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Sylfie made a face at the lukewarm cup of klah in her hand, as though it had personally offended her. It was the same face she'd made every other time she'd picked it up and taken a sip. "Is it too late to change our minds and go home?" she questioned the air and her dragon with an exasperated sigh. "Nevermind finding a new thing to feel like a deadglow about twice a day, the klah's not even very good."

If it's truly such a hardship for you to drink lackluster klah, I'm sure your mother would send you some, but I don't think it's the klah that's really bothering you.

"No, it really is bothering me," she retorted, turning the cup in her hand. She was seriously considering giving up on it and tipping it all out onto the ground, but that seemed unnecessarily disrespectful. "It's not the only thing that's bothering me, but it is one of them." The young woman tapped the page of the book in her lap and shook her head hopelessly. "I don't know anything that we're 'supposed' to know. We'll be lucky if they don't put us in some kind of remedial lessons. Faranth, would that be embarrassing! Taking classes with the Weyrlings."

Would that be so terrible? At least the company would be adorable. When her rider snorted, she continued, We can't be that far behind, we've made it this long with no trouble.

"Fair enough. Everything concerning you," Syflie gestured to the metallic bulk sunning before her in the quiet spot they'd found for themselves, "I'm clear on. It's all this other wherryshit that's the problem. And just you wait 'til they really start trying to teach us how to fight Thread, then you get to be as mortified as I am right now."

Sylfie had discovered, over the course of the last two sevendays, that peace and quiet could be difficult to find in the Weyr. She had to be in her personal weyr to be certain of having any, but if she was going to make herself miserable glaring at page after page of badges and colors and heraldry, she much preferred to at least be outside in the sunshine. Unfortunately, with the metallic bulk of her dragon near by, this meant that attention was inevitable. She and Hesperith were uncomfortably interesting. Well, uncomfortable for Sylfie, anyway. Hesperith was more than happy to entertain the company of any dragon who offered it to her.

It was only a matter of time before someone came their way, and at the sight of the landing Queen, the young woman was halfway between relief that it wasn't another bronze, and dread that there might be some manner of official business involved. Anything that might highlight how wretchedly behind she was in comparison to any other goldrider in the Weyr. Nonsense, Hesperith assured her. They are happy to have us here, and they should be happy to help you. Everyone we've spoken to has offered their assistance.

They're bronze. Of course they want to assist you.

Are you implying that they aren't genuine? The gold sounded mildly offended by the suggestion. They have been perfect gentlemen, and I like them.

Of course you do, love. Ignore me, like them all you want. She knew better than to even try to convince her dragon to be cautious, not with countless strapping males readily available for her to admire when she'd gone from two to none to half the population of High Reaches, whatever that was. Something she was probably supposed to know.

Placated by her bonded's non-answer, Hesperith held her head high as she crooned a polite, pleased greeting to her fellow gold. She'd spent so very little time with any of her color, and she was eager for the opportunity to make up for that. Good day, Fianth, she answered, her eyes mirroring the colors of her elder. If she hadn't earlier made sure to be exquisitely posed in case a handsome male came by, she would have adjusted her position now, but fortunately, she was already looking her best! Mine and I would be delighted to have the pleasure of the company of you and Yours.

Not that she bothered to ask Sylfie, but she knew she didn't have to. The girl might not be as thrilled, but she wasn't antisocial. Just awkward.

Shards. She was probably supposed to stand up and salute, or something, but she was on the ground with a book in her lap and a cup of klah in her hand, and by the time she set everything aside and got to her feet - and probably fumbled and knocked her klah over somewhere in the process - the moment would have passed and she would just look ridiculous. No that she didn't already look daft, blinking up at the Weyrwoman Second and not offering any kind of formal greeting, just trying to come up with any sort of greeting at all. After a moment, a decidedly informal "Morning" made its way out. Not even 'good morning,' just 'morning.' "It's- It's fine," she assured Olliah in response to the apology for coming over uninvited, followed up by "We're fine."

Wonderful, Sylfie. Very eloquent. Use your words. She swallowed, licked her lips, set her klah aside, and- oh. Sighed as it tipped right over, because of course it did, and just...looked at the cup with a mixture of anguish and betrayal for several seconds before she reached to right it. Not like it mattered whether the mug was the right way up, at this point, on anything other than principle. "We're fine," she repeated with a nod, although she now sounded less convinced. "Just...learning our way around."

In almost every sense.

Though she was already positioned just so, Hesperith blossomed when complimented by her fellow gold, life coming into the pose with a slight flare and change to the angle of her wings, and her eyes whirled with pleasure. She adored being courted by males, but such flattery from another female was uniquely satisfying. Fianth was just as shimmering, albeit in different shades than her own, and it was good of her to be so lovely and so welcoming. You are very kind, the young gold thrummed. The sun shines fine upon you, as well - no one will be able to tear their gaze away from the sight of us together.

Heckling? Oh, no, they have been most helpful! Hesperith gushed, her own tail curling with happiness. Never have I had such fine company. And not since Ista have I had so much! And though the dragons there had been fine enough, they had mostly been quite a bit older. To see all these strapping specimens in peak fighting condition was thrilling!

Sylfie fussed with the mug a little longer, using it as a convenient excuse to avoid eye contact, but she couldn't stare at it and the ground forever, and after wiping her damp fingers on the leg of her trousers, dared another glance up. "It's alright. It-" Wasn't much of a loss? But while that might be how she felt, it was probably not the thing to say, as it could be taken as a complaint or perhaps an insult. Both things she should avoid, if at all possible. "It was getting cold anyway."

There. That was acceptable. As Olliah spoke further, relaying that she'd gotten lost in the Weyr herself, once upon a time, she nodded and threaded her hands together over the book in her lap only to decide that that felt a bit awkward, and so closed the book and started to set it aside - almost to the side where she had spilled her klah, only to realize just in time and set it to the right of her instead. It was all a lot of deflecting, something to focus on rather than the fact that she was speaking to the Weyrwoman Second, and doing a rather poor job of it thus far.

As for whether or not anyone had been giving her trouble, the young woman shook her head. "No, no trouble. Everyone's been...very courteous." It was undeniably overwhelming at times, for someone not used to and uncomfortable with attention; it wasn't as though they all really flocked to or pestered her, but for her, even a handful of especially nosy (or as Hesperith preferred to think of them, chivalrous) riders was quite a lot to handle. And with so much to catch up on, her days already felt over-full, so that when someone did approach her, it felt much more like an intrusion than it might have otherwise. Unless they had a real reason, that was...mostly fine. But rather than fit that all properly into words, she simply said, "There's just, well, a lot of them." 'Them.' That sounded accusing, or maybe exclusive to a certain group, and so she amended awkwardly, "People. I'm just...not used to so many people."

As though that wasn't abundantly obvious. Hesperith might have nudged at her or offered her something to say to Olliah, if she hadn't been delightfully preoccuppied with Fianth. How unfortunate to hear that there are those who lack the grace to embrace others, or at least treat them with courtesy, she remarked. They were Queens! To behave as anything less should be beneath them.

In truth, I've not been to Ista in quite a long time myself, she admitted. Of course, 'a long time' to her was less than two turns, but that was over half the young gold's life. I had missed the company of so many other dragons, but there are even more here! Many were also closer to her own age, or while older, still qualified as being in their prime. Surely Ista was now not so heavy on retirees, but when she'd left, they'd comprised a significant portion of the population. Not an ideal place for a young gold so enamored of having fine suitors to admire. I do miss home, a little, but it is more than a fair trade to be with my own kin.

"It's been a lot to get used to, is all. We're- I'm," she corrected, knowing what she was about to say didn't apply to Hesperith so much, even if it was easier to say 'we' for the sake of adding a bit of support in for herself, "Not used to being...anyone, really." She didn't want to say 'important,' because she still wasn't, in the scheme of things, but being a goldrider did carry much more significance in High Reaches than it had at Ista in their time there. Could be it was a bit different now. "...Thank you. I- I appreciate it. I think once the novelty wears off, it- it'll be fine. They'll figure out I'm not...not that interesting, after all."

Goldrider she might be, but she was also someone who was pretty clearly not going anywhere, rank-wise. Too young, too foreign, too awkward, and completely uninterested besides.

The mountains are very lovely, and the air is quite refreshing, Hesperith said with genuine appreciation. Mine and I miss the fields and orchards and growing things, mostly, although I am looking forward to seeing my first snow! It sounds so beautiful.

Do you ever find the time to enjoy an outing, Fianth? It would perhaps have been over-bold to ask directly if the more senior Queen would go to the beach with her, but she would so dearly like to have a friend to spend time with!

"I- well, thank you." Sylfie really wasn't sure what else to say, not that that was anything new. But Olliah was being very kind, and she was grateful; with no familiar faces around, what would have been an overwhelming situation for her regardless was made that much worse. Maybe if Hesperith would have consented to go to Western, where some of their friends had...but she hadn't and so here they were, and at least one of them was happy. "I don't think anyone will bother me, really. I'm sure I'll bore them off sooner rather than later, unless they really like farming. Hes...Hes likes it, though. The attention. She'd rather I be better at it."

"It doesn't- doesn't seem so bad here. It's just different from what I'm used to, is all." Very, very different. For all that she wanted terribly to go back home, however, she knew it wasn't right to sit idle while others fought.

I will have to visit them, once in awhile. I know Mine would enjoy it. Homesickness was already well set in, Hesperith knew, but she was hoping that it would improve with time. No dragon wanted Theirs to be miserable, after all. I will make sure to soak up all I can of the sun before the days turn grayer, then. From Ista to Nerat, I fear I have taken it quite for granted.

It is a pity you do not have more time for such things, though I can only imagine how busy you both must be with all of your duties. One of many reasons Hesperith had no desire to be important in such a way: so much responsibility and work! She was content to be rank and file among the many golds of High Reaches. If it is not too bold of me to ask, perhaps one day you might introduce us to a lovely spot or two? Perhaps it would be a good excuse to get Yours out and about to somewhere diverting for awhile.