A moment's respite (open)

[katgod]

The morning had been busy, one of the busiest of Laszreen's life. Setting up a new Weyr was hard enough but helping the Headwoman and Neory at figuring out who had come back with them and who could do which chores. It was a mess. What was worse than that was the Headwoman seemed not to like her much. Probably a woman from Telgar. These people seemed to think she was some sort of evil Queenrider, out to get them. If Laszreen were a weaker person she might have dissolved into tears after a day like today however she was not.

Elfreth had demanded a meal but only after her lovely rider had bathed and oiled her to her specifications. The petite woman stood near the feeding grounds now, watching the Gold soar over the running beasts. If anything, Elfreth was a picky eater, so Laszreen knew she might be standing there for a little while. The Gold settled on one beast and dug into the flesh of the beast with her usual hearty appetite. As always, Laszreen loved to watch.

It might seem sick to some people but Laszreen liked the raw power over the beast that the dragon had. It was beautiful to see. Maybe it was a little odd but she found it oddly calming. The Goldrider was known to be a little cold and rather difficult to get along with. The only people who really knew her were Elfreth and J'var and even he had trouble getting along with her at times.

The dragon finished her first beast and took to the sky for her second. Elfreth usually ate two. She wasn't large for a Queen but for a dragon she was. The light Gold's silvery sheened hide, shone more vibrantly with the setting of the sun. Laszreen admired the Gold for this. Elfreth was the most beautiful dragon in the world to her. Nothing and no one could change her opinion of that.

[Adobe]

Power. It was all J'var had ever aspired to growing up. Janesa raised him with a firm hand a shove in the general direction of rank, glory, and honor. From the first time he had a taste of it, J'var needed to be Weyrleader more than anything in the world. His first taste had been when he Impressed Ionuth, of course. As the son of the Headwoman, he had some privledges others did not, and he had been a bit spoiled, but that had been off the triumphs of his mother. Being a rider was a triumph all his own. His thirst grew ever more ravenous with catching the gold queen Saharth, and some had speculated he had reached his peak with the multiple wins of Elfreth. Those who did not know him would assume Laszreen was just one step on the ladder to Weyrleader for him. They would be wrong.

Laszreen was the one thing in the world he loved more than power, and he had been addicted to her since before she Impressed a queen. They had their fights, but he believed they were perfect rivals, so perfect that they found passion, lust, and of course, love. Where she fell short, he made up, and what she took pride in, he did as well. The thing was, they were both stubborn and sure that the other was wrong where they were right. It led to some break ups, but J'var was there to catch Laszreen when she fell, whether she knew it or not. He wouldn't let her be with a man so unworthy of her for long. Not like that one time Ionuth hadn't competed in Elfreth's flight. . .

J'var came up behind Laszreen, his eyes on the gold that he knew so well. He glanced at the woman he called his own with a slight smile on his lips. She was small, and he matched her, being only 5'10 himself. He came up to her and slipped a hand around her waist, and whispered in her ear, "And how is the future Weyrwoman of Nova today?"

[katgod]

Laszreen heard someone appraoching but took no notice at first. Elfreth was more important and she would rather not talk to any more Telgar people. It was frustrating being from Igen and having so few riders from there. When a man put his hand on her waist she almost pulled away from him till she realized who it was. A smile spread across her usually taut face. Everything about her features relaxed.

"Better now that you are here." She said sweetly, though it would probably be one of the few times that day she would say anything like it. "They hate me." They was coming to mean anyone from Telgar. She didn't understand how they could all hate her so much without even speaking to her. It shouldn't matter. What did she give up to come here other than her children and her home? Some people gave up much more. Besides they could hate her all they wanted she still outranked all of them but one and that was her equal at the moment.

"I hope your day was better than mine." She prompted with a sideways glance at him. Laszreen was glad he had been permitted to come. She really would have hated this otherwise. While she rode a breeding dragon and had a couple children herself, her great aspiration in life was not for her dragon to lay huge clutches nor for herself to have dozens of children. J'var understood this and he would take care of her when no one else could put up with her.

[Adobe]

She tried to move, but he held her tight, and anticipated her relaxing into his touch. He too, felt the strain of being the 'outsider.' His wing was full of Telgar riders, and to thme he was a stranger, and they treated him with caution. Like they should. J'var breathed in the scent of her hair, and was glad he came down here with her. If he hadn't, he probably would have gone mad in Igen. He would have given Jenafa hell, that was for sure. He closed his eyes, glad to find her here alone and in a good mood, "I am glad I can help."

"I am sure they do not hate you. How could they hate one so beautiful? They are only first loyal to their Neory, though I do not see how she is so great. You are the best woman here." He hugged her tighter for a moment. "Be patient, my love, they will come to see you deserve their respect. Things are up to Elfreth now. Hope she's nearing her time to rise. At least before that Sheluth."

Would Ionuth fly for Sheluth? He could be Weyrleader if he won, however, he'd sacrifice his relationship with the woman moments ago he swore was more important to him than power. He shouldn't. He mustn't. He couldn't. Could he? Elfreth is mine. That is good for me. Maybe he'd better lock himself away when that other gold rose.

"My day? I'm a wingleader of a bunch of blundering Telgar riders. How do you think it was, my sweet?" He said gently, teasingly, "It could have been worse. Once I start teaching them all the same methods and movements we should be fine. For now, we are a mob of ungraceful idiots. No one hates me, yet."

[katgod]

She spoke teasingly, "You do a wonderful job of it." Laszreen breathed in deeply. He was right of course. She would be patient. They would soon see that she was a Goldrider too and deserved the same respect as Neory. The Golds were only a turn apart in age but she had no idea when either would be rising. She wished she could give J'var a clue but she didn't have one herself.

Laszreen allowed herself to believe that though the Telgar riders disliked her they would have to accept her if she became senior. She preferrred to say when but that may not be prudent under the circumstances. "Yes, though I suppose it needn't ruin your chances of becoming Weyrleader..." He could take the bait there but he had grown wise to her ways now. She wasn't always sweet to him and saying the wrong thing there could make her angry, cute though she may be.

What would she do, if he did fly Sheluth? If he won, obviously she would hate him, if he lost she would still hate him. Insanely jealous as she was, she couldn't banish the other Goldrider and she could not banish J'var. It would be a mess for her. Not that other men wouldn't gladly pick up where J'var had finished. The whole idea made her nervous.

She turned around in his arms and put her own around his neck. "Ahh, my poor lover. You were well liked back at Igen. It will not take them long to see how amazingly talented you are." Laszreen was not really sorry for him. She could have taken anyone in the Weyr with her, even their son, if she prefered them over J'var. He had to know what that must mean.

[Adobe]

When she mentioned the fact that he could still become Weyrleader, he became alert. She was toying with him, playing with his mind, trying to get him to admit something he would not. Would he take a chance at her getting mad at him? He'd rather be Weyrsecond than nothing at all. And he did have plenty of experience at Weyrsecond, so it wouldn't much matter. . . right away. He murmured sweetly, "What would be the use of being Weyrleader with out you by my side? My love, you are wise, beautiful," He let a hand slide down her waist, "considerate, brave, noble born, and did I mention, more desirable than Neory?"

Of course, the other goldrider did have gorgeous looks, but who was Neory to him? Only Laszreen mattered, and that goldrider was everything to him. J'var knew full well that if he would even attempt to fly after Sheluth he'd be barred from Laszreen's bed and weyr. He almost shuddered to think what would happen if he would win. She'd kill him, call him a traitor, curse the day they ever met, try to emotionally hurt him. Perhaps though, they should think about getting at least one of them into the Leadership. For the first time then he thought about Ionuth not winning Elfreth. He would be devestated, but of course he'd never blame Laszreen, he'd just be out for the winner's blood.

"And you, my queen? What if my bronze did not win Elfreth?" Would she still stay true to him? Or would this new bronze, this Telgar bronze (for he knew the Igen-borns, and knew that he could beat them, but a Telgar bronze, now, they were yet to be tested. R'net was a huge threat to him, if only by reputation) satisfied Laszreen in a way J'var could not? He found this highly doubtful, since he did complete her in every way (he was rather confident in that, since she always came back to him) but for hypothetical purposes, he believed she might be otherwise wooed.

She fed his ego, and he was blinded by that too much to realize she was worried more about herself than him. He grinned and kissed her temple, and then the tip of her ears, and finally he leaned closer to kiss her cheek, "They will soon see both of us for our talents and our positives. They will be clamoring for our lead, and not the lead for the Telgar-borns. We will be their leaders, and they will rejoice in it. We are worthy, why else would Jenafa be so confident in our conquering Nova? She knew what a formidable force we are together." Or more like, how miserable things were when they were fueding.

[katgod]

Laszreen was not at all against flattery. She only listened to it when certain people said it but it was nice to know that he saw so much in her. When his hand slid down her waist she felt the stirrings of lust for J'var. It wasn't enough that he was talking in a low voice or that he was him, it seemed he was going to tease her in more than one way. "Then Elfreth needs to fly first." She sad before he asked his question.

The Goldrider had not thought of things being reversed. Her face betrayed what she was thinking, that she had not even contemplated anyone else winning her. This was good and bad. Normally she would be three steps ahead of him but on this subject she was not. "I don't want anyone else to win." At the very thought of some Telgar rider flying her , she hugged her weyrmate tightly as if that were a fate worse than death. "I only want you."

J'var was hers as much as she was his. Laszreen couldn't see anyone changing that. Even when she hated him, she loved him. It might be insanity but no one else would or could dare to talk to her the way he did. When she finally loosened her hold on him, she kissed him on the neck gently. "You are right. I can see that happening when they realize that Telgar is all soft..."

When it came to Jen, Laszreen knew what the woman thought of her. She was difficult and hard to work with. Laszreen knew Neory had more patience than Jen so hopefully that would balance some things out. They had sent her here instead of the youngest Junior because the youngest was infinately less sharp tempered.

Elfreth had now finished feeding but was watching her Laszreen interacting with J'var. Laszreen let a smile come to her face as the Queen suggested something to her. "Elfreth says she can carry us both up to my weyr if you have no plans for the evening?"

[Adobe]

He knew then when he had asked her about not flying Elfreth that it was a fate that she had not thought out. He was infinately pleased when she hugged herself to him and declared she wanted only him. He needed that confidence to fly her. He said softly, repeated her words, "Then Elfreth needs to fly first."

They at least agreed on one they, they, as a team, needed to get Leadership. It would not do to split them up at this time, so long as the small Igen gold flew first. She kissed his neck and he leaned into her lips softly. They belonged to eachother, and they each knew it. Perfect rivals indeed.

J'var's eyes flickered to the silvery gold and he smiled, smart dragon, that one. He appreciated Elfreth almost as much as his own, Ionuth. "Well, if beloved Elfreth desires my company, how can I refuse her? I would spend every evening busy with you, my love."

[katgod]

Laszreen understood him as well as anyone could though she realized that if Elfreth didn't rise first he would have to fly Sheluth in order to stay true to Igen. They both had to do everything in their power to gain power. She let him go slowly and took his hand in her own. "We will do what we can." She said, indicating both herself and Elfreth. They would both prefer to be first to fly but Sheluth and Neory could still beat them to it. Wanting and recieving were two very different things.

The petite Goldrider then let go of J'var entirely to mount her dragon. "She says its best you don't refuse her. " Elfreth was full of herself to a degree that even surpassed most other Queens. If the Gold had any care for other people, she hid it very well. The Queen had no inclination to do any changing. She was perfect after all.

After Laszreen had mounted she waited for J'var. The Gold was impatient to lift off but as usual awaited Laszreen's consent to fly. "I should hope so. If not, I'd find out who was occupying your time so well..." and kill her! Who would dare?You are right. There is little to fear except that these Telgar riders have no respect for me. They may not think twice about something like that. Hmmph! They would do well to stay away

[Adobe]

"Yes, we'll do what we can." Not that he was planning to fall in love with Neory if by some odd chance Ionuth caught Sheluth. In reality, he didn't have to ever step foot in her weyr if their dragons were mated. Same to Laszreen, she didn't have to weyrmate whoever caught Elfreth, and he hoped he didn't. Not that another man could replace him so easily, of that he was sure. He smirked a little, they needed power, and they could deal. Laszreen and J'var had been through tough stuff before.

She let go of him and immediatly he felt a little colder. He looked at her with a smile, and lept up behind her, pressing softly into her back and kissing her neck. "How could I ever refuse her? Not when I have you. . ." Elfreth was indeed perfect in every way, except that she had not proven herself as senior gold yet.

He smirked and said softly, "No one of consequence." Of course there was no one who could compare to Laszreen. Make sure you stay in Elfreth's good graces. How could I not be? I am the best bronze here, and she is mine. Well, don't be too aloof to Sheluth, either. The bronze grumbled. Why would I ignore a queen? They are all deserving. Well don't get too carried away, either. Have fun, Io.

[katgod]

Laszreen knew that deeper thoughts were occupying both their minds. Not succeeding was not an option. They had to win or forever be relegated to Juniors and that was not good enough. Not for either of them. It may be that this whole thing would drive them apart. Something that Laszreen was not ready to face. She believed Elfreth could fly first but Sheluth was a good Queen in her own right and had been around longer.

The evening light angled so that the Goldrider could not see well though Elfreth had no problem flying where she needed to. Laszreen tried to content herself with his last answer though it did nothing to console her overly jealous side. No one of consequence is not no one at all.True. We could enquire about that but would it help?A long sigh escaped Laszreen's parted lips, No. It would not. Moments were few and far between when Laszreen would not pick a fight over something like that. She was too tired today to want to and she felt that her dragon agreed that today was not the day to start something. She needed his support and pushing him away would not benefit her at all.

Elfreth was graceful in the air, which made up for her clumsiness on land. Small as she was for a Queen, she was a little more agile for it. Her landing was as smooth as ever. Laszreen's weyr was set up much the same as it had been before. Furniture made with a dark wood (similair to cherry wood on Earth) and the other furnishings were not overly cluttered. She had taste for more expensive things and as such she had less furniture but of better quality.

She took a deep breath and made to dismount but not without turning back to look at her lover, "Elfreth would welcome Ionuth's company if he would like to join her." Of that she was sure. The Gold would never ask in that way. She would simply have demanded Ionuth come to see her. Her rider slipped off her back with a practiced agility. She walked over to the kitchen shaft in her weyr. "Are you hungry at all, my love?" Now that Elfreth had eaten she was feeling a little hungry herself.

[Adobe]

(ugh so I started this like six times already...)
"I know Ionuth would gladly join Elfreth." I would. And I will. Ionuth said simply, and J'var knew the rich bronze would be there as soon as Elfreth could leave them off. Ionuth was a winner and with that, he knew he had to be devoted. But J'var fancied the bronze had as much of a soft spot for the gold as J'var had for the rider. Ionuth just wasn't as good as J'var to express it in words.

J'var would have to get used to this being Laszreen's weyr, because he kept thinking of her old one at Igen. They weren't Igen riders anymore, the were Nova riders, and it had to be ground into his mind. J'var could adapt, but for now, his attentions were claimed by the beautious goldrider before him, "I like this weyr, Laszreen. Though," He leaned in to her to breath in her scent and whisper huskily with a soft and sincere smile, "the only thing I hunger for right now, is you. Let's forget all our troubles, just for one night, anyway. I love you, Laszreen, and only you."

Ionuth landed on the ledge outside, his eyes whirling curiously, feeling J'var's sudden change in thoughts. The bronze rumbled with amusement and proceeded to nudge his queen softly, I am here, my perfect queen.