Jerard Fryhunter and Nahasuth

It was a long hatching. In fact there were two hatchings going on at the same time, which Jerard was pretty curious about. Anything he'd read about dragons was that they were rather protective and jealous, so these two females were sharing space was an event. Even the locals were saying things about it.

It wasn't unique, but he didn't care - he was having a good time watching people. His friends would really get a kick out of the stories he would bring back from this!

There were a few eggs, but only one that was left had any life in it. Jerard knew with a weird sensation that it was now or never. Someone else walked away with another dragon who'd waited this long, and a thud in Jerard's heart told him he might not bond. But instead, the egg hatched to show off a bicolored male, blue and white.

He looked around, still covered with icky egg goo. To Jerard it looked like he was worried. But then, the dragonet's eyes snapped toward Jerard!

There you are! I've been looking all over for you, you've got to stay still or else you won't get me!

"I never moved, Nahasuth," Jerard commented, but it was useless: the dragon believed he'd been darting around behind things, hiding from him...!

***

"Well what do you expect!" Jerard said, tending his bruises and drinking another cup of the herb tea that the healer offered, "I change into a fish - not a bird!"

Jerard's first flight didn't last too long on his weyrling's back. So dizzy was he from being propelled into the air, that his mind state actually seemed to affect the dragon's perception too! They tumbled down, fortunately only a few yards, onto the soft sands below. Jerard's scraped leg and elbow would heal quickly enough, but their bruised egos were nothing before the anger of the weyrling master.

"What have I told you about practicing your mental concentration!" He yelled, "it's not bad enough that the dragon uses you to see through, you're supposed to do it the other way around, boy!"

"I know, I know..." Jerard said, "but ... I..."

"You're going to have to get over the fear, Fryhunter," said the weyrling master as he left the dorm, "and soon. You can't fall too far behind in these exercises, and besides, what would your friends think?"

That probably stung the worst. What would they think? When he was unable to maintain a seat on his own dragon's back? Nahasuth was going to be a big dragon, too, not a little thing like some of the blues. So... There was plenty of room. Plenty of neck space.

should I try to be smaller? Nahasuth asked, and Jerard burst out laughing.

"No, no," he said in mind and voice, not really surprising the other people in the area. "I'm just thinking you've got a lot of room for me to settle on. I'll get it. Don't worry."

***

And he did eventually get it - Jerard and Nahasuth did eventually get past the whole dizzy spell thing. It came back briefly, though not very strongly, when they had to learn how to teleport. But soon after that they were allowed to head back to Carramba, where their studies were picked up almost right where they left off - to Jerard's distress.

"But... I'm ... older! Shouldn't I be like, a Senior by now?" He glared up at the white-skinned Hollis Blackstone, who smiled and shook his head.

"Nope, no way. Sophomore it is, until proven otherwise. I can say you'll be passing your dragonry classes pretty easily, but the rest, you're going to have to study hard. I don't know what they teach you kids outside of here these days, but you will have to get back on math and science if you want to graduate!"