Making Friends

Writers: Duskdog, Steel
Date Posted: 28th February 2026

Characters: K'mai, T'thalin
Description: Tathalin and K'mai chat while washing Sebeth.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 18 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Kadira, Rathandra, L'keri

K'mai

At nearly any time of day, there were weyrbrats and Candidates around the lake ready to help wash dragons, and K'mai liked to have company while he scrubbed Sebeth. He spotted an older, lanky Candidate nearby and waved to him. "Hey there! Would you like to help wash this handsome boy?"

Tathalin had been mostly lost in his own thoughts.

At the call, however, he looked up, and then scrambled over. "Yes! I... I mean, yes sir, I... I can help. I... Kadira's blue Ishath likes me."

"Well, that's good," K'mai said with a smile. "Making friends with dragons, that's a good sign."

Tathalin nodded once more, and stepped forward to take a scrub brush. "I.. Um. Thank you." He told both the rider and the dragon. "What's your... blue's name?"

"Oh! Introductions!" The bluerider laughed. "I'm K'mai, and this is Sebeth." The dragon bent down to get a better look at the Candidate, eyes whirling happily.

Tathalin responded by offering a polite, if uncertain, half-bow toward the blue. "... Hello, K'mai. Hello, Sebeth." He greeted. "I'm, um... Tathalin. It's nice to meet you." He added, mostly to the blue. "... Where do you want me to start?"

"Here, on his flank." K'mai pointed to a spot toward the dragon's middle. "Where are you from, Tathalin?"

Tathalin nodded as he grabbed supplies and splashed into the shallows, trying not to appear too eager or too hesitant. Oh, he had started to _hate_ this part. Even if he wasn't going to lie.

"I, um... well. I've.... been here sincethefloods." He said quickly, and didn't quite touch Sebeth yet. "I'm... I'm Holdless, s-sir. Or... or I was!" He added hastily. "I was Searched, and I, um, I took up a Craft too, I'm a Harper Apprentice."

"Congratulations on your apprenticeship." K'mai smiled at him. "I don't mind that you were holdless. We brought all kinds here from those caves, everyone from hardened criminals to babies."

Sebeth crooned an encouragement for Tathalin to get scrubbing.

That startled Tathalin, but only a moment. And then he splashed forward to begin said scrubbing, with exactly the pressure Ishath had liked.

"Thank you sir!" He blurted. "I, um... I promise I'm not a criminal. Or a baby." Wait. Why had he even said that second part? Redirected, redirect...

"I.. I like Weyr life. And being an apprentice. I want to be a dragonrider." There. Was that better?

K'mai chuckled. "I'm glad you're happy here. Good luck at the Hatching. My friend is Rhalith's rider, so I'm very excited for this clutch."

Tathalin ducked his head, and scrubbed at Sebeth some more. "I... Um. Doesn't the gold have to... to like you? To... to be allowed to Stand?" He asked, after a long moment of silence.

"The gold's rider can request you be barred from Standing, if you do something bad enough. But her dragon doesn't have to specifically _like_ you," K'mai told him. "The only one that has to like you is one of those little hatchlings."

"... I don't know." Tathalin responded. "Maybe." He shifted to scrub a new patch of blue hide. "... Um. Can... is this okay for Sebeth? What... Um. How do you clean a dragon's wings? Not that I'm going to try!"

K'mai's gaze unfocused for a moment. "He says your scrubbing is good. I can show you how to wash his wings after we get the rest of him cleaned. You have to be more careful there."

Tathalin nodded. "It would make sense if they're more sensitive." He offered. "They have to feel the wind." He kept scrubbing industriously.

"Wing membrane isn't as tough as hide. You'll get a feel for it." K'mai grabbed another handful of sweetsand. "Any particular dragon color you're hoping for?"

"Any." Tathalin responded, immediately, then flushed and ducked his head. "I mean... any that would, um, want me." He added. "I, um... I really liked Ishath, and I think I like Sebeth, so... maybe a... blue?" He finished. "I... I want to be good at looking after a dragon."

"Blues are the best!" K'mai said as Sebeth rumbled his agreement. "You have good taste."

"Ishath was, um, really cool." Tathalin offered in response. "... So is Sebeth." He added, and then paused. "I... Um. Is it... okay if I... ask a question, sir?"

"Sure!" K'mai said without hesitation.

"... How, um... I mean... how do dragons _know_ if... if you're right for one of them?" Tathalin blurted, used the excuse of going for more soapsand to avoid any looks his way.

"Do you mean Search or Impression?"

"Impression." Tathalin answered immediately.

"Well, nobody really knows how a dragon chooses their rider, they just seem to know who they want. Some go straight for a Candidate right out of the shell, some take a while checking them over before finding the one they want." K'mai shrugged. "Sebeth just says he knew I was the right one."

}:Because you were. No one else could be my rider.:{

Tathalin thought about that, and then nodded slowly. "They... just know." He echoed. "Even if you don't." He paused, then added, "So... it's just down to, um, hoping? That one likes you?"

"Pretty much." K'mai laughed. "I know that can be frustrating. I stood a few times before Sebeth found me, and I'm weyrbred with two rider parents. And sometimes a kid with no riders in the family Impressess right away. It's all a mystery."

Tathalin considered that further, quiet for a long moment as he scrubbed. "So... they could end up wanting anyone." He concluded.

"Even . . ." K'mai smiled at him. "A formerly holdless person."

"I, um. I hope so." Tathalin responded, and offered a tentative sort of smile back. "I... really do like it, sir. Weyr life, I mean."

"I can't imagine how rough it was out there for you," K'mai said. "Did you come here with anyone?"

Tathalin hesitated, and then shook his head. "... No sir." He said, quietly. "I mean... I, um... I arrived with Rathandra's group, but... No, sir. No family."

"You really were all alone then," the bluerider said with sympathy. "I hope you make lots of friends here."

}:It would be very sad not to have friends.:{ Sebeth said.

"I'm, um... I'm trying, sir?" Tathalin offered. "Or... trying to, um, get... bolder. About it." He added. "I.. I can't help that I'm... well. And I _am_ following all the rules."

"Well, you can count me as one," K'mai said as he lifted another handful of sweetsand.

Tathalin ducked his head, but he couldn't help but look pleased nonetheless. "Thank you sir. I promise you won't regret it."

Last updated on the April 1st 2026

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