Preparation

Writers: Suzee, Emma
Date Posted: 27th January 2013

Characters: Oria, L'cor
Description: Some advice, prior to the hatching
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 18 of Turn 6

Oria

L'cor

}:Aren't you coming?:{ grumbled the green dragon, who was waiting not so
patiently for her rider. }:I'm itchy!:{

**Okay, okay! Degrorth, calm down I'm on my way,** Oria told her. The
greenrider carried a bucket of oil, and a bundle of equipment used for the
process. **Just a moment or two,** she reassured her green, **I promise.**

Lecordin had been assigned to help wash dragons for the last four days
and had been using muscles he didn't even know he had. His arms had
been tired and aching from washing and oiling. He'd just finished a
big bronze and looked around for the smallest green he could see for
his next one. He spotted one that had just arrived so when he didn't
see the rider he walked toward her with his tools. "Hello beautiful,"
he smiled up at her. "If' you'd like to get wet, I can get started."

"She's already had her bath," called out Oria. "She should be nice and dry
and ready for an oiling."

Lecordin's head whipped around to the sound of the rider and he smiled.
"Oria!"

"That's me," she said returning the smile. "Can you take this for me?" she
asked "It isn't heavy, just awkward."

"Sure," he said stepping quickly forward to take the bucket from her
hand. "How are you doing," he smiled. "Haven't seen you since you
brought me in."

"I'm good," came the reply as she let the bucket go. "How've you settled in?
Got used to the barracks yet?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh I'm sure you know all about the noise." He was
naturally neat while his room mates were anything but. "and the mess.
But I think I like it here." He looked up at the pretty green. "How
old were you when you Impressed."

"I was nearly 16 turns," her face reflected the look of love most riders got
when they thought of the moment that changed their lives forever. "I was an
apprentice healer, so I knew all about how barracks could be, and when you
get so many girls together in one place, well it can be pretty obnoxious at
times."

Personally he didn't think a bunch of girls together would be
obnoxious but then he could see how she might. "It's a lot different
than I'm used to. Well, being raised at an Inn I pretty much had a
room to myself most of the time." He raised the bucket, "Shouldn't we
get started?"

"She's getting impatient."

As if on cue, the green turned round to face them }:I heard that!:{ Degrorth
told her, }:And you can tell that one I have an itchy spot on my back that
really needs oiling now.:{

Oria repeated the message. "Have you oiled a dragon yet?"

"Oh yes," he said chuckling. He was sure it wasn't as much as she had
by any means. "Miles and miles of them in the last week." He rolled
his shoulder for effect, then stretched up to see if he could spot the
place where the tell tale flaky surface of the dragons hide would
indicate the origin of the itchy patch. "There we are," he said and
made sure to get that spot first.

"She'd appreciate her back doing first," Oria said with a grin. "She loves
the attention, and the way she looks freshly oiled."

"Of course," he nodded and got to it in earnest. "Her hide is a very
lovely shade," he said artlessly.

"Flattery will get you everywhere with her," Oria teased, as she slathered
oil on the green's wing. "She likes a smooth talker."

If there was one thing Lecordin had inherited from his unnamed father
it was a silver tongue. Though in this case he'd been completely
sincere. He directed his green flecked eyes at the rider. "Does it
work on you as well," he asked with a cheeky grin.

That got him a knowing smile, "It depends," she teased after a moment. "On
what the flatterer is after."

Oria was like none of the girls at the hold and that intrigued
Lecordin no end. On top of that she was lovely, to him at least. He'd
been careful to abide by the customs of the hold where he'd been
brought up and had truly thought he'd marry his sweetheart and remain
faithful for all his days. But this woman and her dragon had changed
everything. What he needed now was "guidance maybe?"

"Some men," she teased. "They are all words, and there are no actions to
back it up. Others think a smart word or two is all it takes. And a third
type, they can some how manage the best of both."

Oria ducked under Degrorth's wing to get to an itchy looking patch of the
hide. "Which kind of man do you want to be?" she said with another smile.

"I've always thought I'd be a Steward, I might still be if there is no
dragon for me." He was pretty sure he didn't want that to happen but
he was resolved to make the best go at life he possibly could. "So, I
guess I'd like to be the best... at whatever comes my way."

"I'm sure you will be," she said. There was something about his words that
appealed. "All you can do is try your best at anything you do, and that
brought me and this one together."

He paused and smiled at her. "Someone once told me; one important key
to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is
preparation. It's served me pretty well up to now." He turned back to
his work. "Do you believe in being prepared?"

"Oh yes," she replied. "But there are some things you can't prepare for."

"Really?" he looked a little puzzled. "I thought they would probably
train us for whatever might happen on the sands."

"You can't prepare for how it feels that moment when they first look in your
eyes, and you know that you are theirs and they are yours. It, you just
can't describe the feeling," she said. "It's more than joy, and happiness
and love all combined."

It all sounded too good to be true. Stopping his oiling he turned to
look at her eyes and could see the luminous truth in them. He didn't
want to break with that fragile window into her soul, but he turned
back to the job. "anything else you can teach me?"

"That would depend on what you wanted to learn," came the response after a
moment or two.

He wouldn't be male if his mind didn't leap to conclusions, very
specific and erotic conclusions. His eyes popped open and so did his
mouth before he snapped it shut. He couldn't be certain she really
meant what he thought, no hoped, she meant. Then he felt silly for
jumping to that subject even in his mind.

"Well I suppose there are a lot of things you can teach me," his eyes
lit with the possibilities.

"Personally, or professionally?" she asked. "There's a lot to learn either
way."

He'd been attending the candidate classes and found them fascinating.
He assumed it would only get harder should he actually Impress. But
that meant there were plenty of people around to teach him about being
a dragon man. On the other hand there were fewer interested in his
personal development.

"Hmm," me mused. Smiling he stepped a little closer. "I wouldn't mind
a little personal attention from someone like you. And I do have a lot
to learn." A little more quietly he added though his stomach seemed to
have become the home for some very active vtoles, "I'm a quick study."

"I bet you are," she said. "How about you come and find me after supper? We
could work on a 'study' programme."

He swallowed and nodded. The smile didn't leave his face as he turned
back to oiling the pretty green. Right then she was the most beautiful
dragon in the whole of Pern.

Last updated on the February 6th 2013

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