TheEldest son of Smithcrafters Falron and Heshra, Foreng took after his father and got directly into the Smith craft. He is a very strong young man of 17 Turns, and loves to pose with his machines for the harpers...

He is quite skilled at making maps, charts and drawing schematics and blueprints for both large and small devices. If anyone could invent a steam engine or a motorcycle, it would be Fluffy.

Fluffy? Well, yes... Ever since he was young, Foreng has had a huge mane of yellow-tan hair that just can't be tamed. His skin is tanned deeply, and he has narrow, heavily slanted yellow-golden eyes. He has the start of what will surely be a very bushy fluffy golden beard as well, though he keeps it quite nicely trimmed.

Foreng is a sure-minded man. He is already a Journeyman, but should he Impress a dragon he will certainly use whatever skills he has in smithcrafting to help him and other dragonriders do their work better. He is concerned and sensible, and a very loving older brother to his two younger sisters and brother. He is also very loving to his girlfriend Kaytcha. He wants nothing more than to see her happy, and to see Pern progress and flower without Thread.

Entered into the smith crafters hall in the deep south near Landing, Foreng was only 12 turns old when he passed his Senior apprentice exams. He carefully paced himself for his Journeyman ship, but still is clearly one of the best students they have ever had. He keeps to himself, though, and often designs things which no current technology could ever support.

He was sent to Raanatani's Fosterling hold when his family was moved to a deeper mountainous region of the Barrier Range, to assist the mining and operations there. His younger sister will probably follow in his footsteps, but only after she and the rest of their family finish their work in the mountains.

It was while traveling to the Cothold that he met Kaytcha. Decidedly love at first sight, between these two. And second sight: when the dragons came to pick up a candidate from the Cothold they both fell in love with dragons.

It would be nothing for Feng to leave off being Searched to keep to the smith craft, however he knows that his skills will aid Pern better than being abandoned. In the Alabaster crafthalls there are several dragon riders, and he knows he will probably be joining the Uplift or the Screw Loose wings at the Protectorate should he Impress.

Foreng will elide his name to F'eng, but he still well goes by Fluffy (he does answer to it, it's more than a nickname to him). He hopes that he impresses a dragon who will be strong and swift, possibly brown or bronze. But he dislikes the idea that if he does impress Bronze, he might have a flight with a dragon other than his beloved Kaytcha's to worry about... That would complicate their lives too much!

**

"It's not too much to ask that these ... birds... be shut up for a while, right?" Fluffy growled on his way into the cothold. "I mean, reeaww, reeaww," he did a mean peacock impression, "They're so loud!"

"I love them," Kaytcha said, rolling over on her side. "I think they're beautiful. Loud and all."

"You would," Fluffy said, and sat beside her.

"Eew! You're all greasy and grimy! And grumpy!" Kaytcha exclaimed, and laughed her little head off.

Foreng decided that he would play with his lover a bit before telling her the news. He pulled open his work shirt, and slowly -- very slowly -- undid his trouser buttons.

Kaytcha sat, entranced at this little tease... But he was as grimy under his shirt as outside it! "Eyuck," she said, "Foreng, you smell! Take a bath!"

He grumbled and stomped outside, into the low terraced hills near the cothold. He pondered what he would tell her, how to best show that he wanted them to be together always.

He sank into the hot spring water, and leaned his head against the stones.

He was just about going to find the soapsand, when he heard something. He did not open his eyes.

Then, the splash which came over the top of his head made him laugh. He wasn't laughing when he realized that it was his clothing that Kaytcha had thrown into the hot spring!

"They're awful. Now, I'll help scrub you clean, my love." She dipped into the water.

As the sun went down they were glad for the warmth of the water. His clothing had dried long before. "Kaytcha," Foreng said, "I love you."

Kaytcha purred, "I love you too."

"Forever?" He asked, tilting his head. His beard was soaked but glimmered in the remains of the sunset. Like his eyes, yellow.

Kaytcha was going to giggle, but then sobered. He meant it. Her eyes grew wider, and her smile broadened. "Oh Fluffy..." She said, leaning into his chest.

***

The next day they announced their handfasting would take place at the end of the summer. Then, a fire lizard appeared in the air over Mama Tani's shoulder. The brown dropped to her wrist, and offered her a tube with a wherhide in it.

"Ah! You two are in luck, this sevenday!" Tani said, spinning. "Sapphire Weyr has eggs on the sands! You know that V'tar Impressed there. They've got very unusual dragons, so I hear."

Someone else piped up, "a purple hatched last time!"

The children in the cothold got all chittery and excited. Then, Mama Tani looked over her newest favorite couple.

"Do you think you will stand together?" She asked, and they grinned.

"Wouldn't it be great?" Kaytcha said first. Foreng was less enthusiastic. "What's the matter?" Kaytcha asked.

"Unless it is all right with the weyr, and I know for many it is, but... If we Impress clutchmates, won't that make it more difficult to ... you know, mate them? Together?"

"A good concern," Tanis said, sliding by her mother and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "But though it's well founded, most dragons aren't that picky. It's probably why there are distinct dragon types around Pern now. Gallimim, Talor, Blue Star, all of them have different feels. Breeding back and cross breeding are how they got that way."

"Your golden Zanilanth is ready to fly, isn't she?" Tani asked, and Tanis shrugged.

"She's been ready to fly for years, mother..."

"Anyway, I think we will. Stand on the sands at Sapphire together, Foreng?" Kaytcha asked, and he took her hands in agreement.

**

Foreng and several of the other male candidates played dragon poker in the weyrling barracks after dinner. They were close to the girls quarters, but with enough separating them that there would be no trouble. Foreng wished that he and Kaytcha could have their own weyr. Right about when he put down a pair of cards, the humming started.

"The hatching! The hatching!" Yelled a young rider, his dragon relaying the important call. "Down to the sands! Everyone!"

They bolted to the halls, and Foreng found Kaytcha. "Excited?" He asked, and she beamed.

"Of course, Fluffy, this is what we've been waiting for!"

They made their way down, and there was a huge crowd! Of course, there were also quite a lot of eggs on the sands. It seemed that there were more than Foreng remembered, and then he heard someone say that there were special eggs aplenty there too.

The bronze which hatched first gained Foreng a pair of marks on that bet, which he'd collect later. After Aries impressed, Foreng saw something in the corner of his vision.

Two browns hatched at the same time, and with a strange sound in Foreng's mind, one of them begged, where are you? I am lost, all these eggs are confusing me! My name is Nelloth, does anyone know where I will find my rider? Oh, do not leave me!

Foreng, now F'eng, approached the running brown, "it's okay, Nelloth, I owuld never leave you behind! Let's go get something to eat. You're hungry, aren't you?"

I would like that, F'eng. Why do they call you Fluffy? Should I call you that?

"You can call me anything you wish, Nelloth!"

**

Do you think she'll let me fly her? Do you think that the bronzes are too big? I don't know... I think maybe you and I should keep those other guys away from Quisanth and Kaytcha.

"Well..." F'eng said, "I agree about some parts..." He rubbed down the weyrling dragon, and then they took to the air with their practice wing. They were quite well liked among the riders, though for some remained distant.

That distance was because of course Fluffy loved Kaytcha. And Kitty rode a golden dragon. He knew they could not make sure that his dragon rode the gold, when she decided to clutch.

But their thoughts were swept away in a wave of air, as Nelloth took to the sky!

"I know you don't think it's fair, but Nelloth, she's a gold! You can't expect her to be able to fight thread with you!" F'eng slapped the skin of his grown brown.

She will be so magnificent in the air, F'eng... It is a shame that such grace must be hidden from flying Thread. I only hope that I will catch her when she flies.

"There might be bigger bronzes or faster browns in the air, Nelloth," F'eng said, "but you're the one she loves."

Because of you...

"No, no! Because you want to be with her, just to be with her. It's true, that is how Kaytcha and I act a lot, but you're charming all on your own!"

He certainly is, the golden dragon's voice entered F'eng's as well as his dragon's minds. While F'eng enjoyed the touch of the dragon's mind, Nelloth nearly exploded with bliss every time she did so.

"He's quite enfatuated," Kitty said, as she and Quisanth entered their large, shared weyr. "Just like you," she said, and smooched her dearest love while the dragons nuzzled.

**