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Strange Pairing	By : AbstractRainbow Category: A through F > The Dragonriders of Pern Views: 4575 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Dragonriders of Pern series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Strange Pairing
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 3
- 4
- 5
“Here.” Diece looked up, startled, as something was shoved into her line of vision. There was Lysceander again, holding out her wherhide jacket for her. “Got my own now. Thanks.”
“Happy to help. Here… sit with us.” She grinned and moved over a bit, the other Weyrlings looking skeptically at the newcomer. She elbowed the girl next to her and smiled up at Lysceander again. “Well?”
“I think I’m going to eat with Dreakenolianth. I’ve left him alone too long today.” Lysceander said after a scowl around at the other Weyrlings. As she turned to walk away, she heard a small thump and a felt a hand on her arm. Turning, she raised a curious brow at Diece.
“No, it’s alright. Dreake will be fine. Please, sit with us.” Diece smiled again, then gestured the table of skeptical and mocking faces.
“I’ll see you in lessons Diece.” Lysceander said roughly, pulling her arm away and walking off briskly.
Diece sat down and sighed, frowning as she watched the other girl walk away. One of the boys nudged her. “Who was that?”
“Shells, that was the one that impressed the last bronze. You know, the pretty one that looked kinda silver.” Diece said with another angry sigh, then hit the boy and glared all around at them. “Why’d you guys all have to be so rude? I swear, your stares were colder than Between.”
“A girl impressed a bronze?” the girl next to her asked, looking over her shoulder to see if she could find the lanky figure in the crowd. Lysceander was already gone though. “Is that possible?”
“Apparently it is for her. She barely gets here, goes through all that excitement, and you guys are all just so rude to her. She’s really nice if you get underneath that shell of hers. It’ll be a wonder if I can stay friends with her at all now…” Diece puffed up to dislodge a strand of hair in her face, then began picking at her food.
“What’s so important about a freak anyway? She barely looks like a girl at all, no wonder the poor bronze mistook her for a boy.” Another boy said, grumbling.
Diece scowled, and the green’s weyrling next to her did the same, kicking the boy across from her. “You’re only upset because she got a bronze and you ended up with a blue.”
“Thank-you but I’m happy with Fanth. He’s wonderful.” The boy said snootily. “I still think she’s a freak for impressing a bronze. Only boys deserve bronzes.”
“Shut up B’nor.” Another boy at the table said with a similar scowl. “Ignore him Diece. If anyone can make friends with that strange girl, you can. What are their names?”
“Dreake… Dreake… Dreakenolianth I think… and Lysceander. She and the Weyrwoman were both calling him Dreake though, so that’s what I call him. Lys has these really deep eyes. I think they’re what caught Dreake’s attention.” Diece smiled then began poking at her food again. “What did you say your green was named Shella?”
“Oh, she’s named Lorth. What’s your queen named?” Shella grinned broadly, eyes sparkling. It was no secret that she’d wanted the queen, but she’d been very happy after the queen had overlooked her for her old friend and a green had passed the boys to go to her.
“Fynnalth. She’s wonderful!” Diece sighed again, an even broader grin on her face, and the boys all nodded along.
“My bronze is Hyth.” The one that had tried to encourage her said with a smile at her, a look that said he was very smitten. “So, uh, why don’t we all say our dragons’ names?”
“I already told you guys he’s named Fanth.” B’nor said in that same haughty tone. Shella kicked him again, making him scowl at her.
“Rillith,” another boy said, one who’d gotten a brown.
“My green is Talth.”
“Brown, Vorth.”
“Bronze, Ciath.”
“Does anyone know what the other ones are named?” Shella asked, looking at the other Weyrling tables. They all shrugged. They’d learn soon enough. “Well we already know that H’velle has every intention of sweeting it up with the queens, even Diece… what about you V’keth?”
The boy who’d said his bronze was named Ciath looked at them with a smug smile. “I don’t need to sweet it up to queen riders. I’m going to concentrate on making sure that Ciath is the best flyer there is, so that I can gain clutches. Girls are impressed by good flyers, plus the benefit of the matings.”
“I wonder what Lys is going to do about when Dreak wants to fly.” Shella said absentmindedly, stuffing a tuber into her mouth. They all looked at her, then tried to think, confused.
“She’ll probably hide in her weyr. You know the hold-bred. They don’t approve of that kind of pairing you know.” V’keth said, then smiled at Diece. “I doubt the queen riders would much mind her hiding anyway. It would be rather awkward if she ended up flying whoever is the Weyrwoman at the time though.”
“I have a feeling that Lys wouldn’t hide from anything.” Diece said, finishing her food quickly before getting up and walking out. They all stared at her in confusion.
“What was that about?” H’velle asked with a frown, then smacked V’keth. “What’d you say?”
“You know how Diece is. She doesn’t like people insulting her friends.” Shella said with an angry sigh. “V’keth you should know better.”
“What did I say?” He looked clueless, not knowing how he’d insulted the girl.
~
Lysceander grumbled to herself as she sat in the corner desk of the room where they’d have their first lessons as Weyrlings, likely on dragon care. Diece and a few of the others that had been at that table the previous night arrived late, chattering as they came in, and Diece smiled as she sat down, waving lightly. The Weyrlingmaster at the front of the class saw that, and looked suspiciously her way. She saw the briefly vacant look on his face that probably meant he was conferring with his dragon, and then the suspicious scowl as he renewed his stare at her. Likely he’d learned of her background, and the dragon she had.
>Dreak… what did that man’s dragon tell him?< Lysceander asked, returning the stare with her own bored one.
>That you are a wonderful girl and a perfect future rider, that you deserved a bronze more than any of the boys left out there, and that you really should have been here the entire time instead of holdless.< Dreake answered proudly. Lysceander couldn’t quite believe that. >No really. That’s exactly what he told him, his words.<
“What’s your name again?” The man asked, walking up to her and looking down suspiciously.
“Lysceander.” She answered coolly. “And yours sir?”
“B’toh. I see you’ve awed my brown. May I ask how?” He asked with a raised brow.
“I would tell you if I could. I was walking with Weyrwoman Beyrille and the others, and he bent his head to look at me. I pet his eye ridge, the way the firelizards like, and when I stopped, he looked back at the strapping job being done.” Lysceander said openly, her tone level as she gave him a neutral stare. He stared back at her, trying to see if she was lying, but when his brown confirmed it eagerly, he could only nod. “Did I do something wrong, Weyrlingmaster B’toh?”
“No, I suppose not.” He sighed and turned away, moving back to the desk and sitting on it, turning toward the class. “Settle down!” There was instant silence as they all turned forward and stared at the brown rider. “Welcome to the first day of your Weyrling lessons. I will be teaching you how to be a proper dragonrider. As some of you may already know, we have a new addition to our group. She wasn’t part of the candidacy. Lysceander, please stand up and introduce yourself.”
Lysceander stood next to her desk, deciding not to approach the front of the class and looked out at the clump of people her age or younger. “I’m Lysceander, Lys for short, though it doesn’t matter which you use. My bronze is named Dreakenolianth. My new foster mother is Queen Rider Heinley, sister of Weyrwoman Beyrille.” Her words were short and blunt, and with that she sat back down. Diece blinked a few times in confusion, as did the Weyrlingmaster, but most of the other Weyrlings were either impressed by her status or insulted by the emotionless introduction.
“Yes, well…” B’toh said, still a little taken aback. “I expect all of you to make Lysceander feel welcome.” With that he gave both B’nor and H’velle a pointed look, knowing that they might not be all that nice to the newcomer. He liked her, damn the rains, but he did. Didn’t know why, especially since she seemed to have far too much luck. “Now as for the first lesson…”
~
Diece did pay attention to the lessons, but half of the time she was watching Lysceander. The girl seemed even tighter wound into her protective shell than before. She chewed on her lip, twirling a lock of hair around a finger, and continued to watch Lysceander’s attentive face. Well, B’nor was sure to like her. She was attentive and businesslike. Likely a wonderful student, especially if it meant caring for her precious dragon. The girl seemed just a little too doting on it.
>You don’t think dragons should be doted on? You love me less than she loves Dreake?< Came the panicked voice of her queen in her head.
>Of course not darling. I love you just as much. More. I’m just afraid she’s going to spoil Dreak. Then what’ll happen when they’re old enough to fly? Dreake might turn into a brat or misbehave…< Diece quickly said in return, staring forward so that while they talked she wouldn’t be caught staring at the girl. She could feel her dragon’s skepticism about that. >Alright… I’m a little jealous. It really seemed like she was going to get along well with me yesterday, and then all of a sudden she was even colder than when we first met.<
>It was probably just those other Weyrlings. Dreake says that she doesn’t trust people in the Weyr yet, because her parents were killed by stray threadfall. She used to blame dragonriders for it, and still hasn’t gotten over it.< Fynnalth told her calmly before setting down to sleep on the sunny patch of rock she’d chosen. Diece sighed and glanced again at Lysceander before settling back for the rest of their lesson.
~
“Hey Lys, you wanna join us for some foot-racing after chores?” V’keth asked with a smirk, H’velle right next to him. “Bronze Weyrlings only.”
“I don’t think so.” Lysceander said in a bored tone, heading directly to the kitchen. Diece walked up just then, blocking her path. “Hello Diece.”
“What’s going on?” She smiled, looking only briefly over at the other Weyrlings. “Not letting H’velle put you on, are you?”
Lysceander smirked, then stepped to the side. “I’ll be off to chores.”
“We were just being nice and offering to allow Lys there in on a footrace we’re having after chores. Just the bronzes.” V’keth said with that same smug smile. Diece looked at him, then at Lysceander again. “We were only trying to be friendly. Think she’s afraid though.”
“I think she’s afraid to humiliate you.” Diece said proudly. Lysceander glared at her.
“I’m off to chores.” Lys said more sternly, walking into the kitchen with a small grumble. Diece frowned, then elbowed the boys.
“Stop trying to corner her. She won’t fall for it.” Diece sighed, then went off to her own chores.
~
“I’m here.” V’keth looked up abruptly, staring in disbelief at Lysceander. She stood there proudly with her bronze, her expression neutral. Diece was about to walk away, bored, but saw the girl and paused. Did Lysceander actually intend to race them? “Well? You are still racing, yes? Dreake convinced me I need the exercise.”
“Sure. Didn’t think you’d show up.” H’velle said with a smug smile. V’keth’s mouth dropped. “You fast?”
“You could say that.” Lysceander grinned back and nodded to Diece in greeting as she stretched lightly and handed her vest to Dreake. The dragon let it drape over his neck, watching in curiosity as the humans all stretched and lined up. “How far?”
“To the outcropping…” Diece offered, pointing. The girl nodded, as did the boys with her. “On my mark… and…… GO!”
V’keth was pretty sure that he’d be beaten by H’velle. The other boys were pretty close as well, the ones who hadn’t met Lysceander personally confident in their own ability to beat her at least. What V’keth was surprised to see was the girl keeping pace with him easily, surpassing the other boys with him. They glanced at each other, and he saw an almost feral smile spread across Lysceander’s face as she turned back toward their race. It was a bit of a long one, and he almost stumbled and fell as she slowly passed him, then ran past H’velle as well. The boys all stumbled to a gasping halt several seconds behind her as they passed the outcropping. Lysceander was the obvious winner, and no one could say that she’d started first either. “What… you… before… how?”
Lysceander walked around in circles a few times, slowing her breathing, as the boys bent over and huffed confused half-questions at her. She merely picked up her vest and walked away with her bronze as soon as she found herself well enough to do so, and the boys stared after her in shock. “I guess that’ll be her response in anything.” One of the boys said. They all turned toward him. “You guys challenge her for whatever reason, and if she feels like it, she shows up, matches or bests us, then walks off. Her way of proving that she’s good enough for us… but doesn’t think we’re good enough for her.”
>She was the fastest message runner where she came from…< Fynnalth told her. She’d acquired that information from a very proud Dreake during the race. >I’d imagine that she could have beaten them even more easily than that.<
“I’d imagine so…” Diece said softly, walking away. One of the boys turned toward her, nodding, as if she had been agreeing to what had been said before. He probably thought she was. She walked around, trying to find the girl, and was surprised to see her sitting on a ridge over the feeding grounds with Dreake, staring sadly down at her knife.

TBC
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