Triumphant Browns and Bronze Collections

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 18th October 2025

Characters: K'mai, L'keri
Description: K'mai congratulates L'keri for Rhalith's surprising win.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 12 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'serin, Sybana, Th'reyos, N'kyri, N'kevyn, Q'vettan
Follows "Early to Fall" and "Take Me, Fly Me"

K'mai

L'keri

At the evening meal, K'mai headed for the regular Cyan -- or whatever -- table, and when he spotted his friend he barely took time to set his tray down before wrapping the brownrider in a hug. "L'keri! Congratulations to you and Rhalith!"

"Thanks!" The brownrider appeared to be more dazed than was usual for him after a mating flight. Now that he'd emerged to face his wingmates, the implications of his rather unconventional win were beginning to sink in, but his self-confidence wasn't long in returning. "Another win for Cyan...I mean, Alpine Wing, eh? First Th'reyos, then me. The bronzeriders must be going wild with envy." He glanced over at a particularly sour-faced pair at another table and raised a hand in innocent greeting.

"They should tell their dragons to try harder." K'mai winked.

"Right? It's getting to be rather embarrassing," L'keri said gleefully, making no attempt to lower his voice. "The only Dragonsfall bronzerider who's won a gold this Turn is your pal I'serin. I'm surprised they haven't started exploding from sheer frustration."

K'mai remembered the way I'serin had gripped his hips while he . . . "That's what greens are for." The bluerider laughed, trying to shake off the thought.

"Greens have enough sense to prefer a nice blue or a brown." L'keri cheerfully ignored the fuming from the next table. "The size difference, you know. Speaking of which, it was quite an experience for Rhalith. He ended up cuddling under _her_ wing!"

K'mai laughed again. He was aware of the angry bronzeriders and he also didn't care. "He's going to be insufferable, isn't he?"

"Probably. Right now he's lovesick," the brownrider replied indulgently. "I've never known anything like it. I close my eyes and see images of the shining Galgaith in all her glory. But when it comes to the clutching..." He blinked as a thought struck him. "K'mai, Rhalith's going to have hatchlings!"

"I know!" K'mai hugged him again. "I'm so happy for him. For both of you!" He hadn't expected to come back to such great news.

}:Of course we will have hatchlings. That is what happens when a gold rises to mate,:{ Rhalith said solemnly.

L'keri snickered. "Sorry. Rhalith was giving me a lesson in dragon biology." He patted K'mai on the back. "We'll have to celebrate! This sounds like a wonderful excuse for a party. Perhaps I'll persuade the lovely Sybana to attend. And then, after the Hatching...oh, shards." Another realization struck. "Do you think I'm going to have to dress up smartly and be polite to Lords and Ladies?"

The bluerider laughed. "Oh, oh you definitely will. You'll have to be on your _best_ behavior. Better than your best. Sybana will have to give you lessons in etiquette." K'mai covered his mouth, thinking about L'keri standing stiffly beside the goldrider while she chatted with some boring old Lord.

"Oh, by the first Egg." L'keri groaned. "This is going to be like that time after we graduated, when I got sent to transport those relatives of the Lord of Jade Harbor to a wedding. Do you remember? They didn't allow me within a dragonlength of a ranking holder for Turns."

"Faranth, that was such a disaster. Now you have to deal with an entire Feast full of Lords and Ladies and Sybana will _kill_ you if you screw up her first Hatching." K'mai was starting to feel a little bit of pity for the brownrider.

"Shells, she's already anxious about - well, the short flight. I can't make this worse for the poor girl." L'keri winced and ran a hand through his untidy hair. "Perhaps it won't be so bad. No-one expects us dragonriders to have perfect manners. Some of them might even like us a little rough around the edges. As long as none of them complain that Rhalith isn't a bronze..." His voice trailed off as he remembered that most people would be thinking that, even if they didn't say it out loud.

"Don't worry about that now. Rhalith is going to be a dad!" K'mai grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "We should have a party!"

"Yes, let's!" L'keri brightened at once, forgetting all about the less-than-perfect flight and how the leadership might react. "We can welcome Th'reyos back as well. His eggs should be hatching soon. Maybe he'll have some advice for me on how to get through the experience without offending any dignitaries."

"Something tells me he might not be the best role model," K'mai said with a laugh. "But we can definitely celebrate our bold brownriders and their triumphant dragons! Oh, we could do a theme and ask people to wear brown."

"I like it! Rhalith will be tickled pink - I mean, brown - to see people wearing his color. Just make sure you invite plenty of greenriders. Speaking of which..." He grinned. "You know how I spent Galgaith's flight, but what - or who - did you get up to? Come on, I want all the gold-flight gossip."

"Oh, um . . ." K'mai rubbed the back of his neck, color rising in his cheeks. His shoulder tingled where I'serin had bitten him. What on Pern could he say? "I was with someone who likes to keep things discreet. But I had a very, _very_ good time." Hopefully the excitement of Galgaith's first time Rising and Rhalith's surprising win would distract from the fact that both Aluneth and Sebeth had left the Weyr for the duration of the Flight.

"Ooh, a mystery." His eyes lit up as he remembered the last time he'd tracked down one of K'mai's liaisons. "It wasn't your adventurous goldrider, was it? Because I know who that was."

"Oh _do_ you?" K'mai was so relieved to have a distraction.

"No secret can remain hidden for long among the keen minds of Alpine Wing," L'keri said loftily, forgetting all about Galgaith's flight in favor of an opportunity to show off his deductive prowess. "N'kyri and I reviewed the evidence, then set out for Barrier Lake to interview the suspects..." With that, he launched into a highly embellished account of their trip and its satisfactory outcome.

"I'm glad you had a good time." K'mai grinned. "I couldn't resist bragging, but I didn't want to spread their names around in case that was too far. Did you meet N'kevyn?"

L'keri shook his head. "We didn't, but I'd like to. He sounds a cut above the usual type of bronzerider." His brow shot up. "Wait, was it _him_ you spent the flight with? Or another one from your collection?"

K'mai desperately wanted to tell him. He wanted to say, 'I was with I'serin. I'm in love with him. He's wonderful and I don't know how I got so lucky.' But instead he wagged a finger. "Discreet means discreet. Though it is flattering that you think I have a whole collection of bronzeriders."

"But you do. You keep telling us about them," the brownrider teased. "What was that one who wouldn't dance..." He snapped his fingers. "Q'vettan! Did you go and seek him out?" He grinned lasciviously, causing one of the nearby bronzeriders to huff and stalk off in disgust. "Did you get to try out his desk?"

"I wish!" K'mai laughed and turned toward one of the bronzeriders glaring at them. "Would you like to join my collection? I'd be happy to help if you're feeling a bit . . . curious."

The man gave him a filthy look. "Come on, K'til, we don't have to sit here and listen to this pair of clowns." He shoved back his chair and stomped away after his friend. The third bronzerider, who was younger though he wore the same wing knots, gave the Alpine riders a wide-eyed look, then hurried after his wingmates.

"I think you've made a conquest." L'keri raised an eyebrow as he watched them go. "The collection is expanding."

K'mai watched the younger bronzerider go with a smirk. "If I can get a third, it really will be a collection."

"I have every confidence in you to succeed." L'keri clapped him on the shoulder. "Right, we've got a party to plan! How about next sevenday, before the restday? Then no one has to get up for drills next morning, and Zarkarth's clutch ought to have hatched by then. Last I heard, the shells were getting pretty hard..." Distracted by anticipation of a proper wild and raucous Wing party, he'd lost track of wondering who the second bronzerider in that collection might be.

Last updated on the October 18th 2025

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Triumphant Browns and Bronze Collections