What Once Was [Rhaedalyn]

“Muffin will be okay,” Rhaedalyn commented as she continued petting the blue firelizard, mostly speaking on his behalf. She referred to herself in that statement as well, unknowingly matching R’nya’s tone of the apology. It was an odd night and the girl wasn’t entirely certain she was coping with it as well as someone else might but she was making her way through it all the same. The news about how R’nya behaved before the plague was a bit upsetting but she chose to stick with the belief that it helped form the bronzerider into the man she had befriended and could forgive such things. Rhaedalyn knew he would never act that way now with her or the other girls he watched over and that was the important thing.

The enthusiasm that returned to R’nya when she asked about egg Touching was contagious and Rhaedalyn perked up considerably herself. “A green? I couldn’t picture you on a green at all!” Rhaedalyn laughed behind her hand, doing her best not to laugh too loudly at the image of R’nya of green Grith. Rilaleeyth was a sweet dragon and had the possibility to match R’nya nicely but the colour was just wrong for their protector. The fact that Grith was being used to compare temperaments did nothing for the weyrling and Rhaedalyn continued her giggling. Xyreith’s reaction to all of the pity he received while his egg was touched didn’t surprise Rhaedalyn at all. In fact, she would have been more shocked if the great beast was sugar-high-Grith and pleased to meet everyone!

“I would have been terrified as well! But I was also afraid of Dissi’s reaction to me …and what would happen when she hatched.” Poor R’nya had to wait patiently for her to finally admit to the response and still Rhaedalyn felt a shiver of fear when she thought about it. It was the oddest sensation to have experienced! So much fear and the feeling of being stalked and then the gold that came from that was so sweet! She had been convinced Aradissicath wasn’t for her and R’nya had thought Xyreith wasn’t but some green was. She supposed Touchings weren’t all that reliable in the end but still a fun tradition. Then again, while both of their dragons had terrified them, they still Impressed to them. Would it have happened if they didn’t?

R’nya’s mood was up and down but Rhaedalyn was overjoyed when it swung into the upper emotions. It was so rare and even the other times seemed reserved compared to the openness she was seeing right then. She hoped this meant she actually was being of some use and helping R’nya to let go of his memories for another night and regain his balance. “Hmm…” As Rhaedalyn thought about more questions that wouldn’t link in some way to Etralla, Whisper decided she had had enough of waiting on the sidelines and jumped up on the couch between the humans and sat closer to R’nya. She waited, sitting prettily, for him to notice her and invite her to his lap or to give his wonderful pettings. She was a lady and would wait all night rather than simply jump into his lap!

“What was Xyreith like in his weyrling days? I bet you two were at the top of your weyrling class.” She hesitated a moment, worried that her next question would send R’nya spiralling back into depressed memories given the colour of Aradissicath’s hide but she went with it anyway. “Will you help me with any extra practice I’ll probably have to put in?”