Author's Note: Firstly, a HUGE thank you to all of you who reviewed; I was very much surprised at the response! Secondly, I took those reviews into consideration, and changed a few things, and thus have the edited the first chapter a bit. About Miranda's name: I've thought about it and have decided to leave it shortened. She's riding a fighting dragon, so I see no reason for her name not to be shortened, as she will be fighting Thread along with everyone else. This chapter is somewhat of a filler chapter. Thirdly, if anyone knows anything about the pair's first flight, such as when and how it happens, and could tell me, that would be very appreciated! Just shoot me a PM or something.

Thirdly, I'm very sorry for how long it has taken me to post this. Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I only ask that you do so politely. Enjoy!

Update: This chapter, when it was first posted, was very short. Before the story could move forward, I wanted to add to it, so I have. I have developed a writer's block with my other projects, so I turned to this one for a break. I apologize for the lateness of this update.

Disclaimer: the world of Pern doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 2

Training

Miranda, or M'anda as she was now called, soon discovered that there was a lot that she did not know about dragons, things that she had never even considered before. Almost all of her time was filled with caring for her new partner. Jakinath was big for a dragonet, especially a blue, which only added to M'anda's already huge tasks of feeding and oiling him. She and the new queen rider, the weyr bred girl whose name was Trista, were quartered together in a small section of the weyrling quarters. M'anda found herself incredibly busy every second of the day. When she woke each morning, she promptly fed Jakinath, and then took herself off for her own meal while he played and bathed in the lake with the other dragonets. After that, she oiled him, and by that time he was hungry again, which was followed by a nap, and M'anda did whatever other chores she needed to do: sometimes she assisted Trista or the other women, or worked in the kitchens, or did laundry. She would generally eat lunch, then Jakinath would awake and tumble down to the lake again, then return to her for another oiling session, and then another feeding, after which they both collapsed into bed. The days began to flow together, and before she knew it, sevendays had flown past.

Settling into her new life, Jakinath's adoration, and the love she returned combined to banish almost all thoughts of her former home from her mind, but whenever her mind wandered, as it sometimes did at night when it took her a few extra minutes to fall asleep, or when something she saw or heard jolted a memory in her, or Snatch brought a message from her family, she was filled with homesickness and an intense longing to see her family, the runnerbeasts, and especially Dirac, again. She quickly learned to shut out these thoughts as soon as they crossed her mind, for they saddened Jakinath, but ignoring them did not ease the ache in her heart, an ache fed by the fact that she was an outcast in the Weyr.

There had been very few female riders partnered with fighting dragons in the past, and those few had all ridden greens, not a blue. The boys were unused to having a girl in their midst, and avoided her, perhaps worried about the others teasing them if they ventured to speak to her. They worked with her and put up with her presence, but they did not welcome her. Even the older riders and male weyrfolk distanced themselves. When they spoke to her, they were polite and inquired about Jakinath, but the friendliness ended with their pasted smiles. The weyrwomen and Trista were friendly enough with her and asked her to join them when they could, their smiles genuine, but she hardly had any time to spend with them, having to attend the lessons the other young riders did.

Jakinath grew quickly, doubling his length by the end of the second sevenday, and again by the sixth. His feedings grew less often, but there was more of him to oil, thus her schedule remained as full as it had been. By the end of the eighth sevenday, however, his growth rate dropped to a slower, steadier one, though the dragon was already the size of a small runnerbeast or big dog. Now M'anda was required to report to the Weyrling Master, brown rider D'trol, for lessons with the other young riders.

They had been taught how to care for their dragons the day after the Hatching, but now their formal education began. So while Jakinath splashed in the lake, M'anda learned about firestone and Thread, numbweed and medical treatments, the weather patterns and the lands they protected. The next Pass was due to begin within the next three months; Threadfall would soon taint the skies again, and they would be responsible for supplying the riders with firestone sacks and numbweed and salves. Trista attended many of these classes as well, but she also spent time with the Weyrwoman, namely learning to manage the Weyr. Ahanath was the only junior queen at Telgar Weyr; should anything happen to the Weyrwoman or her mount, Trista would take her place once the gold flew for the first time.

So the weeks passed into months, and the months became a turn, and M'anda hardly had a second to cast thoughts about what was happening at home in her absence, and knew only that she did not belong here (which Jakinath often argued). Only her love for Jakinath made it bearable. She could never be entirely alone while he was around, she told herself, and managed to fall asleep at night.

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Flight was a wondrous thing. M'anda loved it, loved the way the wind whipped past her ears and the way Jakinath soared so smoothly. The speed was exhilarating. She threw her head back and spread her arms wide, letting the wind drag her hair out behind her and rush across her body. Her laughter was swept away behind them as the dragon went into a shallow, spiraling descent, his majestic blue wings taut and still as they glided through the air.

He came down on the far side of the Weyr Bowl, skimming across the lake, his blue hide reflected in the still water, which their passing stirred, sending waves careening towards the shoreline.

Too soon, they swept over dry land again, and Jakinath climbed slightly, shooting upwards to drop neatly onto the sunning rock in front of their weyr. M'anda, her cheeks red and her eyes tearing slightly—she had purposely neglected her helmet and goggles earlier—heaved a sigh and slid off the dragon's wide back, dropping carefully. Jakinath was now almost double her height when he sat on his elbows and three times that when he stood. His hide shone from the care M'anda lovingly gave it, and though he was still slightly on the thin side—from his not-yet-finished growth spurt, D'trol told her—he was large enough that the Weyrling Master had allowed her to begin riding him a scant week ago. Whatever worries the older riders had about the reckless young pair, M'anda knew she would never fall from Jakinath.

She carefully removed his flying harness, and the young dragon shook himself and leaped airborne again, heading for a bath in the lake. She watched him lovingly with a smile, then hefted the harness and hauled it inside to hang on its' hooks. She carefully inspected it for tears or wear. As she had neglected to clean it yesterday, in was in need of a good scrubing, and so she sat down and applied herself to the task.

M'anda had long ago become an expert at cleaning the harness, and so while her hands worked, her mind was free to wander. She grinned as a memory rose in her mind of another time when she had been leather, from her last days at the beasthold.

XXXXX

"Miranda!"

The raven haired girl looked up eagerly, searching eyes easily spotting the tall figure astride a handsome runnerbeast, and her lips curved into a smile. She carefully set the half cleaned leather and tools aside and rose, hurrying out of the beastcot in time to meet him in the courtyard.

With an expertise born from long years of practice, Dirac lithely swung a leg over and landed on the ground beside her, grinning.

"Dirac!" she greeted him as he pulled her against him, and he kissed her softly. Miranda allowed herself to forget her troubles for a moment and absorb as much of him as she could, enjoying simply being with him. When he pulled back, however, her face fell.

"Dirac—" she started.

"I heard," he stopped her quietly. She bit her lower lip to stop it from quivering, even as her eyes began to fill. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to go!" she burst out, burying her face in his chest. "I want to stay here, with you, and mama, and father and the runners…"

He comforted her while she cried, kissing her hair. "I don't want to ride a dragon," she huffed when the sobs had subsided, voice muffled against him slightly.

"It will be alright, Miranda," he murmured. "If you don't want it that badly, I'm sure you won't Impress, then you'll come back here and we'll be together again."

"But what if I do?" she insisted, the worries and fears hidden for the last few days coming to the surface. She looked to him for reassurance.

Dirac gripped her shoulders, gently pushing her back so he could see her face, bending slightly so he was on her eye level. "Then your dragon will bring you back to me," he promised. "I'll always be here, waiting for you. I want to marry you, Miranda," he told her firmly, drawing a gasp from her. "When the time is right." He grinned. "Just don't make me wait too long."

"Oh, Dirac," she cried, eyes filling again as she embraced him again. But these were tears of joy, and she gladly let them fall, even as she laughed softly. He held her, and she sighed, content for the first time in days. She won't be chosen; she couldn't. This was where she belonged; surely the dragons would know that. What could be more perfect than this?

XXXXX

That is the man you love?

M'anda's smile grew as she heard Jakinath's question, and she opened her eyes. She had been so lost in the memory she had stopped working. Now she resumed. Yes.

He makes you happy.

She chuckled lightly. Very much so.

Once we can go between, Jakinath promised, I shall take you to him.

I would like that very much.

I like things that you like.

M'anda laughed longer and harder at that, and he wanted to know why.