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Post by Kit on Nov 19, 2010 9:58:13 GMT -5
The cute litttle girl eyed the small market in the Hild courtyard with a measuring look that would've have seemed out of place on her delicately featured face if anyone had been paying attention. But Lirona had long ago perfected the act of not being noticed and just now she was looking for a target.
She found it in a group of older women, sitting in the sun chatting. None of them were known to her, which was all to the good in her mind. She wouldn't want word to get back to her parents. They thought she was at the main Hold looking for a job as a cook. Lirona did like cooking and she had, in fact, already secured a place in the kitchens. But you didn't make any marks doing that. She pasted on a face of wide eyed innocence.
"Would you like to see a magic trick?" she asked in a childlike voice. The ladies all turned to look at her, each wearing kind smile.
"Go ahead then dearie," one of the said. Lirona smiled sweetly and opened her mouth to speak when a dark shadow passed over the courtyard, and everyone, including Lirona, looked up to see a dragon coming in for a landing.
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Post by Kendrall on Nov 23, 2010 14:03:19 GMT -5
C'pher and Blue Zeddicuth emerged from between, with their latest destination directly below them. "Perfect placement as usual, Zedd," C'pher shouted above the wind. "Take us down and let's see if we can find ourselves a Candidate or two." Right. Hang on, Mine. The human leaned forward a bit, and the dragon spread his wings to glide down into the courtyard.
As soon as Zeddicuth touched down and came to rest, C'pher peeled off his flight goggles and hood, revealing his unkempt brownish hair before sliding down. He crouched as he landed, then slowly stood up to get his bearings. Several people had already gathered in the courtyard, and no doubt news of his arrival had already spread throughout the Hold. He waved at the group of older women sitting by themselves, their features obviously expressing a bit of surprise. "Well met, ladies," C'pher called over to them, then turned to see an incoming group of people - young and old alike. The Searchrider grinned. Anything to make his task a bit easier. "Alright, alright, settle down. My name is C'pher, and as you can guess, I'm a Searchrider." He reached over to pat his Blue on his chest. "This here is Blue Zeddicuth, and for you parents, if it's not too much to ask, line up your children by age. Youngest to the oldest."
While waiting for those parents who agreed to have their children be considered for the Search, C'pher looked around...and his gaze settled on a young girl, probably twelve or thirteen turns of age. The Searchrider gave her a nod of his head, followed by a grin. "If your parents don't object, you're welcome to stand with the others. You never know. Today just might be your lucky day."
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Post by Kit on Nov 23, 2010 18:23:11 GMT -5
"Well shard it," Lirona muttered under her breath as the blue came in for a landing. Whatever it was the dragonrider wanted, it had ruined her plans for the day, everyone was staring at the pale dragon so much that she had been forgotten. For a moment Lirona thought it might be the former Heir to the Holding, but then she remembered that he had Impressed bronze. People here didn't talk about him much, for fear of angering Mariusdara.
The rider, a scruffy looking sort, sauntered over to them and announced he was on Search. That was rather bold of him, considering the Lady's feelings towards the whole business, but she supposed there was nothing she could do. It was either submit to Search or leave the Hold unprotected by the Weyr.
The young girl belatedly realized the rider was talking to her, and also that she was now old enough to be Searched. She smiled prettily, "Oh do you think so?" she said with as much childlike enthusiasm as she could muster, and she went to the line, near the front. Lirona did not even consider that the dragon might choose her, it was not part of her plan, so in her mind, the possibility did not exist.
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Post by Kendrall on Nov 29, 2010 14:08:45 GMT -5
C'pher returned the smile, but said nothing as he watched the young girl give her best response to his statement; yet it almost seemed a bit too enthusiastic, as if she either didn't care to be present or had other ulterior motives. Whatever her reasons where, she stood near the front of the line. The Searchrider took a step back and leaned into his blue, and whispered something into Zedd's ear. The Blue nodded, then settled for flickering his eyes to and fro between each potential Candidate, his eyes gazing deep into each person that was standing in the pre-assigned rows. Zedd sniffed at each one, as if trying to pick up a scent, taking his time.
Finally, as the Blue reached the end of the last row, he went back through each child in reverse order, contemplating thoughtfully (or what seemed to pass for it; it was always difficult to tell with Zedd) until his gaze settled on one young girl in particular.
The one who had spoken to C'pher before she stood in line.
This one. I am certain of it, Mine.[/i]
C'pher peeled himself from where he had been leaning against a pole, arms folded over his chest and one leg crossed over the other, and walked over. He studied the young girl Zedd had picked out, then rubbed his chin. You sure about her, Zedd? Yes, Mine, I am quite certain.[/i] The Searchrider shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to argue with his dragon's intution. Alright, Zedd. Fair enough. C'pher watched as Zedd laid his majestic head at the child's feet, and looked up into her face. "Looks like I was right after all. Today's your day, young lady," the Searchrider spoke up. "Zeddicuth thinks you're Candidate potential, and he's never been wrong before. Mind if I ask your name, and if I may speak with your parents?"
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Post by Kit on Dec 5, 2010 14:51:32 GMT -5
Lirona couldn't help but smirk at the rider's consternation. He was obviously more perceptive than most, and had felt something a bit off about her response. But then the dragon began to do his work, and the rider ceased to pay attention to her. Confident in being forgotten, she watched passively, noting which children were hopeful, and which frightened. It might come in handy later. Then she began to watch the dragon, certainly she had never been this close to one before and even she could not help but be moved by its sheer size and the intelligence behind the whirling eyes. Then the dragon laid it's head at her feet and she frowned with confusion at this developement, and at the riders next words.
"You've got to be kidding!" she said, all pretenses gone as she looked up at him. "No, I see by your face that you aren't. Well my parents aren't here, I came to the Hold to work, but they're back at home." She wondered what he'd make of that, perhaps he had to ask her parents first... Though she'd heard otherwise. Certainly Mariusdara hadn't agreed to Weyr taking her son and daughter. Lirona found herself completely unprepared for this eventuality and was unsure how to proceed. Should she refuse? Could she, even? Her mind ran double-time weighing the pros and cons as she waited for the dragonrider's reply.
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Post by Kendrall on Dec 15, 2010 17:04:00 GMT -5
C'pher shook his head when the young girl protested that Zedd had Searched her, but kept an easygoing grin on his face. Never fails, he thought wryly when the girl pressed on: "My parents aren't here...I came to the Hold to work, but they're back at home." The Searchrider listened attentively, pursing his lips slightly as he considered what he was being told, then nodded slowly. "I'd like to speak with your parents if that's possible. We usually like to answer any questions and quell any fear they may have regarding their son or daughter going through the process of Candidacy, then eventually Weyrling training before earning their Riders' knots. But since you came here to work and all, this may be a decision you'll have to make on your own. Either way, Zedd's got confidence in you, and I trust his sense of judgment." C'pher leaned over and patted the Blue on his head, the dragon's eyes still fixated on the girl.
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Post by Kit on Dec 29, 2010 0:32:32 GMT -5
The girl listened to his speech, a crease between her brows from a frown of thought. No way were they going to see her parents. Not that she didn't love them, and they would support her decisions, but frankly, Lirona had been enjoying her independence and she didn't want to be fussed over by her mother and father. That left the matter of the decision squarely in her hands.
Dragonriders didn't marry, she knew that. So that would squash her original dream of becoming the lady of her own Holding. Still... she looked out of the corner of her eye at the blue dragon.. Dragonriders didn't starve, they never wanted for food or clothing. They had more freedom than anyone on Pern. And she might even Impress a Queen. That would be better than a Lady Holder, even. A gleam of avarice came into her eyes as she looked back up at C'pher. "All right. I'll come to the weyr, I'll send a message to my parents later."
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Post by Kendrall on Dec 29, 2010 11:13:55 GMT -5
C'pher gave another roguish, playful grin when he could see what the girl was probably thinking - should she accept the offer to Stand as a Candidate, or should she decline and take her chances elsewhere? Or was there some nerve he struck when he mentioned parents? Either way, he was about to find out. A gleam finally came to the girl's eye, and when she told him of her decision, C'pher nodded, all smiles. Zeddicuth merely blinked, his eyes suggesting he was glad that he would be bringing another one with potential back to Nova. "Glad to hear it! As for your parents, yes, you'll be able to send a message to them. I'll see to that myself. Uh....where's your gear?" C'pher asked, his arm waving in what he hoped was the general direction of whatever served as living quarters. "I'd like to get it secured to Zedd's straps before we head back to Nova. I'm sure you'll have plenty of questions for me en route, but I can promise you the trip won't take very long."
"Oh, and I never did catch your name...?"
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Post by Kit on Dec 31, 2010 22:31:23 GMT -5
"Oh, my things? Right, I'll just go and get them," she said, starting off for her little room in the lower caverns, not caring if he followed or not. She felt like people were looking at her and whispering, a sensation she didn't like one bit. Generally looking at people and whispering about them was her job. But she'd only managed to take a few steps when she heard the dragonrider ask her name. "Oh, it's Lirona," she replied as if the name itself was of little importance.
She made it back to her little room finally and hurriedly stuffed her things in a sack. A change of clothes, a favorite blanket, a little wooden flute, a small wherhide bound book, her eating knife, and of course Tokungawa. She was a little touchy about the doll, it was her favorite thing in the world, but if anybody made fun of her, she'd deck them, and that was that. Finally she was all packed, she turned her back on the little room and walked out without so much as a glance to either direction and arrived back at where the dragon was waiting. "I'm ready."
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Post by Kendrall on Jan 7, 2011 17:06:51 GMT -5
C'pher waited as the girl - Lirona - made her way towards what he presumed were her quarters, and it wasn't long until she returned with her belongings: Nothing more than a sack. Silently, the Searchrider arched an eyebrow questioningly, but merely shrugged when Lirona announced she was ready. "I'll get this attached to Zedd's tethering strap, then we'll be underway." Offering to take the sack from the girl, it didn't take long for C'pher to securely fasten the cargo, then watched as Zedd offered a hind leg to provide a boost. The Blue Rider merely shook his head and chuckled. "Seems Zedd wants to, ah, give you a leg up, Lirona. Once you're settled, we'll double-check the riding straps before going airborne." Not wanting to potentially cause any potential embarrassment, C'pher walked over to the dragon's right side, and clambered up before offering a hand for Lirona to grab hold of.
"We'll be at Nova before you know it. Did you have any questions you wanted to ask in the meantime while we get you ready for flight?"
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Post by Kit on Jan 11, 2011 15:01:58 GMT -5
She handed her bag somewhat reluctantly to C'pher, not sure she trusted him to handle her precious belongings safely. He might look askance at the small amount she had brought but clearly he'd never been a poor Holder. Most children her age owned no more than she, if not less, and her parents didn't have much more either. They had plenty to eat, and warm clothes, and a roof over theirs heads all courtesy of the Hold, but there was very little that they owned.
Lirona was surprised and secretly grateful for the help from the blue dragon. She'd seen how the dragonriders mounted, climbing the straps as if they were born to them, and she was not afraid, as she was agile. Still she was quite small and hadn't been sure she could reach the bottom strap so she muttered a quiet thanks to Zeddicuth before climbing onto his knee and pulling herself up. After that it wasn't much harder than a ladder. She took C'phers offered hand to pull herself astride.
"What do Candidates do, exactly? As far as I know the clutch isn't even laid yet?" the Holds usually received drum messages when the clutch was laid, and Lirona had learned drum code so that she would know what they were saying. Some messages came in secret code, so she was out of luck there, but she could decipher normal drum messages easily.
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Post by Kendrall on Jan 17, 2011 17:12:23 GMT -5
C'pher said nothing when Lirona handed him her bag, and swiftly tied it down to the tethering strap before climbing aboard Zeddicuth. The Blue merely turned his head to blink at the girl when she quietly thanked him, and his Rider made sure his passenger was secure. While he was tightening down the safety straps, he nodded as Lirona asked the questions, then handed her a wooden token. "Hold on to this," C'pher instructed. "Once we arrive at Nova, I'll introduce you to Arktos, the Candidate Master. He's a bit on the gruff side, but he knows what he's doing. He likes what he sees, he'll show you to your temporary quarters in the Infirmary." Knowing he was about to get pestered with questions, the Searchrider quickly fastened his riding straps, lowered and adjusted the goggles before giving Zeddicuth the signal to lift off. Roaring with delight, the Blue began to flap his wings, giving him the necessary lift to climb into the skies.
Once around the Hold, Zedd, then straight on to Nova, C'pher instructed. Just don't come from between above the Weyr. Let's give our passenger some time to adjust first. Crooning his acknowledgement, the gangly-looking Blue banked to the left in a slow circle around the Hold, then banked again to start his run towards Nova. C'pher leaned his head to his left shoulder, so Lirona could hear him. "You'll spend about a sevenday in the Infirmary to make sure you're not sick with Cloudlung. It's a precaution that all Candidates go through; I've had to go through it myself when I was Searched. After you're cleared, you'll move to the Candidate Barracks. Breakfast in the morning, followed by chores, then Candidate lessons until about mid-day. Lunch and free time, then more lessons followed by whatever craft you've chosen for your profession. Finally, you'll have a bit of time to get ready for dinner, then free time until sunset."
"The fun part will be when you're allowed to touch the Eggs from the clutch. As for why we never sent word to the Holds, we found out we had two dragons clutching at the same time. A Gold and a Red. But even better is when the clutch will Hatch. Shouldn't be too long from now. Speaking of the Weyr...take a deep breath, Lirona. You're about to experience the joys of between for the first time. We'll be out of it before you know it."
Zeddicuth waited for his Rider and his passenger to prepare themselves, then blinked out of existence. For a brief moment, it was nothing but cold, and C'pher couldn't see anything at all. It was difficult to describe to someone what betweening was like; it was nothing but a dark, cold, airless place. Fortunately, after the moment passed, C'pher felt his ears pop slightly as they emerged from between, and not far in the distance was the familiar sights of Nova. The Searchrider glanced over his shoulder to check on Lirona.
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Post by Kit on Jan 22, 2011 0:23:02 GMT -5
The young girl's hands flecked reflexively around C'pher's arms as the blue surged aloft, but she wasn't afraid. It was amazing really, the way the Hold grew smaller below them and the wind roared in her ears. She could feel the dragon's muscles working underneath her, the lungs working like a bellows and his heartbeat was a faint pulse under her thighs. She listened hard to hear what the rider was saying, curiosity overcoming her natural disdain, but didn't reply, for she doubted he'd hear her anyway.
Then he said something that was torn away by the wind and then they went between. The cold was numbing, but it was the lack of feeling that was most troubling, it was like floating in nothing. But it was over in a moment and they were back in the warm air. Lirona breathed a sigh of relief.
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Post by Kendrall on Jan 24, 2011 14:52:06 GMT -5
C'pher saw that Lirona seemed to be a bit relieved after their momentary trip through between, then nodded and gave the girl a thumbs-up before focusing his attention on what lay ahead. Not far from their present location, the familiar-looking caldera of Nova Weyr rose up from the ground like a majestic crown, like a shining pinnacle of strength and peace. C'pher pointed at it. "There it is," he shouted over the wind. "Nova. Welcome to your new home, Lirona. We'll land and get you settled before speaking with the Candidate Master." A quick tap with his heel against the Blue's flank, and Zeddicuth started his descent, coming in at a slight angle before breaking into a series of slow, gentle turns, giving his Rider and passenger time to steady themselves for the landing inside the Weyr Bowl.
A gentle thump was felt in his body as Zeddicuth came to a soft landing, then the Searchrider quickly loosened the safety straps before sliding off to one side. Crouching as his feet hit the ground, C'pher then turned to help Lirona down. "Once you've had a chance to adjust, I'll collect your belongings. Then we visit Arktos. He should be in his office at this time, I think."
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Post by Kit on Feb 1, 2011 21:44:05 GMT -5
Not being a dragonrider, Lirona has no such positive associations with the sight of a craggy extinct volcano. When C'pher pointed, she wasn't at first sure what he meant, from far away it looked barren, and forbidding. But then shebegan to see more detail. There were two craters, actually, a smaller one below the larger. The upper cone was unfathomably huge, and half of it was a lake that spilled over the side as a waterfall, which seemed rather improbable. The waterfall spilled into the lower crater, creating a second, smaller lake that in turn created a smaller waterfall. Both craters were split almost evenly into grass and bare ground, and as they got closer she could see that the grassy sections were fenced off for hearbeasts. The walls of the craters were pockmarked with holes, and on their rocky ledges sprawled dragons.
In the upper crater there was a low stone building on one side of the lake with a slate tiled roof. It was t- shaped and two of the sides seemed to project out of one wall of the crater. It hide wide windows with the thick metal shutters wide open in the breeze and was painted bright white, standing out against the bare black rocks of the weyr. It was near this incongruously welcoming building that C'pher landed.
He helped Lirona off, and gave her a moment to look around, and as she did, she noticed a man walking towards them. He was a tall, imposing man, brown haired and bearded, and oddly pale for a rider, if that was what he was. The complexity of his knot showed he had some rank but what it was, with white and black threads intertwined with the blue and silver of the weyr, she couldn't fathom. He wore no riding jacket, nor the straps that seemed to be ubiquitous, but just a simple dove gray tunic and wherhide trousers. He was as muscled as a gaurdsman and his face had some of the same fierce intensity, but there was sadness and humor there as well. A bronze firelizard followed him, settling on his shoulder as he stopped in front of them.
"Greetings C'pher. Have you and Zeddicuth brought another one for me?" Lirona's eyes widened subtly. This was the Candidate Master? She had expected a kindly old man, this man looked like he could eat her for breakfast. And he was smart too, he gave her a shrewd glance as he spoke to C'pher, sizing her up just as she was doing the same to him. She wondered if she'd be able to get anything past him.
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