Helping To Bathe A Gold

Writers: Allison, Avery
Date Posted: 30th June 2007

Characters: Kiala, Kapera
Description: Kiala tells Kapera she will be going to the Hatchings at Dolphin's Cove and River Bluff Weyrs while helping bathe Riyanth.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 7 of Turn 4
Notes: Mentioned: Weyrlingmaster T'mahl

Kapera

Some days, Kapera didn't mind washing Riyanth alone. It gave her time and
it gave her perspective, time to just be Kapera and not be the Weyrwoman's
Second. Even with men, sometimes, she was rank first, person second.
Riyanth was the one who accepted her as her. But some days, when she was
tired and irritable, or when she had a lot of work to do, Kapera didn't
want to wash Riyanth alone.

Fortunately, being a dragonrider had its perks. So did being a goldrider.
Every weyrbrat and candidate wanted to wash dragons, and every female
candidate jumped at the chance to wash a gold. So Kapera waited until she
saw the first candidate to pass the lake and then called at her.
"Candidate!"

Kiala jumped as she heard someone yell. She looked around before she
realized that she was the one being addressed. She hurried over to where
the goldrider was standing in the lake, next to her dragon. She stopped
in front of the pair. "Hello goldrider Kapera, Riyanth," she said as she
bowed and then straightened. "Would you like some help with bathing
today?" Kiala smiled at Kapera. She was sure the goldriders knew how much
any female enjoyed helping out the goldriders. Kiala was a bit awed by
the pair's presence, but refused to let it turn her into a blathering
idiot.

Good. She knew both their names and she kept her composure. That would
certainly help, Kapera thought. "Yes. Riyanth is amenable today, and I
have some work I need to get back to. Do you have any chores or are you
free, Candidate..." She trailed off, inviting the girl to speak her name.

"Kiala. And yes, I'm always free to help someone out. Luckily, I managed
to finish everything up this morning. Where would you like me to start?"
Kiala asked as she rolled up her pant legs and stepped into the water.

"That's fortunate. I would hate to keep you from your duties." Kapera
said, though she might have requsitioned the candidate anyway. "Well,
Kiala, how about doing her tail and moving towards her hind legs?" the
goldrider suggested. "She can be a bit tetchy around the wings and I want
her used to you first." she added.

"Works for me," Kiala replied as she grabbed her scrubbing equipment and
moved into the tail area. She started scrubbing at the end of the tail,
working in even paced, medium circles. She concentrated on making sure
not a speck of dirt remained. Even though she'd been at Dragonsfall for
a few years, it still amazed her when she saw the size of the golds and
the time it took to clean them.

Kapera went back to work on Riyanth's left wing, but she made sure to
watch the girl. **Do you like her?**

}:She does this well. She would make a daughter happy.:{ Riyanth told her
rider.

"She says you do it well." Kapera relayed, wondering how this girl would
react.

"That truly is a compliment, thank you very much," Kiala addressed both
Kapera and Riyanth. "I enjoy helping out any riders with dragon
bathing, hopefully someday they'll be able to return the favor." Kiala
smiled over Riyanth's tail at Kapera.

"Riders often help each other." Kapera agreed. Of course, a goldrider
never helped another rider, but she'd had some male dragonriders help
her before.

"Yes, but I'm glad we Candidates are given the experience of helping
others with their dragons. That way, providing we have our own, we'll be
better prepared to give them the proper care that they deserve and
require. I was studying in the Beastcraft before I came to the Weyr, so I
feel the more I learn about something, animal or dragon, and learn about
it's habits, the better equipped I am to work with them."

"Don't Candidate classes teach that?" Kapera asked. "Or do you find you'd
rather have hands on experience with dragons rather than lecture?"

"Yes, the Candidate classes do teach that, but I prefer both methods. I
like that
we're given lectures and can learn the practical parts of being a
dragonrider and
caring for our dragons, but I feel that we'll be better prepared in the
end if we're
given the hands on experience. For example, I would be a bit leery of
approaching
any random animal if I had not first learned a bit about them, their basic
habits,
what kind of food they eat, that sort of thing. That way, I'll know if
they're an
animal that would normally have an aggressive behavior or a timid
behavior. Knowing
those things would determine how to approach the animal and what kind of
care it
would require," Kiala replied as she worked her way up to where Riyanth's
tail
joined with her body.

"Did your craft teach you anything about dragons?" Kapera had known a
Beastcrafter at her old Hold, but why would Hold or Hall crafters learn
about dragons? But since the girl was a crafter, she was weyrbred- they
might be taught that.

"Oh not, not directly. My father deviated from the norm and taught me
what he knew. He was a small cotholder and my mother didn't always
agree with him. She wanted to see me married off, so when the Search
dragon chose me, I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was. I
managed to get my Apprenticeship while here at Dragonsfall Weyr. Being
here at Weyr is where I've learned about the dragons and their habits
and mannerisms." Kiala shrugged. "I just like to learn anything I can,
really. My father always said I was full of questions and I aim to
prove him right," she said and laughed.

"I was Holdbred myself, II know how the behavior goes. A Weyr is a _far_
better place." Although Kapera could probably have manipulated a wealthy
man quite well, she far preferred the power of a goldrider. "Curiosity
is a good trait."

Kiala grinned at Kapera. "Thanks! It seems like one can learn new things
wherever
they are, so I like to take advantage of that. And you're right, the Weyr
is by far
the better place. I have certainly enjoyed my turns here."

"You have opportunitied you don't have elsewhere. Not taking advantage of
them would be stupid. Fortunately, you have." The goldrider nodded in
approval. "You'd make a fine dragonrider."

"Thank you, ma'am. It certainly is good to hear someone else say that,"
Kiala said
as she started in on Riyanth's other side. "I've still got a few good
years left in
me to Stand, so Stand I will."

"That's the best of ideas." Kapera said. She decided that this one was
alright, and would be fine for Riyanth's clutches, so brought up a
thought. "You heard about Dolphin Cove, of course. They're looking for
candidates for our next clutch and Dragonsfall is sending them some of
ours. Are you going there or staying here?" Her tone was deliberately
neutral, but the goldrider knew what she hoped.

"Well, Weyrlingmaster T'mahl spoke to me the other day and told me that
all older
Candidates will be sent to Dolphin Cove Weyr and River Bluff Weyr until a
gold here
rises. I will miss all my friends here, especially since I've been here
for the
past few turns and I've become used to being here. However, if my being
there means
there will be enough Candidates so that the dragonets have a good choice
and won't
go unImpressed, I'll go where I must. My heart will always be with
Dragonsfall,
though, because this is where I was first Searched and I've stood for several
clutches here."

"Good luck at those Hatchings, then." Kapera said, privately disappointed.
"And, while you're there, be on your best behavior. We want Dragonsfall
properly represented."

Kiala could see that Kapera was disappointed, so she quickly said, "Oh,
goldrider
Kapera, don't worry, I will be on my best behavior. I want to make sure and
represent Dragonsfall and show the other Weyrs that the Candidates here
are well
mannered individuals. And, if everything works out, I'll hopefully still
be here to
Stand for the next Clutch at Dragonsfall. After all, when it comes down
to it, as I
said, Dragonsfall is home."

"See that you represent us well, then." Kapera told her. "But if you
Impress at another Weyr, I do wish you the best."

"Thank you goldrider Kapera. That means a lot coming from you," Kiala
replied and
grinned into the side of Riyanth. She continued scrubbing at Riyanth's
hide, paying
special attention to all the spots.

Last updated on the July 1st 2007

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Helping To Bathe A Gold