How Dirty Boys Get Clean

[tealah]

The Weyrleaders' weyr had its own bathing pool. If he were Weyrleader, he wouldn't have to come all the way down here to scrub off the dirt of training.

Oh yes, Rayth's deep voice chuckled sardonically, I'm sure that's why you care so much about being in charge. More convenient bathing spots.

Far away from where Rayth was sunning himself, in the warmth of the bathing cavern, D'ak was working on removing his dusty, work-stained shirt. "Hush, dragon," he murmured aloud as he stopped to inspect a particular nasty bruise he'd managed to acquire during drills, which was even now beginning to blossom into a spectacular purple color. Carrying his shirt and boots he padded barefoot and bare-chested across to one of the pools. Always one to be correct in everything, he took the time to neatly place down each item, then once he'd divested himself of his trousers, placed it neatly down with them, before he lowered himself into the pool.

And then barely bit back a groan as aching muscles screamed at the movement. As it was, he winced at the painful twinge from his left arm. Very, very sorry, Rayth, who'd been following D'ak's thoughts, sighed apologetically. The arm had been wrenched when he'd preformed an unexpectedly sharp maneuver showing off for the pretty green he'd noticed watching him.

D'ak closed his eyes. I'm fine, Rayth. I just had some ill-luck today. He had been a little off during drills, probably in part because of the watch-dragon duties he was still pulling as a result of his encounter with the Weyrleader. Sharding bronzer. D'ak would probably have ended up with a couple more days of watch duty for Rayth's fool stunt had not his bad luck broken enough that A'dion hadn't seen them break ranks - probably. D'ak's fingers twitched just the slightest bit, the tiny ripples sent out by the movement betraying his sudden urge to curl them into a fist. Sharding bronzer.

[brete]

She could have sworn the kitchen girl had told her the place to bathe was down here somewhere, thought Brete as she wandered down. Turning a corner to see the pools she smiled happily, her almond shaped eyes crinkling in relief, that is until she saw the naked man in the water. Dropping he basket of things loudly she gasped, covered her eyes, and turned around. Face buried in her hands and long black hair hanging loosely about her shoulders she couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Still with her back turned she swallowed the laughter and tried to apologize.

"I'm so sorry I was told this is where I was to come for a bath. I...I didn't know a...a man would be here." at this she burst out laughing again. It was just so ridiculous that it had shocked the sensible right out of the woman. Her slender shoulders shook with her mirth as she tried to gather her things up without turning around. This was just so ridiculously horrible that she couldn't help herself the poor girl. "I'm sorry I don't mean to laugh it's just....'giggles' this is just so odd and rides the line of my luck these days. I have a sinking feeling someone is having a joke on my account. Pick on the new girl sort of thing." With that being said she picked up the last of her things and put them in the basket. Making ready to beat a hasty retreat she caught site of her brush, it of course was right next to the pool the man was in. Sighing and shaking her head she was just going to leave it and count her losses. Though it was the lovely thing her mother had gotten for her last birthday. What else could she do after all? She couldn't very well approach a naked man, and from what she saw a well built and probably attractive one at that.

"I'm so sorry to have barged in on you like this. I'll have to make sure whoever I ask next time has a bit more authority....well maybe it would be better to say someone with a sense of responsibility." Biting her dusky pink lip she turned her head only slightly to the side so as to give him a view of her face. "Just so I'm not the only one who feels awkward when we meet next...here is a fair view of my face. Maybe we can have good laugh about this sometime soon." she said while gaining a bit of her confidence back.

[tealah]

With his eyes closed as he let the heat seep into abused muscles, D'ak couldn't see anyone enter the cavern. Still, if he hadn't been lost in his brooding thoughts he would have heard the footsteps. Should have heard them anyway. Either way, he had no idea he was no longer alone until he heard the clatter of something being dropped, and a woman gasping. His eyes flew open.

A young woman was standing there with her back turned and her eyes covered. And... laughing. D'ak remained stonily silent through her giggled apologies, despite Rayth chiding him in the back of his mind to be polite and talk to her. Something about someone playing a joke on her. It occurred to D'ak to wonder if she assumed the joke was for someone sending her in to bath with a naked man in general, or with him specifically. Was he to be the brunt of jokes now?

Don't be silly, D'ak, Rayth said sharply. Of course she didn't mean that. Don't go paranoid on me. And for goodness sake, stop being so rude and talk to her.

Mentally waving Rayth away, D'ak turned his dark eyes back to the girl. She'd packed up her dropped basket, but seemed to be hesitating. What was she looking for...? Ah. He caught sight of the brush. That must be what she was looking for. Afraid to come closer to him, was she? He reached out to pick up the brush, intending to return it, before it occurred to him that perhaps getting out of the pool to give it to her would embarrass her further. Hm.

"There's no reason to feel awkward at all," he said stiffly, holding out the brush without standing up, though he twitched in pain as it was his injured arm he'd picked it up with. "You must be holdbred? We weyrfolk do not have such inhibitions as they do - whoever sent you here was correct to do so. These caverns are for everyone's use. You may feel free to join me if you wish. Or," he added when Rayth hissed worriedly about the possible perceived impropriety, "I could turn my back so that you may use another of the pools. I have no preference myself."

And indeed his voice and face displayed no feelings one way or the other. She was a sweet-looking young woman, to be sure, but the last thing D'ak wanted was a complicated relationship, which with a holdbred girl it would no doubt be, so it wasn't like it would matter if she shared a pool with him or not - the result would be the same either way. He'd only spoken so much because he could tell how much it embarrassed her; no doubt a terse 'these are the only bathing pools' would have made her feel worse. It was only Rayth's feelings on the matter that had compelled him to an explanation.

She's pretty for a human though, isn't she? Rayth, always the lady's man, observed nonchalantly. Exotic eyes. You're thinking it, I can tell.

D'ak resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the absent dragon, and felt Rayth's rumbling chuckle in return.

[brete]

Hearing the tone of voice he used pricked at Brete's pride. The way he said it you'd think that Hold bred were backwards country folk. That rankled her a bit. After all Harpers were some of the most respected people on Pern. They were the ones that taught him so wouldn't that mean they were just as high standing. Hearing him stand to get out of the water Brete decided to pluck the nerve and show him that even a little holdbred girl could rise to the occasion, just because she had never seen a naked male didn't mean she wasn't able to comport herself admirably. Turning to face him and take her brush back, cheeks pink and eyes blazing, she had to fight hard not to look away. Lifting her chin high enough to be confident but not cocky.

"We holderbred may not have common baths but that is no reason for you to be so stiff. I'm sorry if I offended you I was merely caught off guard. My mother taught me to always respect someones privacy. However, if you are fine with sharing a bathing cavern then so be it. I will just have to learn to adapt I guess." she said in her softly lilting voice. It was strange that each emotion she had had a different musicality added to her voice. It must have been the years as a singer in the Harper hall. She was putting on a fairly good show of confidence though.

Even Brete would have to admit though that seeing a man naked for the first time was a bit nerve wrecking. Were they all built like that? She honestly couldn't see that being so when some looked wholly different clothed. A bit of the shyness could be seen in her flaming eyes to the perceptive observer. Taking the brush from him she wondered why his arm was being held the way it was. To her, someone who had helped the hold healer, it looked as if it might hurt. She was tempted to say something but resisted though the concern flashed through her face for a moment. This proud man would probably think she was hitting on him.

"I'll take a nearby pool, I will try not to disturb you too much. Thank you for giving me back the brush...it was a gift from my mother. I'm the new candidate Brete in case you were curious. If you get bored and want to chat feel free." with that she walked over to the nearest pool and set up her things slowly, hoping her would get back in his own pool. She would not hesitate though her pride was up and she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her nerves. Taking her things off and letting her long dark hair fall down her back smoothly she stepped into the hot water with a sigh. Despite the fact that there was a man a few feet away from her she could still appreciate the warmth. It had been a long day and she was flat out tired physically and emotionally.

[tealah]

It was only through habit and strength of will that D'ak kept his eyebrows from climbing right up off his face in surprise. Well now. The little interaction they'd had so far hadn't led him to expect the young woman to display such a quick temper. And over a simple misunderstanding too.

How could she help but misunderstand, when you don't make it clear what you're feeling? You could be furious right now for all she might know, Rayth pointed out reasonably. At least you didn't scare the poor girl. Tell her you're sorry.

D'ak chose to ignore the nosy black's advice. "Ah," he contented himself with in response to her little speech. Not many holdbred would be able to meet his eyes with only a blush after being so unexpectedly confronted with the Weyr's liberal ways. Despite her confident act, D'ak would be willing to bet she wasn't as comfortable as she appeared.

He caught the look of concern on her face as she took the brush, and was quick to drop his arm back down. He didn't need to be fussed over by this girl, or any girl for that matter. A little heat and some rest, that's all his battered body needed. D'ak sank back into the water and watched her impassively.

D'ak! Rayth scolded, scandalized not by D'ak's appreciative male thoughts as much as the rudeness his rider was displaying. "Ah" is not a proper response. Do be nice.

Rayth might not have been hypocritical enough to correct him - after all, how many female dragons did he chase? - but D'ak still made it a point not to watch as the young woman declothed and lowered herself into another pool. "I'm not disturbed by your presence." At least, not any more than any hot-blooded male in the presence of a female. "My name is D'ak. I ride black Rayth. No doubt he will make it a point to introduce himself to you now that he knows you're a candidate. He's very fond of women, particularly ones likely to Impress to a dragon he can chase."

Don't be so crude, Rayth protested indignantly in D'ak's mind. All ladies deserve to be treated with respect regardless of species. Something you have yet to learn, rider of mine. She probably thinks you're flirting with her, poor girl.

Oh, quiet. You know as well as I do that what I said is the truth. Your mind is on one thing only. If D'ak had ever used that teasing tone aloud anyone who knew him in the least would have been shocked speechless, but Rayth just sniffed disdainfully.

[brete]

Why was she being so harsh? Wouldn't she also react the way he had if someone had walked in on her bathing and then laughed hysterically. Sighing heavily she sank deeper in the water. Could she be more embarrassed? How the shell could she get out of this situation and keep herself from looking like an idiot? He obviously found her obnoxious and backward. There really wasn't much she could do to remedy the misunderstanding, she had a bad feeling that talking to him would only give him more reason to mock her or speak coldly. Brete being Brete though she knew she would say something so she quickly tried to think of things to say that weren't awkward. This was a dragon rider after all she could learn from him.

"Look...I'm...I'm sorry for snapping, this is an awkward situation for me. I've never...um...well..been around a naked man. You were kind of intimidating." pausing she thought that might have sounded badly so she quickly added. "Not to say you are...well I don't know maybe you are..." here she sighed. "..again I stick my foot in my mouth. Do you mind talking while we are both in here...I know you probably are tired or would rather ignore the silly holder girl but ...well this is my first time talking to someone who rides a black and I have always wanted to see one or talk to a rider of one. Ever since I saw one fly over the harper hall I've been fascinated by them. I mean they are so streamline and, though my mother says it's silly to say a male dragon is beautiful, I think they are very much so. Though I think all dragons are, but there is something amazingly smooth about black. I used to think it would be nice to ride a gold or Grey if I could see them with a black." here she gasped and covered her face with her hands. Now wasn't that a stupid thing to say? Now she was sure he was going to be even more turned away from her as a new candidate. Why was she even doing this? This was the cool collected Brete and you put her in a weyr and she lost it. Maybe it was her knowing her surroundings and being the top of her bracket that made her so calm and respected. She was going to have to get things together soon or she would never be able to face another person here.

[tealah]

"Think nothing of it," D'ak said quietly in reassurance to her stuttered apologies. He slipped further down into the water, letting the heat do it's work on his knotted muscles. "You are not silly to wish to speak with me - you are a candidate, are you not? I do not mind."

Though 'speak with' was probably a misnomer, since he spent several moments silently just breathing in the mist from the bath. Don't fall asleep, rider of mine, Rayth warned him. That would be terribly rude.

D'ak was not, in fact, falling asleep, but his mind had drifted slightly. It didn't take much to recall what the girl had been saying, since Rayth was feeling rather pleased about it. Seems she was rather fond of Rayth's kind. "I do believe Rayth is beautiful, and he certainly does - " D'ak, I do believe you said something nice about me " - but he is not precisely... normal for a dragon," he added warningly. "So if you want to know what it is like for most blackriders, perhaps I am not the best source of information."

Rayth was still chuckling richly in his mind in response to her words about thinking Impressing gold or gray would be great if they were with a black, so D'ak had to mentally roll his eyes at the dragon. "I think Rayth would agree with you that blacks go well with golds and grays. But he is always lecherous, so that is no surprise."

[brete]

Intrigued and confused Brete slowly turned around making sure her body was under water and out of view. Resting her slender arms on the edge of the ground above the pool and letting her head sit on top of them she raised an eyebrow. How could he be truly different from other dragons. She knew they had their own personalities but to be 'not like the others' was a concept she wasn't sure about. Brete knew little about the differences possible in dragons. "Huh, I wonder what you could mean. Is he different mentally or physically? Not to be rude but no one has ever said that before about a dragon. I know that they are all vastly different personalities but...well it's just the first time hearing that." she said softly. She could see by the way that he was in the water that he must be tired. She often slipped down like that at the point of exhaustion as well. "Do they drill you both very hard recently? You are doing the bathing slouch. It's what my mother chided me about...whenever we'd have a long day making instruments, or with the voice master...let me tell you you'd never believe how physical voice lessons could be...I'd get in the bath and sink down. Though it seems as if you are a bit stiff to." she added in her soft lilting voice. The one she used whenever her mother was tired and she didn't want to grate on her nerves.

"Someday I hope to meet your dragon if you don't mind. I have a feeling he will be an interesting being to talk to....well that is if dragons would talk to me. I hear they sometimes do...hmmm" she added as she chewed her lower lip closing her eyes and letting her long lashes rest against her cheek. The heat from the water was seeping into her bones and letting out the cold of homesickness and loneliness she had felt lately. She would never let on to this of course but being in a place with no one who cared about you was difficult. It was like she was surrounded by all these people that didn't know she existed. Probably wouldn't know unless she impressed. "I hope I impress...everyone says it but I want that empty spot in my heart to be filled with someone who is never separated. I envy you that dragonrider. Your bonded is a part of your heart I know it...I'm not even bonded and I can feel it whenever I touch the eggs. Did you know the gold egg feels alive...like it's calling to me...calling to everyone ....anyone who will listen...she is searching like the rest of us. I think they all are as desperate as we are to find our soul mate." she said this almost as if she were singing a teaching ballad to him, so entranced by her own idea as she was that she didn't even really register that she was thinking aloud.

[tealah]

D'ak chose his words carefully, knowing that Rayth was listening in. The blemish had never bothered Rayth except that he hated to be seen hobbling around, but it did bother D'ak to see the looks of shock and pity on peoples' faces the first time they saw. No doubt Rayth would want to meet this girl eventually, even if it was only because she'd Impressed to some pretty green, and D'ak wanted to avoid that usual awkward scene. He hated pity.

"We believe Rayth was injured at some point in his development, while he was still an egg. He was hatched with a crippled foreleg."

He was glad enough for the change of subject - his face and voice might show little of the strain, but those first months after Rayth's hatching had been hard ones, not knowing if that would affect Rayth's flight, if he'd still be able to fully function as a dragon. They'd not doubted themselves, but it had never been a sure thing for anyone else.

"The bathing slouch." D'ak laughed shortly, the short of harsh chuckle one might give when they're unused to expressing amusement. "Dragonriding is hard work, every day. Today was simply ill luck catching up to me all at once."

And now the conversation had circled around to Impression. D'ak's face was impassive as he listened to her, but he couldn't help but feel a sharp twinge of sadness, remembering all those years of standing for hatchings and never Impressing. Until Rayth.

For a while he just listened to her lilting speech, until she trailed off. The cavern was quiet a moment. D'ak was uncharacteristically moved by her impassioned description of the gold egg. Rayth?

Yes, D'ak. There was a sense of 'movement' from the dragon's mind as he reached out.

Pretty Brete, you need only to ask to be spoken to. His voice rumbled into her mind with polite reserve, though he couldn't help but lavish compliments in that way of his. I do not have any ability to sense these things, but I trust our searchdragons. If they have said you are worthy to be a candidate, you are a very special person, dear smart Brete. I do not doubt there is a dragon waiting to hatch who is thinking of you.

A little more flowery than D'ak would have put it, perhaps, but that was Rayth. "The ever-poetic Rayth," D'ak murmured aloud in amusement.

[brete]

Pity was never something Brete openly gave, there were very few cases where she thought the person was so bad off that they needed pity more than understanding. So Rayth had a bit of a difference in his physical aspect, he was still able to fly right? Wasn't that all that matter? She would love her dragon even if the beauty was missing a wing. Brete got the feeling D'ak had to deal with a lot of sharding fools because of the fact.

"You know I wouldn't mind even if mine had a missing wing as long as she was mine and I was hers. Yours can fly, fight, and chase right? Therefore his abnormality just gives him more character, easier to remember. No one wants to be forgotten and now you never have to worry about that. I still think he is probably so beautiful it's almost painful. I saw the Queen and her face was so lovely." Brete said dreamily. She didn't think she would ever get over her shock and wonder of the beasts.

Not even thinking it was something to linger on Brete followed the conversation till he laughed, which made her laugh in turn. Her silver bell laugh reserved for shocked but nice surprises. "Dragonrider I do believe laughing isn't something you do in public much. Sad really, with practice you would have a husky laugh. I bet women would die to hear it....I mean ....you know... a nice laugh is not something to waste...neither is a good voice for that matter." she added quickly at the end. Jeez was she ever going to stop saying embarrassing things?

Quickly changing subjects Brete looked up at the cave roof. "I bet they work you even harder with thread approaching. I wonder what it will be like. It's very frightening I think, if I impress to a fighting dragon I'll be glad to fight but I still think I'll shake like a wet tunnel cat. Was it very hard to be a weyrling in training?"

While waiting for an answer Brete nearly jumped out of the water when Rayth spoke to her. A real live dragon was talking to her in her mind. Spluttering water she sat back up and tried to smile. "Good evening Rayth I'm so very honored that you have spoken to me. I never thought I would ever be so lucky. I'm so sorry if I have disturbed you and yours. As to being pretty...hmmm...not truly, exotic maybe. You must flatter the ladies with that smooth tongue of yours dragon. I bet the lady dragons find you the most wonderful thing there is!" She knew she sounded silly but how could one not when hit with such sweet words? "I truly hope you are right about the search dragons. I would love to fly with a bonded partner." What she didn't say but thought as secretly as she could, not sure if dragons could hear it, was how she would love to have a chase-able dragon and find a partner from that. There were tales of the love that could come from that. She was young enough still to crave male love.

[tealah]

D'ak nodded slowly to her words - yes, Rayth was certainly not an easily forgettable dragon, even if D'ak had been the sort of person to let them be forgotten. As for the candidate's words about dragon beauty... well, newcomers were always at least a little dazzled by the unusual creatures. He'd grown up in the weyr, the son and sibling of dragonriders and a candidate for so long that he'd long since lost that bedazzlement. It was interesting to see the dreams painted so obviously on Brete's face...

Her next words made him go coldly expressionless out of habit. "So I have been told," was all he said. And so he had - Arysa had often commented on his laugh, rare even when he had been with her.

My D'ak, Rayth sighed. She didn't mean it the same way your goldrider did. She was just being polite, I'm sure...

I know. D'ak didn't say more, simply couldn't find the words to express how the pain of the memory of his one love still had the power to affect him. He didn't have to. Rayth understood the hidden tangle of his emotions, and sent a wave of love.

Bolstered by his dragon, D'ak allowed himself to relax back into the water and answer her question, though his face remained expressionless. "Yes, weyrling training is hard. It must be, to prevent disaster when you fly in a wing. It is not without it's pleasures though. Even the smallest chores make you feel even closer to your partner. Watching your dragon progress from his first awkward flaps to gliding, to full flight, then riding him for the first time..." D'ak went silent again, sharing those moments in his mind with Rayth. He didn't mention the weyrling losses that always occurred. There was plenty of time for her to learn about that later. Let her keep her rosy outlook.

You have not disturbed either of us, Rayth assured the girl. Though privately he thought to himself that D'ak certainly needed disturbing. My rider may act like an icicle sometimes, but he is mostly harmless.

[brete]

Smiling at Rayth's comment Brete shook her head. Mostly harmless meant he was a bit cranky but a good guy usually. "It's okay Rayth I'm sure he just has to warm up to people he reminds me of a very close friend of mine back home. He is lucky to have such a nice dragon like you as his bonded." she thought sweetly. D'ak wasn't horrible he was just a bit hard on the edges. Brete was willing to bet with enough time and effort that D'ak might be a viable and loving partner to someone, if he chose to be. She was thinking just that as she came back to reality and realized she was still talking to D'ak.

His terse reply to her previous comment clued her in to let that go so she decided to focus more on the last statement. It would be so amazingly fun, and challenging to take care of a creature that grew fast enough to scare most people. Though she would admit she wasn't looking forward to more leather cleaning. She had done enough of that without the dragon. "I know it will bring it's own rewards and time with a dragon is more than worth the sweat and grime...but well...I'll just have to wait and see if I impress. I'll admit I've dreamed of riding a pretty gold, gray, and green. I can never make up my mind what I would suit best. I think, in all honesty, that once I impress I could care less if she were pink. Just to have that someone....would be more fulfilling than love...whatever that is." She attempted to laugh here as well but it came out a little flat. Brete was still unsure of love outside of family and friends. She had seen far too many people say they were and then fight, break apart, and destroy families. In all honesty it would have to be a brick to her head before she really believed it possible.

"My mother will be here soon, I wonder what she'll think about he shared bathing cavern, something tells me it will great fun to her. I think I'll have to search you out when she arrives, something tells me she'd find you very interesting." Brete grinned at him. His mother loved difficult characters and winning them over, not to mention she just loved a bit of fun. The shared bathing cavern would just be another fun thing for her to experience. It would be wonderful if they would allow her to teach at the weyr, but Brete knew that a master singer was not likely to do so.

"D'ak, what would one have to do in order to blend in her a bit more. I'm, as you can tell, scatter shelled with custom and etiquette here." Ducking under the water briefly so that her hair would fall down her back in a silky screen she sighed with the heat. "I will say, I'm going to love the heated waters very much. It will do wonders for my hands." She lifted them to show him the ink stained and calloused tips. She was constantly composing music and playing her instruments so they were the hands of the harper she was trained to be.

[tealah]

I'm glad she's not one of those girls who think you're a holdergirl-eating monster, Rayth observed to D'ak in amusement when she replied to him. I can't imagine what would give them that idea.

I do not go out of my way to scare people, D'ak protested. He "glared" at the dragon-presence in his mind. How is it my fault that they're silly enough to believe rumors?

Actually, I believe the rumors tend more towards you being... intriguing. Mysterious. Fuuun. Rayth snickered at the outrage reverberating from his rider.

Partly in an effort to ignore his horrible demon of a dragon, D'ak pulled his mind back to the candidate to admit, "When I was young and thought I would Impress my first time out, I was convinced that I would Impress bronze and nothing else. By the time I Impressed Rayth, I would have given anything just to have Impressed at all. I have always been glad that setting my sights lower brought me even greater reward."

Her mother sounds like someone you'd enjoy, Rayth snickered when Brete spoke of her enjoying the shared bathing cavern.

I'm sure I would, lizard, was his quick rejoiner. Someone with no qualms with a bit of fun, no strings.

"Blending in... that is a complicated question you ask." He contemplated the steam rising from the pools for a moment. "I suppose it depends on who you want to blend in with. No doubt you already blend in well with the other candidates. Not even the weyrbred candidates know everything, and I know there are many holdbred here."

He watched as she showed her hands. "They are good hands even without the heated water," he disagreed. "Hands that have seen and are not afraid of work, not a pampered hold daughter's hands. That will help you fit in more than any behavior."

[brete]

Her hands were nice? Boys always told her how ugly it was to have ink stained hands and finger tips that were so calloused from gitar work. Looking at D'ak curiously she tilted her head and started to drum her fingers in time to a song she didn't know her mind was still composing. Someone thought she had nice hands, how wonderful sweet. Granted he thought so because they were work rough but still it was better than being told how ugly she was all the time. These thoughts were loud in her mind, so loud that she blocked out the fact that she was doing that funny little hum she did when thinking. The musical little lilt. Snapping out of it she looked up and smiled. "Sorry that just got me thinking of old memories. They are a bit stained and rough. I was a few days away from walking the tables, or at least that is what my mother swears, as a composition harper. That and I did make a gitar that I love and play far more than is acceptable in most places, just ask the girls in the candidate cavern. But the strings roughen them...I've always like it to....soft hands make me think of hold daughters....rank obsessed wherry brains." Making an O of astonishment at her last remark she looked at him and smiled sheepishly. "That was a bit harsh. huh?"
Sighing she nodded at what D'ak said about fitting in. She was a candidate but at the same time she hadn't really made many connections in the weyr yet, but she wasn't about to complain again in front of this self possessed man. For some reason she wanted him to have a favorable opinion of her. Something told her he would be a good person to have on her side someday. Which again made her blush a bit as she realized what that might entail. Shaking her head mentally she brushed that off. There was no way someone like him would be interested, he had the aura of a guy who would be weyrleader someday or darn close to it. Someone that strong minded would be bound to find his way to the top if he could.

"Like I said, honestly I don't mind if I impress a pink dragon as long as I have someone to love like I'm told they do. Someone you can trust fully and care for without let down. It's amazing. I envy you dragonrider D'ak. I envy you your lovely Rayth. Too bad I'm not a boy, I think it'd be marvelous to ride a strong black. They look so agile and fierce! Though I think Rayth should also look dashing for a dragon...he sounds like he is a lady killer after all." She smiled mentally as well as physically just in case Rayth had been listening.

Thinking hard Brete took a breath and forged forward again. "I'm not trying to be rude or forward but...dragonrider...what made you so harsh at first? Was laughing all that bad here? Did I do something terribly rude or backward? Don't think wrongly, I see now that you are a bit rough but kind...at least I think so...it takes someone truly kind to talk to a stranger and not ignore them or make them feel like they are intruding. ...oh Faranth I'm killing this...I sound like a shell blasted holdbrat. I am simply trying to ask...I guess...if something is on your mind." she knew it was weird to ask but he did seem a bit to rough to not be upset about something truly. Also, her mother's number 4 rule to making friends was to try and help and listen when someone is hurting over something. D'ak seemed to be hurting.

[tealah]

"It is always good to have a dragonrider who is also harper trained," D'ak observed. "Especially one with the capability of writing new works. It is good for the morale of the Weyr in general, and the dragonriders in particular. The threat of Thread always weighs heavily." He gestured towards her hands. "The roughness is a badge of honor, nothing to be ashamed of."

Her continued insistence that she would be glad of a dragon no matter what color made him nod. "Keep that in mind when you're out on the sands and you'll do well. They say that a willingness to accept anything you Impress to will increase your likelihood to not be left standing. Hatchlings rarely Impress where they are not welcome, and not everyone can ride gold or bronze. And yes, Rayth is wonderful."

Aww, how sweet.

But what she said next made him withdraw again. "No, you did nothing wrong." And really she hadn't, the misunderstanding was not her fault. It was his. But the sudden sympathy she was starting to show him, the interest in his feelings, was making him wary. The conversation needed to end.

D'ak, Rayth complained as he sensed the direction his rider's thoughts were turning, but D'ak ignored him.

"I have stayed too long. It has been interesting to meet you, Brete." He paused a moment. To be considerate and to give her the chance to look away, he added, "I am going to get out now."

Then he pulled himself out of the bathing pool, ignoring the pained twinge from his muscles, and dressed quickly in the clean clothes he'd brought. "Good evening," he said politely, and was quickly gone from the cavern.