Stone in Love

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 29th May 2024

Characters: Casmari, Rasme, C'ris
Description: Casmari Impresses to Sebiath and seeks her parents' approval.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 13, day 1 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Kadira

Casmari

Rasme

"What if it's just like last time?" Casmari said nervously.

"Then we'll handle it. You've still got plenty of time either way,"
C'ris said in his logically cool tone.

Rasme finished tying the sash around Casmari's white Candidates' robe.

"You'll do fine," she guaranteed, touching her daughter's cheek in an
uncharacteristically affectionate manner.

Casmari nodded, exhaling through the vtols that swarmed in her stomach.

"You'd better go. The Weyrlingstaff will be looking for you," Rasme advised.

C'ris grabbed Casmari up in a last second hug. "We'll see you
afterwards and celebrate, no matter what."

~~

**No matter what,** reverberated through her head as she followed the
line of Candidates out onto the Sands. Time seemed to be moving
slowly. The long braid on the girl in front of her swayed like the
pendulum of a clock as they walked.

Just as it had been at Dragonsfall, the Sands were blisteringly hot
through the sandals they wore, and the roar of the gathered crowd plus
the humming of the dragons made the noise a deafening din.

As they formed a loose semi-circle in front of the eggs, Casmari's
eyes made their way through the crowd until she latched onto the
familiar faces of her parents. Rasme stood, without a smile, her one
blue eye gleaming in contrast to the black patch that was worn over
the other. C'ris, on the otherhand, was clapping in time to a chanted
song that was swelling up among the crowd as they waited for the first
egg to split.

The first egg began to move and a hush silenced the crowd and humming
dragons, leaving Casmari's ears ringing. Once the brown had erupted
from the egg, the noise came back in a rush. The crowd cheered as
N'kayden left with his brown Aberath.

Some greens and a blue found their way onto the Sands next. Casmari's
heart was in her throat as the green dragons passed her by for some of
the other Candidates instead. Glancing up into the Stands, Rasme
looked much the same, but C'ris gave her a big smile and two thumbs up
of encouragement.

Exhaling, Casmari's eyes were drawn to the green that was being
consoled by Riyanth. **Oh, maybe she's mine,** Casmari thought, her
heart lifting for a moment as the green looked out again over the
Sands.

When a girl came stumbling out of the Stands, Casmari's heart sank.
From the crowd, C'ris gave her the 'chin up' signal.

And that's when it happened. A stone blue dragonet crossed the Sands.
He was beautiful, she admitted to herself. Despite the awkwardness of
walking for the first time, he managed to look regal, she decided, as
he stopped in front of the male Candidates for only a moment before
continuing on.

}:Ah, there. There you are. I could feel you but you were standing
over here out of the way.:{ The voice was decidedly male but had the
soft undertones of her own female husk to it, she noted.

**Sebiath.** The name was there in her mind. She wasn't sure how she
had known it or where it had come from, but there it was all the same.
**You're... you're _mine_.** The incredulity of it was slowly breaking
the dam of her reticent feelings. Reticent because there was surely no
way this magnificent creature was _hers_.

}:No. You are _mine_. See? Come. Xmrenth says there is food waiting for us.:{

Casmari looked past her lifemate's head to her parents. Rasme stood,
looking just as she had before, _stoic_. What was she thinking and
feeling behind that wall, Casmari wondered. Shocked? Angry? Happy? By
Rasme's side, C'ris was whooping and clapping. Big _loud_ claps.

"That's _my_ daughter!" she could hear him yelling for all who could hear.

~~

There were whispers and stares, Casmari could feel them, as she and
Sebiath joined the other new Weyrlings. Butchered meat was waiting,
and she automatically picked up a limp piece of the meat and fed it
into Sebiath's waiting mouth.

"Casmari!" It was C'ris, his voice radiating jubilance as he scooped
his only daughter up into a hug. "You _did_ it! You _Impressed_! I
know what I said earlier, that we would celebrate even if you didn't
Impress, but I'm so glad you did! Isn't it the best feeling in the
world? And to Impress a _blue_," he leaned in and jabbed her with an
elbow. "I'm partial to blue myself."

Sebiath butted her hand for another piece of meat.

"I just, I thought that girl Impressing blue at Dragonsfall was a
fluke. I never thought... I never dreamed it could happen to me." She
looked sideways at her mother, who had yet to speak. "Mom? What do you
think?"

Rasme, who had been intently studying Sebiath, looked up at Casmari as
if seeing her for the first time. There was a subtle difference in the
way Casmari held herself, in the look in her eyes, something that
probably only a mother could notice. The analytical dragonhealer
inside Rasme was trying to figure out _how_ and _why_ a blue had
picked a female. It was the same wonder she'd had with Kadira and
Ishath. She'd chalked the latter up to a genetic accident, but now,
standing in front of her, was proof that it could not only happen
again, but within a short amount of time. Would this be something to
expect from now on? Was this to be a new normality?

"Mom?" Casmari asked again, more softly this time.

"Cas," Rasme caught her daughter's chin in her hand. "I am so proud of
you. I was proud of you before you were a dragonrider, because of the
person you were, and I'm proud of you now, because of the person I
know you'll be."

Casmari threw her arms around Rasme's neck. Sebiath snorted, however,
impatiently, flapping one wing at the hugging pair.

}:Continue feeding me. Now.:{ Sebiath demanded.

"Oh," Casmari laughed, wiping tears from her cheeks as she picked up
another piece of meat and tossed it into Sebiath's waiting jaws.

This was it. Her life was complete now, she thought. Her parents were
proud and her heart was full. What else could she ask for?

Last updated on the June 1st 2024

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Stone in Love