A quiet shuffling started in the right corner, and quickly spread throughout the contingent of dragon riders as Lord Fennell again stood to offer his opinion.

"But a boy cannot Impress a gold dragon!"

John, patient with the Holder's concerns until now, raised a weary hand to his head. "I think, Lord Fennell, that it is quite obvious that a boy already has Impressed a gold. You've been saying the same thing for several months now." He brought his hand down and met Fennell's eyes. "Rather than reiterating what can't happen, we should concern ourselves with what did." His quiet voice rang clearly throughout Fennell's meeting hall at Fort Hold.

Lord Fennell sputtered. "But it isn't natural!"

"What isn't?"

Lord Knox from Southern Boll stood. "That a boy should Impress the dragon that reproduces. The connection between dragon and rider is such that a rider feels what his dragon feels, correct?" Knox waited for confirmation from John before he continued. "So, by that logic, in a turn we'll have a boy going through the dragon equivalent of childbirth! That just isn't normal."

"I'm not saying it's normal. But it isn't wrong either."

Fennell jumped up again. "How can it not be wrong?"

Joseph, watching his Weyrleaders deal with the Holders gathered before them, felt a rush of violent anger sweep through him at Fennell's outburst. Narith bugled in protest from his position outside. Howard, his Wingleader, looked sharply at Joseph and hissed, "Control yourself."

Why are you so angry?

They're saying Justin and Ayleth are wrong.

How can it be wrong?

Joseph sighed. How to explain human prejudice to a dragon? I just don't know, Nary.

Joseph thought of the boy, standing on the Sands, waiting for a dragon to choose him. He thought of the look of joy when Ayleth knocked him over, the look of desperation as he fought to get back to his dragon. And he thought of the scared, shaken boy stumbling off to the weyrling quarters. Thought of the man that Justin was trying to become. Ayleth chose correctly.

"Does he know?" one of the minor holders asked.

"Know what?" Janet asked.

"About the mating flight?" the holder said with a smirk.

Janet and John exchanged glances. "Well, not yet," John answered. "There hasn't been time."

"Time? It's been six months!"

"And he's got another turn before it's going to matter! We've had this discussion before. Green riders go through the same thing when their dragons rise. We will handle it the same way."

Fennell stood again, and Joseph bit back a groan. "You cannot expect a Hold-bred boy to react the same way to such a circumstance as one of your Weyr-bred boys." Fennell's face twisted up in a grimace at the thought.

"The matter will be dealt with when we feel it is necessary. We have ways around this act. Ways that we have discussed before."

"It doesn't matter that we have discussed them before. You have not yet discussed them with him."

Narith distracted him from any answer his Weyrleader might have made. We must go.

Joseph's head snapped up and he glanced toward Howard, who looked back at him. "Go," the other rider mouthed, and Joseph stood and moved to the door. What's wrong?

Ayleth says they need us. Levath knows and told John.

Ayleth needed them, which meant Justin needed them. Joseph strode quickly outside to where his dragon waited for him in the courtyard. If John knew, he had permission to leave, or Levath would have stopped Narith. Narith pushed off from the ground and winked Between.

Justin watched his dragon as she flew above the small herd of runner beasts. She was only six months old, but she was easily larger than one of the beasts she chased around the fenced in grounds. This is fun, she said as she chose one from the running herd. She picked it up in her powerful claws and carried it away from the others, outside the fence, where she killed and ate the animal.

"She's going to want to nap when she's done," Jessica said from beside him. Jessica, the rider assigned to train him and his dragon, sent her queen, Nemoth, aloft to eat as well.

Justin nodded at the blonde woman. "How often will she have to feed?"

"As she grows, it will be more often, but once she reaches maturity, about once every other week. Right now, just let her eat when she's hungry. You'll know, believe me."

Justin laughed, remembering the gnawing hunger pains at Ayleth's hatching. "Yeah, I'll know."

I'm sleepy.

Justin turned to where his dragon staggered toward him. I am very full.

I can tell. Go up on the Heights and spread out in the sun.

Ayleth pushed off the ground and beat her powerful wings to fly up to the fire heights above the Weyr.

Jessica touched Justin's sleeve, drawing his attention from the flight of his dragon. "Nemoth and I are going to our weyr. See if Honora needs any help in the kitchen cavern."

"Okay." Justin watched Jessica climb onto Nemoth, envious of her ability to fly her dragon. He eagerly anticipated the day that he and Ayleth would get to fly together.

He crossed the field between the feeding grounds and the Weyr Bowl and entered the caves that would lead to the kitchen cavern. He could easily navigate the tunnels now, and laughed at himself and Lance for getting lost so many times earlier. He passed by a section of tunnel not often used, and barely registered the hand reaching out from the blackness of the cave before it caught his tunic and pulled him inside.

"Thought you were rid of me, eh, boy?" Justin heard his father's voice in his ear seconds before a heavy fist caught him in the stomach. Breath left his lungs in a violent, rushing explosion of air and he doubled over, clutching his belly.

"Heard you got a dragon." Justin grunted a reply, and felt his father's hand connect with his cheek.

"Heard you couldn't even get the right kind of dragon. Heard you got a girl." Cullin's hand again connected with his cheek, but by that time Justin had regained his breath and was able to straighten, and the blow to his face didn't knock him over as Cullin expected it to.

"She's the right kind," Justin said. With the love of his dragon behind him, he raised his fist for the first time against his father, and plowed it into Cullin's face.

Cullin's head snapped back but he didn't stumble. Shock was apparent on his face as he brought his head back around to stare at Justin, who was shocked himself. Justin took the opportunity to turn and run out of the cave, heading for the daylight at the end of the tunnel. He was faster than Cullin, so could easily out distance him.

Ayleth! He knew his dragon would sleep for hours, needed to sleep after feeding, but he had to try. He couldn't face his father alone.

Justin? He could feel the hazy thought of his dragon, trying to force herself to consciousness as she felt the whirling anxiety in her mate's mind.

Ayleth! Come down! He no sooner finished the thought than he watched his dragon alight from the heights and swoop down to his position. She touched the ground just as his father burst from the cave. She felt Justin's fear at the other man's arrival and hissed at him, her eyes swirling red with her anger.

Cullin, not taking heed of the dragon, ran at Justin, fists clenched and teeth bared in anger. His right fist grazed Justin's chin before his whole body was thrown back against the wall of the Weyr, wounds from Ayleth's claw drawing blood from his chest. His head smacked against the stone outcropping and he fell to the ground, unconscious or dead, neither of which Justin was willing to determine.

Ayleth began to move toward the crumpled figure on the ground, eyes still swirling red. Ayleth, no.

But he hurt you.

It's done now. He'll go away and never come back.

Ayleth snorted assent. She was still small enough to bump her head against him, and she did, asking for reassurance as her eyes slowly turned blue. Once she was sufficiently calm, she grew tired again, and Justin remembered that he'd interrupted her nap. He sent her back up to the fire heights and waited until he felt her fall asleep before he started crying. He crumpled to the ground next to his father, and didn't see, through his haze of tears, a figure approaching. Didn't realize that Joseph crouched next to him until he felt a warm hand on his knee.

"Justin?" Joseph's soft voice said into his ear.

Justin threw himself toward the voice, wrapping his arms around Joseph's neck. Joseph easily caught the smaller body and settled himself onto the ground, preparing to wait out the storm of tears. He wrapped his own arms around Justin, stroking his back, pressing his lips into Justin's hair as he crooned to the younger man.

The tears stopped as quickly as they'd come, and soon Justin only sniffled occasionally into Joseph's tunic. "What happened?" Joseph asked.

Justin sat back, pulling his arms from around Joseph's neck, and jerked his head back to indicate his father. "He came."

Joseph looked over Justin's head toward the mangled heap beside him. "Who took care of him?"

Justin laughed as he swiped a hand across his face, catching stray tears. "Ayleth."

"She called Narith as well."

"Why?"

"Ask her."

Justin shook his head. "Can't, she's sleeping."

She said only that Justin needed you.

"What did Narith say?"

"That you needed me. Did you?"

Justin looked back at his father, still lying on the ground. Joseph knew that Ayleth had taken care of him. Joseph would know, if Justin answered affirmatively, that Justin needed him for this, for comfort, and not for defending him from his father.

Justin swung his eyes back around to Joseph's, then dropped them at the understanding patience evident there. He concentrated instead on his hands, knotted in his lap, while he nodded.

"Justin." Joseph's voice was unusually low and strangled and Justin looked up into the rider's face. Joseph's hand came up to cup Justin's tear-streaked cheek. He ran a warm, rough thumb over the blood staining the corner of Justin's mouth, evidence of his father's cruelty, before replacing his thumb with his lips.

Justin's breath shuddered out at the contact, then caught again when Joseph's mouth moved to cover his. Joseph caught Justin's hands in his and pulled them up around his neck, leaving them there while his went back around Justin's waist, pulling him closer. Justin's hands, free to roam, buried themselves in Joseph's hair, weaving in and out of the silky strands. He felt Joseph's tongue teasing the corner of his mouth and was about to open for him when Joseph suddenly pulled back, looking over Justin's shoulder to the unconscious figure of his father.

"Narith says that Cullin stirred."

Justin pulled his hands out of Joseph's hair and attempted to catch his breath before answering. "What are you going to do with him?"

Joseph pulled Justin closer to him in a warm embrace before he pulled both of them to their feet. "Narith and I will fly him over to the Infirmary. Can't fly him Between just now, because of his open wounds but I'm sure, after today, he won't bother you again."

Justin nodded up at Joseph, his eyes straying to the rider's moist lips before he pulled them upwards to Joseph's eyes. He was surprised to find he didn't have to look up as far as he used to. The rider met his gaze with laughter and warmth in his eyes. "This is… all right with you, isn't it?" he asked.

Justin nodded, smiling. Joseph laughed and hugged him again, catching his lips in a small kiss before he released Justin and turned to Cullin, who was currently struggling into consciousness. "We'll take him and be back shortly."

Justin watched Joseph swing his father onto Narith's neck, watched the huge dragon push off from the ground and beat his massive wings to gain altitude for the short trip across the Bowl floor.

Justin lined up with the other weyrlings on the far end of the Weyr Bowl. The day Chris had been promising them had finally arrived, and they would get to fly their dragons for the first time. Ayleth stood next to him at the front of the group. She'd reached full size at a year old, and he barely reached her knee now. She was far too big to nudge her head against him as she used to, but she still did it from time to time anyway.

We fly today! Ayleth said. Justin had trouble deciding which of them was more excited that this day had finally arrived.

You've been flying.

But not with you.

Justin smiled at the thought that his dragon would make such a distinction. Today, my friend.

Yes!

Chris, the Weyrlingmaster, stepped in front of the group. There were only six of them in this group: Justin, Lance and Samarth, Jacob and Luth, and three boys that Justin didn't know well.

Beth, Halth, and Kayleth, Ayleth supplied.

Thanks.

Chris's voice broke into their conversation. "Your dragons will know what to do, try not to mess them up. Just remember what we've been drilling into your heads this past year, and you'll be fine. Mount up!"

Justin turned to Ayleth, and she lowered her head enough that he could get on. Rahleth tells us good luck.

Tell him 'thank you.'

I did. He watches us.

Rahleth?

No, Narith.

Once he was firmly seated on Ayleth's neck, Justin whipped his head around, looking for the dragon. He saw Narith's head and neck stuck out from the fire heights. He followed a direct path down from Narith's position and saw Joseph, in the shadows of the Heights, leaning against the Weyr wall.

When Joseph realized that Justin spotted him, he raised an arm in greeting. Justin nodded in return. He felt nervous now with the need to impress the rider.

"Everyone on?" Chris's voice broke into Justin's distraction, bringing his attention back to the task at hand.

All the weyrlings raised their arms in response, showing Chris that they were ready.

Justin lowered his hand and kept his eyes on Chris, watching for the signal. Chris finally raised a closed fist, indicating that they should rise.

"Let's fly, Ayleth!" Justin called to his dragon.

He felt her muscles bunch beneath him, turned his head to watch her wings take the first down sweep before she leapt from the ground. His head snapped back and he reached for the neck ridge in front of him as her wing strokes carried them upward, past the fire heights and the watch dragon until the Weyr itself was a mere speck.

Grip tighter.

I don't want to hurt you.

You couldn't.

Justin tightened his knees around her neck and looked around him, then down at his dragon.

"We're flying!" he yelled, and heard answering calls from the other boys around him.

Yes.

The experience was so different from those previous. He'd never had this connection before, never felt such an intense love and pride in the dragon under him. He'd never felt so much a part of the process.

The nature of their link allowed him to feel her excitement as well. It is better with you.

His pride and love threatened to overwhelm him.

Rahleth says we must go back. I must not strain myself on my first time.

Better listen then.

But I could carry you forever!

Justin grinned at his dragon's boast and reached down a hand to stoke the smooth hide on Ayleth's neck. Time to go back. We can come up again tomorrow.

Ayleth flew back, glided into a landing on the Weyr Bowl floor. The other weyrlings followed and glided into landings behind him.

Chris's smile encompassed the whole group. "Excellent!" he said. "You'll fly more each day until you'll be ready to fly the length and breadth of Pern. Dismount!"

Justin climbed off Ayleth and sent her aloft to the fire heights. He approached Joseph, who still stood in the same spot against the stonewall, the smile on his face meant only for Justin.

"Hello!" Joseph said as he pulled Justin's arm and flipped him around, pressing Justin up against the wall behind him. "That was the best first landing I've seen," he whispered into Justin's ear, making the comment a suggestion, a seduction as he brought his arms down Justin's side.

Justin watched over Joseph's shoulder as the other new riders dispersed, Chris and Lance toward the rider's weyrs, and the others to the weyrling dormitories. He tilted his head to the side so Joseph could reach his neck and shivered as the other man trailed moist kisses across his warm skin. "Thanks," Justin whispered in his ear, arching his back to press himself closer to Joseph.

"Welcome," was muttered against the underside of his chin before he cut any more meaningless conversation by covering Justin's mouth with his.

Justin brought his hands up from Joseph's neck to bury them in his hair, weaving in and out of the dark strands as he had so many times before, since the first time that Joseph kissed him. They always stopped at kissing, but Justin noticed that it got harder and harder each time.

An eager tongue pushed against Justin's lips, and he opened for the older man, pressed his tongue in return, twining the two together. Joseph moaned low in his throat, pressing tighter against Justin, pushing him tighter against the wall at his back. Justin rocked his hips against Joseph's and widened his stance, allowing Joseph to slip in between his legs.

The older rider groaned at the deepened contact; the low sound vibrated into Justin's mouth, echoed in his own chest. Joseph allowed the contact for a few brief moments, and then pulled back. "Not here," he said, pushing himself off the wall, away from Justin.

Justin leaned back, breathing deeply through his mouth to catch his breath. "I have to go anyway. It's my day to scrub the lunch pots."

Joseph nodded and reached out a hand to scrub through Justin's curls. "Better go then."

Justin smiled, and leaned in to place a light kiss on Joseph's mouth before he ran off to the mouth of the caves.

The weyrlings became riders and moved into their own weyrs with the rest of Fort. Chris trained the fighting dragons in small formations, teaching them the mechanics of flying with a fighting wing. He devoted a lot of time to this training, as a rider's sure knowledge of where each dragon would be during Thread fall was absolutely essential. He spent an entire month teaching them to go Between.

Justin didn't join them for any of this as Jessica taught him what he would need to know. He would fly with the queen's wing when Thread came again, but not for the first several falls. Those would be spent on the ground with Honora, helping the injured.

Joseph stood behind Howard in John's weyr. Levath slept on the ledge outside, the great dragon's chest moving up and down with his individual breaths. John had a stack of charts spread on the table before him, and he referred to them often as he spoke.

"Thread will fall first over the farm holds to the south of Ruatha Hold. It will be a light day, a short fall. Howard, your wing and Kevin's wing can handle that."

Kevin, who stood across the table from Howard, nodded. "Which direction will it fall from?"

John consulted the chart. "The east."

Both wingleaders nodded again, and left the weyr. Joseph moved to follow, but was stopped by John's call, "Joseph."

He turned.

"I know you have a rapport with Justin."

Joseph nodded.

"I also know that it's a bit more than a rapport. More like a relationship."

"Yes."

John stepped from around the table. "Joseph, I want Narith to be the one to fly Ayleth. But I'm going to open the flight."

"Why?"

"Because she's the first queen ever to choose a boy! She's obviously different, obviously special. She needs to be given every opportunity she can. I don't want to limit her."

Joseph's face betrayed no reaction, though his hand flinched. John noted the small movement. "I'm sorry, but I have to do it this way. I can't close this flight. It's too important."

Joseph didn't reply. "Damn it, Joseph. Say something."

"You needn't explain yourself to me, John." Joseph's voice was tight.

John sighed. "I know. Just, fly your best. I know you can."

Joseph nodded.

"I want you to be the one to explain the flight to Justin. I think hearing it from Jessica would only scare him. He trusts you. You're the only one he's trusted since coming here."

"He's had good reason to be wary."

"Yes, his father." John leaned against the table behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. "He hasn't been back, has he?"

"No."

"Good." John rose and paced behind the table. "Don't tell him yet," he said, going back to the subject at hand. "I'd like to put it off as much as possible. Don't want him to worry needlessly."

Joseph nodded. When John didn't reply for a while, Joseph asked, "Are we finished?"

At John's distracted nod, Joseph turned and left his leader's weyr.

[next]

for Allen

[back to index] [back to fic] [back to main] [got feedback?]