High Reaches Wyer

"I said that I wanted fresh cream with my Klah this morning and I meant it! Fresh meaning still warm from those flea-bitten, worthless milk-beasts of yours, head-woman. From now on don't milk the beasts until I have risen and called for my breakfast!"

The shrill, screech of the Weyr-woman of High Reaches Weyr resonated through the lower caverns and straight into the still-sensitive ears of Wufei, the Weyrleader. It did not take a whole lot of guess work to discern what had set her off that morning. If the woman paid half as much attention to the wyer and it's riders as she did to her own appearance the weyr would be running smoother than a Ruathan runner beast.

<I wonder what new thing she will have found to complain to me about by lunch time,> Wufei wondered idly.

It never failed, the woman was simply not happy unless she had others scurrying from her in a fright. But, fortunately or unfortunately, Werywoman Jaccella was the best at what she did. She might be a pain in the ass, but she knew her stuff. The was no one else on Pern that was as deft a hand with the weryrlings and the day-to-day matters as she. While not the most imaginative sort, and not anyone that Wufei would have wanted planning a threadfall Flight, she was competent and efficient and for the most part she got the job done. Usually Wufei could manage to smooth over any of the feathers she ruffled in the course of the day by nightfall and things returned to a state of not-hell before the next big ruckus she raised over some inconsequential matter. A pain she might be, but she was the best person to have flying the lower wings with the flame throwers, as she was thourough and meticulous.

There was no denying that the weyrwoman was beautiful with short-cropped coppery-dark hair, perfect hazel eyes and a figure that defined the term voluptuous, but Wufei preferred intelligence to comeliness any day. However, as far as Wufei could tell, the previous Weyrleader had prized "bravery" in a Flight above all else. He had filled most of the dragonriders heads with nonsense about how it was worth any risk on the part of rider and dragon to ensure that no thread ever touched the ground during a fall. He had spurred his weyrlings and riders into taking senseless and unwarranted risks when flying thread, he had not maintained any sort of discipline withing the weyr, had not orderd routine chcks of straps and harnesses, had not orderd daily drills and test flights for anyone else except the weyrlings. In short, he had left Wufei with an awful mess!

When Wufei had taken his place as the weyrleader the first thing he had done was order that there be regular drills and flights for dragonriders of all ages and ranges of experience. The second thing he had done, after about a week of observance of the grudging drills and flights, was to "mix things up" as Duo would say. He took some of the older and more experienced riders and put them with the younger and greener riders. He had demoted the incompetent and moved those who showed promise up a notch or two. He was still working on fully integrating the wings into cohesive units and it was coming along slowlybut things were getting better. He kept having to stress safety and caution because so many of the riders insisted on risking themselves and others by doing dangerous manuvers in the name of heroics. He kept trying to tell them that he did not need hero's, he needed dragonriders flying every Fall. There were several that would not listen to him, so he had pulled them from flying Thread indefinately on the grounds that they were a significant danger to themselves and those around them. The Weyrwoman had not been pleased and had tried to negate his decision, Wufei had not been even close to having it and had stood his ground. They had gone round and round with that decision and many others until Wufei had been able to point out, with positive and concrete results, that his was the better way of doing things. Even so, it was still an uphill fight on many levels. And his job was far from being over.

<At least the weyr itself is properly run,> he thought, thank the First egg that he had the Headwoman Kelsa running the lower caverns. She was patient, and practical and well used to dealing with difficult personalities. Wufei, sat himself at one of the long tressle tables in the hall and helped himself to the pitcher of klah and a half-loaf of the sweet-bread waiting in a nearby basket. He made sure to catch the Headwoman's eye and communicate to her that the weryrwoman's most recent order was to be ignored. He would not have the entire morning schedule thrown off by the whims of a willful and impractical weyrwoman.

Wufei could not help but contrast his weyrwoman's behavior with that of the Healer-woman that he had met at the last Gather he'd attended at Fort Hold. Unsurprisingly, the weyrwoman came out on the losing end. It wasn't so much that Jaccella was a bad person, it was just that she was shallow. She did not always think things through carefully, she was lazy, and she insisted on arguing with him over every little thing. She was not someone he respected highly and definitely not the kind of partner needed to run a weyr during a Pass. Wufei and Jaccella were weyrwoman and weyrleader, not weyrmates. They had tried, for a brief time to become lovers, but it simply did not work. So they had each chosen separate apartments and settled there comfortably. They had a professional working relationship and it served its purpose. They were both careful not to intrude upon the other's private life and keep things professional. He did not comment about the multitude of lovers she took into his bed and she did not ask why he always slept alone.

Oddly enough, Wufei found his mind wandering back to the Masterhealer from Ruatha that he'd met, Sally, if he recalled her name correctly and he was certain that he did. She had been wonderful and intriguing company. A quick wit, intelligent and not afraid to show it, could hold her own in a fight...unusual for a woman. She'd also been a very elegant dancer and somehow had seen straight to the heart of his pain. He'd found himself telling her things that he'd never confided to anyone, not even his other best friends. Not since Meiran had died had he ever felt this close to another woman, and it had only been one day! Imagine if they'd had a week together.

Perhaps he could contrive a way to meet her again. He could visit Ruatha Hold on official business and just sort of accidentally run into her. He thought about it, then discarded the idea as impractical. After all, what business might he have there at Ruatha? The excuse would not stand up to careful scrutiny. Perhaps he could deliver a message or a serum from the old Healer here at High Reaches Weyr to the Healer there at Ruatha

<No, that won't work either. Weyrleaders do not do message duty.>

Oh well, there went that. Which remeinded him....the old Healer had died earlier that turn. Wufei recalled reading a missive about sending for a new one, now that he thought about it. <Fardles! One more detail I'll have to see to. The List just keeps getting longer and longer.>He was sure that he would think of something and-

<Wait a minute,> he thought, brought up short by the unexpected turn that his thoughts had taken. What was he doing?! He was actually willfully seeking out a woman's company? He had never bothered to do that anytime within recent memory. Not since Meiran had died. Wufei was further surprised to discover that the thought of her death did not cause the sharp pain that he had grown accustomed to.

- Your Weyrwoman is obstructing the landing pad, Armyth says he can't land,- said Shenloth, duly relaying the message from Armyth.

-Tell him I'll be right there,- thought Wufei, frowning in irritation. What was the woman's problem now? Wufei stomped out of his office, ran down the stairs and went out into the courtyard to see just what exactly Jaccella was up to now.

She was out there with a wing of greens and their riders discussing new bards and braiding designs for the harnesses that were going to be made. They actually had swatches of dyed leather and were holding them up to their dragons and talking about palettes and color schemes! A smaller group of blues was talking animatedly about a new design for riding leathers.

<By the Egg of my Dragon, this is a weyr not a sewing circle!> Wufei thought in disgust. Women!

"Woman!" Wufei called to the wyerwoman. "get your little tea party off from the landing area!"

Jaccella looked over at him in annoyance, like he had just interrupted her business instead of the other way around.

"Well where would you suggest that I hold this meeting? No where else is big enough and I want to get the coloring just right," she said as if it should be obvious.

Wufei shook his head in amazement. By the Egg of Faranath, how did such a dim-glowed woman ever make it into a position of authority?! Wufei carefully contained his sigh and avoided rolling his eyes. It would get better, surely it would.

"I could recommend a few places," he said patiently. <South continent for starters! Far away from here.> "How about the flat cliffs on the western face, they're large and open enough.

"But the western face gets all the wind and I don't want our swatches being blown away," she protested. Which wasn't exactly true, it was simply inconvenient for her to relocate all of her people somewhere else, and Jaccella hated to be inconvenienced.

"Then you'd better keep a tight hold of them, now clear the area so that Armyth can land," he ordered. That was the end of it. Common courtesy dictated that another incoming dragon rider must be allowed to land safely, even if it was inconvenient for the wyerwoman at the moment, she never disobeyed courtesy. With a final scowl at Wufei, Jaccella ordered all of these interested in continuing the meeting to join her on the western face.

When the dragons and their Riders cleared off and moved out, Wufei sent the all clear signal to Trowa via Shenloth. The huge bronze came in for a landing, trumpeting a greeting. Wufei noticed that there was an extra passenger on Armyth's back besides Trowa. Armyth backwinged as he landed blowing up great clouds of dust with his mighty wings, forcing Wufei to shield his eyes from the miniscule particles. When the dust settled Trowa leapt from his Dragon's back with practiced ease. Then reached back to help his passenger down only to discover that they were already managing quite well on their own.

When Wufei saw who the passenger was, he just barely managed to hide a grin at the sight of Master Healer Sally Posliding down the side of the dragon. Once she had planted her feet firmly upon the gound and taked a bare moment to collect herself and get her bearings, she marched straight over to where Wyerleader Wufei stood and extended a sheet of paper. Wufei took the paper, hididn his expression of inquisition and scanned it breifly. Upon reading the words it was all he could do to keep from breaking out into a full fledged grin.

Sally Po had been reassigned. She was to take up the old Healer Kallinis' place as Healer for the Wyer, transfer effective immediately.

"Welcome to High Reaches Master Healer," he said formally, courtesy must be observed after all. "I'll send a wyerling over for your bags."

"Oh don't bother with that, Wyerleader. I travel light," she said forthrightly. With that she reached up and pulled a single cari-sac and a travel bag from Armyth's back and slung them over her shoulders. "Just show me where my apartments and workshop are so that I can get started. I'd like a full list of inventory so that I know what we have on hand and what may need to be ordered. Also, I'd like to meet with any in the wyer who have any background at all in medicineit doesn't matter what it is. We can use them during threadfall to slather fellis on the wounded dragons and riders."

Wufei found himself liking her more with every moment he spent with Sally. She was direct, she was efficient, and he could also tell that she cared. She cared for her work and for those she healed. On ething was for certain, it was nice to have someone in the wyer besides himself and the headwoman who knew how to run things.

And, another part of him commented, it was also nice to have someone he could talk with.

Fort Hold

Lord Treize massaged his temple with one hand as he eyed the map with disfavor. He'd been there for over an hour and still had yet to figure out anything that could be done about the situation threatening to occur. It had been building for several years now, but both he and Lord Milliardo agreed that matters did seem to be coming to a head rather quickly. The last midwinter conclave had proven that almost beyond doubt. Lord Gent of Nabol and the Lord and Lady of Bitra were becoming more and moreintransigent? No that wasn't quite the word for it. They were becoming more reclusive and mysterious about the activities going on inside their respective Holds, and yet were becoming more outspoken against not only the wyers and the tithing necessary to support them during threadfall, but towards many of the other holds and their Lord Holders.

The accusations that the Lords of Bitra and Nabol had flung at the Council last Midwinter still bothered him to some extent. Bitra had said that if the Lord Holders had all been doing their jobs correctly there would have been no further Raider attacks. But, as his beloved Lady had so rightly pointed out, there would always be those persons who were both lazy and opportunistic enough that they would prey upon those who were innately honest and hardworking. There would always be those who would not have any worries about taking what they wanted from those who were not equipped to defend against an aggressive attack.

His lady was strong, and eloquent when the need arose, but she had been shouted down by the porcine Lord of Bitra before she had finished saying her peace. In civilized times such an offense would have gotten the offending Lord Holder thrown out of the council chamber. Unfortunately, during a pass matters were always a little more difficult. Transgressions like those had to be overlooked during a Pass simply because they needed the Lord Holders in their positions to manage the hold and protect the lands and holders who looked to them. It was with a growing sense of alarm and unease that Lord Treize, Lady Une, Lady Noin, and Lord Milliardo observed attacks on shipping lines going to and from the holds, observed attacks on smaller outlaying holds and cots themselves.

<There's something that we're missing. Something very important,> he thought. He just simply could not discover what it might be. He had been trying for well over an hour and the answer was no clearer to him now that it had been when he'd started.

"I thought I'd find you here Treize," the soft voice of his beloved lady followed the gentle tap of her foot fall. She was wearing her 'working uniform' of tough durable wherry hide pants tucked into well-worn calf boots, a plain shirt made of sisal fabric with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a light hide vest with enormous pockets. The ensemble was completed with a sash wrapped around her waist, which, she had once explained to him, was a very useful thing to have handyit could be used to cleanup spills, carry loose articles or dry a child's tears.

In her hands was a tray of food, probably brought directly from the kitchen. Lady Une always took the time to ensure that he was taking care of himself as well as the welfare of his people. The tray held a small plate of meat pastry rolled up inside a flaky bread crust, a bowl of the cooks special wherry stew, (the cook had a way of marinating the wherry hat rendered the usually tough and dry meat into something delightfully soft and succulent) and a steaming mug of klah.

"You're still studying that map I see," she said, glancing at the map that Treize had tacked to his wall and then put markers on the spots that had been struck by Raiders in the past year.

"Their attacks have been increasing Lady, not only against our own shipping lines, but against everyone else's as well. It just doesn't make any sense. Their attacks are completely random, they strike impossibly quick, and destroy what they can't take with them."

"You're not a Raider," she pointed out calmly. "I'm sure to them that it makes perfect sense. They don't want to get caught, so what ever can not be carried easily is dead weight. They can't afford to leave witnesses who could later on identify them so they slaughter everyone in the train."

At this her hands clenched at her side. When Trieze had first told her the details of the attack, how they had slaughtered every man woman and child in the traders caravan, it had been all he could do to keep her from taking out a runner beast to track them down herself. She had been incensed at the thought of people harming, no killing, children and getting away with it. Since that day, Lady Une had been on a personal quest to find the Raiders who were responsible for it and make them pay.

The wyers had helped out when and where they could, patrolling along the trade routes and watching over the caravans. However, their jurisdiction could only extend so farthe Holds still had complete autonomy to deal with Hold matters. And there was only so much that the wyers could do without coming dangerously close to overstepping their bounds.

Treize continued frowning at the map, trying to unlock its secrets, until Lady Une shoved the tray under his nose and gave him one of her looks. More specifically she gave him a look that said that if he did not start eating the food she had brought with her then she would feed it to him as if her were a small child in need of assistance. Treize spared a moment to look at his wife in bemusement before he started in on the contents of the tray. Lady Une stood behind his chair and began massaging his shoulders. She truly did have a marvelous touch and almost a sixth sense about where all the knots were. He sighed as she worked out the tension in his neck and shoulders.

"You've been cooped away in here for hours, you should get out and stretch your legs a bit at least," she coaxed. "Mariemaia hasn't seen you all day today and neither have I."

"I'm sorry my beloved Lady, but you and I both know how important this is. I love you both, but this is very important to the welfare and future of our hold, possibly to all of Pern."

"I can see that easily my love, but sometimes one must look away from the problem and get a fresh prospective before one can see the forest for the trees. Besides a few minutes will not make a difference to the Raider's activities but it will to Mariemaia. Come with me to tuck her in and say good night, then I will come back here with you and we will work on this together."

"I am ever at my Lady's command," he consented with a bow in her direction before rising and taking her arm to collect his wayward daughter and deposit her into her bed. Mariemaia, because she had spent her day in a flurry of activity, was asleep even before her mother and father tucked her in. Treize ended up carrying her to her room to put her to bed. When they had both kissed their daughter good night and covered the glow basket in her room, Lady Une made good on her word and the two of them went back to the office to work on the problem before them.

"I believe I see part of your problem my love," she said after another hour of intense concentration. "You are trying to solve the dilemma in its entiretyall of the attacks on all of the holds at once. I do not think that this is a problem with a single solution, but rather it is a series of problems in a string that have to be dealt with individually. When you're in the highest hights of a burning hold you can either stay there and die in the flames, or you can jump out the window. From there you have at least two seconds before you reach the ground and die in which you can figure out the answer to your next problem and so on and so on. There is nothing complex in this world with an easy answer, often, the answers that come easily are the most difficult to live with."

"Ahh, my Lady is as wise as she is beautiful," he said, smiling at her. Une returned the smile and said

"Flattery, my Lord. Flattery."

"Truth," he insisted.

"It must be," she agreed, advancing upon his position. "I married you after all. Even if you are always spouting poetry at me."

"I couldn't agree more," he said taking her in his arms. "And when was there ever such a Lady that was more deserving of poetry?"

Lady Une slowly tugged him over to their bed quarters adjoining their office and said

"Well, I was hoping we might make some poetry of our own." She smiled.

Treize felt an answering smile tugging at his lip as he said

"I am ever at my Lady's command."

"I'm going to miss her," said Noin sadly as she watched her friend Master Healer Sally Po fly off and Between to High Reaches Wyer. She wished her friend all the luck in Pern with concerns to the wyer's weyrleader, whom Sally had been unable to quit talking about scince they had met at the Gather a little under a week ago. Sally was certainly not one to lose her head over a man, her Healers background made her too practical and sensible to fall head over heels. And that one could get to her this quickly really said something about the young weyrleader.

"I know Noin," said her husband, slipping an arm about her shoulder in comfort. "But you two will be seeing each other again soon, she did promise to come back for regular check-ups on your health and that of our new child." At this point his voice turned a combination of proud, possessive and worried that Noin found irresistibly endearing. She still remembered the look in Milliardo's face when she had told him what Sally had confirmed. Before she left, Noin had made Sally swear up and down that she would come back every few weeks to check up on her progress and make sure she delivered her first baby into the world.

Milliardo was becoming a bit of a pain however. In the week since he'd found out the news he had tried to stop her from doing the work she was accustomed to and insisted that she needed to save her strength and eat right. He was now always pestering her to eat healthy. She could understand his caution, some of the other Lords had reverted to some archaic system of marrying some poor woman and getting her with as many children as he could before she eventually wore out from the strains of childbirth. Milliardo was nothing at all like that, the exact opposite in fact, one of the reasons she loved him with all her heart. Which reminded her

"Did I tell you today that I love you?" She asked him.

"I think you have. Have I?" He replied.

"I'm not sureI think a demonstration is in order." She looked at him from the corner of her eye, a smile hovering on her lips. She knew what was coming next.

"Oh? Truly?" he said, feigning innocence, then suddenly he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her dizzy.

"Ahem," came a voice from behind them. They broke off mid-kiss.

"Yes?" Milliardo inquired, not setting her down.

"My apologies Lord and Lady," said the young man in Riding leathers, sporting the badge of Igen Wyer. He was blue eyed with platinum blonde hair, almost a match for Milliardo's own though shorter. "I ah, didn't mean to interrupt, but I was given a message from a friend of mine who wanted me to give it to you next time I was nearby Ruatha Hold. It's from the Headwoman at Bendan Hold and it's about the fosterling Relena."

"Ah, thank you....What did you say your name was?" Milliardo queried, setting his wife carefully on her feet. He suddenly looked worried. "There isn't anything wrong is there?"

"Not that I know of Lord Milliardo," said Quatre. "I haven't read the contents myself, but I do believe she's doing fine."

"Oh, good. Well, thank you very much for delivering the letter, I know you of the wyers generally tend to resent anything smacking of messenger duty. I appreciate it."

"No problem, I don't mind helping out. And I know what it's like to be separated from your family and never hearing any word about them. I'm always glad to be able to bring news to those separated by long distances, even if it might be bad. So please, enjoy your letter."

<He is very well spoken and polite. His manner reads like those born in a hold and bred there,> thought Milliardo, with his usual acumen.

"Where are you from originally lad?" he queried.

"Is it that obvious?" said Quatre, smiling in chagrin.

"Only to those who know what to look for. I didn't make it as Lord Holder for this long without learning to pay attention to details."

"Of course. I'm from Tillek Sea Hold originally."

"Ah! You must be Winner's boy, the one that Impressed. Well, I must say, you've turned out well."

"Thank-you," he said bowing in acknowledgment of he compliment. Then with a final wave walked away as the Lord Holder bent over the letter concerning his sister.

"Relena is doing very well here at Benden Hold. But truth be known, as a general rule we don't see much of her. She rises early in the morning and comes to me for a list of tasks that she can take care of that day, then she grabs some food and disappears until near sunset. She fulfils her tasks with no faults that any can find and is generally conscientious and well behaved, which I assure you is a wonderful change of pace. The other children have learned to give her her space and she seems to be getting on well with them in her limited means. She says she likes the sea side."

And after that short note was a slightly longer note in the graceful calligraphy of his sister's hand, She must have prevailed on the Headwoman to include it in her missive to Milliardo.

"Dear Elder Brother,

I really like here at Bendan. I'd never imagined that the ocean could be so big and it smells sofishy. I've never had so many different kinds of sea-food dishes in my entire life than I have had at my short stay here. And I have lots of seashells that I'm making into a necklace for Noin. When I come back there I'll have lots of new things to show you. Get thisI was on a boat! I've never been on a boat before, unless you count that one raft in that lake on the mountain. And sometimes during the day, you can see dragons flying off in the distance. Well, I gotta go now, I hope I hear from you soon! ~Relena."

Millirdo, smiled a little. She certainly sounded happy there. Relena had still made no mention of any friends, but then, Relena did not make friends easily or, well, really at all that Milliardo had ever known. He wished she weren't so reclusivebut, one could not fight their nature he supposed.

Noin had been reading over Milliardo's shoulder and commented

"She sounds really happy there, perhaps we should think about letting her stay on another year or so Milliardo. There's really nothing here for her but her family. Maybe over there at Bendan, she'll have a better chance at finding something she enjoys."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking puzzled.

Noin shook her head at her husband's density and said

"She's almost a grown woman. And even though she hasn't said anything, I know she worries about her future."

"What does she have to worry about? There will always be a place for her here."

"But for some people, that isn't enough. And for Relena, I don't think it will be enough. She needs to find her own place in this world and she probably wouldn't be able to do that here."

"Why not? She knows we both care for her. I'd support her in her new vocation, even if it took her far away from here. She's my sister after all and I love her."

"See that may be part of the problem. She loves you too and she values your opinion. If she stayed here in Ruatha, she might just wind up choosing something she thinks will please you rather than following her own heart and doing something that would make her happy."

"I see what you mean. You could be right about that. I would not want that for her."

"We should give her a few more months and see how things pan out. We don't have to make any decisions immediately love."

"You're right of coursenow where were we?" he wondered wrapping his arms about her waist and leaning in.

"Oh, I'd say right about-" and her words were cut off with his lips.

Bendan Wyer

Duo finished scrubbing sand on the hide of his dragon and directed him to dip himself into the lake nearby in the bowl.

-It's cold.-

-Aww c'mon Sythe ol' buddy. It wont be for very long and then you can go and dry yourself in the sun,- Dou cajoled his reluctant friend.

-The water will still be cold.- Sythe pointed out with inescapable logic.

-Please, just do this for me buddy. Besides, how're you gonna impress Tauruth when you're all dusty with sand on ya?-

-Tauruth has a very nice hide,- Sythe conceded.

-That's because Hilde spends all of her free time grooming her. She's almost as proud of Tauruth as I am of you.-

-You should lose your braid, you'd be able to take your helmet off easier.-

-And don't change the subject. Now, go and rinse off.-

-Only if you come with me.-

-No way! That water's freezing. There are pools inside for me if I feel like taking a bath thank you.-

-Hilde's there. You could curl up in the sun with her.-

-Sheesh, a matchmaking dragon....Now I've seen everything.-

Duo walked with his dragon over to the lake that filled up one quarter of the bowl and told Sythe to rinse himself well, while he went and talked to Hilde. Self-consciously, he tucked a loose strand of her unkempt hair behind one ear before he walked up behind her. She was working on something.

<Maybe I should have brought her some flowers or something,> he thought. He glanced around and spied some lilies over in the shallows of the pond. <Perfect.>

Duo walked over there and reached way over (so that he would not get his feet wet) to pluck them. The stems were being difficult so he took out his belt knife. When he felt satisfied with the arrangement he shook off the last of the water and wrapped the entire bouquet in a lily leaf and walked silently back over to where Hilde sat haunched over working on something that Duo could not see from his angle.

"Hello there," he said.

"Oh!" Hilde spun around and looked up at him in surprise. "Duo!"

"In the flesh, or so they tell me," he replied gamely.

"I uh, wasn't expecting to see you here today," said Hilde, ever so subtly trying to hide whatever it was she had been working on behind her back.

"What's that you're working on?" he asked trying to look around her.

"Oh! N-nothing!" she said. "Those are nice flowers, who're they for?"

<Duo you idiot!> he thought as he said

"You. Um, they're, uh, they're for you." He extended the flowers towards her as her face lit up in delight.

"How wonderful, no one has ever given me flowers before! Thank-you!"

Impulsively Hilde leaned forward to hug him quickly. Naturally Duo used the opportunity, not only to hug her in return, but to see what it was that she'd been hiding behind her back. He recognized it immediately of course. It was Sythe's harness and riding straps.

"I'd wondered where those had gotten to," he said. Hilde blushed deep crimson, and looked at the ground when she said

"It was supposed to be a surprise. Besides," she grinned impishly. "You never check your riding straps."

"I do so!" he protested immediately (precisely because she was right.)

"Oh yeah? Then what's that?" she asked pointing to a spot in one of the straps that was nearly worn through.

"I was gonna replace it," he said. Not a bit fooled Hilde riposted with

"When? When you finally fell of your dragon?"

"Sythe wouldn't let me fall," he told her, knowing very well that she understood.

"That may be so, but your wingleader would have your hide for a new coat if he found your gear in such condition."

Duo had to know when he was beaten. He grinned, it was not often at all that he lost a battle of wits. The other girls he'd dated were too busy flirting to go toe to toe with him when they thought he might be wrong. He admired Hilde, she had guts and smarts.

-I like her too,- added Sythe. ­Tauruth says she thinks about you.-

-Tell Tauruth that I said thanks for the info. Oh, and could you ask her what Hilde's favorite food in the world is?-

After a brief pause Sythe returned with

-She says her rider likes the baked waterfowl in citrus sauce served with citrus pastries of Southern Boll along with their fruit drink. She also thinks that her mother makes the best.-

Duo stored that away for future refferencing, one of these days real soon he was going to have to nip on down to Southern Boll for a few hours and see what he could do to arrange her favorite foods for her. She was special, he could tell. There was just something about her

<Hmm, and if I'm feeling really daring I could arrange for some candles and a Harper while I'm at it. I'm sure Quatre or Trowa would help me out. And don't you go telling tauruth about this either please,> he thought to Sythe. <I'm going to have a hard enough time keeping her from guessing.>

"Well, we wouldn't want Heero skinning me now would we. I rather like my skin where it is," he said, returning to his conversation with Hilde.

"Me too," she agreed. "But since you don't appear to have anything else to do, would you mind helping me with my own straps? The job always goes quicker when you have someone to talk with."

"Not at all," he said amiably. Then he took a spot next to her and picked up her harness, as Hilde bent intently back over her work. Duo was happy for the chance to observe her without her really even noticing for a few minutes until he said

"Hey, have you noticed how Heero's been acting lately?"

"No I haven't, why? Is he different?" she inquired.

"I guess you'd have to know him pretty well to be able to discern the difference, but yeah...he's a little different."

"Well, how do you mean?"

"He's, well he's....I guess you could say he's almost loosened up a bit. He has never really been known as the casual sort. Most days I'm amazed that he loosens up enough from his duties to breathe, and don't get me wrong he's a good friend and a great commander, but He's very...."

"Anal?" suggested Hilde.

"Retentive," he agreed. "But I think that's out of necessity. Heero has a lot of responsibility as wingleader and he takes it very seriously. Sometimes a bit too seriously if you ask me, but that's his lookout."

"Maybe he's met someone," suggested Hilde. It was the most obvious answer to her, nothing could loosen a person up as quickly as meeting someone they really enjoed being with. She should know, before she had met Duo it had all been about flying the Fall. She had been so intensely involved with her dragon and her duties that she had locked a lot of other things out. But the time she'd spent with the bronze rider Duo had made her realize that she'd been neglecting some pretty basic things, like love and human companionship. It must be the same for Heero then. He had to have met someone, only another human being could make that great a change in someone over that short a time. And it was Hilde's thought that this someone was most probably female.

"Are you kidding? Heero has never so much as looked twice at a girl, not at any time within living memory," said Duo.

"It could happen, he's not made of stone you know."

"Yeah, I suppose it could happen, but she'd have to be something really special and since you're already spoken for it must be something else." Dou said grinning his perfect smile at her. This caused Hilde to blush anew, no one had ever bothered to smile at her like that before and she was not entirely certain what to say or do. Or for that matter, how she was supposed to handle it when her heartbeat sped up.

"Charmer," she accused. "Concentrate on your work you rogue."

"Now who could concentrate on a leather harness when faced with such enchanting company," he said gallantly.

"Remember now, that's my life you're holding in your hands," she said softly.

"Then there's no safer place for it," he said and studiously began checking all of the straps, pausing every so often to glance covertly at her as she diligently worked at replacing worn straps with newer ones. They were so focused on their work that they did not notice the wet form of Duo's bronze dragon Sythe lumbered out of the lake and onto the shore behind them.

They did however take very sudden notice when he proceeded to shake the water off his body and shower it onto them.

"Ack! Sythe! You great big lumox, stop that!" Duo chided. As he tried to sheild himself and Hilde from the droplets of freezing cold water.

-I told you it was cold,- was all Sythe said as he flew off to go find a cliff side in the sun. He was followed a few minutes later by Tauruth who thankfully refrained from raining on them, probably at the behest of her rider.

"Eh-heh, sorry about that," Duo apologized. "My dragon sometimes has a mischievous sense of humor."

"Sounds like his rider," Hilde said smiling at him.

"And since when have I ever been known to get into mischeif?" he said, affecting a wounded look. Hilde, however was not fooled in the least and said

"I heard about the time when someonewho has yet to be named, took all of the undergarments in the queens wing last hatching and ran them up the Gather flag pole."

"What a dastardly and horrible thing for someone to do," he said affecting shock. "Of course you know, that for someone to have been able to pull all of that off in one night, stealing the undergarments, tying them together and running them up the flag polethey'd have to be pretty clever."

"Oh yes, indeed. Very clever. A girl could certainly fall for someone that clever, even if he is a panty thief."

"Well, I think it's safe to say that he won't be stealing anyone else's panties unless he's invited to do so."

"Well that's good to know. After all, it might make a poor girl jealous, knowing that this very clever person wanted every other girls panties but hers."

"That poor girl picks some strange things to get jealous about."

"Well, I'm sure she's a rather unusual person." "Really? Well, I like unusual people myself. I like them even better when they're smart and pretty and ride a green dragon bravely fall after fall." "Well, green riders can't hatch eggs you knowtoo much fighting and flaming. You fly a bronze," Hilde suddenly looked uncertain. "You could probably be weyrleader someday. You shouldn't tie yourself to a green rider." "Are you crazy? Why would I ever want to become a wyerleader?!" he said looking at her in surprise. "I thought every bronze rider wanted to be weyrleader." "No way. That's like saying that everyone born at Bendan Hold wants to make wine. I have absolutely no intention of ever having to take on all the duties of a weyrleader, for now I'm perfectly content as a wingsecond." "Why wouldn't you want to?" Hilde asked curiously. "Well, for one thing weyrleaders have to go to those boring Council meetings during the midsummer and midwinter Gathers and two, I wouldn't have time for the really important things. It takes a lot to be a good weyrleader, and sending out riders fall after fall to fly thread, to risk their lives and possibly dieI don't think that's something I would like to do year after year. It'd probably drive me to drinking. No, I've seen enough of that world where it's a wingsecond I'd rather be." Hilde took a few minutes to absorb his words, then she nodded her agreement. "You're even more clever than the panty thief," she said smiling at him. Duo smiled back at her and the two sat there in the sun to repair their harnesses together. It was there, with their head bent together over their leather riding harnesses that Heero found them. "Duo," he said, his voice as flat as ever, but there was a quality to young man's eyes that set off Duo's and Hilde's internal alarms. Something was up. "Yeah Heero?" he asked rising to his feet and dusting himself off. Hilde rose with him. "What is it?" she asked, immediately concerned. "Gather our wings and the othersJ'Tor just had a stroke." "Is he" aked Hilde, afraid of the question. "He's fine now," reported Heero. "Weak, but still breathing. The Healer says that he should be fine without anymore strenuous activity." "Right, we'll go and alert the rest of the weyr," said Duo. Hilde nodded and they both ran off in different directions to gather everyone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Authors Note: My deepest and most sincere and heartfelt apologies for making all of you wait so long for this chapter. I had the biggest and most severe case of writers block that I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. Fortunately now I have the basic outline hammered out, the "A plot" the "B plot" and the "C plot" all nicely woven together. I began setting it up here and boy, it should be a doozy. I hope the wait was worth it. Part 4 of this thing should be out rather soon. Until then Ja ne!

~Nightheart. Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, the charactors therein belong to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency. I'm just borrowing them and I promise I will return them in good condition. Pern or any of the properties herein don't belong to me either, they are all the sole property of that creative geniuos, the Dragon Lady herself, Anne McCaffrey. This is but a humble attempt to merge two of my favorite things into an interesting whole.