A Dragonrider Brings Good Fortune

Writers: Estelle
Date Posted: 21st October 2018

Characters: R'fal
Description: R'fal gets some painful news from his family
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 2 of Turn 9

After lunch with Brennault, R'fal had gone straight to drills, and it
wasn't until after dinner and chores were over that he remembered his
letter. So, instead of lingering to chat or play games with his fellow
weyrlings, he hurried back to his weyr, breaking open the seal on the
folded papers as he went. There were several pages, and judging by the
contrast between his mother's neat hand on the first and the childish
scrawl on the last, the whole family had contributed.

Except for one. The young brownrider felt a slight pang of
disappointment at that, but then his father had never been one for
writing. It was something they'd had in common - or had been, back when
he'd lived at the cothold. Now he was at the Weyr, he had come to
realise just how useful a skill it could be.

Back in his weyr, he tossed his flying gear over a chair and headed
straight for his favourite spot, curled up in the curve of Marlath's
foreleg where the brown dragon drowsed on his couch. Once he was
settled, he took out the letter and began to read it more carefully.

"Dear R'fal (and Marlath),
Your letter arrived today and caused great excitement in the hold.
Everyone wanted to see it, and after the fifth herdsman came tracking
mud in from the fields to "have a peek at the dragon-boy's letter", I
had to announce that I'd read it out loud for everyone as soon as the
day's work was done...."

R'fal squirmed in embarrassment, and felt very glad that he'd checked
the spelling in the letter with the harpers first. He could picture
everyone sitting around the table after dinner, listening to his mother
read, just like when harpers visited and entertained them with the
traditional ballads. After almost four months in the Weyr, where each
day brought something new and different, he'd forgotten how back in the
farmhold, anything out of the ordinary - such as a letter from the Weyr
- would draw curious folk to see it.

"As your mother, I was very proud of your writing. Those extra lessons
with the harpers that you wrote about have paid off! Everyone's
favourite part was the description of Marlath. It's hard to believe that
he is now nearly twelve feet long. When your father and I saw him, he
was just a hatchling, no bigger than a small child. We're so glad that
you're enjoying your lessons and drills, and that you've made friends in
the Weyr."

Twelve feet - well, he must have been back when R'fal had written his
first letter. Marlath was now over twenty feet, and still growing fast -
so big that the weyrling sitting in the crook of his foreleg was almost
hidden from view. He reached up and scratched the soft hide around the
dragon's eye-ridges, and was rewarded with a sleepy croon of pleasure
and a rush of love and gratitude that warmed his whole body from head to
toe.

"Life here at the cothold goes on much as usual, now that the excitement
of your Search has finally died down. A harper arrived on his rounds
last sevenday and brought some family news from Renora. Your oldest
nephew Tarenel has started lessons now, and baby Darra has learned to
walk and is now toddling all around their cot..."

The family updates went on for more than a page. R'fal read it all with
a passing regret that he wasn't around to hear any of it in person, even
though he'd not have changed his life here with Marlath for anything. He
wondered how his younger brother fared. The boy was now the most likely
to take over the cothold one day, now that R'fal was committed for life
to his duty as a dragonrider. He would be too young yet to understand
the difference that made, but that would change, in time.

Once she'd dealt with the family, his mother moved on to news from the
surrounding cotholds. Holder Galveden had taken the tithe this season,
and brought back a rumour of bandits attacking a trader caravan on the
road east, although it was thought that they'd fled the area soon after.
Thread had fallen several times with no burrows, which some of the
cotholders had put down to "their lad" joining the wings, despite his
mother trying to explain that R'fal was still a weyrling and would not
be fighting Fall just yet. Another ovine had gone missing, and the men
were talking of bringing in a hunter to scour the area for wild felines.
And Holder Lewin's eldest daughter was going to be married...

R'fal blinked and read that last paragraph again.

"Holder Lewin rode over two sevendays ago, bursting with pride because
his eldest daughter is going to be married - Elwena, who you used to
play with when you were younger. The young man's father is an old friend
of Lewin's from when they were fostered together, who did very well in
the mining craft and has a rich holding. Her parents are delighted at
this advantageous match. The ceremony is due to be take place at Turn's
End and Lewin is planning a large celebration, so we will all be going
there instead of to Galveden's this Turn. He asked me to mention that
you and Marlath would be very welcome, as a dragonrider at a wedding is
sure to bring good fortune and honour to the hold. I said that I would
tell you, but that you must of course put your duty first."

}: What is wrong? :{ Marlath raised his head, his eyelids flickering
open to reveal a whirl of worried yellow and white. }: You are hurt! :{

** No - no, I'm fine. I just had...some surprising news, that's all. **
R'fal fought to control himself, concern for his dragon outweighing for
a moment the ache deep inside that he felt at the thought of Elwena
being married. What else could he have expected? She was his age, which
was old enough, in the holds, to start her own family. He was a
dragonrider and would not be marrying anyone. Idle daydreams of carrying
her off to the Weyr, like a character in a harper's romance, were
nothing more than fantasy. He didn't know if she had liked him at all,
or even thought of him.

And clearly, if she was marrying someone else, she didn't.

He studied his mother's handwriting carefully. Odd how she'd put that,
about his duty, giving him a way out of attending the wedding. Maybe
she'd had an inkling...

R'fal put the letter aside. He'd read his sibling's notes later, but for
now he closed his eyes and leaned in to Marlath, who was and would
always be more to him than anyone else ever could. Not even with the
disappointment like a lead weight inside him did he feel any regret. But
that didn't make it any easier.

Pushing down the hurt, he made himself a promise. He would go to
Elwena's wedding at Turn's End. He and Marlath would have graduated to
the Wings by then, if all went well, so there ought to be no difficulty
about his going. He would feast, and dance, and drink to the health of
the newlyweds, without letting anyone know what he'd hoped might have
been.

If nothing else, she would always be able to say that there had been a
dragonrider at her wedding, and remember him.

Last updated on the January 29th 2019

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A Dragonrider Brings Good Fortune