Not All Bronzeriders

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 29th July 2025

Characters: L'keri, K'mai
Description: L'keri catches up on the gossip from the Dolphin Cove Hatching with K'mai
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 2 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, Z'kim, I'serin, Q'vettan, L'val

L'keri

K'mai

L'keri had decided not to attend the latest Hatching at Dolphin Cove, preferring instead to spend the evening at the birthday party of a delightful Cobalt wingrider. Rhalith had once flown her green, and she'd asked him to come with the tantalising hint that he might do so again if he paid attention. Not an invitation he was equipped to resist...

As soon as he got hold of the latest scandal sheet, though - he didn't quite regret his choice, but he did wish he could have been in two places at once.

"K'mai!" He caught up with his wingmate at lunch, waving the paper. "You were at the Dolphin Cove hatching, weren't you? Did you see any of this?!"

K'mai glanced at the first few lines and grinned. "Oh, yes. I saw _everything_. And I danced with him, too. N'vanik." He was so glad he finally had something he could brag about again.

"That was _you_?" L'keri dropped into a seat opposite his friend with eyes like saucers. "When I said you should take on a new bronzerider challenge, I didn't mean...the Dolphin Cove Weyrleader!"

K'mai laughed. "How could I resist? But no, this wasn't me." He pointed at the gossip detailing a scandalously sexy dance with a male rider. "I danced with him after, a nice gentle slow dance. Which was a bit disappointing, but probably for the best considering . . ." He pointed at his injured arm.

The brownrider nodded, still a little incredulous. "Yes, you'd better wait for that to get better before you seduce any more Weyrleaders on the dance floor. Wouldn't want to leave the poor things unsatisfied." He glanced over the paper again. "So, if it wasn't you, who was it?"

"Z'kim, from Dream's End. Apparently they're old friends," K'mai said. "But after what I saw and heard, those two are _definitely_ sleeping together."

"They are?" L'keri had assumed it was exaggeration on the part of the gossip columnist. "But he's a bronzerider. And not just any bronzerider! He's _the_ bronzerider at Dolphin Cove." Yet it wasn't like K'mai to indulge in wishful thinking. "Do you think this means...your friend from the tavern wasn't just an oddity?"

"At the least, there are more of those bronzerider oddities around." A flicker of nervousness went through K'mai. He didn't want L'keri to start making connections about him and I'serin, but at the same time, talking about bronzeriders who liked men was laying the groundwork for the day I'serin was ready to stop hiding. "I couldn't get N'vanik _or_ Z'kim to actually admit anything, but if they were actually trying to hide how much they were into each other, they were doing a _terrible_ job of it."

"We should invite them to one of your special parties," L'keri suggested. "You've hosted Weyrleaders before, after all."

"Shards, I would _love_ that." For a moment, K'mai got lost in a fantasy of being between N'vanik and Z'kim. Then he remembered L'keri was sitting there. "I don't know if they'd accept, though."

"You won't know unless you try. I never thought I'serin would show up at a party, and yet he came to yours." L'keri grinned broadly. "With all these celebrated bronzeriders as guests, your weyr will be _the_ place to be seen among the fashionable set. Folk will lie, cheat and steal for an invitation. Just don't forget your humble wingmates when you're famous, will you?"

K'mai's face heated at the mention of I'serin and he laughed to cover it. "Of course you'll still be invited. And you're right, maybe I _will_ invite them. I never would have gotten a dance with the Dolphin Cove Weyrleader if I hadn't been bold enough to ask. Q'vettan turned me down, though," he said with an exaggerated pout.

L'keri just stared at him. "You asked Barrier Lake's Weyrleader as well? Are you trying to gather the complete set?"

K'mai laughed and shrugged. "Why not?"

"Well, if anyone could do it, it would be you. Maybe you should try Q'vettan again at his own Hatching," L'keri suggested. "He might be in a more celebratory mood?"

"Oh I'm definitely trying again. I need to ask the new Weyrwoman if she's alright with me stealing him away for a dance." The bluerider smiled. "I should see if the Weyrwoman would be willing to dance, too."

"Don't forget to save a few dances for those of less exalted rank," L'keri teased. "Else the green and blueriders will be mourning for days."

"Hey, I danced with Z'kim. The green and blueriders might have to try a little harder to catch my interest now." K'mai winked.

"Careful. If your head gets any bigger, Sebeth might have a hard time taking off with you on his back." Even so, the brownrider couldn't help but be happy for his friend. After his injury and the losses they'd taken recently, the mood had been subdued at best and it was good to see someone enjoying life again.

K'mai laughed. "Oh hey, _we_ should dance at the next Feast! Maybe that will finally convince the gossips we're an item." It had been an ongoing joke between them to try to get a rumor going that they were sleeping together.

"Risky. The bronzeriders might get jealous," the brownrider teased. "What if L'val puts me on permanent latrine duty, so he can have you all to himself?"

The bluerider laughed again, then his expression turned mock-serious and he put a hand to his chest. "If L'val wanted me, I've given him plenty of chances."

"In that case, let's dance next time, and show him what he's missing. It might light a fire in him." L'keri put on a solemn face. "For you, my friend, I will risk the envy and disfavor of our Wingleader."

"If he does punish you, I'll fall to my knees and confess my devious plot to make him jealous. And then maybe he'll let me stay on my knees." K'mai wiggled his eyebrows.

L'keri rolled his eyes. That was one image he could do without while he was eating. "With those kinds of fantasies, you should write for one of these." He shook the scandal sheet. "Imagine what they'd do with a column by the Secret Bluerider."

"Alas, writing isn't one of my talents. I'll leave that to the harpers." K'mai rubbed his chin. "Though maybe I can find someone to write things down for me so it sounds, y'know, more harper-y."

"Flowery, you mean?" L'keri struck a pose. "Forsooth, gentle reader, my heart did tremble like the last dying leaf of autumn, as I knelt before the brawny thighs of my Wingleader and confessed my most intimate desires..."

K'mai laughed. "Have you been reading romance books?"

"Of course! I study them diligently. They're an invaluable guide to what women are looking for in a man," he explained earnestly. "Being a dragonrider is a definite plus, but I haven't got the silent, brooding manner perfected yet. Or the part where you have to be obnoxious to them at first, but maybe that's because I'm not a bronzerider. It doesn't come naturally."

The bluerider laughed again. "Not all bronzeriders are like that." I'serin was sweet and shy. "N'vanik seemed fun. He even flirted with me."

"It was his Hatching, he was bound to be in a good mood." L'keri waved a hand, airily dismissing that argument. "There's no way he's gone through his whole life without being arrogant to _someone_. Anyway, that just proves my point. If you've got to say 'Not all bronzeriders', then you know there's a problem. No one ever says 'Not all brownriders', do they?"

"You know, that's true. Stereotypes are stereotypes, not a requirement." And again, K'mai thought of I'serin, hiding his real self because he didn't fit the assumptions people made about bronzeriders.

"I suppose L'val is okay," L'keri conceded. "No worse than he has to be, being a wingleader. And I'serin did come to your party, which was sporting of him." A memory returned to him, and he grinned. "You should have seen his face when you opened up that book I gave you. Have you finished it, by the way?"

Poor I'serin, when K'mai had to randomly flip to _that_ illustration of all things. "No, but I did look at all the pictures." He winked. "I had another book to finish first and I'm, uhh . . . not the fastest reader."

"I understand. I'm told the pictures are quite distracting. I hope you got some inspiration, anyway, and it wasn't all..." He mimed flicking through a book. "Done that. Done that. Done that..."

"I have definitely not been taken over the Weyrleader's desk." But oh, K'mai had such hopes.

"You just have to find the right Weyrleader." Maybe that was what was behind his friend's sudden interest in bronzeriders: a very particular fantasy. "The best part is, they keep changing. So there's always hope."

A blush spread across K'mai's cheeks. He'd imagined things like that on occasion, but now the trouble was even if someone as hot as N'vanik actually agreed, it wouldn't be as satisfying because it wouldn't be I'serin. "Ah, yes."

"Maybe your tavern friend will win his senior queen, and then you'll be in with a chance." L'keri raised his klah mug in salute. "Here's to blueriders living out their dreams."

"To me living out my dreams." K'mai winked and clicked his mug against L'keri's.

Last updated on the August 1st 2025

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