These Boots Are Gonna Walk All Over You. (Alicia, Tylar, Aria, and Emi)

It had been quite the night for Alicia and Lisbeth. First the hatching and Lisbeth's turning down of Tylar; followed by their extraction from the crowds so Lisbeth could be fed. It had taken nearly ten minutes of looking through all the buckets of meat to find only the best for the gold. Lisbeth had sniffed at each piece and had to pronounce it fit for her consumption, but in all honesty she would have eaten most any of it because she was hungry enough.

Once that had been finished was a short talk with the geneticists, in which Lisbeth had been thoroughly annoyed to be looked over. She was simply becoming tired at this point, and began to demand sleep. It wasn't far into the day; but of course hatching had tired the not-so-little girl out. In fact, a plea of 'Can we find the softest bed for me? I want to catch up on beauty sleep. Hatching was hard work.' convinced Ali to tell off one geneticist, and go in search of sleeping arrangements.

She knew from before the new riders had their own little 'barracks'. While Alicia knew she would far rather sleep with Lisbeth in her own room, the fit that would be thrown was not worth it. So she gradually led the gold off towards their at least temporary home.

'Is it much farther, mine? I am really quite tired.' Lisbeth muttered into her rider's mind, following at the girl's side. She looked up as they approached the door, which a few others seemed to be heading towards.

Alicia smiled fondly down at her. "Just a few moments more, and we will be there. With luck we will be the first ones in, and can find you a bed just for you that is worthy of only you." In standing back up she caught site of Tylar and her sickly looking green. Go figure she would impress only a sick dragon after failing to impress Lisbeth. Well, it could at least be a bit of fun. Ali said, in a voice just loud enough to be heard by the new green rider, "With luck we can pick you a bed where you will not be bothered by those whom you deemed unworthy, Lisbeth mine." She turned and took one more step towards the barracks, as Lisbeth turned to look at the green and Tylar with a disapproving glance.

By the time they found their way to the Hatchlings' Quarters, both Tylar and Wynnfrith were worn out. The dark little green was moving slower than ever, movements stiff and jerky; her joints were bothering her again. It wasn't like it was late - but with all the commotion of the day - the hatching, feeding, and overly long check-up with the Geneticists, who wanted to examine every pore of Wynnfrith, the poor hatchling was dead tired and in all honesty Tylar wasn't too far behind.

A nap, they had decided, would be good for everyone. So they headed to their new quarters, in a silence where Wynnfrith's thoughts were a presence in Tylar's consciousness that she acknowledged but didn't pay much attention to, besides being sure her green was all right.

What a day. She'd been beginning to think she wouldn't Impress at all, but then this darling had come to her. Of course she'd seen some of the looks she'd been given...some sympathy, some curious, some downright condescending. She remembered how that gold hatchling had told her she wasn't worthy of a queen.....and in fact, all she'd gotten was a sickly green. All? Wynnfrith was her world now and would be always, but Tylar couldn't help but feel uncertain, though she kept those thoughts far away from the bubble of consciousness that was Wynnfrith in her mind. There were those who thought the green would be useless, she could tell that already from the snotty looks she'd been given by some. And those that thought her useless for Impressing to such a creature.

Well. She'd prove to them all that they weren't useless. Even if Wynnfrith was frighteningly shy and Tylar was the epitome of social-ness; even if she insisted Tylar be quiet at all times and not draw attention to them....They were still a pair, still a team. And they'd prove to everyone they weren't useless.

They reached the hatchling quarters, which looked to be almost empty. Normally the greenrider would be unhappy with the lack of people there, but at the moment she was actually relieved. Now she could get Wynnfrith to bed without incident and hit the sack herself.

"With luck we can pick you a bed where you will not be bothered by those whom you deemed unworthy, Lisbeth mine."

Tylar stopped in her tracks, turning slowly to face the owner of the voice that was filled with contempt. She knew already who she would see, and wasn't let down: That haughty gold Lisbeth, and the girl who had Impressed her. She'd seen her feeding Lisbeth; the pompous little thing had held everyone else up while she inspected each bucket of meat thoroughly to find one "worthy" of her - as if they weren't all the same! She'd rather have faced every other new rider at once than this pair. Wonderful.

"What's your problem?" she asked testily, facing them fully. She was tired and had very limited patience right now, and it seemed this pair were fully capable of turning her normally perky self right over. "We all Impress who we were meant to. You got your precious gold, and I got Wynnfrith. And trust me, I'm not sorry. And obviously she's simply perfect for you," she added, casting a pointed glance at Lisbeth and drawing out the word 'perfect' into a sarcastic drawl. "You're both arrogant toe-rags convinced you're better than everyone else, apparently."

Harsh? Maybe. But they deserved it - she parading around like she owned the place because she Impressed a gold, hah! As if that gave her every right to walk all over everyone else just because they Impressed a lower color. No way was Tylar standing for that, not now. She felt Wynnfrith move behind her slowly, disliking the harsh atmosphere. She was wishing they could leave, and Tylar was quite ready to - as soon as this girl decided to apologize, or at least admit she wasn't queen of the hill.

Aria was tired. And not sure that normal kind of tired you get from working to hard or doing to much either. It had been the hatching, the troubles Finscoth had, and dealing with the geneticists that had worn Aria out. Couldn't they understand that her dragon wasn't some sort of experiment for them? Didn't they know they only made things worse for Fin by messing with her? Aria growled lowly remembering their treatment of her dragon. She'd like to kill them all. So what that her green was a bit different? Fin was still just a dragon like any other, no matter what those stuck up fools said. Like they expected her to die or something. Oh but she was mad.

Finscoth moved stiffly next to her lifemate, reading the agitation and anger coming off of her. She didn't understand either, why those men did those things to she and her sister Wynnfrith. So she and the other green were a little stiff jointed, so what! They'd still fly, they'd still fight thread. So it shouldn't matter. and Lisbeth...oh that gold needed to be taken down a peg or two.

Aria moved slowly so she wouldn't strain Fin anymore than she had to and so caught the end of her cousin's rant at the goldrider currently on Finscoth's mind. For now, she'd stay out of the way, but if that person said something to really upset Tylar, she'd punch her in the face if she had to.

Ali heard the words from the green rider, and turned to look at her. She turned her mouth into a grin, and not exactly a pleasant one. "Problem? There is no problem, Tylar. I just think Lisbeth should not be forced to endure the company of those she has proven as unworthy. Nor those whom share an affinity for that unworthyness."

The grin faded however, and then she said, "If arrogance is simply knowing and believing in your own worth then I suppose I am arrogant. Maybe if you weren't as lacking in confidence as you seem to be you would have impressed Lisbeth instead of I." Lisbeth hissed at this and turned her head to look at her rider, and said in her head alone, 'She never would have been worthy of me, and it is rude to suggest she ever could have been! You are my only worthy, Alicia, and only you could be my partner.'

Alicia smiled a bit again at that. "Well, at least it does not matter, you impressed as you were meant to. Hopefully you can prove to be worthy of -that- honor. We will just choose to watch from a distance, and leave you be, that is all." She turned once more to make for the barracks.

Emiline, needing to pick up a few things to transport to Deran's quarters, walked in just as the confrontation began to unfold. Behind her trotted little green Delyth, practically glowing with the healthy look of a dragon who had just fed and then been bathed and oiled until she shone. She couldn't have been more dapper if she had a bow tied to her little tail, Emiline thought fondly. As soon as she she blundered unwittingly into Ali's snide commentary, her thoughts changed dramatically. Emiline paused for a moment, stunned in that characteristic "surely I misunderstood that" moment she still had when confronted with extreme situations in English. Could the new goldrider have really meant what Emiline thought she meant? A moment later she realized that she had not misunderstood, and a look of disgust shadowed her usually kindly face.

Briefly, she considered confronting the goldrider but she restrained herself. Delyth was as yet blithely unaware of the situation and Emiline's first priority was to keep her little lifemate content. If she said any of the things on her mind, Delyth would be aware of the gold's contemptuous nature and she couldn't bear shattering her naiive love of the world quite so early on in her young life.

Tylar noticed neither Aria and Finscoth or Emiline and Delyth; her attention was too focused on Alicia, who had opened her big mouth again. The queenrider had turned back, and Tylar wanted to wipe that nasty smile off her face. She so did not need this right now. She scowled at the girl's words, temper rising with each new word. Unworthy? "Guess you'll have a lonely weyrlinghood," she snapped back angrily, "as Lisbeth chose none of us but you. You think I'm the only one she turned down? She turned down all but you; doesn't that make all of us 'unworthy'?" That last word was just dripping with scorn. "Just as the other gold turned down all but that Izulai girl; just like Wynnfrith turned down all but me. But you don't catch anyone else moaning about it. Gold is just a color; it doesn't automatically make you better than us."

The listened to the rest of the gold weyrling's little speech, lip curled. Ooh, this was rubbing her nerves raw. Obviously this girl was just a haughty little prick of a diva, just like her dragon. Tylar freely admitted to being shallow and occasionally diva-ish, but at least she didn't get all superior like this. "No, knowing and believing in your own worth is having confidence. Flaunting it and treating everyone else like dirt on your shoes because of it, assuming you're better than everyone else, that's arrogance. And so is rubbing it in our faces.

"Lacking in confidence?" she hissed angrily, automatically taking a sidestep closer to Wynnfrith. "I have all the confidence I need. I just don't go sneering to others about my own worth, that's all. But for your information, I was the only one worth taking care of Wynnfrith, wasn't I? Only one, along with my cousin, to take good care of a sick dragonet that needs me - while all you're good for, evidently, is strutting your near-nonexistant stuff along with your dragon. And so you know, I will be worthy of that honor, because it is an honor."

She swung around too, only to catch sight of Aria and Finscoth standing their. Well, crap, she hadn't known they'd been there. Then her lips curvexd upwards into a slightly bitter smile. Aria was usually the one who got angry, and Tylar wasn't - the tables were turned this time, weren't they? She gave her cousin a tight smile, but kept one hard eye on Alicia. Wynnfrith, meanwhile, had backed up towards Finscoth. Mine is angry because they think we're useless, she whispered to her twin hesitantly. We aren't useless, right, Finscoth?

Alicia's blood turned to ice. This... this dancer, this twit, this obstinate excuse for a rider was telling her she was going to be lonely? She couldn't let this uppity hip-hopping dancer outdo her. Not get the last word in.

"Oh yes, it was an honor to be chosen. And we were chosen by those whom were best for us. Lisbeth chose me because I was the only one whom could match her unique attributes, her obvious sense of worth, and her beautiful, wonderful personality. It is not a crime to know and to see that the golds and bronzes are the rarest, and if you think that someday that will not account to something you are wrong. The flits and dragonets have shown us the golds are the only fertile females that matter, and that WILL set goldriders apart. So just remember that." Ali's voice rose shrilly at this, as if confirming her own self worth with this statement.

The younger girl glared at the dancer, and then leaned forward. Lisbeth hissed, picking up on her rider's anger, eyes whirling more red by the moment. The gold stood behind her chosen's legs, but the head and tail on either side were swaying in agitation.

The last words from the greenrider hit home. Ali visibly winced at them, but she fought back with barbed words she knew would make a point. "I see. Well at least I will be able to strut. If that poor little green of yours tried it, her bones might snap. Looks like you will have to stop your dancing in the future so she doesn't imitate you and get hurt or die. Of course, that is if what you did could actually be called dancing. I always figured it to be much more like watching a fish flop while standing."

Her tone was now low, and as cold as ice. She never once took her eyes off Tylar and Wynnfrith; ignorant if any type of audience was paying attention. This second rate girl was daring to challenge and insult her for having an opinion. "Maybe you are the best to care for your dragon. With her body as weak as it seems to be, I would imagine she might never be able to fly. That would be suiting, the dancer groundbound."

Growling lowly, Lisbeth simply glared at Wynnfrith as if it was her fault, and at Tylar for upsetting her chosen.

(( OOC Note: Girls and anyone reading this: PLEASE COME IN AND BASH ALI. I want her brought down a peg or ten. :3 ))

Emiline narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Not even innocent Delyth was impervious to this kind of blow out, and her sweet naivety had crumbled like dry clay. Emi could feel it in her mind, the hollow feeling where she realized that not everyone in the world was nice. More importantly, not every gold could be trusted.

Well. If she HAD to go through this, the only constructive thing to do at this point would be to try to make it a learning experience. "Achtung, Delyth..." Emiline said aloud, ostensibly only to her dragon though she spoke loudly and clearly enough to be overheard by all. "You need to understand dis, because as you grow older the Golds and the Bronzes t'ink they will be our leaders. T'is may yet be, but you do not ever follow a leader by birth or by flashiness or charisma or color. Do you hear how dis one does not care for ze smallest she vould be so... superior? Do you hear how she degrades her and mocks? Ach, meine Kleine, she ist but degrading herself. She shows by dis how small she is, and dat you must never let yourself be lead about by such small people. You tell me you vant to be good, so you must learn these things, and you must learn that not all people who t'ink highly of themselves should be t'ought highly of by you."

Emiline sighed as her young dragon seemed to digest this, her head tilted and her eyes swirling with the tiniest hints of orange in their deep blue depths. It would perhaps be prudent to remove herself and her young charge before these girls got too heated... maybe even drop a word to a rider with an older dragon, she wasn't sure. "Komm, Schatzerlein... ve should leave dis place."

Silently, Delyth turned to leave but at the last moment she turned back and crossed over to her green clutchmates. Don't worry, she said, a little hurriedly because she knew her Own waited for her. I am a Green too and I am not useless. I made art and a Masterpiece and also I AM a Masterpiece and so are you I am sure. Also I met a Gold before who was bigger and prettier and VERY nice. You should go outside with Yours soon, because it is nicer out there without that Gold. She is not so... nice. With that breathless, somewhat nonsensical but entirely well-meaning missive, Delyth looked over her shoulder at the huffy Gold hatchling and hurried out towards the door where Emiline stood ready with an outstretched and protective hand. Opting for a hasty retreat 'lest the situation escalate beyond what she would expose her young dragon willingly, Emiline swept Delyth out through the door as fast as if they'd both winked between.

OOC: In case anyone like me doesn't see the chat discussion, this post is waiting on Iski to come in and decree how dramatic it can get without being dangerous to the dragonets.

Also, if Iski or any other of the official types want to use Emiline's exit to bring in a character to break it up (as in she told someone in charge about it on her way out,) be my guest.

It felt as if suddenly the air in the room had dropped several degrees and suddenly everything was suffocatingly thick and depressive. Like the roof had collapsed and they were all crushed beneath the rubble unable to breath and think. Whilst Airliath was still on her ledge her presence was something no one could miss. She had listened to the entire conversation relaying it to Ravana out of idle boredom with being confined to her ledge. Just when things were heating up it seemed as if the Gold was completely fed up with listening to the whining of the girls and in a move very unlike her imposed her crushing will upon them all.

Ravana had been reluctant to leave Airliath alone on her ledge, but it seemed her presence was required. She strode down the halls towards the place where she had once slept with a little Airliath. Now the Gold wasn't long off full grown and not as cute as she had once been. Then again Airliath had never been 'cute'. Dangerous yes.. cute..no. It seemed as if Ravana arrived just in time, being caught by a young green rider on the way out with her dragon. With a steely nod she entered, Airliath's will clearly still imposed as even Ravana could feel the suffocating effects of her dragon, though she refused to let anyone see that if effected her too.

Will firmly imposed on the young gold Ravana fell fully able to walk forward. Her dark almost black eyes made contact with with Alicia's, boring into hers with a look that was pure steel. She was not a Squadron Leader for nothing and whilst she commanded with an iron fist each and every one of her comrades respected her greatly. At first she spoke nothing, just stood there silently.

*SLAP*

The noise seemed to come from out of the blue, her hand a blur as if it never happened as she resumed the same stance she had before. It seemed just as sudden when a second noise as she whirled around to strike Tylar just as hard. The behaviour these two had displayed were something her pilots wouldn't dream of doing..

"I'm in my right mind to drag you and your dragons both outside for Airliath to eat. This is the most disgraceful display of behaviour I have ever seen. You are not fit to bear the name Dragonrider."

She stood there addressing the two, Airliath's presence still firmly felt within the room as Ravana moved towards on of the tables and pulled out a chair to take a seat. Arms crossed over her chest as she lifted one knee over the other to cross her legs and just watch them.

'It's okay now Airliath, you can let them go'

There was a rumble from the gold as she slowly, every so slowly relinquished her oppressive hold on everyone, still she sat on edge ready to crush everyone under her force again.

Galateah had heard as much as she could stand, and now, with the emotions of those hatchlings starting to whirl out of control, she moved off of her ledge and landed as close as she could to the entrance to the hatchling's quarters. How dare they upset her little darlings that way? Did they want them to between forever?

Galateath, baby, don't give them bodily harm. You'll regret it later.

In the baths, Adrienne was idly listening to the exchange through Galateath, and she'd thought about going to pay the newest bonds a visit... after all, Gala's anger was leaking over their mindlink, but she decided against it when the Gold assured her she would be more than capable of handling it.

After the first roar, Galateath contemplated tearing the roof off so she could get to them, but it might hurt the babies, so she restrained herself. Instead, she just roared again, the sound echoing throughout the Caldera and ringing in the hatchlings' quarters loud enough to rattle the humans' bones.

Pray tell, what do you think you're doing? Do you not realize the effects you're having on the little ones?

Her question was directed towards all of them, even Airliath and Ravana. She was furious, but, staying true to her personality, she managed to take hold of Lisbeth's, Wynnfrith's, and Finscoth's minds and shield each of them, figuratively hiding them safely under her wings as she attempted to soothe the hatchlings. After a moment, while still shielding the youngest dragons, Galateath turned her mind back to the others and awaited their response with her anger coloring the atmosphere in the room. How dare they!

Once again, she roared into the entrance. They should not have upset her little darlings.

ooc// Okay, there's a few things I wanted to get clear. Galateath has, for the most part, cut off and shielded the hatchlings' minds from their own bonds. They can still feel the other there, but no emotions are passing between the two. Feel free to make them get mad at her, but think hard about it first. Gala's only cut them off from their riders for a moment, and during the whole time she's reassuring them that, in a moment, she'll release them. She has no animosity towards the hatchlings whatsoever. Remember when in an earlier post somewhere I explained that Galateath considered all in the Caldera Hers? Well, these are her babies, too... At least, that's how she views them.

Also, yes, I did say that Galateath was angry at Ravana and Airliath as well. I don't know how this will turn out... but still. She's mad at them because the slap only threw the hatchlings emotions' even further out of whack. So... this ought to be interesting.

One.

Two. Slap.

Three.

Ali's face had turned into one of total and complete shock. First someone had dared butt herself in, that tubby Emi woman whom had impressed from the stands. She had been disqualified for having a baby, but maybe that was why she had been chosen by that little green. Maybe she just needed something else to baby. But those words she said stung.

She opened her mouth to respond, but as soon as she did, she felt the gold dragon's presence, and saw Ravana approach. She changed her mood to say "Thank goodness another goldrider is here to back me up,"
but the moment she approached and felt the sting of the slap, she knew it was not support that brought the goldrider. Her jaw simply dropped as her head swung back to face the gold.

"You are not fit to bear the name Dragonrider."

The words rung in Ali's ears. She stared after Ravana. She, she was not worthy? Whom had been chosen by Lisbeth, whom was to be her own contemporary. She had been chosen! And why had her gold interfered? She had two eyes, she could tell how much more fit Lisbeth was than Tylar's sickly little green. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that golds would be the mothers to dragonkind, nor did it take an astrogator to see that the path for Tylar and her chosen would be fraught with trouble. It shouldn't be so hard to understand she didn't want to get involved in that mess.

Her eyes widened as yet another gold came, but this time the dragon, not the rider. With her landing outside the barracks suddenly she lost all emotional sensation to Lisbeth. She could feel the presence in her mind that had been comforting her, supporting her, encouraging her ever since she had hatched but now, those emotions were not coming through. Her mouth agape, her cheek stinging, and her mind now ringing with the gold dragon's words, she stared in horror at them all.

Her mouth finally worked. "I have done nothing!" she said in a voice barely above a whisper. Her whole body felt tense, as if it could snap. "I have done nothing but what Lisbeth's feelings and words echo to me! She chose me as her partner, and I am simply reaffirming to her how wonderful, how special, how amazing she is. Tell me that you do not feel and agree the same way about your chosens. Is it so wrong to encourage the one you love in their happiness, to support them? Tell me, where am I wrong in that?"

Her eyes looked down to the little gold bonded with her. She could not feel her, but she watched her squeal and roar in anger at the other gold.

Lisbeth had been hissing her support to Alicia the entire time. But then Galateath had landed before the barracks for the candidates and felt her mind come under shield. She shrieked at the older gold through the door.

'You have no right to try and take me from my chosen! There is nothing she has done I do not approve of, and she needs me right now! How dare you lock my feelings from hers!' The little gold hissed and snapped at the older gold angrily, but then turned and curled herself up against Alicia as a show of solidarity. 'I chose her because she is what is right for me, she is the one who will know and understand me better than any other. Just like you chose yours when you hatched. We are no different than you and yours, so let me feel and share with my chosen, now!' Her eyes whirling redly, Lisbeth looked up to Alicia.

ooc: Hope this is not going too far! I can edit if needed, but should be thought provoking. >.> Doing my best to keep it real without going over the top! Hope its okay! *SO not used to playing bitchy gal* Also EDITTED for minor details/typos!

Strangely, it was Finscoth that reacted first to being blocked from her chosen. You! You horrid gold! Stop what you are doing this instant! I and Mine were only watching to make sure my sister and Hers didn't get hurt. We have not done anything wrong though Mine wishes bodily harm on Lisbeth's. You have no right to part me from my chosen Galateath, gold or not! The green moved from where she and Aria had been hiding to listen to the conversation and snarled loudly at Galateath for what she'd done before going over to Wynnfrith and standing protectively before the other green. Her eyes whirled red-orange in fury. How dare she!

Aria came after her dragon at a dead run, unsure exactly why the gold had blocked her mind from the green's when she hadn't done anything that could hurt Finscoth. "Tylar, are you and Wynnfrith alright?" She looked at the enormous gold dragon and tried to keept he irration out of her voice when she spoke. "Why am I being punished for keeping an eye on my cousin? I didn't raise my voice to Lisbeth's chosen, nor was I the one to strike her. I do not agree with the things she says, but I do understand why she says them. Who are we to judge why the dragon chooses who it does?" Here she looked at Alicia. "And who is she to judge Finscoth and Wynnfrith for being born the way they were? Why can't you all just accept that the dragon's chose who were best for them, and that Tylar and I love our dragons no matter how many problems they have." She turned strangely calm eyes to Alicia, her tone never once raising. She wasn't yelling, she wasn't mad, she just didn't understand. "Alicia, I know you don't like us, and I know your Lisbeth doesn't like Wynnfrith or Finscoth, but instead of judging us without knowing us, how about you be grateful that it isn't your dragon that has these problems. That it's not your Lisbeth that the geneticists want to experiment on, or that they keep telling you that she'll never live to see her first year!" Pain chased across mahogany eyes as she spoke. The geneticists had not been kind to her and Finscoth, not at all.

She turned to questioning eyes on the furious Galateath. "I'm glad you want to protect them, but instead of stopping things like this, why don't you, why doesn't everyone, focus on the problems that need it the most. Please, Lady Galateath." She looked over at the other gold and her rider as well, hoping one of them would have the answers she so desperately sought. Finscoth was a sickly dragon, she'd known that the moment she saw her. But from the moment Fin chose her, she'd also known the greatest fear any rider could. She could loose her dragon if the green so much as caught a cold. Finscoth and Wynnfrith would have problems their entire lives and here they were arguing over the fact that Lisbeth and Alicia had a superiority complex. It just wasn't right. Didn't they understand?

Hearing the pain in her lifemate's voice more than feeling it, Finscoth nuzzled her sister once before going to wrap herself as much as possible around Aria's lean form. She was with her, even if their connection was being blocked at the moment. She was with her, no matter what those people said. And she wasn't going to leave her lifemate anytime soon. She surveyed those around her, and in a suprisingly strong voice for one so young, spoke to those gathered. I know I may only be a green, and a sickly one at that, but I know my own worth. I know that I will never be like the rest of you, neither will Wynnfrith. But that doesn't mean we are lesser creatures to be pitied. That does not mean the ones we chose are anything other than perfect for us. We did not chose them because no other found them worthy, we chose as our siblings did because they were the ones most worthy of us. Just as you all did when you found Yours, so too did we. Why does that make us so different from you? Because I am green and Lisbeth is gold? Color shouldn't matter, we are all dragons after all. She paused and took a breath, tired like Aria was of all the fighting. Lisbeth, my sister, I love you. You and I, we came from the same hatching, we found Ours on the same day. Can't we just accept that they are different and not judge others? Are we not better than that? She hoped so, because she really didn't feel like arguing with her sister if she decided she was going to be stubborn.

Tylar stared. She could not believe the words coming out of the pompous twit's mouth. "Wonderful personality?" She let out a harsh laugh, anger fading in the sheer disbelief. How on Pern was Ali so...so blind? 'Wonderful personality?' Sure she was Impressed to Lisbeth, she'd have to love her ,but how under the sun did harassing people, sneering about her own worth, being plain mean - how did all that count as wonderful? "Oh, yes, she's simply charming,."

Well, at least she could find grim satisfaction in that she'd finally managed to affect the girl - her shrill voice faded as the goldrider winced, but it only made her next words more venomous. And listening to them, Tylar's own blood ran cold. Ali was openly scorning Wynnfrith's condition, and she obviously didn't even care about the green, not one bit. But that wasn't the worst of it; the terrible thing, that Tylar would never admit to anyone....was that Ali's words scared her, and scared her badly.

What if she was right? What if Wynnfrith really would be too weak, too weak to do what she should be able to do? Her bones might snap.....Hurt herself and die....Might never be able to fly....Dancer groundbound...groundbound... The words ripped through her as if they were cold blades upon her skin. Tylar had always imagined herself flying, riding on top of a healthy, beautiful dragon, queen of the world....what if that really never happened? What if she did end up groundbound? Ali's words were harsh, cruel, and heartless - but for Tylar the very worst thing was that they might be true.

It took her suddenly numb brain a few moments to process all that Alicia had said; therefore the insult to her dancing seemed almost to come after the rest of what Ali said, of what might be terrible truth. Oh, nu-uh. Tylar's temper immediately flared up again. She did not just insult her dancing. "Listen, you-"

"Achtung, Delyth..."

Tylar's head snapped around, as the unexpected voice cut off her sentence. Emiline was talking to her green, but it was a speech obviously meant for everyone else to hear too. For a brief moment Tylar was impressed; the other greenrider was a lot better at countering than she was. But then her attention suddenly fell on Wynnfrith, who had faded alarmingly from her mind; at first she hadn't noticed, so engaged was she with Alicia.

The green had listened silently to all that was said, not happy at all with the situation - she did not want to hear such things, not about Hers, and not from Hers either. The little green did not know what to do; she wanted it all to stop, but could not find the courage to speak up. She wanted to huddle by Finscoth and close her eyes and make it all go away, but it wasn't that easy. But then....dreadful thoughts started leaking from Hers through their bond...Tylar was scared, and it made Wynnfrith feel even worse. Because Tylar was listening to what that horrible person was saying, and it was frightening her. Tylar did not want her. Tylar wanted another - a strong dragon, not some stupid hatchling like her. An almost inaudible whimper escaped her, as her hide started to fade to an even grayer shade.

No! As soon as Tylar realized, her attention was all on Wynnfrith, even if she had not moved from where she stood. I'm sorry, Wyn, I love you, I love you, I want you, don't think that! It's just what Ali's saying - but she's wrong, I know she's wrong. You're perfect, and it'll all be fine. Oh, she couldn't believed she'd scared her dragon so. I'm osrry, Wynnfrith. She turned to glare at Ali' stupid, dumb girl, she shouldn't have said those terrible things....scared Wynnfrith now thought she would die - thought Tylar didn't want her - things Tylar didn't want her to think! True it wasn't what the dancer had been expecting in a Lifemate, but it was still a mate for Life! She loved Wynnfrith, she did.

To her great relief, Wynnfrith's shade crept back towards its normal state, and its pace quickened at Delyth's words. She was right, they weren't useless. They were just as good, even her and Finscoth. Right?

Then suddenly the atmosphere changed completely, Tylar, still glaring at Alicia, suddenly felt as though the air was thick as snow and no easier to breath, as if she'd suffocate fro msomething other than lack of oxygen. As if a sudden giant pressure was filling the room, more than it contain, and in a few moments everything would implode. Even thinking became different; everything from thinking to breathing to moving became slow and very hard - as if they were all suddenly underwater,

A moment later a dark-eyed and clearly angry woman strode into the room, one Tylar managed to recognize as one of the older goldriders. A silent moment passed as the woman stared at Ali - or she appeared to; Tylar could only see her back - and then, suddenly the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh ripped through the air as the goldrider slapped Ali. Hard. Tylar barely had time for a spark of triumph before suddenly there was another identical sound, and her own cheek was stinging roughly. The goldrider had slapped her?

Shocked, all Tylar could do will the crushing will upon her was stare at the woman with a mixture of shock and anger. How - what had she done?

"I'm in my right mind to drag you and your dragons both outside for Airliath to eat. This is the most disgraceful display of behaviour I have ever seen. You are not fit to bear the name Dragonrider."

What? Not fit to bear the name - but Tylar hadn't done anything! It was Alicia who had acted like a brat, insulting them and nearly sending poor Wynnfrith between as a result - but she had gotten slapped too? Behind her, Wynnfrith felt sudden terrified alarm, but was unable to do anything by the will that held her.

And then the crushing weight upon her slowly vanished, as Ravana sunk into a chair, and Tylar almost stumbled from the way she immediately leaned forward. At first she was too stunned to speak - but Wynnfrith wasn't. They'd gone too far, they couldn't hurt Hers, they couldn't! The dark green could feel Tylar's pain, emotional and physical, and she wouldn't stand for it. Don't! came her voice, small but audible and surprisingly steady. Don't hurt Mine; my Tylar only wanted to protect me, don't hurt her!

Her eyes were large and yellow with fear; all that had happened was too much, too much for her to bear. And then, almost immediately, a soothing mind came over her own, It was not Hers, but another mind - a motherly, soothing one that made Wynnfrith feel better, calmer. She was unable to feel the tumult that Tykar's mind was; suddenly she could not feel Wynnfrith - she knew she was there but that was all, and the diminutive rider looked around wildly to see who was doing it, who was keeping Wynnfrith from her.

Pray tell, what do you think you're doing? Do you not realize the effects you're having on the little ones?

Oh. The same gold roaring at them and scolding them. Tylar relaxed somewhat; she couldn't tell what Wynnfrith felt, but she was still there by her, and she could still tell through the link she was okay. And by then Ali was speaking - or, rather, whispering; it was a horrified sound. Tylar turned to stare at the girl incredulously; nothing? how could she possibly stand there and think she'd done nothing?!

"Tylar, are you and Wynnfrith all right?"

Tylar whirled again; things were suddenly happening very fast. "Yeah," she muttered voice slightly dazed. "Yeah....we're okay." Her hand went up to touch her cheek, which was still stinging. Wynnfrith meanwhile stared at Finscoth as she moved to stand protectively over her, glad of the protection even though she could not understand why it was Galateath she was being protected from. She was not mad at Galateath, who was trying to help; she was angry at Airliath's for doing such a thing to Hers, and Lisbeth's for the same reason. It's okay, Finscoth, she murmured quietly. Then, even more softly, she turned her words to Galateath. Thank you.

By now Tylar had recovered, and was ready to speak out, but Aria got to it first, and she listened to her cousin in surprise. Aria was surprisingly calm about this - she would have expected her to be much more angry....Heh. Tables have finally turned, she realized with grim humor. She, who never got angry, had blown her top. Aria, with the large temper and short fuse, had stayed calm. Wow. There's a first time for everything. But her cousin was still right, of course, very right. Of course; she felt a flash of pride at that, at least. Whatever her cousin was else, she was usually right.

When Aria finished, Tylar added on. Her voice was different than it had been the entire argument; quieter, more restrained. She wouldn't fight anymore. "Look. You love Lisbeth. Think of all that you just said. Don't you think the same applies to us? I think Wynnfrith is wonderful and amazing too, no matter what she looks like. I love her anyway, just like you love Lisbeth. I agree with you. It isn't wrong. That's why I'm fighting back, that's why I hate what you said to me. I want her to be happy; I want to be happy with her .I don't want to be told that can't happen - I don't want to be told she'll die, or how weak she is, or how different...." Despite her efforts to hide it, her voice cracked, and tears appeared in her eyes. "You can support Lisbeth without crushing the rest of us. And if you can't, then there's obviously something wrong, and it's not with Wynnfrith."