Just Like US

Writers: Miriah, Paula
Date Posted: 5th April 2019

Characters: Dessa, Aviday
Description: Aviday helps bathe a gold
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 9

Aviday

---
The sound of the pretty song drew Aviday away from sweeping the
pathway and without a thought, she dropped her broom and followed it.
Humming tunelessly along to the melody, she found the player and
paused before she approached. She knew who Dessa was; everyone did.
But she'd never approached the goldrider before; shards, she didn't
even know she could sing. "That's really pretty."

"Thank you," Dessa replied, having gotten quite used to people being
drawn to her when she sang while working.

"Do you need any help?" Aviday shifted from foot to foot. "We're
supposed to help you if you need it and I've never helped with a gold
dragon."

"Yes, I do," Dessa replied. "Have you seen how much there's of her to
wash? I usually have a group of weyrbrats helping but they must have
classes right now."

"Yeah, I think so. The Harpers are teaching the Ballads again today."
She peered up at the massive gold dragon. "She's really big, but I
think I can help a little bit. Where do you want me to start?"

"Flanks. She doesn't like strangers washing her head," Dessa replied.

}: Would you want someone you don't trust poking around your eyes? :{
Santhiath rumbled.

"Sure! I can help with that." Nodding eagerly, she rolled up her
trousers to her knees and grabbed a scrub brush. Who wanted to be
sweeping when they could be scrubbing a gold dragon? Figuring that
scrubbing one dragon was much like scrubbing any others, she applied
herself to the task, focusing on one spot until it sparkled then
quickly moving on to the next.

}: At least she knows what she's doing, :{ Santhiath said to her rider
after observing Aviday's work.

"Santhiath approves your washing technique," Dessa interpreted it for
the other girl. She was concentrating to get the Gold's head washed.

She looked up from where she was scrubbing and grinned. "Thanks! I've
helped scrub lots of dragons, so I've got loads of practice. Just
never as big as her. " She rinsed where she had scrubbed, moving up
higher along the flank. "She's so pretty."

"Yes," Dessa agreed. "And she likes to be shiny." She finished the
head and climbed up to reach Santhiath neck and backridges. The gold
automatically offered her front leg for Dessa.

"What's it really like? Being a rider? I mean, we have lessons and
everything, but how does it feel to Impress and have a dragon of your
own?"

"It's amazing and hard to descibe. Impressing is like," Dessa had to
pause to find the words, "like finding a missing half of your soul."

Aviday frowned. It was similar to what others said, but she still
couldn't quite grasp it. "I don't know what that means. I don't feel
like I'm missing anything inside me. " She scrubbed at the gold's
hide, rinsed, then continued.

"Well, that's the problem. I've tried to make a song about it but I
just can't capture it," it had frustrated her greatly and it sounded
from her voice. "Whatever I come up just falls short of the actual
experience. Same with words, there's just not right words to describe
it."

"I can't write any songs and I was told that my voice sounds like wild
felines mating, so I can't sing 'em either. I guess I'll just have to
wait until you come up with something." She studied the hide she had
just scrubbed. "Is being a goldrider hard?"

"It is, surprisingly hard, and I don't just mean washing her," Dessa
replied. "Oh, once you reach the tail section, watch out, she likes to
suddenly dump people into the lake with her tail."

}: Why would I do that? :{ Santhiath tried to sound innocent.

**Because you find it funny,** Dessa replied.

}: It is funny, especially when they come up sputtering. The little
ones enjoy it. :{

**She's not one of the little ones,** Dessa warned. Yes, the weyrbrats
took it as fun game and they seemed to be half dolphins anyway.

Aviday paused and eyed Santhiath. "Well, I can swim, but I'd really
rather not have to go change." She continued scrubbing, but moved
towards the belly rather than the tail. "I never thought of golds
being playful."

"She's still young and the golds mature slower," Dessa replied. "So,
she's still very much a child in dragonic scale. Or at least
teenager."

"So, she's like us." Aviday felt a little more comfortable about that.
"I bet she doesn't think she's a child, though. "

"Nope, she protests being called a child or slow to mature, she says
she's not immature," Dessa replied and smiled.

"So..." Aviday drew out her words, eyeing the queen. "She _is_ just
like us then."

"Yes," Dessa replied.

Last updated on the April 12th 2019

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