at this meeting and she was in a hurry to get past it.

“Well,” StarRise’s youngest and newest goldrider was always nervous about speaking up in these meetings. “You know we had one here the other day. Tarina is her name. She was here for some exams with our Weyrherder. I got to meet her at lunch. She seemed very nice. Down to earth. I think she’d fit in well here.”

“There was a note in Journeyman Tomeral’s report about her,” Zial spoke up. She dealt with the record keeping at the Weyr. “He would be very happy if she came here. Even if it was just for a few sevendays, I think.”

Vinalli nodded. “All right. I’ll send a request to P’gein and Kishandra for Tarina and a few more of their Queen Candidates tonight. If they agree, we’ll have them in a few days.”

###

25.01.02, Igen Weyr

“Stand for Impression at StarRise?” Tarina was in shock at Weyrleader P’gein’s words. “They asked for me specifically? Are you sure?”

P’gein nodded. He thought it odd they had specifically asked for Tarina, and he was reluctant to give up a crafter with such a bright future, especially considering her role in finding the cause of goldrider Lawryna’s death. “They did. Mostly because of how you did on your exams, I understand. And the recommendation of goldrider Alissi.”

Tarina made a face. She had known that Alissi had been up to something. “Do I have to go?” she asked plaintively.

“No, but you’ll need to make your decision soon, since their Hatching is supposed to be any day now,” he replied. “We don’t often exchange Candidates like this, so when we do, we don’t take it lightly.”

Tarina nodded and took her leave. She decided that she should talk with her sister about possibly going to StarRise. Tesnia, although flighty about some things, was actually a good person to talk to when there was a big decision to be made.

She found the greenrider at the Weyr lake just finishing up Dulciath’s oiling. “Hey up there little sister!” she called. “When you finish oiling that great green hulk, do you have a minute to talk?”

Tesnia waved. She knew what Tarina had come to talk to her about. Word was through the draconic grapevine that the beasthealer was needed for the gold Hatching at StarRise. Dulciath said that her friends thought it was a good idea, that Tarina should Impress there. She knew her sister would not have an easy time with that kind of decision. She sighed and slid down her big green’s side. “Get on the Rim and sun, you big green goose!” Dulciath snorted and flew up to sun with her friends.

The greenrider tossed her dark brown braid behind her and looked at her sister. Her short blonde curls were more unruly than usual, and her brown eyes looked worried. Tesnia wiped the excess oil off on her pants, and gave her sister a hug. “I already know what you’re here to talk to me about.”

“It figures,” Tarina sighed. “Who told Dulciath? Oh, I suppose it really doesn’t matter.” The pair headed for the living cavern, which was deserted at that time of day. Tarina took off her jacket, and played with a loose button on its sleeve. “Well?”

“I can’t make this decision for you, you know,” Tesnia told her after she returned with two mugs of klah.

“I know, but I need your help,” she had abandoned fiddling with the button and was now turning the mug around and around in her hands. “Mother and father—“

“That’s a load of wher dung and you know it Tarina,” Tesnia interrupted with a scowl. “If this ends up just being a transfer, they won’t mind having you far away. M’tan was at Telgar for turns before he journeyed at Crescent. They miss him, but they’re glad he was posted at such a great place. And then for him to Impress a bronze, they’re proud of him. They told me they were proud of me when I Impressed Dulciath.”

“But you were never serious about crafting,” Tarina was also scowling. “I’ve just been certified to go out on consults wherever a runner expert is needed. I can’t just throw that away.”

“You wouldn’t be throwing it away. You’d be working at StarRise and learning more about island runners or whatever,” she smiled impishly. “And it’s not like mother and father care whether or not you stick with a craft. They just want you to be happy. Plus there are six more of us left. If the first three decide to live far away and maybe Impress dragons while they’re a it, there’s hope for the six little ones.”

Tarina sighed. “I know, but I feel that if I choose that path that I will disappoint them. I don’t want that.”

“Somehow if you Impress that gold at StarRise, I doubt they’d be disappointed. Or even some sweet green Dulciath would like gossiping with,” Tesnia took another drink of klah. “It looks like you’ve already made your decision. I expect you want me to take you there tomorrow or the next day.”

She nodded and stopped twisting her mug and took a drink. “The day after tomorrow. I want to speak with our parents and write to M’tan before I go.”

###

25.01.04, StarRise Weyr

Much to both her and Tarina’s irritation, Tesnia was unable to convey Tarina to StarRise. Because of a poor performance in ‘Fall, she and a few others in her wing had been scheduled to do extra drills. X’nder had drills of his own to do, so that left D’gon to do the job. Tarina was extremely unhappy that he would be the last person from Igen she would be seeing for a while.

“Now if you need anything, be sure and send word and we’ll make sure you’ll get it,” he was telling her. He mopped the sweat from his forehead. He did not know how these islanders could stand the humidity all the time.

“Thank you, wingsecond,” she told him as she looked around the place that was to be her home until the Hall saw fit to transfer her elsewhere. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I’m sure you had more interesting things you could have been doing.” Her irritation did not cloud the intent of her words.

D’gon stopped unhooking Tarina’s things from Binallath’s straps and stared at her. “You know, we may not like each other, but I don’t think I deserved that.”

Her face grew red underneath her tan. “I was just saying that I know you didn’t want to bring me. You were going way out of your way to help me, and I know that probably irritates you. You know, you can say no to my sister. She might throw a tantrum, but it will last a lot shorter than ferrying me around and making sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to.”

“That’s true,” he shrugged. “But I happen to like your sister. She’s a sweet girl. I don’t mind doing favors for her. Even if they happen to involve you.”

Tarina’s eyes narrowed. “You stay away from my sister, bronzerider. I’m warning you I’ll—“

“I’ll stay away from Tesnia like you stayed away from K’marik.” D’gon was in no mood to play their usual games, so he cut right to the chase. As a matter of fact, he had no interest in Tesnia in that way, but Tarina did not need to know that.

“That is none of your business, bronzeboy.” Tarina’s dislike of D’gon was quickly turning to hatred.

D’gon smirked. He had found a very nice button to push. “Well, I’m sure you’d make just as nice of a bedwarmer for him as Tesnia would for me. Or maybe not. Most men like their conquests to be at least a little bit attractive.”

The beasthealer was outraged. “You take that back!” She strode up to him and pressed him up against Binallath’s side. To her dismay, she felt tears coming to her eyes.

“Why?” He tried to shrug off the creepy feeling he got from being pinned up against his dragon by someone seven or eight inches shorter than him. But then it dawned on him. “He doesn’t know how you feel. You never told him, and he never figured it out.”

She backed away from him, turned, and went straight for the nearest person in the Bowl. “I need to see your Weyrleader now. Take me to him.” She hoped Weyrleader D’ven wouldn’t be too put off by her emotional state. If he asked, she could just put it off to being such a distance from her family.

By the time Tarina’s interview with D’ven ended, she had clamed considerably. He had bought her story about being homesick, and had ordered some tea, and chatted with her about her place in the Weyr until she had felt better. She knew she had taken a considerable chunk out of his day with that talk, but she was grateful for it. It ensured D’gon would have departed for Igen, and she would not see him. Ever again, if she could help it.

A drudge escorted her to the Candidate Barracks, where she was to stay until after the Hatching. A group of girls had looked at her when she first came in and immediately turned their backs on her. It seemed that new Queen Candidate arrivals did not arrive at the Weyr in anything less than their best clothes. Her new wherhide trousers and peasant top did not cut it, nor did her red-rimmed eyes and overly tanned face.

She noted that her bags had been delivered, and a note left on her cot. It was from the Weyrherder saying that she was not to report to the beasthold until the following day when she would have orientation and then be dismissed early to observe her Candidate duties.

A friendly-looking girl named Amaris invited her to eat dinner with her friends and her, and she accepted, only so that she would not have to eat alone. Her transfer to StarRise was a disaster, it seemed. She wished to return to Igen, and only D’gon’s presence there prevented her from immediately going to the Weyrleader and requesting to be sent back. It was going to be a long journeying.

###

25.01.07, StarRise Weyr Hatching Ground

Tarina could not think what she was doing at a strange Weyr in a white gown with eggs wobbling and dragons humming. She saw people Impressing all around her and was jealous at their happiness. Her despair had only increased since her arrival. The only friendly faces were Kadyra, her friends, and a Candidate Amaris, who was the only girl in the barracks as unconcerned with her appearance as she was. It didn’t matter though. Amaris was quite beautiful, and the sight of her in a bikini was enough to make anyone turn green. She seemed shocked that Tarina did not own a suit and immediately took her to buy one. That afternoon had been pleasant enough. She had never interacted with dolphins before and she found them to be delightful creatures. She envied Amaris’ bond with the exuberant Marco, and had promised to return when he asked the dolphineer if she would bring the runner girl back to play.

She smiled and heard an expectant hush fall over the crowd. The gold egg began rocking and little fissures soon appeared in its shell. The other girls took a step toward the egg and Sioranth hissed at them. Tarina looked into the crowd and saw her entire family almost off their seats in anticipation. M’tan had been roused from the middle of the Crescent night, and although he seemed a little worse for wear, he looked happy to be there. Tesnia winked at her sister, and her hands flew up to her mouth as the queen egg shattered.

The greeny-gold queen kreeled with hunger, anxiety, and fear. She wandered to and fro around the Hatching Grounds ignoring every girl assembled there. Tarina stepped from side to side, trying to keep her feet from frying, and hoped that the young queen would make her choice quickly so she could leave the Sands and go back to her quiet life treating runners. She watched, uncomprehending as the gold ran right up to her and began kreeling for all she was worth. Tarina’s stomach rumbled with sympathy hunger pangs.

<<You’re not listening to me,>> the voice was patient, but held undertones of urgency in it.

Tarina blinked and took a step back. The voice could not be coming from the golden form in front of her. She was not supposed to Impress. She was just supposed to be at StarRise to learn about island runners. She could not—

<<You must feed me,>> the voice told her again. Its owner flapped her wings in annoyance, but the voice was sweet and calm. <<My brothers and sisters are eating. You must take me to eat, too.>>

“You can’t want me!” She suddenly found her voice and winced at the words that came. She had made fun of other girls with Tesnia for saying much the same thing when they were chosen.

<<But I do!>> The voice was more urgent now.

“But—But I don’t even know who you are!” That was even stupider.

The little queen gave a little snort and sent waves of pouting emotions out at her rider. <<I am Lhyrith, and you are my rider. It is simple. As is my eating. We must go now. I am so hungry.>>

“Lhyrith?” Tarina was truly stunned. She felt Amaris’ happy slaps on the back and she walked off the Sands with her new lifemate in a daze. She barely remembered the feeding, as Lhyrith did not seem to want to chat as much as eat.

After Lhyrith was finished eating, she was escorted to the Weyrling Barracks to oil the tiny gold and make her comfy before she slept, and then to the Candidate Barracks to gather her things. She was left alone with the other newly Impressed to get dressed. The same girls that had been so rude to her were even ruder and went so far as to completely ignore her and her gold. It seemed they were unhappy at Lhyrith’s choice of a coarse-looking outsider runner healer. Well, she would get uncoarse for the feast. She put on the rose-colored gown she had worn at Igen’s gold Hatching, and took some care with arranging her hair. Her entire family was waiting for her at the dining cavern’s entrance.

Her mother was crying. “Oh we are so proud of you, baby,” Maryss told her eldest daughter.

M’tan and Tesnia had very foolish grins on their faces. Her bronzeriding brother gave her a fierce hug. “Now you make sure you stay away from bronzeriders like me. We are nothing but trouble.” Tesnia smacked his arm and hugged her sister as soon as M’tan let her go. “I knew you could do it!”

Her other siblings crowded around her, and it all seemed like a dream somehow. She then spoke with D’ven and the other goldriders. Alissi gave her a hug and told her she looked forward to working with her. Kadyra had made X’nder come from Igen and the pair of them congratulated her until she felt like she would burst with embarrassment. But her face went pale at the sight of D’gon.

The wingsecond held out his hand and said, “Congratulations goldrider.” He looked as if he felt slightly foolish at being there.

Tarina knew it would be more than impolite if someone of her new station refused to shake hands with someone from another Weyr, so she did. “Thank you, wingsecond,” she told him, not quite getting her voice to go cold as she would have liked. She was much too stunned and excited to speak to him as she would have liked, and far to aware that people were now watching her every movement and listening to her every word.

“Tarina, I wanted to apologize for the other day,” he began, realizing that they would not be able to talk until she had greeted every important person in the Territory. “I claim your first slow dance. We will talk then.”

She couldn’t very well refuse him as she would have liked in front of so many people, so she accepted. “Certainly, D’gon. Just come find me when it’s time.”

The Igen bronzerider then disappeared and she was introduced to more people than she would ever be able to remember. Tarina was glad when someone finally decided she needed to eat. She felt as hungry as Lhyrith had when she had first Hatched. She numbly ate the delicious foods someone procured for her, and noticed for the first time that she was sitting down. She murmured a thank you to the person who had brought her meal and downed a glass of wine. Everything seemed so surreal. Until D’gon found her again.

He led her out to the floor and the dance began. Fortunately, it wasn’t a newer dance, so Tarina knew the steps. “If I seem a bit ~between~ it’s because I am. It’s not that I’m trying to be rude,” she told him.

“It’s all right,” he replied as he turned her into the next move. “I remember how I felt when Binallath chose me.” A silly grin crossed his face. “Anyway, I did want to apologize. It was unfair of me to say what I did.”

Tarina nodded. “It was. I don’t know what you think you can say to me that will make me want to forgive you.” She did not want to let him think he had any advantage because she was in a daze or dancing.

“I know. I regretted what I said the minute I said it. It is true that we don’t like each other, and we probably never will be able to stand each other’s company for long periods of time, but I would like your forgiveness for that. It was beneath me to insult you in that way.” He would not meet her eyes.

“It was beneath any true gentleman to make a joke of the feelings of a lady,” she told him before they began a series of tricky steps. “I did not like you before. I thought you everything typical of every bronzerider, including my brother. Now I get to add—“ Tarina paused. She saw turmoil in his eyes, and she could not hurl her insults at him any more. “Nothing. I accept your apology.” She then knew how hard it had been for him to say the words. Just as hard as it had been for her.

A small smile crossed D’gon’s face. “I won’t ask to be your friend yet. I’m not sure I even want that, so I know what your feelings must be.”

She allowed herself to smile back at him. “Thank you for that. I’ll keep an open mind if you will. Plus I’ll need some inside information on how to spot a bad bronzerider. Something my brother will be too biased to give.”

D’gon let out a small laugh. “Well, you shall have it. That’s a promise.”

Tarina laughed with D’gon, and hoped that the end of her enmity with him marked the beginning of a better time at her new home. Faranth knew she would need it if she was going to survive weyrling training. She shivered at the thought of the struggle that lay ahead of her, but was glad for the one that had past.

[Andrea]

Incommunicado
By Andrea Hutchison (Tarina)


25.02.22, late afternoon at StarRise Weyr

Tarina’s limp became more apparent as the afternoon wore on. She hadn’t thought about the time she broke her leg in a fall from her old runner in a long time until Leania mentioned that she was lagging behind and asked if she was hurt. StarRise’s newest goldrider could feel the Weyrlingmaster’s eyes boring into her back. As if she would lie to the woman. She never lied to her masters back at the Hall or to her superiors at Igen. But she could tell some of her clutchmates were nursing hurts they were ignoring, so she didn’t dwell on it.

“So are you going to tell me why you’re limping, Tarina?” Leania stopped Tarina after the afternoon drills were over.

“I broke my leg really badly when I was 8. It didn’t heal as well as it should have because it was so bad. They didn’t think I would walk again without crutches. I have a limp normally, but I’ve worked hard to correct it. It comes out when I get tired. These ground drills are a lot of work.” She smiled a little bit as she said the last sentence.

Leania nodded. “Talk to someone in the infirmary about getting some exercises to strengthen it. You can hurt yourself working on muscles that tired. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tarina replied dutifully. The woman had no sense of humor. Although she’d heard worse about the previous Weyrlingmaster, a legend of a woman named Jina.

“Yes ma’am,” she heard echoed behind her. She did not turn around. After six weeks, you got to know the voices of your clutchmates. Especially those that didn’t like you. Those same girls that had turned their noses up at her when she arrived now treated her like she was a goody goody priss. She limped slowly to the infirmary.

“May I help you?” Amaris’ sister Iriel was always all business. There was nothing fun about the girl. And she disapproved of everyone. No matter how many meals she ate with those twins, the healer apprentice acted like she had never seen her before.

Tarina nodded. “Good afternoon to you too, Iriel,” she said quietly. She found herself suddenly in a bad mood. “The Weyrlingmaster sent me. I need some physical therapy exercises to strengthen some muscles in my leg. My limp is pretty bad today since we started ground drills. I don’t know the last time I walked so far. I guess that’s what I get for being a runner healer before now.”

“I’ll get your chart and have a journeyman who specializes in this sort of thing come look at you,” Iriel replied calmly. She gestured to an empty curtained area and walked away.

Sighing in exasperation, she limped over to the bed Iriel gestured to. She saw Kadyra coming out of another area and waved. Kadyra and Amaris were among the few people at StarRise who acknowledged a friendship with her.

The greenrider limped over and chuckled. “I see we’re in the same boat today there, Tarina. I dropped a glass up in my weyr and stepped on a piece. One stitch. Blood everywhere though. It was so gross. What’s your excuse?”

“Tired muscles. I broke this leg about ten years ago and I have a limp especially when I’m tired. We started ground drills today, so…” Tarina shrugged. “You’re always in here. You should have been a healer. You’d be a master by now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kadyra laughed. “Anyway, I have to get going. I have something to give you though before I go.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a letter.
”Luc came today. It’s not from Tesnia.” He blue eyes twinkled. “Anyway, I’m off! Good luck with the leg.”

Tarina sighed, a habit she was picking up from the greenrider. Not from her sister, so that could only mean… She turned the letter over. Sure enough. There was his name. Kadyra seemed to think she had some sort of fling going with the Igen bronzerider, but no matter how many times she protested liking D’gon like that, Kadyra just smiled and nodded. She was only just beginning to be friends with him. She couldn’t stand him enough to think of him in that capacity.

Just then, the healer came in. She put the letter in her pocket and forgot about it.

###

25.02.27, early evening

“Now that is just nasty,” the orange haired girl said with a sneer.

The nut-brown haired one nodded. “Like, by Faranth, those wherhide pants look like they could walk away by themselves. That is foul.”

The one with the long, straight, blonde hair wrinkled up her nose. “That is so wrong. Aren’t you grossed out Tarina?”

“Not really,” she replied. “You should have seen them when I was a beasthealer mucking out beastholds all the time.” She smiled sweetly, tossed her dark blonde curls at them, and went to the laundry.

When she got there, she sighed and rolled her eyes. “I have got to stop hanging around Kadyra. I swear it is bad for my rule against sighing. And I need to stop hanging out with my clutchmates. It’s bad for my rule against saying ‘I swear’ in that stupid accent.”

She felt something in the pocket of the offensive pants as she silently berated herself for not fitting in with her class better. It was D’gon’s letter. She still had not read it. She hadn’t answered any of the letters he had sent her. He always asked about how things were going. Tarina did not like sending letters filled with nothing but bad news. She put the letter in the pocket of the shorts she was wearing and vowed to read it before she fell asleep, since the next day was a rest day. She quickly did her laundry and found a quiet corner in the Living Cavern where she could see what D’gon was up to.

‘Tarina,’ the letter began.

‘Well, you have been at StarRise for almost two months now. I hope things are going well for you. Things are going fine here at Igen. K’marik said to tell you hello. I am getting tired of making up things to tell him about how you’re doing. I wish you would return my letters. I thought we were going to try to be friends. I don’t care if you shaved your head, changed your name to Herdbeastia, and started saying everything backwards. I want to know how you are doing. We all do. Tesnia tells me that you have only sent her one letter telling her how badly the sexuality lectured embarrassed you. She is worried. If you don’t write me back soon I will have to tell K’marik that no one has heard from you, and then he will be worried, too. I know you don’t want that. Are they treating you well over on that Island?

‘The reason for this letter in particular is because of something that happened. I wanted to tell you first. I made Tesnia promise that she wouldn’t write you until I heard from you making sure that you were all right with this. Well, here goes. You know how I told you in my last letter that Binallath’s nickname up at Telgar was Greenchaser because he is always the first bronze to drop out of gold flights? Well, it’s followed me here. That’s not the reason though. Anyway, well… One of the golds rose the other day. Binallath chased and lost. Tesnia was the only girl around that I knew. She did me a great favor that day and stayed the night with me. I wanted you to know from me. I know you know from your studies that it was purely draconic and that our feelings really had nothing to do with it. We are still friends. I just did not want you to freak out when you heard. I mean no harm toward your sister, and I hope that your animosity toward me does not cloud the issue. I hope to hear from you soon.

‘D’gon.’

“Wow,” she whispered. Tarina’s mind flitted from wondering how rude she should be in her reply to D’gon to immediately writing her sister and asking her how the experience was. She could not blame D’gon. She wished her sister hadn’t been around, but she couldn’t fault her. It was easy to get caught up in a gold flight. But it was D’gon… This was a man she was barely speaking to when she Impressed Lhyrith. She had to write him. She did not want to, but she had to.

Tarina walked back to the Weyrling Barracks and retrieved a writing stick and paper out of her things. She began writing her response. It started off with the usual hello and all that and moved into her unease with what had happened between her sister and him, but that she wasn’t mad. That was the truth after all.

When she finished with that portion, she paused. Tarina did not want anyone to worry about her, but she felt obligated to tell D’gon how things were going. She really did hate going on about her troubles though, and was not looking forward to putting how badly things were going down in that letter. If they were worried about her now, their fears would be multiplied by a thousand after they learned the truth. She placed the writing stick on the page and wrote, ‘I am doing really,’ she paused. She could not do it.

So she lied.

The letter ended, ‘I am doing really well. I couldn’t be happier since I came to StarRise. I have just been too busy hanging out with all of my clutchmates to write anyone much. I am sorry to have neglected you, D’gon. I meant it when I said I would try to be friends. Anyway, it’s lights out now. Talk to you soon.

‘Tarina.’

[Andrea]

Just Fine
By Andrea Hutchison (Tarina, D’gon)


25.11.14, lunchtime at Igen Weyr

D’gon pushed his potatoes around his plate with his fork. He was bored. It was a restday, and all of his duties as wingsecond in Flamebolt Wing were already finished. He needed something to do, something that would take more than five minutes, and something he would enjoy. He had received a letter from Tarina the previous evening—the typical short “I’m fine” letter she was becoming famous for sending to everyone. She had said this would be the first restday in months she wouldn’t have any extra duties, and D’gon was trying to talk himself out of making the trip.

He didn’t know why he felt the need to have a friendship with Tarina. Tesnia seemed to think he subconsciously liked her as more than a friend. X’nder frowned when that issue was brought up. He liked her as much more than a friend, so that was normal. D’gon just worried about the young goldrider. She was all alone at StarRise and he thought she might be lonely—no matter what her letters said.

But would she welcome a visit? If she wasn’t lonely or if she still felt a lot of animosity toward him, she would not appreciate it. D’gon decided it was a chance he was just going to have to take.

###

Morning that same day, StarRise Weyr

Tarina glanced around her weyr. She hadn’t been in it for very long, but she figured it was as close to home she was ever going to get again unless she transferred. She wouldn’t transfer though. She was not a quitter. She accepted StarRise for the challenge it presented and she would overcome it. She had already overcome a lot to be where she was. More than some of her clutchmates, anyway.

Orange-hair, Nut Brown, and Blondie had all been killed during their training. They had names, but this was how Tarina thought of them. They were the worst of her clutchmates in their behavior toward her. They had done things, said things, while the others simply ignored her. Blondie had been the first to go. She had made some biting comment to Tarina the day they began the Dragon Toss in the air. She had caught a heavy sack and the force sent her straight off the back of her dragon. Her ill-tended straps snapped and she plummeted to the ground. Her green blinked ~between,~ never to be seen again.

Then it had just been Nut Brown and Orange-hair. On their first day of going ~between,~ at the beginning of the last sevenday, Nut Brown had not come back to the Weyr like the others in her class. Lost forever because she had made some mistake as she and her green disappeared off StarRise Island.

Orange-hair had been subdued in the days following Nut Brown’s death. She went ~between~ like the others in their class, sobered by the affect of the death of a clutchmate. It seemed as if everything was going to be all right. Until yesterday. Orange-hair came out of ~between~ and was going too fast. She was too close to a rock formation, and… The Weyrlingmaster said her neck had probably broken on impact. Her green had disappeared forever as well.

And so Tarina was alone. None of her clutchmates paid any attention to her, and she was too busy to spend much time with Alissi, Kadyra, and their friends. It was the second sevenday of her eleventh month as a weyrling at StarRise, and this is what it had come to. She missed her sister. She missed Thread, her runner. She missed K’marik and Fiona and X’nder and the rest of her friends. She even missed D’gon.

<<My rider,>> came the shy sweet voice that was Lhyrith.

Tarina smiled. She only did so when her beautiful gold spoke to her. >>What is it, Lhyrith? Do you need to be oiled more?<<

She felt Lhyrith’s mental smile. <<No, I am fine. My hide shines as it should. There is a bronze that has just landed in the Bowl that I do not know, but he seems to know me. He says his name is Binallath and his rider would like to see you. He says they came from Igen Weyr. Who is Binallath’s rider, Tarina?>>

>>If you come down from the Rim, I will let you meet him again. He was at your Hatching, but I’m sure you don’t remember that. He is…<< Tarina paused, unsure how to tell Lhyrith about her strange relationship with D’gon. >>D’gon, Binallath’s rider, is a friend.<<

Tarina felt the comprehension of her lifemate flood through her, and she went through the corridors leading from the junior goldriders’ weyrs out to the Bowl floor. She immediately saw Binallath, as Lhyrith was nose to nose with the small bronze. D’gon waited patiently next two the two curious dragons. When he saw her, a grin lit up his face.

“Tarina!” He cried as he half ran to where she had emerged. D’gon scooped her up into a huge hug and spun her around before setting her down.

She found herself surprised to be as happy to see him as he seemed to be to see her. She gave him a kiss on the cheek in welcome. “D’gon,” she said in reply. “It’s been a long time. How have you been? How is my sister? How are things at Igen?”

“The same, the same, and the same, except that you’re not there. K’marik has me working pretty hard. I have been hoping he doesn’t have any ideas of nominating me for a wing of my own. That is something I really don’t need just now. Tesnia is her usual charming self—she’s trying to set X’nder up with Gneam, that dragonhealer.” D’gon smiled again. He really was happy to see her, and glad he had made the trip. “Igen’s doing fine. The transition after Kishandra was a bit rough, but it always is when there’s a change in leadership. But things have settled back into how they were when you left.” He stepped back from her. “So tell me about how things are here? I want to know everything you’ve been up to. But first, I want to meet Lhyrith. She has been much more interested in Binallath than me so I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself.” D’gon gestured to the gold who was still nose-to-nose with the bronze.

Tarina smiled back at him. “All right,” she told him. She took his hand and they strode up to where the dragons stood staring at each other. “Lhyrith,” she said, almost admonishing the gold. Lhyrith turned toward her rider and blinked. “Lhyrith, this is D’gon, Binallath’s rider. He wants to say hello.”

“Hello Lhyrith,” he said as he walked up to her. He scratched her eye ridge and her eyes whirled blue with pleasure. “It is nice to finally meet you.”

<<He is nice. I am glad he is your friend. You need more friends.>> Lhyrith moved back from the pair of humans and stared at Binallath again. <<Binallath is a nice bronze. He is not cocky like some of the others. He is like a brown or a blue, except smarter and not as silly.>>

“She likes you and Binallath,” Tarina told D’gon with a laugh. “She says you are nice. Not like other bronzes and their riders.”

D’gon noticed Tarina’s hand still held his. He squeezed and felt her response. “Let’s get something to eat. It’s lunchtime at Igen, and I didn’t eat. I was too busy playing with my food contemplating the trip here. Have you had breakfast?” Tarina shook her head, and he motioned for her to lead the way to the dining cavern.

The dining cavern was fairly busy for the morning of a restday, but they moved through the breakfast line fairly quickly. When they had their breakfast and klah, D’gon said, “I’d like to sit with some of your friends. It would be nice to meet them.”

Tarina scanned the room looking for someone she knew. She saw some of her clutchmates, but she wasn’t about to sit with them. “I ah… I don’t see any of them here. They are probably still sleeping off last night’s fun.” She tried to laugh it off, but she caught the questioning look D’gon shot her. “I see an empty table. We can eat together.”

“Well, what about your clutchmates?” D’gon asked, trailing behind her. “Surely they weren’t drinking last night. There’s bound to be some of them in here.”

“I’d rather just eat with you,” Tarina replied as she seated herself. “That way, you can have my undivided attention. After all, you did make the trip out here just to see me.”

D’gon nodded, and sat across from her. “Well, where are they? Your clutchmates, I mean.”

Tarina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Over there. One table over.”

The table she gestured to held about ten people—obviously weyrlings by the enthusiasm of some and the haunted look of others. D’gon noticed that table as they had passed it. Not one person had looked up as he and Tarina had passed. “Did you lose someone recently? A couple of them have that look…”

“Yes, yesterday,” she told him. “It was Or—a greenrider named Ladi. We just started going ~between~ and she came out going too fast and was too close to a rock formation we had been using as our visualization coordinate.”

“How many have you lost?” D’gon was a little confused that she showed no emotion over the loss. He remembered how horrible he felt whenever one of his clutchmates died.

Tarina shrugged. “Five or six. We’ll lose more next month when we start going ~between~ in formation.”

D’gon was shocked. He knew exactly how many of his clutchmates never made it to graduation. He still remembered their names and their dragons’ names. He did not know what to make of her attitude to the prospect of losing more. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. They left the dining cavern with D’gon searching for something to say. “Um… I ah… I noticed that Lhyrith has a kink in her tail. How did that happen?”

She blushed bright red. Everyone noticed Lhyrith’s tail. “It was like that when she hatched. It’s just more noticeable now that she’s getting so big. It doesn’t bother her at all. It just looks weird.”

“That’s good then,” he told her. “So where’s your weyr? What kind of place does StarRise keep its lowliest goldriders in?” He smiled trying to lighten the mood.

“This way,” she gestured as she got up from the table. Tarina led him out of the dining cavern, into the Bowl, and around to her weyr. She entered a small corridor and pushed aside her door curtain. “Here it is. Nothing fancy, but neither was my room at Igen. Just bigger, and has a bathing pool. That’s nice. My leg has been bothering me and being able to sit in here at night has helped.”

D’gon nodded. “Bigger than my weyr, that’s for sure. And I don’t have my own pool either. I share with another wingsecond. He always has company though, so I hardly get to take advantage of it unless it’s before sunrise.”

Tarina nodded. “Company, huh? So you don’t take much company into your pool. Do you _get_ much company?” Her eyebrows rose mockingly.

“Not much outside of flights, but you know I was kind of a loner before you left so…” He looked at her and tried to catch her eyes with his. “You didn’t hang out with many people besides your sister back at Igen. Have you made many friends here?”

“Well,” she shrugged. “I am getting to be friends with Kadyra, and I know her friends. But I’m busy with my training, and other people are busy so…”

“But you spend a lot of time with your clutchmates. Studying and all. I remember some of those secret, late night, group cram sessions at Telgar really saved my butt!” He smiled and sat on her bed, as there was no other furniture in the large room.

“Ah… Well I prefer to study alone. I have different issues with learning than my clutchmates.” Tarina shrugged again. The whole conversation was making her incredibly uncomfortable. She sat down next to D’gon.

The bronzerider succeeded in catching her eyes this time. “Now that you’re right here in front of me and we’re talking and you can’t hide behind ‘I’m fine,’ I see what is happening.” He took her hand in his. “How much time do you actually spend interacting with others outside your training?”

She took her hand out of his grip and turned away. She stared down at her bedspread for a moment before replying. “Perceptive of you, D’gon.”

D’gon sighed. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I just didn’t want anyone to worry about me, that’s all.” Tarina’s voice broke on the last word.

“You didn’t think sending, ‘I’m fine’ and basically nothing else wouldn’t tip us off?” He scooted over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “We all compare the letters you send. They don’t add up. We were concerned, but we didn’t know exactly what to be worried about.”

Tarina sniffed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“Tell me,” he coaxed. “It’s why I came. You know you can trust me.”

“I hate it here,” she started. Tarina bit her lip. She really did not want to talk about this. “I don’t know anyone. Kadyra’s always up at NightShadow with her holder and Alissi is off playing politics usually. The other goldriders are older and I don’t want to bother them. The bronzeriders… They’re only interested in one thing—you may have heard we’re pretty lax on the no sex rule for weyrlings here. And my clutchmates…” She could not hold it in and she softly began to cry.

D’gon certainly had not expected this. He and Tarina were not close by any means, but he couldn’t stand seeing her like this. He rubbed her back and she leaned into him. He pulled her close and held her until the crying stopped. “You don’t have to say any more,’ he told her quietly.

She shook her head. “No. No, I really should.” Tarina’s voice was thick with emotion. “My clutchmates ignore me. I overheard them talking soon after we Impressed. They didn’t think I should have Impressed Lhyrith because I wasn’t from StarRise and they hate me for it. There were three—“ A sob broke through her façade of calmness. She took a deep breath and continued, “There were three girls who took the ignoring to another level. They would make little comments and pull stupid pranks to make me feel more uncomfortable and unwanted. The stuff they did was so subtle that the Weyrlingmaster’s staff never noticed. The staff was always very encouraging, and not noticing was not their fault. We always worked well together in classes and drills. Those three girls—I named them for their hair—well, they’re dead now. All dead because of stupid mistakes. I feel bad, but I am almost glad they’re gone.”

“Don’t feel bad,” he said reassuringly. “The last thing StarRise needs is three greenriders representing it in that way. They have you and you are worth 50 of those stupid greenriders. Please remember that.” D’gon gave her a little kiss on the cheek. “Something else you should remember—Whenever you have a problem, you can always have Lhyrith bespeak Binallath, and I will be right here if I can be. And please, please don’t exclude me from your life by telling me you’re fine when you’re not. I’m your friend, and friends are there when life gets tough just like they’re there when life is great.”

“Thank you, D’gon. I was mad when you arrived, but I am glad you came. Hopefully next time we see each other, things will be more pleasant.” She took a deep breath and stood up, dislodging D’gon’s arms as she rose. “But I think I would like to be alone now. You understand.”

“I do.”

Tarina looked up at her friend. “And please don’t mention this to anyone. Especially Tesnia. She wouldn’t understand.”

“Of course, “D’gon nodded. “I’ll tell them… I’ll tell them that you really are just fine.”

[Andrea]

Home
By Andrea Hutchison (Tarina and D’gon)


25.TE, afternoon at StarRise Weyr

Tarina scowled at her new dresses. The rose colored dress her sister Tesnia had lent her a turn before no longer fit. It was loose in some places and tight in others where it had fit perfectly before. She had gotten permission from D’ven and Vinalli to attend Turnover festivities with her friends and family at Igen Weyr, so she had to look nice for the occasion. None of her new dresses looked as nice on her as her old one. It’s not like she looked that nice anyway, but it was the principle of the matter. She chose a klah colored gown that didn’t wash out her features too much and accentuated her curves nicely and exited her weyr.

A low whistle stopped her and made her flush in embarrassment. “Lookin’ good, goldrider!” Harper Malak called. He eyed her up and down and grinned at what he saw.

“Do you mind?” she asked icily. “I don’t have time for your cat calls today, harper. And as I recall, the Weyrleader told you to stay away from me now, didn’t he?”

“I’m not near you, am I?” he smirked. Malak knew his boundaries. Tarina had complained about his inappropriate attentions toward her a few months earlier and D’ven had kindly told the harper that if he went near the goldrider again, he’d drop him ~between.~

Tarina sighed. “Goodbye,” she told him. She would be glad to get away from him for a day or so. Malak like to push the limits. Like how many times a girl can say no before she really means it. Like all the women she knew, Tarina always meant no the first time.

<<I really do not like that harper,>> Lhyrith said lazily from the Rim. <<He upsets you very much. Almost like Binallath’s rider, but different.>>

>>You ~would~ compare the two of them!<< Tarina thought back to her gold. >>Now come down from there. I don’t want to get to Igen too late, and I promised mother I’d stop by Keroon so I could show you off. My younger siblings are dying to meet you.<<

Lhyrith snorted as she flew down from her perch. <<You have almost as many clutchmates as I do—Verseth’s rider and Dulciath’s rider and all of the other ones without dragons.>>

“I have eight brothers and sisters,” Tarina scolded out loud as she climbed aboard her rapidly growing gold. “Not nearly as many as you like to think!”

<<But they are enough, my love,>> Lhyrith crooned. <<And they will scratch me and say nice things about me. I like that.>>

Tarina rolled her eyes as she and Lhyrith took off. She sent the coordinates of Keroon’s beastmaster hold to her lifemate, and the pair blinked ~between.~ When they emerged, the sun was setting over Keroon Hold. Dozens of children ran out to greet the pair as they landed, and Tarina smiled as she spied her younger brothers among them. “Where is Norrine?” she asked her next younger brother, Kayle. Kayle was 15 and an apprentice beastherder.

Kayle shared the same dark blonde locks that Tarina and M’tan did, but his curled past his shoulders. “Norrine is at Igen Hold. She’s apprenticing to the tanners there. We would have told you in the last letter, but there wasn’t time.” The tall lanky youth shrugged.

“Tarina!” a chorus of four boys greeted her as she turned away from Kayle.

Tarina stared at Tarris. Was he already 11 turns? It didn’t seem possible. Marik seemed nearly a match for his height, and he was… ~only~ nine turns old! Where did the time go? And Saren and little Rynak… The two littlest boys were eight and six now. These four boys and the absent Norrine shared the dark brown curls that Tesnia hated so much. “You boys are huge! Why, Tarris is nearly as tall as I am! What happened to you all?” She held open her arms and the three youngest boys ran to hug her. Kayle and Tarris were at the age where hugging their sister was no longer acceptable to their peers.

“Can we touch her, Tar?” Rynak squeaked as he gazed up at Lhyrith. “Oh can we? She is the most beautifulest thing I ever saw! Even more beautifuler than mother and father said!”

“Of course you can,” Tarina laughed. “You all can. Just mind where you go. She doesn’t always look where she steps.” She winked at Kayle, who smiled in response.

Lhyrith snorted, scaring some of the other hold children. <<I most certainly would not step on any of these younglings! The very idea!>>

Tarina grinned and raced with Kayle to the hold as fast as her dress would allow her to go. Her mother and father met her outside it and caught her in a warm embrace. “It is so good to see you, sweeting,” her father, Tarnak, said after he kissed her on the cheek.

Maryss shook her head. “Yes, but now you’re nothing but skin and bones! Don’t they feed you at that Island Weyr?”

“Mother!” Tarina laughed. “They do, as a matter of fact. Very well! I’m just all muscle now. They work me too hard to keep much fat on me. I had to have a few new dresses made because of it, as a matter of fact.” She twirled around for them all to see her properly.

Kayle gagged and ran off to join his younger brothers who were still standing near Lhyrith. Maryss frowned. “Very nice, but awfully thin to be riding around ~between~ in. Where is your riding jacket?”

“It ah… doesn’t really go with the dress…” Tarina said sheepishly. “And it’s warm enough that once I’m out of ~between,~ I warm up pretty fast.”

Tarnak smiled. “Of course,” he said, giving his wife a nudge. “Well you’re the grown-up dragonrider now, so you must know what’s best.”

“Thank you father,” Tarina replied, still a little embarrassed by her mother’s scolding.

“Well, I suppose you should be off if you’re going to make it to the Weyr in time to have a little fun before Turnover,” her mother said sadly, as she unwound a shawl from her shoulders. “Here, take this. It’ll look better than a jacket and it will keep you warmer than just that dress.”

Tarina kissed her mother on the cheek in thanks. “I appreciate it. Very much.” She smiled and walked back to the awaiting Lhyrith.

###

Igen Weyr, just after Turnover

Tarina had enjoyed seeing all of her friends again, but she felt like something was a bit off. Just like it had been at Keroon. Everyone had new stories to tell, and there were new things to see. There was a portrait of Lawryna and Vilayth up in the gallery. No one would tell her who painted it, but everyone seemed to know. Worst of all, they seemed gleeful at her ignorance.

“How about a dance, Tarina?” D’gon asked with a smile. “You haven’t taken a turn around the floor with anyone since you’ve been here.”

“All right,” she replied as she set down her wineglass. “But only one. I don’t want to get overtired. I still have weyrling training to get back to…tomorrow. Yeah, I guess it’s technically tomorrow, since it’s after Turnover now.”

D’gon took her hand and led her onto the dance floor just as a slow song was beginning. When they had settled into the dance’s repeating steps, he asked, “So are things any better at StarRise? I figured the only way I’d ever find out was if we danced together, since I know you don’t want your sister to know how miserable you’ve been.”

“Yes and no,” Tarina told him. “Yes because my clutchmates are being kinder, and no…” She was reluctant to tell him about Malak, but she knew he wouldn’t let her get away with not telling him. “No because of Malak. He’s a harper and he… About two months ago, he started hanging around me. One day he followed me back to my weyr and tried to come in.” She blushed. She was no virgin, but living for a few turns at a Weyr had not completely stamped out her innocence. “I told him he couldn’t but he tried to anyway. I got scared and Lhyrith got upset for me. Vinalli and D’ven practically materialized out of thin air and made him leave. D’ven seemed reluctant to transfer him away for some reason, but decided to impose a minimum distance that Malak can be from me. So now he stands as close to me as he can and makes lewd comments and obscene gestures. It makes me really uncomfortable. But he’s not violating the stipulations D’ven and Vinalli put on him, so…”

“If you weren’t a weyrling, I’d draw up your transfer papers myself.” There was ice in D’gon’s tone. “To treat any woman that way is wrong, plain and simple, but a goldrider? He’s insane. I’d have dropped him ~between.~”

<<Binallath says he would have been happy to drop the bad harper ~between,~ my love,>> Lhyrith’s voice chimed inside Tarina’s head. <<I told him all about it. He was shocked and said I did the right thing by telling Yalayth and Venjyth.>>

Tarina forced a smile. “That’s very kind of you, D’gon,” she told him. “But I won’t transfer back here. Things have changed too much. I feel like a stranger here tonight. I may not have much at StarRise, but it’s my home now. I have to face my problems there, not run away from them.”

D’gon frowned. “Yes, but promise me that you’ll have Lhyrith tell Nall right away if something bad happens. It’s nice to have friends back you up when you’re scared or hurt.”

“All right,” she replied. “I promise.” Her eyes wandered to where her younger sister was leading her latest conquest, and she sighed.

“What? What is it?”

She gestured to the exiting couple with her chin. “I just lost my room for the night. Oh well, I know they have room for me here.”

“You know… You can stay in my weyr, Tarina,” D’gon began. When Tarina stiffened and shot him a look of death, he chuckled. “Tarina, I am your friend. Nothing more. I meant that I have a very comfortable couch that I can sleep on, while you take my bed.”

Tarina blushed. “Oh,” was all she managed to say in her embarrassment.

D’gon laughed harder. “Well it’s just that I’m not looking for any company of that kind tonight, so I know my weyr will be safe. And I have the extra room—one of the perks of being a wingsecond—so how could I not offer you my bed?”

“You know, D’gon,” Tarina said thoughtfully after a moment. “A turn ago, I would have flamed anyone who told me I would be in your room tonight, no matter what the reason was. In fact, a turn ago, I would have looked strangely at anyone who said my home wouldn’t be Igen Weyr.”

“A lot can happen in a turn,” D’gon replied. “I was still at Telgar just a turn and a half ago. I thought it would take a lot to get me to call this place home, but like you at StarRise… it sort of grows on you without you knowing it. The last time I went to Telgar, I went through the exact same things you’re going through now. Except I didn’t keep in contact with anyone, so ~everything~ was a shock to me.”

“I guess you’re right.” The dance ended, and the pair drifted off to D’gon’s weyr, raising more than one speculative eyebrow as they disappeared together. Tarina was surprised to find D’gon’s weyr was rather tidy. However, she frowned at the couch as she undid the buttons on her dress. “D’gon, that couch is hardly more than a chair. We would barely fit on it if we sat side by side. You can’t sleep on it.”

He handed her an old shirt of his to wear to sleep. “I can, and I will,” he said firmly.

<<My rider,>> Binallath’s voice filled D’gon’s head. <<Lhyrith says that you cannot sleep on a couch that is too small for you. It would be like me sleeping in a green’s weyr. Lhyrith is making me tell you this. She is very wise for one so young. You must not do it, my rider. Lhyrith will be angry with me if you do.>>

“Now Tarina, that’s not fair,” he scolded. “Using Lhyrith against Nall isn’t allowed. You know he will do whatever she wants and pester me to death until I do what you want.”

She tested the bed and looked up at him innocently. “That’s the point, D’gon,” she said sweetly. “Now, I am not trying to start something with you. I fully intend to keep to my side of the bed, and I expect you to keep to yours. Haven’t you ever shared a bed with one of your siblings?”

“No!” D’gon said in exasperation as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And I don’t keep to my side of the bed. I kinda flop down in the middle and hog the whole thing. It won’t work.” He shed his clothes down to his undershorts.

“Oh yes it will,” Tarina said sweetly as she slipped under the covers. “I’ll kick you if you leave your side, which will be a lot less painful than waking up after a night on that couch.”

D’gon sighed. “Fine,” he grumbled. “I guess I do have sort of a reputation to maintain, being a bronzerider and all. I’m supposed to share my furs often with goldriders.” He waggled his eyebrows in mock suggestiveness as he flopped down on the opposite side of the bed.

“Bronzeboys!” Tarina groaned as she rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. “Now that is definitely one thing that will never change!”

[Andrea]

I found one more that takes place after this that takes place at Sable, but it's not finished It names the dweeb that was bothering Tarina here. I liked it. Wish it was done.

Unexpected Places
By Andrea Hutchison (Tarina, D’gon)


27.08.15, after midnight at StarRise Weyr

Tarina’s dream began as a pleasant one. She was running through a field near Keroon with M’tan and Tesnia. M’tan was her older brother and a bronzerider at Crescent Weyr. Tesnia was her next younger sister and a greenrider at Igen Weyr. She had eight brothers and sisters total and the whole flock of them had grown up at the herder hall with their parents, who were smiths. Their childhood had been happy—full of scenes like this one. Running and falling and wrestling. Skinned knees and grass stains and laughter.

M’tan, the oldest of the bunch, seemed to be about eleven turns old or so. Tarina looked around at where they were, took in their ages, and instantly remembered what had happened that day. It was the day Tesnia had been attacked by the dog.

No one remembered just where the dog had come from. But suddenly, there it was. Tesnia, who had loved dogs up until that point, squealed in delight and called it over. She was about nine and was looking forward to joining the herder craft someday.

The dog, who had multitudes of scars on his face and was missing part of an ear, bared his teeth at the young greenrider-to-be, and his hair stood up in warning. Confused as to why the animal would behave in such a fashion, Tesnia walked over to it. It lunged, and suddenly all Tarina and M’tan could see was a ferocious dog attacking something that lay screaming beneath it.

Seconds later, she was riding Thread, her runner who had passed away the turn before. And true to his name, the beast was devouring any and all plant life the pair encountered as he galloped across the stunning landscape. The big grey whinnied and reared up as they came across a humongous wharlope. Unlike the dream with her siblings, this had never happened in real life.

“Steady,” the dream Tarina told the gelding.

The runner ignored his rider and began to buck, rear legs flailing wildly behind him. “Thread, no!” she cried as she felt herself leave the comforting pressure of the saddle. She had been thrown. She woke up just before she hit the ground.

The goldrider twitched in shock as she came to. Her dreams were always vivid, but never before had there been anything in them that could harm her. Oh, she had had nightmares as a child, but she had outgrown them once she realized wildcats would never lurk under her bed to attack her exposed feet. She started to chuckle at the memory of herself with her feet covered by her sheet as she walked on her hands across the room she shared with her sisters toward where her slippers lay hidden. Once her feet were covered, she was safe from the wildcats. Or so she thought.

“What’s so funny, goldrider?” came a voice out of the dark.

Tarina froze. Someone was in her weyr.

“Oh come now, don’t be shy,” the voice chided. It was definitely masculine.

“Who—“ she began.

The voice interrupted, “Oh, I don’t think you need to know who I am.” Tarina heard footsteps approach her bed and she clenched her eyes shut, willing away her intruder. “It’s much more fun this way.” The voice was right next to her.

<<My rider?>> came Lhyrith’s plea. <<You are upset. What is wrong?>>

Relief melted the fear etched into her face. She started to reply to the gold when she felt the chill of a knife blade at her throat. “Don’t even think about alerting that gold. I’ll kill you so fast she won’t know what happened. No one will.”

A lone tear ran down Tarina’s cheek. “I won’t tell her.” Visions of Lawryna’s horrible end flashed through her mind. Was that going to happen to her, too? >>Lhyrith, it’s nothing. I just had a bad nightmare. Go back to sleep.<< The gold seemed contented with this explanation and took her advice.

The knife was removed as soon as the sound of Lhyrith’s head resting on her arms echoed into the weyr. “Much better,” the voice whispered. The body belonging to the voice then found its way on top of the terrified goldrider. She shuddered as he pressed into her. “Oh don’t worry, ~Tarina.~ I’m not interested in you like that. At least, I’m not right now. I just wanted to drop by tonight to let you know that I’m here. And to let you know that I can get to you any time I want. Won’t that be fun? Oh, and I ~will~ kill you if you tell anyone here about this.”

He leaned closer. She could feel his hot breath falling on her face. Why couldn’t she see him? An outline, a shadow, ~anything~? “All right, I won’t,” she told him, terror thick in her voice. “I promise.” The voice laughed, the body moved, and then he was gone.

Tarina lay still for a long time after he left, too scared to move. Who was that man? Why had he come to her? What had she done that would make him want to torture her—kill her? Before she knew it, a sob escaped her lips.

<<My rider?>> came Lhyrith’s uncertain tones again.

“I’m coming,” she said, sitting up and throwing off her sheet. She wore only a tank top and underpants to bed, since it was so hot at the Island Weyr. She ran out to the worried gold, climbed onto her back, hung on for dear life, and said, “Get me out of here. Take off. NOW!”

Lhyrith, having never heard her rider in such a state of distress before immediately took off. The last thing Tarina remembered before the pair blinked ~between,~ was forming a picture of Igen Weyr in her mind, and hoping to Faranth she’d make it there alive.

###

Igen Weyr, a couple candlemarks before midnight

D’gon yawned and stretched, his arms reaching as far above him as they would go. It was definitely time for bed. He’d had an exhausting day of both a short morning drill session as well as ‘Fall in the early evening. He had gotten out of a nice long, hot bath some time before and was now lounging around in a pair of pajama pants going over some Threadfall charts.

<<Lhyrith?>> came Binallath’s astonished voice in D’gon’s head. <<Lhyrith is here, my rider. She says her rider is very upset. They are coming straight to our weyr.>>

The wingsecond stood up and turned toward his ledge. He heard the unmistakable sound of a dragon landing and then the quieter whoosh of a rider dismounting. D’gon didn’t hear any straps being removed and frowned. ‘What had happened?’ he wondered. He didn’t have time to wonder long, for a scantily clad and shivering Tarina greeted him a moment later.

“Tarina what happened?” he asked as she fell into his arms. As soon as she touched him, she began to sob. D’gon felt her body shake and shake against his. He was uncomfortably aware that his bare chest was now drenched in tears, but that was nothing compared to his friend’s distress. When she began to calm down a bit, D’gon asked again, “Why are you so upset? I’ve never seen you like this… You’re not even dressed!”

The goldrider sniffled and took a deep breath. “C—can we s—sit d—down?” she asked, emotion still heavily clouding her voice.

“Of course we can,” he said soothingly. He led her over to his couch, snatching up one of his shirts from the clean clothes pile on their way over to it.

Once they were seated and Tarina had put D’gon’s shirt on, she began to speak. “I—I was having these nightmares. They’re all I can think about, and it’s so stupid! They’re not even what’s important! That d—dog attacking my sister and Thread bucking me off when a wharlope was nearby… I woke up.” She shuddered.

D’gon frowned. “Tarina, I know you. It would take more than nightmares to get you out of your weyr in your underwear in the middle of the night.”

Forcing a wry smile, she nodded in agreement. “I know. Very perceptive of you, bronzeboy. That’s not why I came.” She took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. “When I woke up, someone was in my weyr.”

“Malak?” D’gon’s voice was like ice.

Tarina shrugged, tears once again shining on her face. “I don’t know. It was so dark, and I didn’t recognize the voice… Lhyrith didn’t hear him come in. She only woke up when she sensed how frightened I was.”

“Why didn’t she tell D’ven and Vinalli about the intruder?”

“I still haven’t told her there was someone in my weyr,” Tarina explained.

“~What~?!”

Tarina sighed. “You don’t understand, D’gon. He… he had a knife to my throat. I couldn’t say anything. I just told her I’d been having nightmares… which was ~sort of~ the truth…”

D’gon began grinding his teeth. “Did he… I mean… Are you? …Did he…” He threw his hands up in the air and stood, unable to get the words out. “Did he… hurt you or…”

“No,” she said quietly. “He just threatened. And he said he wasn’t interested in me… like that. Not tonight…” She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it anymore.

“You have to tell Vinalli and D’ven what happened,” D’gon said, turning around.

Tarina shook her head. “I can’t. He said if I told anyone there, he’d kill me. So… I decided to come here. And tell you.”

“Well you can’t go back there then.” He sat down again and took her in his arms.

“D’gon, I have to. It’s my home now…”

“That’s a load of wherry shit and you know it,” he said bitterly. “If you won’t tell anyone what happened, then that—that ~guy~ can just come and go in your weyr as he pleases!”

The goldrider sighed. “You just don’t understand,” she said, leaning into him.

He knew she was right. He could never understand what it would be like to wake up from a nightmare and have a stranger threaten him in his weyr like that. “You’re right,” he said softly. “But… I can’t just let you go back there. I’d be too worried to get anything done here, Rina.”

“D’gon… if I didn’t know you better…” Tarina sighed again. “Please don’t call me that. I’ve asked you not to.”

“Sorry,” he said, shrugging. “Old habits die hard.”

Tarina tucked a strand of her messy blonde hair behind her ear. “Can I stay with you tonight?” she asked, her voice betraying her fear.

“I’d be insulted if you didn’t,” he said. “I’ll have Nall tell the Watchdragon to let him know when first shift is about to start at StarRise. Will that give you enough time to get back there?” He did not like the idea of her going back, but he knew she wouldn’t give in. She was too stubborn for that.

She nodded, stifling a yawn. “Yeah,” she said. “I’ll try and figure out what I’m going to do tomorrow—even if it means staying here every night!”

“As always, the bed is yours,” he said, starting to get up.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tarina countered. “The bed is yours. I am merely borrowing one side of it for the night.” They had had this discussion before and it ended the same way every time.

“Fine, fine, whatever,” he replied, helping her up from the couch. “But you kicked me all night the last time you stayed here. So, don’t be surprised if you wake up and I’m sprawled out on the floor.”

###

27.08.20, StarRise Weyr

“Tarina,” Vinalli said brusquely as she stuck her head into the records room. “I need a word with you in my office. Now.” The Weyrwoman’s head disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

StarRise Weyr’s newest goldrider had jumped when Vinalli appeared so suddenly. Tarina was jumping at every little noise she heard. It was understandable, considering the circumstances. The intruder had not bothered her since that occasion, but she was scared. She knew it would take a long time before she would stop looking behind her.

Tarina got up, stretched, put down her pencil, and left the records room. She didn’t know what Vinalli could be up to, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She knew the older woman well enough to know she rarely requested interviews in her office.

When she arrived, Vinalli was sitting behind her desk with her hands folded on top of it. “Please sit down.” When Tarina sat, she continued. “I’ve just had a visit from your friend, D’gon.”

Her face fell. >>Why didn’t you tell me Binallath had arrived?<< she snarled at the gold.

<<Yalayth told me not to,>> Lhyrith replied guiltily.

When Tarina was finished speaking to her dragon, the Weyrwoman continued, “I’m really very concerned by what he had to say. Now, I understand why you didn’t tell D’ven or me. I just need to know if you’re hurt. That bronzerider said you weren’t, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

“The only thing wrong with me is that I keep jumping at every little noise I hear,” Tarina replied glumly. She sighed and looked from her hands to the Weyrwoman. “Did D’gon tell you he wants me to transfer out of here?”

Vinalli nodded. “I also know you’ve spent every night for the past several nights at Igen.”

“I don’t feel safe enough in my weyr to sleep here,” Tarina explained. Her eyes went back to her hands, which were folded in her lap.

The Weyrwoman watched Tarina for a moment before she spoke. “I know you haven’t been as happy here as you were at Igen,” she began. “Lhyrith tells Yalayth about it sometimes.” She paused. “Would you like to transfer back to Igen?”

Tarina shook her head. “I can’t go back,” she said sadly. “I don’t want anyone to know about this. My mom, my sister—they’d just worry. I’d have to tell them something if I went back there, and they’d know if I was lying.”

“Well,” Vinalli said, “do you want to transfer somewhere else then? For the time being at least. Until we find out who’s behind this.” The younger goldrider’s eyes immediately found hers. “I know how upset you are about this. You have no description of this person other than his voice. We’d have no hope of capturing him unless we used you as bait, which I really don’t want to put you through.” Tarina didn’t speak, so the Weyrwoman continued, “I’ve had a request from Sable for a goldrider. They’re staffing their annex and they’re trying to rebuild Crystal Weyr’s annex as well, so they need good people…”

“I…” Tarina cleared her throat and continued, “I’d like that.” Her voice sounded hollow and afraid.

Vinalli nodded. “I’ll get you in there as soon as I can then.” She stood and walked around her desk to where Tarina was sitting. She held out her arms and Tarina stood up and hugged her, grateful for the opportunity to leave… to be safe again. “I’m sorry this happened, Tarina,” Vinalli told her. “You’ve become an asset to the Weyr, and it’s a shame things haven’t turned out better.”

Tarina forced a smile. “I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me, Vinalli,” she said as warmly as she could manage. “Maybe this will work itself out and I’ll come back someday.”

“Maybe,” the Weyrwoman replied. “But I’m more interested in getting you safe first.”

###

27.08.28, midnight at Igen Weyr

“D’gon,” Tarina asked from her side of the bed, “are you awake?”

There was a grunt from beside her. “Sort of,” he replied.

“Can we talk for a bit? I can’t sleep…” she said, turning on her side.

“Sure,” the bronzerider said with a sigh. “What’s up?”

Tarina thought for a moment before answering, “I’m nervous about going to Sable. What if he finds out I’m going?”

“Well, there’s supposed to be about a zillion combatants down there,” he said slowly, rolling off his stomach to face her. There was barely enough light for him to make out the outline of her short, wavy hair. “And Zahlenka has been notified about your situation…”

“I suppose,” she said softly. “But it’s not like I’m going to be guarded day and night. I mean, he could get in and…”

“There’s a risk of that wherever you go, ya know,” he replied, stifling a yawn. “It’s possible he could waltz in here at any moment. But, I’m here and you shouldn’t worry about that. You can’t let him control your life. You need to trust Vinalli and Zahlenka. They’re working hard to make sure you’re safe.”

Tarina nodded. “I know… Everyone’s been really nice about this whole thing.” D’gon rolled over, pulling the sheet off of her. She yanked it back and said, “You’re such a turd, bronzeboy!”

The sound of laughter echoed through the weyr. “A turd?” D’gon asked between guffaws. “I don’t think I’ve been called that since… well, since I was a kid up at Telgar. My older brothers and sisters were always calling me stuff like that, trying to make their baby brother fit in with the family…”

“Do you miss them?”

“No,” he replied quickly. “When my parents died… Well, they’re only my half siblings, so we weren’t all that close. K’marik’s more of a brother to me than any of them.”

Tarina rolled onto her back and put her arms behind her head. “I can’t imagine that. My family and I are so close…”

“Then why don’t you tell them what happened?”

“I won’t tell them ~because~ we’re way too close,” she snapped. Tarina took a deep breath. “I’m sorry D’gon. They would only worry, and it’s not like they can do anything about it. I’ll probably tell M’tan eventually, but for now… It’s you and a couple Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen.”

D’gon snorted. “Yeah, I know… Tesnia thinks we’re seeing each other.”

“Does she?” Tarina asked, amusement coloring her voice.

“Yup,” he replied seriously. “She told me that if I broke your heart she’d flay me. I think she meant it.”

“Well, hopefully a lot of people think that… It’s probably my safest alibi, ya know?” She paused. “D’gon?”

“Hmmm…” The bronzerider was falling asleep.

“Would you… would you consider going to Sable with me?” she asked quietly.

D’gon was instantly awake. He sat up and flipped open his glow basket, shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness. He frowned and looked over at his friend.

“You don’t look very enthusiastic about the prospect of transferring…”

“I can’t say I hadn’t considered it…” he told her. “You’re not the only one worried about what’s going to happen to you. But I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

Tarina nodded. “You’re probably right…” She rolled on her side, facing away from him. “I just thought it would be nice to have a friend…”

The bronzerider sighed. “I’m not going to get all those really short letters from you when you get there about how happy you are when you’re really miserable again… Am I?” He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder.

She flinched when he touched her. “I… I don’t know…”

D’gon sighed. “Rina…” He heard a sniffle and frowned. He closed his glow basket and laid down right behind Tarina, putting his arm around her. “I just… I can’t come. But it’s not because I don’t want to.”

Tarina had stiffened when she felt D’gon behind her, but she soon relaxed. “What’s your reason?”

“K’marik’s gone now. There’s a chance I could be promoted to Wingleader. I heard a rumor about it a couple sevendays ago,” he explained. “This is my chance to be…” His voice trailed off for a moment. “Well, I wouldn’t be able to transfer into Sable as a Wingsecond let alone a Wingleader.”

The goldrider turned away from him. “That would make sense, I suppose” she replied.

“I have to do what I can for myself,” he said lamely. “I’m not as smart as you are, ya know.”

“You’re pretty smart… for a bronzerider,” Tarina replied.

“I don’t know about that,” he told her. “If I was really smart, I’d be asleep right now…”

Tarina smiled. “True… Thank you, D’gon,” she said. “For everything.”

D’gon felt her arms wrap around his, and he frowned. “Uh… yeah, no problem.” He had been planning to pull away and go back to his side of the bed, but it seemed he was trapped. And he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Um… can I have my arm back so I can go to sleep?” he asked, after pondering it for a bit.

“Of course,” Tarina said, releasing him. “G’night.”

###

27.09.16, Sable Weyr

It had taken almost a month of planning and flying back and forth to Igen Weyr every night, but Tarina was finally out of StarRise and moved in to the relative safety of Sable Weyr. She had met all of her fellow goldriders, the Weyrleader, a bunch of wingleaders and bronzeriders, and a few Weyrcrafters. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out how different her new home was.

Or that she liked it.

Tarina hadn’t really expected to like Sable. At least not so soon. But she really did. No one had sneered at her ugly, brown wherhide pants. Most people seemed to go around properly clothed—albeit wearing quite a lot of black—which was very unlike StarRise, where it was too hot all year round to wear more than a tank top and shorts most of the time. There was a respectable-sized stable, complete with runners of all sorts. A few people had even smiled at her… She was enjoying her klah in the dining cavern and feeling so good, that she didn’t notice the kitchen worker standing next to her.

“Goldrider,” the young woman said loudly for what was probably the seventh time.

“Oh! Gosh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized. “I was daydreaming. What is it?”

The kitchen worker rolled her eyes. “I was just handed this note and told to give it to you.” She placed an envelope on the table and quickly left Tarina’s side.

Tarina looked curiously at the envelope when she picked it up. She turned it over a few times, but nothing was written on the outside. She shrugged an opened it, thinking Tesnia or D’gon or X’nder had sent it and forgotten to address it. All of the color drained from her face as she read:

I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE, TARINA. YOU CAN’T PRETEND YOU DIDN’T LEAVE HERE TO GET AWAY FROM ME. A STUPID THING TO DO, SINCE I WILL BE JOINING YOU SHORTLY. YOU CAN’T HIDE. I WILL FIND YOU WHEREVER YOU GO. UNTIL NEXT TIME…