Horace's pages, written around 2000, 4th of July clutch for Gallimim

"I bet you're tired... Would you like something to drink?" The dark skinned man with the two-colored hair asks you, and you tell him you would rather like some wine or a cold glass of water.

"Good! While you're up, get me one too?" He says, and then laughs loudly. He strings you on for a bit, but then indeed comes back to the room with a pair of wine glasses.

"My name is Horace, and I've become interested in Gallimim's clutches," he tells you. "I think they're having one or two, at the same time. But there's another one which someone didn't tell the others about..." He leans in with a broad, silly grin on his face. "It's not really a secret but I guess the rider's kind of embarrassed about it."

You ask him why that would be, and he tells you.

"The green she rides is a forgetful little girl. She'd had a flight, a good one, but then laid her eggs and can't remember where they are! Isn't that just a Green for you!?"

"It certainly is," you comment. "But why are you so excited?"

"Because I'm pretty sure I've found one of the eggs. I'm not going to tell you where I found it, it was a HIGH QUEST for something like this, let me tell you. She'd hid them good!"

You just sit there sipping your wine.

"Anyway, let me tell you about me." He says, eagerly and with bluster.

"Go ahead," you mutter, "it isn't like I could possibly stop you anyway... Why does everyone always want to talk about themselves? Why don't they ever ask about me? nooo, never ask the harper..."

Your words drone into the background, as Horace stands and relates that he is...

"Of 19 turns, just about to have my turn day! I've got two Riders for parents, H'raan and Geniva; I have a sister who is a brown rider, named Geoconda riding Estreth. I have a steady girlfriend, she's also going to be finding a clutch somewhere, I think, but not this time. Her name is Qarna. That's pronounced karr-na, you know. Anyway, I've always loved dragons, especially the fast blue ones. They're not as big and bulky as the others, so they're really great for speed and moves. D'you think I could Impress a blue? I think I could. Especially if this egg I found turns out to be one, huh?"

You notice he's paused, waiting for you to respond. You grunt and nod, not sure what he's aiming at.

"Then I know what I want to do with my time. I want to bring people to their new weyrs and holds. You know shuttle them across!"

"What about the unrest in the East?" You ask, blandly.

He blinks. "Ooohh, that. Yeah. Geo and I are kinda 'in' with the people on the 'right' side, if you know what I mean. They're freedom fighters, trying to get away from the Holds and onto their own land, aren't they? I really feel for them. Maybe if this dragon egg hatches I'll be able to help them too. Run supplies and stuff. Yeah! That's it! I'm going to become a freedom fighter!"

He punches at the air, and you decide to back away from him a bit, while he collects himself. That doesn't seem very likely, however, so you finally excuse yourself and run down the hall.

'Huh, some people,' Thought Horace. He went into the back room of the weyr, and snuggled down to the egg he'd found, watching it roll back and forth. It must be almost ready to hatch!...YES! It was hatching!

Out of it came the most amazing dragon H'race had ever seen! It was blue all right, but this one had beautiful patterns of pale white and dark red on its wings, almost like stars!

"Sweet!" H'race cried.

I am Dlivereth, the dragon telepathically announced. I will take you where you need to be! And bring others! We will be the best fliers in all Pern!

"We sure will, Dlivereth, we sure will!" H'race cradled the beautiful dragon's head in his lap, and talked to him about where they would soon be flying to... Just as soon as he got oiled and fed!

"I cannot believe you've dragged me out here, all this way!"

You must listen! She is beautiful, I tell you!

"But I'm supposed to be in the wing! We're supposed to be assigning firestone duties to the weyrlings at Alabaster!"

The blue dragon turned his head and looked at his rider. She is beautiful.

"So you've said!"

Her name is Iceth, and she is blue too.

H'race jolted at that, just before he jolted at the landing that the brightly-winged dragon made at Emerald Weyr's courtyard.

"She cannot be blue, Dliverath. SHE is meant to be green, right? Tell me you're not just --"

She is blue, see? A beautiful pale blue, like the ... the top of the water in the shallows at Mama Tani's cothold's cove. I like that cove. Maybe I will bring Iceth there, when we are mates.

WHEN?! "WHEN?" Bellowed H'race. "But I have a girlfriend, Dliv!"

She is no good for you. I bet Iceth has a beautiful rider. No dragon as wonderful as she could possibly have chosen anything less than perfection to ride her, don't you think?

The dragon had a persuasive manner about him, suddenly suave and collected. His rider was almost at wits end when he looked into the sky, and saw that blue ice perfection called Iceth. She ... it was hard for him to remember, that SHE was a she. Yet there she was. "Ah!" H'race exclaimed, startling one of the lower caverns workers, "She's from Sapphire... That explains it..."

"That explains what?" A young woman said, walking abruptly at the sound of the weyr's name.

"Um, the ... unique color of a blue female?" H'race squeeked out. Normally he was rather silly around women, but this one suddenly made him feel hot under the collar.

I toooooolllldddd you!

Hush up!

"And this, coming from a man whose dragon apparently went through a revolution to get here?" Saira looked at the multicolored wings on Dliverath and chuckled. "I see."

"Well, he's unique too," H'race responded, suddenly gaining a bit more confidence. "Besides, who else should be in the running for her when she's ... well, you know... Up there *flying*."

Smoooooth H'race, very smooth.