The Best Brownrider Ever?

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 30th May 2024

Characters: N'kayden, K'lvin
Description: N'kayden impresses to Aberath
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 13, day 1 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Aydhara, Chordath, J'nic, N'kevyn

N'kayden

Nikhayden had zero doubts as he stepped out onto the Hatching Sands, proudly leading the line of Candidates. He could feel it in his bones. His dragon was in one of those eggs. He didn't care what color. He didn't care what size. He just wanted the other half of his being.

As they formed lines around the clutch of eggs, he glanced toward his sister, wondering if she felt the same as he did. He hoped if he Impressed tonight that she would too. They, being close in age, had always done things together. They'd been weyrbrats together. They'd taken the Weyr's harper classes together. Then they'd both entered into Candidacy. And now they were both here at Barrier Lake. **Surely we won't be separated now,** he thought.

The sudden hush and gasp of the crowd broke his reverie.

The splitting of the first egg was always a reverential moment, but for Nikhayden, it was the moment that changed his life forever.

As the cedar brown dragonet thrust its head out of its shell, Nikhayden's air left his body in a rush. The feelings of hunger, of happiness, of... _relief_. These feelings flooded him as he watched the brown dragonet make a straight line in his direction.

}:I've been waiting for you,:{ Aberath intoned with a happy and pleased whirling of his eyes.

Nikhayden took in every detail of his lifemate's perfectly shaped head. While he was mostly the same color brown as a cedar tree, there was a swirl of mahogany above his right eyeridge that made it look as if he were arching an eyebrow. **That's the cutest thing I've ever seen.**

}:What? What is it?:{ Aberath swiveled his head this way and that to see what his lifemate was talking about.

"It's Aberath!" Nikhayden announced to the crowd. There was a holler so loud from the crowd that Nikhayden was sure it must be from his father.

"Congratulations...." K'lvin met the pair as they came off the Sands. He left the sentence dangling.

"N'kayden, it's N'kayden now."

"N'kayden," K'lvin smiled, thinking that the boy's father would be proud that his elided name was so close to N'kevyn's. "If you'll continue on, J'nic is waiting in the feeding rooms to help. Once Aberath is full, he'll want to sleep pretty quickly, so get him to his wallow as quick as possible."

"Of course, sir. Thank you, sir." N'kayden was all smiles as he led his beautiful, most perfect specimen of a brown dragon to the feeding rooms. N'kayden had always known that he was going to be the _best dragonrider ever_. He'd _felt it_ his entire life, but now, with his Impression to Aberath, he was positively _sure_ of it. Great things were in store for them, he had no doubt.

}:You're pretty great, too,:{ Aberath conceded as he gulped down the raw meat.

The sound of Aberath's voice in his mind was surreal. Now he had someone to share all of his _thoughts_ with, and he had some pretty great thoughts, N'kayden admitted.

}:Great thoughts about me,:{ his lifemate said with a mental glow of sunshine around it.

**Yes. Great thoughts about you,** N'kayden said as he reached out and stroked the mahogany streak over Aberath's eyeridge.

Suddenly, N'kayden remembered Aydhara. He wondered how things were going on the Hatching Sands. What if she was Impressing her lifemate and he was missing it?

**We'll celebrate together later,** he thought.

}:Who is Aydhara?:{ Aberath asked, bringing N'kayden's mind the mental image of the girl who had been swirling in his rider's mind.

**She's my sister. Like a clutchmate.**

}:Clutchmates are nice. Speaking of, here comes Chordath!:{

N'kayden turned, eager to greet the next Weyrling of Barrier Lake Weyrhold.

Last updated on the June 1st 2024

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The Best Brownrider Ever?