Bathtime Socialization

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 17th July 2014

Characters: Riveenata, F'lin
Description: Riven and F'lin catch up while bathing their dragons.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 7, day 21 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: H'vack

F'lin was up early, as was his habit, even on a rest day. The bronzerider
stretched and savored the idea of a whole day to himself. No drills, no studying
charts, no cleaning gear or repairing straps... he was free to do whatever he wanted
to do. And that was a beautiful thing.

And what he realized he wanted to do was go visit Riven in the Weyrling
barracks. A quick check to see the angle of the sun meant that she was likely bathing
Savith at the Weyrlake. **Well?** he asked Seneth. **Want to go see your favourite
dragonet?**

}:I only know one dragonet, which means that she cannot be my favourite,:{
Seneth replied.

**Except you only know one, which means that by default she _has_ to be your
favourite.** F'lin grabbed the minimum straps he needed to not fall off
while his dragon puzzled that comment out, and quickly changed into his bathing
suit. A moment later they were soaring over the sleepy Weyr. He could see the dragonets
in the lake, which was a good sign, and easily spotted Riven and her green toward
the end of the beach. Seneth saw where he was looking and winged to a gentle
landing beside the pair. "Hey there, mind a bit of company?" F'lin called as he dismounted.

A shadow moved and wings made sound, and Riven looked up to see the bronze
land gracefully near them.

}:Hello, Seneth,:{ the green dragonet said, turning her whole body around
to look at the bronze and splashing her rider in the process.

"Hey!" Riven spluttered.

}:Sorry.:{ But Savith didn't sound that contrite.

"Not at all!" she answered F'lin. "I like company when it's the inevitable
bath time. I would say that there's a lot of her to scrub, but compared to
your handsome man..."

"Tell me about it." F'lin pulled the straps off and hung them over a
convenient tree, then followed his dragon into the water. The bronze stepped lightly,
but even so sent large ripples to lap at Riven and Savith. "Thankfully it's more of
a soak today since it's not Threadfall. You'd think that dragonmen earn their
burly biceps from tossing firestone, but no, it's actually scrubbing acres of dragonhide."

Seneth, meanwhile, had dipped his head to look at the tiny green. }:You
have grown larger,:{ he told her. }:You grow faster than I expected.:{

"I'm pretty sure it has to be that. My arms hurt all the time from all the
drills. I was _not_ ready for this," she confessed.

}:I will be very large when I am done, you watch,:{ she told Seneth with
confidence.

}:I will always be bigger than you,:{ Seneth replied. He stretched his
wings for emphasis, casting a wide shadow across both Savith and her rider.

F'lin laughed and smacked his dragon's elbow. "Quit showing off. And you're
ready, Riven. It's just hard. How are you holding up so far?"

"I had to get an extra lesson from H'vack in keeping us separate. She's so
strong-willed," Riven said after a moment. "Besides that, I think I'm
doing alright. Tired."

He nodded in understanding. The first few weeks he and Seneth spent
together were a blur of exhaustion. The Weyrling schedule was grueling. "It'll get
better. I promise."

"I sure hope so. At least I'm not having trouble with ground drills. But
she gets restless. It'll be good when they're involved."

"Yeah. Seneth much preferred being involved too." But his dragon was a
little more serious, and better than most at thinking things through. F'lin tipped his
head to one side as he looked at the little dragon. "Want a hand washing her? Save
your arms a little?"

"If you don't mind, that would help."

}:Your rider can touch me,:{ Savith told Seneth and her rider at once.

"She seems okay with it," Riven says with a laugh.

}:What about me?:{ Seneth asked his rider plaintively.

**Little green dragons come first. Don't you think?** F'lin picked up the
scrub brush that Riven tossed to him -- and that he'd missed catching -- and
waded toward the little green.

}:Yes, I agree,:{ Seneth said after a moment. }:So I will wait, and watch.:{

Washing a green was going to take a heartbeat compared to scrubbing up a
bronze. "All right. I'm used to washing Seneth, and his hide's a lot less delicate
than yours. Make sure you tell your rider if I scrub too hard, all right
Savith?" He held up the brush, then when Riven gave him a nod he stole some sweetsand from
the healer and began to scrub at the base of the green's left wing.

Savith craned her head to look at F'lin, then back at Seneth. }:Your rider
is very generous,:{ she said approvingly.

Seneth rumbled approvingly.

"I'm amazed at how much he charms her. She's actually respectful, and not
being challenging like she does with some of her clutch mates. She's gonna
run herd over them," she muttered.

}:It is not their fault I am right.:{

F'lin shrugged. "If she's good with Seneth, that's a good sign -- it
means that she respects _some_ dragons, instead of none. I'm sure she'll learn to respect
her clutchmates as they all get older and start having to work together. And
really, just look at him." He paused to look over his shoulder at the bronze,
who blinked sleepily back. "How could you not be charmed?"

"That's an excellent point. See, you have leadership skills," she said
with a grin. "I think she just wants us to be a group leader and rule them
all."

He laughed. "She sounds like a gold in disguise."

A small part of her wondered about being a goldrider - of course, all
girls did at one point, right? But if she thought Savith was hard enough
to handle now...

"Noo, thank you," she said with a grin.

"Maybe we could find some paint..."

}:Why would you make me dirtier?:{ Savith huffed, waving a wing in
irritation and splashing them.

"It was a joke!" she protested. "I don't think she has a sense of humor.
We're washing you, I swear."

}:You are better green,:{ Seneth said soothingly. }:My rider is
sometimes not smart. Your hide is beautiful.:{

F'lin was laughing, however, as he wiped lakewater from his eyes.
"Neither does Seneth. And we're almost done, Savith. I promised to
make you clean, not dirty."

"I don't think she likes your sense of humor, but she appreciates
Seneth," Riven said.

Her green had let out a soft noise at Seneth's mollification. }:Thank you.:{

"Nobody appreciates me." The bronzerider stuck his bottom lip out in a
pout as he ran the scrub brush down Savith's foreleg. "At least my
dragon is winning me points."

"I appreciate you," she said with a grin, her mind briefly flashing on
just how muc-

Savith nudged her rider with the tip of her tail. }:I don't understand.:{

**You will eventually.**

"Sorry, she needs to know everything," she said with a half-shrug.

F'lin smiled, a little bemused. He'd only been privvy to half the conversation,
although he remembered many of his clutchmates holding similar one-sided
talks with their dragons. "It's all right. Growing minds and all that. And I
think..." the bronzerider stepped back to examine the little green. "I think Savith is
done."

"You are the best helper." She let the brush drop to hug him. "She looks
really good, and my arms appreciate the rest." Of course, she'd have to do
it all over again later.

Savith let out a little croon, mollified by the pride she felt from her
rider.

}:Thank you for lending me your rider's help,:{ she told Seneth after a
firm mental nudge from Riven.

}:Of course. Yours has helped mine many times,:{ the bronze replied. And
perhaps would again. After all, Savith was still very small.

Savith felt a bit startled at the idea that her rider had washed another
dragon, but then she got the memory from Riven that it had been many Turns
before Savith was around and when she had known Seneth. And that must be
how her rider learned to be perfect at this.

}:It is okay if our riders help each other any time.:{ she decided firmly.

}:I agree,:{ Seneth echoed.

Last updated on the July 29th 2014

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Bathtime Socialization