Ghoulies
Rhodya has a curious experience the first time Gedroth goes from gliding to full flight. That's because it's a bad dream.
Rhodya-Gedroth felt her heart surge with joy as he took to the sky, his broad wings cupping the air. They felt the currents rise warmly beneath them, knew a flash of joy as the once invisible forces became known quantities they could harness in flight. They thrilled in the freedom of the sky.
But Gedroth beat his wings to soar higher, and Rhodya found herself suddenly left behind on the ground. She waved her arms after him, shouting at the top of her lungs. "You can't fly yet! You're only allowed to glide!"
But I have wings, her brown told her as he continued to rise away. I know how to fly.
"Weyrling, you must bring your dragon back to the ground." Jantha pinned her with a stern, expectant glance. Gedroth was not too far away so Rhodya leapt after him, getting close enough that he could still hear.
"Gedroth! Get back here!" But he didn't respond.
"Weyrling, I am waiting. Tell him to land."
"But he can't hear me anymore. He's too high up."
"Tell him in your head, then!" Jantha snapped.
Rhodya quailed. She felt stupid for not thinking of that. She reached inside to contact Gedroth... and realized she had forgotten how to do it.
Jantha stared impatiently. "Well, what's wrong now?"
In a panic, trying to prevent Jantha from noticing her failure, she took out her scepter and waved it through the air in Gedroth's direction, hoping the distraction would buy her enough time to remember what she had to do. But the memory wouldn't come back, and she began to feel silly.
"You've forgotten how to talk to your dragon," Cirse remarked. The Weyrwoman was distantly amused. She didn't seem upset or surprised at all.
"I'll remember," Rhodya gasped, leaping after her brown again. If only she could jump a little higher! She was almost there!
Cirse shook her head. "That's a pity. I thought you were doing so well."
"Wait, don't go! Let me show you! When he comes back, we can do anything."
But it was too late. In place of the Weyrwoman there stood a tall, long legged woman with a floppy sunhat that hadn't quite shielded her face from developing a lot of big, brassy freckles. "Hi, Rhodya. I hear you're having trouble with your dragon."
Rhodya turned away from her mother. "What do you care?"
"Well, I've been a rider. I can tell you the secret."
"I'll figure it out myself. You've never looked after me."
"Aren't you the one who stopped looking for me?"
Rhodya looked. Her mother stood with her back to the wall, one leg braced up against it. She pointed at the stack of records in front of her, then flicked her hand as if it never mattered anyway.
"Well, I got busy. I have Gedroth and all."
"Nah, doesn't matter. Leave life to the living, you know?" Her mother yawned and shoved lazily off the wall. "I just thought I'd ask." She walked back to the records, shimmering more and more like a translucent ghost. She stretched her hand out to the topmost book.
"Wait!" Rhodya called her. Her mother looked curiously back over her shoulder. "If you don't mind, I would like to hear the secret." She felt sheepish. Ashamed.
Her mother only smiled. "Sure, Rhodya. It's-"
Time stretched like a bubble coming out of its hoop. And in the end, it popped.
- - -
She awoke on her cot in the weyrling barracks, listening to the snoring and rustling of the sleepers around her. Rhodya held herself motionless, hoping she could fool her mind into falling right back asleep. But her brain buzzed with activity, sorting the events of her dream into some kind of narrative. Jantha had been there, and Cirse, and her mother. They were going to tell her the secret about dragonriding. They were giving her a hard time about Gedroth.
As soon as his name ran through her mind, she felt a gush of acknowledgement pour through her senses like water released from a dam. He was awake!
Yes. I've been watching over you.
Watching over me?
You have bad dreams, Rho.
Everyone has bad dreams, baby. Ain't nothin' to worry yourself over.
I'm not worried. I'm watching. One day, I'll figure out how to block your bad dreams.
Rhodya chuckled. That's sweet of you, baby. But there's nothing for it. I just got to get up and shake the ghoulies off me somehow.
Warm milk and cookies, Gedroth said. He knew her habits too well. I don't think the cookies really help you get back to sleep.
No, but the milk does. And believe me, baby, you can't have warm milk without cookies.
Gedroth snorted softly. She saw a blue glow appear next to her cot as he cracked an eye open, but it swiftly disappeared. I'll wait for you here. And I'll keep thinking of a way to stop your bad dreams.
Rhodya swung her legs out of bed and reached for the robe she'd begun keeping on a bedpost, in easy reach. That's real sweet of you, baby, she told him. Donning her robe, she padded quietly out of the barracks and into the night, leaving two gleaming blue orbs of light behind as Gedroth watched her out.
Rhodya-Gedroth felt her heart surge with joy as he took to the sky, his broad wings cupping the air. They felt the currents rise warmly beneath them, knew a flash of joy as the once invisible forces became known quantities they could harness in flight. They thrilled in the freedom of the sky.
But Gedroth beat his wings to soar higher, and Rhodya found herself suddenly left behind on the ground. She waved her arms after him, shouting at the top of her lungs. "You can't fly yet! You're only allowed to glide!"
But I have wings, her brown told her as he continued to rise away. I know how to fly.
"Weyrling, you must bring your dragon back to the ground." Jantha pinned her with a stern, expectant glance. Gedroth was not too far away so Rhodya leapt after him, getting close enough that he could still hear.
"Gedroth! Get back here!" But he didn't respond.
"Weyrling, I am waiting. Tell him to land."
"But he can't hear me anymore. He's too high up."
"Tell him in your head, then!" Jantha snapped.
Rhodya quailed. She felt stupid for not thinking of that. She reached inside to contact Gedroth... and realized she had forgotten how to do it.
Jantha stared impatiently. "Well, what's wrong now?"
In a panic, trying to prevent Jantha from noticing her failure, she took out her scepter and waved it through the air in Gedroth's direction, hoping the distraction would buy her enough time to remember what she had to do. But the memory wouldn't come back, and she began to feel silly.
"You've forgotten how to talk to your dragon," Cirse remarked. The Weyrwoman was distantly amused. She didn't seem upset or surprised at all.
"I'll remember," Rhodya gasped, leaping after her brown again. If only she could jump a little higher! She was almost there!
Cirse shook her head. "That's a pity. I thought you were doing so well."
"Wait, don't go! Let me show you! When he comes back, we can do anything."
But it was too late. In place of the Weyrwoman there stood a tall, long legged woman with a floppy sunhat that hadn't quite shielded her face from developing a lot of big, brassy freckles. "Hi, Rhodya. I hear you're having trouble with your dragon."
Rhodya turned away from her mother. "What do you care?"
"Well, I've been a rider. I can tell you the secret."
"I'll figure it out myself. You've never looked after me."
"Aren't you the one who stopped looking for me?"
Rhodya looked. Her mother stood with her back to the wall, one leg braced up against it. She pointed at the stack of records in front of her, then flicked her hand as if it never mattered anyway.
"Well, I got busy. I have Gedroth and all."
"Nah, doesn't matter. Leave life to the living, you know?" Her mother yawned and shoved lazily off the wall. "I just thought I'd ask." She walked back to the records, shimmering more and more like a translucent ghost. She stretched her hand out to the topmost book.
"Wait!" Rhodya called her. Her mother looked curiously back over her shoulder. "If you don't mind, I would like to hear the secret." She felt sheepish. Ashamed.
Her mother only smiled. "Sure, Rhodya. It's-"
Time stretched like a bubble coming out of its hoop. And in the end, it popped.
- - -
She awoke on her cot in the weyrling barracks, listening to the snoring and rustling of the sleepers around her. Rhodya held herself motionless, hoping she could fool her mind into falling right back asleep. But her brain buzzed with activity, sorting the events of her dream into some kind of narrative. Jantha had been there, and Cirse, and her mother. They were going to tell her the secret about dragonriding. They were giving her a hard time about Gedroth.
As soon as his name ran through her mind, she felt a gush of acknowledgement pour through her senses like water released from a dam. He was awake!
Yes. I've been watching over you.
Watching over me?
You have bad dreams, Rho.
Everyone has bad dreams, baby. Ain't nothin' to worry yourself over.
I'm not worried. I'm watching. One day, I'll figure out how to block your bad dreams.
Rhodya chuckled. That's sweet of you, baby. But there's nothing for it. I just got to get up and shake the ghoulies off me somehow.
Warm milk and cookies, Gedroth said. He knew her habits too well. I don't think the cookies really help you get back to sleep.
No, but the milk does. And believe me, baby, you can't have warm milk without cookies.
Gedroth snorted softly. She saw a blue glow appear next to her cot as he cracked an eye open, but it swiftly disappeared. I'll wait for you here. And I'll keep thinking of a way to stop your bad dreams.
Rhodya swung her legs out of bed and reached for the robe she'd begun keeping on a bedpost, in easy reach. That's real sweet of you, baby, she told him. Donning her robe, she padded quietly out of the barracks and into the night, leaving two gleaming blue orbs of light behind as Gedroth watched her out.