The Other Gold

Writers: Devin, Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th September 2026

Characters: M'sar, Tsaera
Description: Nazoth meets Tabanirth and M'sar meets her rider.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 6 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Galgaith, Reveroth OOC: forgot to send this!

Nazoth was still smeared with blood from his feeding as M'sar led him toward the winter lake. The brown radiated contentment from his full belly and a hint of sleepiness. Then he perked up. }:The other gold is here.:{

M'sar looked up. The _other_ gold meant it wasn't Galgaith, so. . .

Nazoth also looked up . . . and up to the large gold. }:Hello, Tabanirth.:{

Tabanirth dipped her head in greeting as she watched the brown waddle toward her. She'd claimed an outcropping of rock that was close enough to the water that she could dangle the end of her tail in, although she'd had to chase off a couple young folk who had been using it as a diving platform. }:Hello. I see that you are in need of the lake.:{

}:M'sar is going to wash me. You are very big, though not as big as Galgaith. Galgaith is the _biggest_,:{ Nazoth said as he waded in near her. }:I am the biggest in my clutch.:{

M'sar followed his dragon, looking around warily for the gold's rider.

}:Perhaps you are. For now,:{ Tabanirth said placidly. There was always at least one bronze dragonet who started out big and ended up smaller than their clutchmates. }:You must tell M'sar to do a good job and to oil you properly around your wings. I need much oiling these days...:{

The goldrider appeared from around Tabanirth's haunch, wiping her hands with an oily rag. She followed her dragon's gaze toward the water and smiled a bit when she saw the little brown splashing in the water near her dragon's tail. "Found a weyrling, have you?" she murmured to her dragon. }:Is that Nazoth?:{

}:Who are you?:{ Tabanirth asked. She was good at remembering her own dragonets, but the other gold dragons' offspring didn't interest her as much.

}:I am Nazoth,:{ the weyrling said proudly. }:I think you are nicer than Galgaith.:{ He pounced on her tail.

M'sar watched, trying not to think about how he'd ruined Nazoth's chance to talk to his mom. Now Nazoth had another big gold to admire.

}:Nazoth.:{ Tabanirth turned the name over in her mind as she shared it with her rider. }:You have chosen a good name.:{

Tsaera sighed and tucked the oily rag into her belt. Nazoth had chosen the rider who had upset Galgaith a while ago. The rider who had been Holdless. She nodded to M'sar and came to stand beside him at the weyrlake. "Hello, M'sar."

"Hi . . . Weyrwoman's Second." He reluctantly added her title, not wanting to cause another incident with a goldrider. "Nazoth likes your queen."

}:It is a strong name, and I am very strong.:{ Nazoth splashed in the water as he batted at Tabanirth's tail.

Tsaera hid a smile. "She likes dragonets, even from Clutches that aren't her own. Not all dragons do, just as we don't all love getting bothered by someone else's children."

"Reveroth is good with him, too." A little smile tugged at his mouth as he thought of how sweet the green was to his dragon.

The name rang a faint bell. A searchrider's dragon, she thought. "And you? How are you settling into Dragonsfall Weyr?"

He hesitated. He wanted to make some kind of flippant answer or a joke, but he looked over at Nazoth happily splashing around as he pounced on Tabanirth's tail. "Don't like all the rules and stuff, but it's . . . I know I belong here," he said quietly.

She nodded. "You do. Reveroth had created an opportunity for you. If not here, then at any Weyr on Pern. But... if I may offer you a bit of advice?"

M'sar made a face, but he didn't want to piss her off and have Tabanirth yell at Nazoth. "I guess."

"You'll feel like you 'belong' only as much as you let yourself." The goldrider's lips quirked in a smile. "_And_ I know you're already thinking of a million reasons why I'm wrong."

He frowned, both at her words and how it made him feel. "Yeah, well . . . better here than out there." It was the opposite of the way he'd felt about the Hold, even if the loss of freedom was harder than he'd thought.

"I can only guess." Tsaera watched as Tabanirth flicked her tail and sent a spray of water across Nazoth's back. "Have you tried a dragontail yet?"

Nazoth trilled in delight and splashed her back, though he really only splashed her tail.

"Oh yeah, I've had lots." He relaxed a bit at the change in topic. "The food here is feckin' _incredible_."

"What do you like most?"

That was a hard choice. "Bacon?" he said thoughtfully. It was something he'd rarely had before coming to the Weyr. "No, ribs with that spicy, smoky sauce all over." When he ate it, the sauce sometimes managed to get all the way up to his elbows, not to mention all over his face, like he was swimming in deliciousness.

She smiled. Food could bring anyone together. Sharing a meal, sharing a taste, sharing a table. It was a useful tool. "I like the ribs too," she confided. "They remind me of home."

Despite himself, M'sar was curious. "Where's that?"

"The Mining Hall. They'd roast ovines and herdbeasts over these massive pits for what felt like days, and the sauce is spicy and sweet, and turns black and almost chewy..." Tsaera sighed. "The last time I went back the recipe had changed, or maybe it's just my memory. But it wasn't as good as the kitchens here."

"Mmm, that does sound good. But yeah, the food here's the best I ever had." And it was endless. The thought that he'd never have to go hungry again hit him sometimes, and it was almost unbelievable.

"That's the bargain. Pern feeds and cares for us, and we put our bodies and dragons between the land and Thread. It's easier to understand now that we're in a Pass." She shrugged. "I miss living without Thread, but I don't miss the bickering over tithes and whether or not dragons are worth feeding and finding Candidates for. I'd rather go back to having to justify our existence, though."

"All I care about is I got Nazoth." Which also meant he'd never have to leave.

She smiled a bit; he hadn't yet been up with the fighting Wings. Youth were confident in things they didn't understand. "And a fine dragon he is, too."

He couldn't help the rush of pride and affection for his dragon. "He's the biggest in his clutch. Bigger than the bronze even."

"So he is. I'm glad he found you, M'sar. This has been a lovely chat, but after all this food talk I need to go find something for dinner. Maybe ribs..."

"Shards, now _I'm_ hungry," M'sar muttered. For an old lady, and a goldrider, Tsaera wasn't so bad.

Last updated on the October 28th 2026

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The Other Gold