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Post by sorra on Jun 3, 2010 14:45:32 GMT -5
Calyssa crept toward her brother who was busy with one of the runners. She grinned as she watched his back and soon pounced.
"Cal!" Sertex shouted as his twin sister knocked him to the ground and the young runner took off. He glared at his sister, but Calyssa just smiled.
"Hi ya, Sertex," she said cheerily. "Daddy sent me out to find you for lunch."
Sertex rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have just told me that instead on tackling me?" he asked, helping her to her feet. He knew what her answer would be before she said.
"Nope. This was more fun," she grinned.
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Post by Kit on Jun 3, 2010 15:39:22 GMT -5
Kaitoth blinked into existence above Crooked River Hold and Tesni breathed in the familiar air that, even this high, smelled of loamy turned earth. They spiraled slowly down, waving to those who looked up from their work in the fields.
((Are we going to see your parents?)) Kaitoth asked cheerfully. Tesni smiled, glad to the blue was in a good mood. Her father and stepmother lived here, and she had spent some of the best summers of her youth here, swimming in the swift rocky river, laying under the trees of the orchards, riding runners in tall grass. She hated to admit that she somehow missed it.
[[We might see them, yes. But we are here on business, remember.]] With a clutch on the Sands, the Searchriders were all going out to the holds looking for every last Candidate. It was only luck that she'd gotten assigned to her home hold. Well, not so much luck, she supposed. She did know most of the Hold youngsters, and there were many likely ones here, friends of her sister, off at the harper hall.
She and Kaitoth landed in the courtyard in the main hold and she dismounted the blue quickly and announced herself. "I am Searchrider Tesni on blue Kaitoth. We come on Search. Would all those aged 10-25 Turns please present themselves in the courtyard."
The two firelizards, Itzal and Indra came from between then. Itzal nuzzled her cheek while Indra flew circles around the both of them, chirping her happiness at having found her pet. She fixed Itzal with a look. "Go look for any hiding children, or those out in the fields. You know the drill. And keep Indra out of trouble." The brown chirped smartly and flew over to the gray, chittering loudly, and then they both disappeared.
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Post by sorra on Jun 3, 2010 17:06:30 GMT -5
The twins looked up when they saw the blue appear. Sertex grinned. He always loved the dragons and had started to try to learn each one that he met. He studied the blue as they got closer. "Isn't that Tesni's blue?" he asked.
"I think so," Calyssa answered. "Come on! Let's hurry!"
The two took off toward the Hold. Getting to see a dragon was always a good reason to hurry even if getting back to please their father wasn't. They both slid to a stop as they saw others gathering around.
"Wonder what's going on," Calyssa said, standing on tip toe.
"I'm not sure," Sertex answered, watching everything easier then his shorter sister could.
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Post by Kit on Jun 3, 2010 22:55:04 GMT -5
Kaitoth practically danced with impatience as the youngsters began to assemble while his rider shaded her eyes with one pale hand. A good turnout, many young folk she recognized. After a few moments, Indra and Itzal also returned, reporting that all the children were gathered here, apparently with the help of her father Tevin, who was a master farmer at the Hold. She'd have to thank him later.
She grabbed the first youngster, a dark haired boy with journeyman... what were those...healer knots on his shoulder, and gently steered him to the open space in the courtyard. "Now, if all of you between the ages of ten and twenty-five could please form a line behind this lad right here, and present yourself to Kaitoth, I'd be very grateful. There's a clutch on the Sands at the moment, 21 Eggs. So you'll stand a good chance of Impressing right away." She gave the boy in line a smile and nudge in the right direction.
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Post by sorra on Jun 4, 2010 8:23:48 GMT -5
Sertex's eyes widened when he heard Tesni's words. He turned to his sister. "They're on Search!" he almost burst out. He just managed to keep from shouting for joy. The thought that he might not be chosen hadn't crossed his mind yet.
Calyssa giggled and pushed her brother toward the fast forming line. "Then get in line, deadglow," she teased.
The boy grinned and obeyed his sister. The siblings stepped into line to wait for their turn, both wondering what would happen. Sertex was nearly bouncing in place, causing his sister to laugh.
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Post by Kit on Jun 5, 2010 13:43:22 GMT -5
Kaitoth examined each one dutifully, but he'd already gone through about twenty youngsters and both dragon and rider were starting to feel a little....fatigued? Annoyed? Tesni expected him to have sniffed at least one out by now. Crooked River was a large Holding by all accounts. The line was past the halfway point. She'd be all out of sorts if they failed to bring even one back to the weyr.
Then the blue perked up. I sense something. Over there. Briefly, Tesni looked through his eyes, seeing the image of two teenagers, both apprentice beastcrafters. They looked like they were related, perhaps siblings or cousins.
Which one? They look familiar...friends of Vinelle I think.
Maybe both. Tesni smiled. A double hit. Well, that brightened her day considerably. She waited for the two to get to the head of the line.
Well, why don't you say something to them, see if they hear you. Kaitoth could make them hear, if he so chose. But if they were really good Candidates, they would be sensitive enough to hear him if he just directed his voice to their ears, rather than just to his rider's.
Hello, little ones. I am Kaitoth. Who are you?
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Post by sorra on Jun 6, 2010 7:52:39 GMT -5
Sertex got jumpy as they got closer to the front of the line. He hadn't seen anyone pass that looked real happy, so he wasn't quite sure what was going on. Surely the beautiful blue and his rider had been able to find one candidate.
Calyssa stayed close to her brother as the line shortened. She wasn't the shy type, but she also didn't want to lose Sertex. "What do you think is happening?" she asked softly.
The boy shook his head, but suddenly jumped and looked up in awe. Calyssa's eyes were wide as well. "Hello, mighty blue," Sertex said with a bow. "I'm Sertex," he answered.
"And I'm Calyssa," his sister piped up, both their eyes still wide in surprise.
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Post by Kit on Jun 6, 2010 14:05:41 GMT -5
Kaitoth let out a snort that sounded suspiciously like draconic laughter. Mighty? Thank you for the compliment. Back at the weyr, I am accounted very small. But I expect you'll see that soon enough
The blue, still bemused, directed his voice to his rider. They have heard me well. They will make good additions to the weyr. His eyes whirled happily. So far, Kaitoth had not yet had one of his Candidates fail to Impress. Usually they all went in their first Hatching.
"Excellent." Tesni moved closer to the pair. "Kaitoth informs me that you both are suitable Candidates for the weyr, so let me present you with your Search tokens, marked with my personal sigil." She handed over the wooden tokens, emblazoned with the weyr's mark on one side and a green healers mark on an aqua field encompassed inside a drawn bow with the arrow passing through. Tesni was quite proud of it.
"Now, in any case, Sertex, Calyssa, perhaps its best we speak with your parents now. You don't sense anyone else, do you Kaitoth?"
No. We were nearly to the end of the line anyway.
Tesni nodded and walked farther out into the courtyard. "Thank you all for your help. Kaitoth informs me that he senses no one else. You all may go." She walked back to her dragon and her two new charges and waited for them to say something, Her firelizards settled on her shoulders, one to each side and she patted them affectionately.
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Post by sorra on Jun 6, 2010 14:42:48 GMT -5
Sertex smiled. "You are still very large to us Kaitoth," he said cheerily. He knew the blues weren't as large as the bronzes and browns and the queens were even bigger then them, but to him the blue was huge.
Sertex and Calyssa turned surprised eyes on Tesni. "Really?" Calyssa asked. "And yes, dad will want to know." She didn't want to bring up the fact that their mother had passed on.
The twins waited quietly for Tesni while she finished up. Both were beaming and couldn't wait to tell their father the good news.
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Post by Kit on Jun 6, 2010 18:26:01 GMT -5
From that remark, they must be siblings. Well that was all to the good, only one set of, or in this case, apparently one parent to deal with. Now that she thought of it that made sense. She remembered friends of her sisters..twins that had lost their mother. They certainly seemed bright-spirited.
"Well, lead the way, and hopefully we'll be at the weyr by dinner time." Speaking of food, she wished she'd eaten more for breakfast, come to think of it. She shooed her flits off her shoulders, mainly because Indra was so likely to get into trouble. "Stay here with Kaitoth. Keep him company"
Itzal settled on the blue's head with an outflowing of assent. His gray colleague swooped around the blue in wild circle, chittering happily. "Indra I said keep him company not drive him nuts."
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Post by sorra on Jun 6, 2010 22:25:56 GMT -5
The twins waited while Tesni got her flits to cooperate. Neither really knew how their father would react to the news. They hoped he wouldn't be sad. He would be alone now.
"Our house is this way," Sertex said politely. "I'm sure father is back from the fields by now."
"I can go find him if need be," Calyssa volunteered. Both siblings still seemed to be walking on air.
They led Tesni to their modest little home that Calyssa now kept clean since their mother had passed on. Calyssa pushed the door open while Sertex stepped inside.
"Dad!" he called, looking around for his father.
"Right here!" the older man called, looking up from some hides on the kitchen table.
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Post by Kit on Jun 7, 2010 21:33:20 GMT -5
Tesni followed the twins into their house, smiling as it brought back memories of her own childhood. Many of the little houses were the same, and she could almost picture her own father sitting at the table.
"Hello, sir, I'm Searchrider Tesni from the weyr. My dragon Kaitoth says that both of these young folks would be suitable for the clutch on the Sands." She didn't really say any more, but waited for his reaction. Tesni had been trained not to ask for permission, because then people got it in their heads to refuse. If the Candidate refused, it was one thing, but parents refusal was not to be borne. It was their duty to let a child go to the Sands. Dragonets had died before, for lack of a lifemate, and they were all needed. It was her duty to make sure it didn't come to that.
Not that she was worried about it in this case. She was well known around here and her father ensured the weyr had a good reputation.
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Post by sorra on Jun 8, 2010 8:32:56 GMT -5
Caltex was surprised to see Tesni. He had known the girl for quite a while, but hadn't actually seen her recently. Of course he had been busy out in the fields when she did visit her family.
Sertex and Calyssa stood quietly, waiting for their father to speak. They both wanted to go, but they were also worried about leaving him by himself. But of course surely they could come back and visit like Tesni did.
Caltex's eyes widened. "Searched, huh?" he asked, looking at his children with a smile. He held back tears of joy and regret. He'd miss his children. "Well, I'm very happy for them," he said, turning back to Tesni. "And as long as they want to Stand I say go."
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Post by Kit on Jun 8, 2010 17:52:54 GMT -5
Tesni grinned her relief. Despite being pretty sure she knew both the children and the father, she had to admit to herself that she had still been a little worried that he would refuse. With the mother gone, and Tesni had a guess that Cloudlung was to blame, there was probably no one to help around here but his kids and she didn't see evidence that there were several more hanging about. She would have understood if he was reluctant.
"Well, I am glad to hear it, they both seem bright and eager. Of course, someone will come to get you for the Hatching, if you'd like. But these two best get their things. Arktos will be pleased to have them."
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Post by sorra on Jun 8, 2010 19:27:34 GMT -5
Caltex hated to see his children go. They were the last thing he had to keep him going since his wife's death, but he was proud of them too. He wanted to see them happy. "You heard her, get going," he said cheerily.
Calyssa took off for her room, but Sertex studied his father. "Dad..."
"I'm fine, Ser. Now go. You don't want to keep Tesni waiting."
Sertex nodded and disappeared into his bed room to grab his things. Caltex turned back to Tesni. "I would like to come to the Hatching and please, take good care of them. They're all I have left," he said quietly.
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