Not So Nice After All

Writers: Francesca
Date Posted: 9th September 2008

Characters: Kamalia, L'tar, Z'kin
Description: Kamalia realizes L'tar isn't so perfect, and is rescued by Z'kin.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 19 of Turn 4
Notes: Comes a few days after "Bronzerider of Her Dreams" and "Interrogation."

She couldn't believe her luck. There he was. The bronzerider of her
dreams. Kamalia stopped several tables away from him and just stared.
He was sitting with several of his wingmates and, while she didn't have
the courage to sit with him, she wondered if she could find a strategic spot
from which she could watch him. Then, when he left the dining cavern
she could follow him.

Arrilon's incensed lecture had already faded from her mind. It seemed her
older brother was always mad at her for one thing or another. She had
quickly learned to ignore it. It was actually cute, sometimes, that he
worried so much. But, lately, it was getting annoying. She just wanted to
have some fun, and meet cute dragonriders and dragons in the process.

A wingmate from across the table saw the girl watching them, and quickly
noticed who it was she was looking at. "Hey, L'tar. You have an admirer.
Have you seduced another candidate?" he inquired loudly, smiling and
winking at the girl. She was pretty enough, but a bit young for his tastes.

"How many does that make it?" another rider asked, just as loudly.
"Four? Five?"

"Not yet," L'tar replied, grinning. "But give me some time. Between
clutching and Hatching is when I make the most conquests!" He took
several long gulps of ale before turning and looking at the girl, who had
heard what they said and was already blushing.

"Hello beautiful. Want to come sit between me and my friend? He's a
bronzerider too!" He looked her up and down lewdly and drank some
more.

Kamalia's cheeks burned. He was a bronzerider! Why was he treating her
like this? She guessed he was drunk, but that didn't fully explain his
behavior. He had been so nice when they had first met. And now, when
he was with his friends, he seemed a completely different man. He began
to lose some of his attractiveness in her eyes.

She didn't answer quickly turned away, almost bumping into someone in
her haste to get out of the cavern as quickly as possible.

"Hey, watch out!"

"Sorry," Kamalia murmured, still able to hear the bronzerider and his
friends talking loudly about all of their conquests.

"Don't listen to him. He's just an arrogant bronzerider. Not all of us are
like that. Most of the men at that table are pretty decent."

Kamalia finally looked up to see who she had almost run into. Gentle
brown eyes met hers. He was a bit taller than her and, while his build
clearly proved him to be a dragonrider, he was not as muscular as some.
His hair was brown, his skin tanned, and his knots proclaimed him a
brownrider.

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say. Even though she had heard
others speak of the arrogance of bronzeriders, she still idolized them.
They were handsome, romantic, exciting. Not mean, or drunk. A little
arrogance could be attractive, and was their right as the riders of the
largest male dragons.

"L'tar and I impressed at the same Hatching. He wasn't always like this.
But, a bronze dragon and his good looks must have gotten to his head," the
man said, unconcerned by her silence.

"I'm Z'kin. Why don't you come eat with me? We'll find a nice place far
away from that group."

"Ok. I'm Kamalia." She followed him to a fairly empty table, unsure of
what else to do. Z'kin sat down across from her and immediately set to
eating. Kamalia wasn't very hungry and, instead, took the opportunity to
look at the brownrider again. He wasn't stunning, but was handsome. He
looked like a very nice person. Reexamining the time she had met the
bronzerider, L'tar, she realized he had not been nice. Everything her
brother had said about L'tar was right, even though she hadn't wanted to
listen at the time.

After a few minutes of silence, during which Z'kin steadily ate, Kamalia's
naturally curious personality began to come through. "You ride a brown?"
she asked.

Z'kin had been hoping she would talk. "Yes. His name is Relarth. He
always loves meeting new people, especially Candidates."

Kamalia grinned. "Are you trying to get me alone in your weyr?"

"No, no!" Z'kin immediately exclaimed, dismayed that his comments had
been interpreted in that manner. "Oh, Shards. That's what _he_ said, isn't
it?"

Kamalia nodded, smiling.

"I'm sorry. Shards. Here I come, and try to rescue you from L'tar and his
friends, and then I sound like I want to do the same thing as he did."

Kamalia giggled. "It's ok. Now I know what he's like. And you don't
seem like you're like him." Even though she had completely misjudged
L'tar's character, she couldn't imagine Z'kin being the same way.

"Well, that's a relief."

}:Have you found someone to help wash me?:{ Relarth asked.

Z'kin smiled. "Relarth is, apparently, in need of a bath. If you want, we
can go to the weyrlake after we finish eating. And, I promise, I won't
invite you to my weyr, or try to get you alone, or anything." She was
pretty, but was a bit too young for him.

Kamalia returned the smile, her temporary infatuation with the bronzerider
quickly fading away. "That sounds like a great idea."

Last updated on the September 14th 2008

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Not So Nice After All