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Post by devi on Dec 7, 2005 20:37:14 GMT -5
It’s was near noon-day when Abriana awoke in her bed at Tillek Hold. “Noon-day?” she said groggily rising and splashing icy water onto her face in order to give her hazy brain a jump-start, “Why didn’t anyone wake me!”
Hurriedly she delved through her chest trying to find suitable clothing to work in that was in good condition. She sighed as she came up with a hideous looking bright green dress and a close-to-ruined gown. “I don’t suppose I can wear this,” she said giving the hole filled gown a shake to clear off the dust that had accumulated on it over the months, “besides, I don’t think mother would approve.”
She would often talk to herself like this when there was no one else around just for the sake of noise.
Growing up in a hold overpopulated by boys, she had learned to live with noise and was uneasy when it was too quiet. She had no sooner gotten into the unsightly dress when there was a knock on the door and her mother entered carrying a basket of fruit. “And I’d thought you’d never wake! Goodness it is near noon and you’ve just scarcely gotten into your proper clothes! I suppose that that is what I get for allowing you to tend to your brother instead of me,” she said repositioning the dress on her daughter’s shoulders to that is hung strait.
Abri frowned as she remembered the illness that had beset her brother along with a handful of other hold boys. It was the pox and the healer told her that she could not catch it because she had already had it. She had since been put to work tending to her youngest sibling until he was well once more. “Well? Are you going to join the rest of the hold or just stand there looking as if you were continents away?”
She was of course put to use right after that, enjoying another sunny but busy day at the hold.
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Post by Spirithawk on Dec 7, 2005 21:01:22 GMT -5
Rhia sent her silvery-green flitt Gylfie ahead with a message. She had worked hard to train the creature over the sevenday that she had had it. Gylfie had taken to sending messages like a runner and was very obedient. Rhia and Mneith had been sent out on Search duty.
The over-large brown emerged from /between/ over a hold that had not been designated on her map. "Why did you come here?" She questioned her dragon.
I want to look in this hold.
"The Searchriders looked here last time."
They missed something.
"There was a pox spreading here last time and they didn't want the searchriders to come down with it."
Well we won't get it now. The weyr was vaccinated. Rhia sighed and her brown turned on his wing and began to descend. Gylfie popped from /between/ and settled herself on her mistress' shoulder. The sole female brownrider of Dark Moon Weyr dismounted from her dragon and began to walk to the hold. Mneith followed. He had landed a good ways from the hold so as not to frighten anyone.
"You look silly walking."
So? I am a dragon. I do not look silly to humans.
Rhia snorted at her dragon's comment. She strode through the courtyard. Her boots clomped on the flagstones. She pulled off her helmet, releasing the runner-tail that held her hair under her helmet.
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Post by devi on Dec 8, 2005 18:04:53 GMT -5
Tillek's solo warning horn suddenly blared out making many woman who were working in the hold’s main room jump or gasp. The horn was new and was use to warn the hold about approaching company and thread, therefore no one was used to it. A messenger boy was sent out to each of the rooms to warn the people about whatever it was that the horn was blowing for. It was really quiet an efficient way to gather the masses of their hold and they were proud to be the first hold to practice this new way of communication, or at least that they knew of. As soon as the messenger boy appeared and explained the reason for the call, the lady of Tillek, Marilla, quickly explaining, “There is a rider here! Everyone that is of age get ready in case it is for search because I have heard rumors that there is a clutch on the sands at the time.”
As soon as this statement was said, mothers ran off to fetch their children and the younger holders chatted excitedly about the search. “I’d have sewn you a new dress if only I knew! Never mind that now, get as cleaned up as you can Abriana,” he mother ordered fussing over her. “May I go? I can be searched?” Abriana asked with the slightest bit of hope coloring her voice.
“Of course! It’s our duty to present all of the holds children that are of age and it would be an honor to have another dragonrider in the family. We haven’t had someone from our line be searched from the time when your great-grandfather was!” her mother said, eyes shining with excitement.
Abrian looked around and saw that her fellow hold women were getting similar prep-talks.
The lord of Tillek threw open the heavy metal doors of the hold and cried, “Welcome to Tillek brownrider! I am Berrep, Lord of Tillek. What may my hold and I do for you?”
Lady Marilla hurried to stand beside her husband, glaring at the crowd of on lookers who stood in the door way until they reluctantly closed the doors.
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Post by Spirithawk on Dec 8, 2005 18:11:20 GMT -5
Rhia flinched. The young brownrider was not quite used to being in the center of attention.
Calm yourself Mine. You have dealt with this before when you and G'han sent messages about Thread.
~Yeah, but he was at my side then and I was just sending out messages, not telling these people who is suitable to be a dragonrider.~
Rhia stood up straighter and tucked her helmet under her arm. "I am Rhianna, rider of brown Mneith. I come from Dark Moon Weyr. As you might have heard there is a clutch on our hatching grounds. I am on Search and my dragon wishes to Search among your people."
Rhianna...you never use that name anymore.
~That's my name isn't it?~
No, you are Rhia.
"Well, as my dragon says, I am Rhia." She added, almost as an afterthought.
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Post by devi on Dec 8, 2005 23:25:36 GMT -5
The Lord holder bowed to the brownrider and said, “Welcome Rhia...or should I call you Rhianna? Anyways, I have heard this news and I will gather all of the suitable, healthy people we have available for your search. Is there anything else you are in need of? I can supply you food and drink if you wish.”
With a nod, the Lady of the hold slipped indoors only to be greeted by an enormous crowd that had gathered around the entrance. She surveyed the collection of holders with a disapproving glare although she knew that she was in no position to rebuke almost half the hold at a time like this for a foolish waist of time. “All eligible healthy holders may go outside and calmly line up. If you make any sort of disgrace of our hold I don’t care if you are searched, I’ll make you muck out the runner stables and clean out fishing barrels for the rest of the season!”
There was no doubt that the fierce little lady would do it so everyone who wasn’t too old or young or sent back because they were not healthy enough went outside to try and pass whatever test that they had to. No one really knew that it wasn’t a test per say that they had to pass but rather the ability to impress a dragon.
Abriana was among the many young holders who stood around awaiting the word to either pack there bags or go back inside. She marveled at the size of the brown beast who stood aways off with it’s rider. ‘I wonder...what is it like to impress a dragon? What do they look for? I’m sure I wouldn’t impress a dragon’ she though although deep down inside she knew she stood a small chance. ‘Ten to one she will pick that one boy who’s brother is a dragonrider or maybe that girl who seems to impress just about any boy she wants to. If she can impress boys then why not dragons?’
“I didn’t know girls could ride brown dragons,” someone whispered and although they might not have meant it, nearly everyone heard it.
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Post by Spirithawk on Dec 9, 2005 17:53:44 GMT -5
Rhia heard the comment about female brownriders and she turned to the person who had spoken, her mouth twitching. Mneith walked closer, folding his large wings and standing up straighter. The brown dragon was extremely large for his color.
"I am the only female brownrider in the Weyr. There is nothing wrong with dragons Impressing one of the opposite gender, but it doesn't normally happen."
"I thank you for your graciousness Lord and Lady." Her voice was properly polite, but held none of the reverence usually given to a holder. She was a dragonrider and such things as bows were not required for her.
"Well, Mneith, what do you think? You were the one who wanted to stop here."
The brown dragon lowered his wedge-shaped head. His large, many-faceted eyes whirled with amusement as he studied the people. He passed the line and then came back to inspect a few more people. Rhia smiled and tried not to laugh. She knew that her dragon had already picked the people he wanted for the eggs. He was just keeping the other people in suspence.
~Shame on you Mneith.~
What?
~You know who you want. You are just torturing the poor things.~
It's funny to see them squirm.
Rhia was glad that the holders couldn't hear her dragon or read her thoughts. That one. The dragon stopped and pointed his nose at a young woman. Rhia walked up to the girl. "My dragon thinks you are a likely Candidate for the eggs on the Hatching Sands at Dark Moon. With your parent's permission I would like to take you back with me. Your name young lady?" She asked Abriana.
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Post by devi on Dec 12, 2005 18:46:55 GMT -5
The person who had spoken of the female brown rider looked quite abashed and lowered their gaze uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Abriana stood ridged with fear and doubt as the dragons many-faceted eyes passed up and down the line more than once. Under the scrutinizing glare of the brown beast, Bri began to have her doubts about being dragonrider quality. She looked down at her dress and around at the other “more accomplished” holders and sighed, she may have dragonrider blood in her veins-whatever that meant-but she surely wasn’t worthy of riding atop a magnificent beast was she? ‘Yes!’ a little voice said in the back of her mind but she ignored it, what was the point of getting her hopes up?
She was so into her doubtfulness that she nearly missed what the rider woman had said. “Me?” she asked although she already knew that it could be no one else.
She had to take several deep breaths in order to stay calm and then stated, “I am Abriana, my parent is here and I would gladly accept your offer if they agree.”
Her mother bit her lip to fight back unexpected tears as she nodded vigorously. Her father was out at another hold so that was all there was too it, she was going to become a candidate!
((Not one of my best posts but I actually had time to post today. So sorry I've been gone for so long!))
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Post by Spirithawk on Dec 12, 2005 21:56:02 GMT -5
Rhia smiled at Abriana. "If you need time to gather your things and get permission from anyone else, I can return for you. I have a few more holds to stop at before I finish my rounds."
Rhia's voice was warm, welcoming. She didn't want the girl to feel nervous. She would be leaving the only life she had probably ever known. Rhia rememebered that. She had not been Searched but she had wound up at the Weyr anyway.
~Is there anyone else?~
No.
~Ok.~ Rhia waited, her helmet on her hip.
((That's ok...My posts aren't that great either))
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Post by devi on Dec 13, 2005 20:37:25 GMT -5
"No," she said quickly, "My father is away and I only have a few things I wish to bring." She bowed quickly and ran off without another word.
Her mother curtsied to the rider with shining eyes and said a quick thank you before hurrying after her daughter.
Abriana threw things left and right as she desperately tried to find the things she wanted to bring when she left the hold. She was startled to feel a hand grip her shoulder and spinning around she found herself looking into the eyes of Apollo, the foster boy who had been one of her only freinds since her came to Tillek. "Apollo! You scared me! Oh...I guess this will be good bye for a while..." she said realizing that she would be leaving her family and friends.
Apollo's eyes were a misty grey, the shade of sadness. "Apollo..." she began but abruptly stopped when he pulled her into a tight grip and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
Before Bri could fully comprehend what had just happened he had whispered, "I'll miss you," and dashed out the entrance nearly bumping into Abriana's mother as he did.
Her mother came in and berated her for just standing there. The girl blushed deeply and then set about gathering her few things once more with the thought of what she was leaving behind tugging at the back of her mind. Her mother waited until she was finished to throw her arms around her daughter and shove something into her hands. It was her mother's best gown, one of the few that would fit Abriana. "Go, you'll need this more than I will." Her mother helped her tuck her belongings in sack and pushed her out into the courtyard once more.
The entire hold proper was there, either to see her off or to curse her for stealing there chance at impressing. Even the ones sick with the pox had been herded out into the sunlight but were kept a careful distance away. She hugged everyone in her family one last time and faced the rider fighting tears; it wouldn't do to let anyone know she was scared senseless. "I am ready," she said in her most calm and grown-up voice she could muster.
((I didn't exactly have time to spell check this post or read through it to catch any errors, sorry!))
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Post by Spirithawk on Dec 17, 2005 20:40:59 GMT -5
Rhia was waiting for the girl, impatient. "I hate to cut your goodbyes short but I need to get you to the Weyr. It's the candidate's chance to touch the eggs and Weyrwoman Christae just sent me a message with her bronze flitt saying to get my butt back to the weyr with any candidates Mneith searched out. I can spare a few minutes though."
A tiny silvery-green flitt had appeard and was perched on the female brownerider's shoulder, drawing envious stares and cries of admiration from some of the holders. Rhia grinned and then decided to use her time wisely.
The brownrider walked to her dragon and began fixing her straps to accomodate two people. She figured the girl was probably slimmer than her own stocky frame. When Abriana came she boosted the girl up onto Mneith's large back. The brown had crouched to make it easier but he was a big dragon nonetheless. She tightened the straps and made sure the girl's packs were secure on her dragon. Then she vaulted up and clipped her safety strap to Mneith's harness.
"Let's go home Mneith." She told the brown. He launched himself with a powerful thrust of his muscled legs, creating a backwind that nearly knocked the holders down. Rhia waved goodbye and then pumped her arm in the signal to go between.
When they arrived at the weyr Rhia helped the Candidate down. "The hatching grounds are straight through there." She pointed to a large cavern. Mneith had been careful to land nearby. "Make sure you bow to the Queen first." She said and then hurriedly stripped off her dragon's riding straps and her own riding gear before striding off to the sands. Mneith flew up to the fireheights to sun himself.
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