Late Summer, 2767, Fort Weyr (Repost)
She was beautiful, the little white from the delicate egg. Riku hadn't even noticed it starting to shake, his eyes still on the green that kept looking so close to hatching only to withdraw back into the egg. But his gaze was fixed to her as she crawled out with hatchling awkwardness, trotting across the sands.
There was no viciousness or deliberation in this one. Just hatchling eagerness and clumsiness that made him smile as she fell right into the deaf girl, Kreta. Her choice, maybe?
But she bounced right back and kept going, right towards his group. Her head bounced again his knee and he could almost feel her slight shock and dizziness as she tumbled and her sound of protest echoed in his mind. He didn't read too much into it. She'd fallen into Kreta too after all and hadn't Impressed to her...
He knelt anyway, reaching to help her as she looked at him with...rainbows. And he realized he knew exactly who she was. Taissath, his Taissath, who saw him for everything he was and chose him anyway. Who also didn't feel like she quite fit. Who was beautiful, inside and out. It was everything he'd ever imagined and more and he didn't even try to stop the tears from rising.
"Yes. This is us. And us sounds perfect. Hello Taissath. I can't tell you how good it is to meet you at last. I'm Riku." His friends had taken no honorifics so neither would he. They belonged together. They were all riders now.
Well I know THAT, silly. Don't go getting all mushy on me... Taissath said as she shifted uncomfortable, But...some food'd be alright. I am pretty hungry.
Riku smiled and lifted her in his arms as he walked over to where Lex, Mishima and Cal were gathered. He positioned himself deliberately nearer to Mishima...If that was even still his name. Whoever he was, Riku didn't want Taissath too close to the brown in case he started those games again. He smiled at the Weyrlingmaster, "Hi. I'm Riku. From High Reaches. This is Taissath and she's ready to eat. We look forward to working with you."
Taissath's own interest was decidedly hooked on the brown. Why was everyone scared of him? He didn't seem so bad...Especially as there was a 50% chance he was her brother, Hi...I'm Taissath. Who are you?