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A small jeweled eye opened slowly in response to the noises of the frolicing fire lizards. A little ways away along the shore of the lake a small blue head was raised. A fire lizard who was barely larger than a baby had perched himself on the branch of a bush, enjoying the warmer weather and taking the opportunity to nap. He tilted his head slightly to one side, considering the two others splashing in the water. The one bronze looked awkward and frustrated, and his tone of voice was one of dissatisfaction. The other blue he recognized as his queen's son who had been born several months earlier. Cheeping, Shivvy raised himself up onto his legs and touched the minds of the rest of his fair, reporting this development to Diantha. The queen was hunting with her attending bronze and resented the intrusion at first, but became eager with the idea of visiting one of her babies. She appeared moments later out of between with Lumeth hovering next to her, and Shivvy leapt up to join her. In an arrow formation with Diantha in the lead they flitted over and began circling over the pair of lizards swimming in the lake. Diantha chirruped greetings and glided down smoothly to land on the surface of the water while her male escorts made lazy circles overhead.

Diantha watched with amusement and pleasure as Malico twisted and turned around her, letting out a rumble of approval at the arc he made in the air: proud of him and letting him know it. As Remmeck began swimming off Diantha watched him, tilting her head from side to side, regarding him with one eye, then the other, then both. Sensing that he was both jealous and upset, she curled her neck around and chirruped a crisp order to Lumeth and Shivvy. The pair landed and began paddling along, cheeping and splashing one another. Diantha swam out to meet the returning lizards, rubbing her head breifly against Malico's before looking Remmeck in the eye again. She blinked rapidly for a few moments before bumping his chin and twittering in a bossy sort of way, joining in the effort to get him to swim. She herself carefully observed Malico's method and tried to imitate it, hissing a little when she discovered that it was not so easy as it looked. Shivvy and Lumeth watched, chittering and chatting in amusement at their queen's consternation, looking at one another and then back at the others.

Diantha, insistant that she not be the only one failing at the new method, ordered Lumeth and Shivvy to try it out as well. When Malico pushed Remmeck back to the surface Lumeth twittered at the other bronze and made a "try it" face, demonstrating that he was willing to humiliate himself by trying and that the bronze shouldn't feel silly - he was in good company. Shivvy also attempted the motion, but ended up using his wings out of pure reflexes. Chittering his jaw rapidly together he surfaced and tried again, while Diantha watched mildly and studied Malico's motions carefully.

Overheard another lizard emerged from between; a brown this time. Trilling a welcome he dived down into the water and began splashing happily, paddling to Diantha and stroking her head by way of greeting.

N'mar watched from the shoreline, feeling slightly rueful now that Zavir had left him. He frowned and rubbed the base of his head, his stomach sinking as the absence of his firelizard meant that - once again - his immediate surrondings were silent to him.

I am coming, Alreth said, sensing N'mar's nervousness and gliding down from his high weyr-ledge. I shall hear for you while the little brother plays.

N'mar smiled sadly, watching his brown sail smoothly down and feeling a relief akin to ecstasy when he listened through Alreth's mind and hear the sound of water lapping on the shore. It was different than the perceptions of a human ear but it was sound and he was grateful for it. N'mar was feeling slightly worn out after his usual run, the warmer weather doing nothing to help his gloomy mood. His friends had been wonderful, Aleerna especially - she was such a sweet girl, but he was feeling like he just had to get away. N'mar was sick of people trying to coddle him, sick of the sympathetic and shocked looks when people realized that he was... deaf. N'mar clenched his teeth together at the tought of the word, growling a little. Alreth landed in front of him and leaned his head down. N'mar threw his arms around Alreth's snout and buried his face in the space below the giant green eye, relishing the support his friend provided. Only Alreth understood completely how N'mar felt: his frustrations, his pain. How he wanted people to help him but did not want people to help him, how isolated he felt even among friends, how much he missed M'leck who had expired in the infirmary mere days before N'mar had recovered... It was sunny, but N'mar couldn't have been gloomier.

Flying was liberating, even with all the plague business. He and his wonderful Gabranth were limited to where and what they could do, but what little flying they could do . . . it made the entire world smaller. If only they could have stayed up there forever. . . then they wouldn't have to worry about the plague at all. But no dragon had the strength to stay air-bound forever. It was impossible. So R'lie and Gabranth had to settle with landing by the lake shore. It was peaceful there, and quiet besides the sounds of dragon and flitters.

Gabranth carefully landed as to not jar his two passengers. Rita was there of course. She was never gone from R'lie for more than a few hours when they needed private time to bath or shower. The rest of the time . . . the two were inseparable. It was that close bond that enabled Rita to thank Gabranth, and him to respond back kindly.

Rita slid off Gabranth's back, landing softly. She could finally manage not to land on her behind after all the rides she got from R'lie. All the same, she had only been between once . . . and that was when the two siblings had been taken here. Are you going swimming Rylie?"

"Of course!" he answered. "You should go too, but no! You never want to go swimming when you might be watched. Have fun sitting on shore."

Rita frowned at him as he danced off, Gabranth sinking into the water happily.

Remmeck shook his head at the idea of trying again. He. Did. Not. Want. To. Try. Malico rolled his eyes and dove beneath the surface. He seemed to blend and disappear under the water and Remmeck started to get slightly agitated with the blue's disappearance. Just on cue Malico broke the surface just behind Remmeck at a blistering speed. He dove toward Remmeck and wrapped his front legs around the bronzes middle, dragging him down.
Remmeck tried to writhe out of the small blue's grip as he was pulled deeper. Malico was deadweight and refusing to try and swim at all. He'd pinned Remmeck's front legs and wings to the bronzes body. Effectively trapping him and pulling him down.
Ralia jumped up when she saw Malico drag Remmeck under. She raced forward as if to dive into the water to save him. All she could see was thrashing before the pair sank below her sights.
Malico has a plan. Amenth voiced calmly, completely unnerved by the action.
They'll drown Amenth! Malico might be able to get back up but Remmeck won't, he can't swim without his wings. Ralia said in obvious distress as she stood just at the edge of the water.
That is the point. Amenth turned one blue eye to rest on her rider. He must swim or he will die.
"But why must we take the chance?!" Ralia shouted, she was becoming hysterical as her lizards did not resurface.

Deeper now Remmeck was beginning to grow angrier. His eyes glow scarlet as he thrashed around trying to bite Malico who dodged every time. Malico fed the method repeated into Remmeck's head. Looping the motion and doing nothing else. With a shriek that was swallowed by the water Remmeck shifted his weight and lashed his tail, propelling himself upward. The movement carried up his body until his entire body was moving in a rhythm. Just before the pair reached the surface Malico released Remmeck and swam to the side. Remmeck shot out of the water and did a dive the same as Malico's. He hit the water and whipped his head around till he spotted the blue. Letting out a hiss he made a straight line for blue. Not even realising that he was using his tail to swim.

Ralia's breath left her in a rush as she saw the bronze emerge from the water. Her legs seemed to give out and she landed on her rear, her head in her hands. We must never repeat that experience.
You may want to save Malico. Amenth voiced as she watched Remmeck chase after the blue, choosing to ignore the statement.

Capna chattered a greeting to Majesty. If Quith was with them she would've caught that fish. She preferred hunting for her food than being fed pre-killed stuff.

He watched curiously as the other lizards were swimming in an odd style. Then Malico dragged Remmeck under. Interesting. When they resurfaced Capna asked Malico why he swimmed like that and how.

Minno just sat on her rock watching from shore. Her eyes flicked for a moment at the newcomers. A boy and a girl on a blue dragon. Her focus went back to the flits for a moment, then more movement caught her eye. This is getting annoying, she thought. Moving her head ever so slightly to get a better look at who it was, first she saw Majesty who stopped for a second to chitter a greeting to her and Quith, then she saw Aleerna coming not too far behind. Oh how lovely.

If circumstances were different, Minno would have smiled and said hello and maybe even given her a hug. But alas, they were not.

The comment she heard the boy of the blue dragon make, made her brow crease slightly. For some people it is! She thought. Quith rubbed her cheek to some how sooth her. That thought was a little too loud.

Ralia watched the blue rider. It was as the girl said, he was a dimglow. A plague had just tore through the ranks of the Weyr and he had the nerve to say nobody had died? Many had died. She knew of the girl's dragon's fate. The blue rider should be more careful.
Tell yours to kindly keep his mouth shut on matters he does not fully comprehend. Amenth voiced shortly. She would not tolerate such behaviour. The boy seemed completely uncaring of anyone's feelings. You both may have your health buy mine and one of her bonded were both hit by the plague and I do not appreciate his behaviour.
Ralia walked to Amenth and scratched the queen's eyeridge. There is no need to make yourself fret dearest.
There is every need. He does not think before he speaks. It is distressing others who have lost those they love. The pair glanced in the direction of Minno and Ralia sighed. To have lost a dragon so young... She had never met Minno, nor her dragon but she could only imagine the grief she must feel. Those few minutes she'd thought she'd lost Amenth had been torture, but to know it was reality must be heartbreaking.