Ash (Anash) written around 2002
Younger brother of Arard (now known as A'rd, head Searchrider for the Protectorate), this pale
haired wild looking 19 turn old has made more of a name for himself among
the Harpers by being able to write out both lyrics and musical notes just
by listening to them once.
With a truly gifted ear for sounds, you would think that Anash's voice
would be perfect... Yet sadly, it is not the case. His voice carries just
above a whisper, at it's loudest! His quiet tone simply has never been
tested and he has long decided against trying. Better to be the focus
of some mystery, than to find out the awful truth that perhaps he can't
sing at all?
When his brother Impressed, Anash was hopeful that he too would get his
chance. However time and again, dragons passed him by when searching.
It wasn't until A'rd's Trelerth came by their Dawnlight cothold to visit,
that the blue sniffed him out at last. Elated, though confounded that
the dragon took so long to search him, Anash has been selected to stand
at a relatively new weyr, Isla, to try the first time.
In the short amount of time since being searched, Anash has had to develop
much more extensive skills of physical sorts that he never had before.
He is not a very strong young man, being mostly a Harper and records keeper
all his life, but he is determined to impress, and impress well.
He is not of a competitive spirit, especially with his brother, and he
thinks that he might be suited for a green or blue just as much as any
other color. He has watched, and helped, A'rd clean and care for Trelerth,
and knows that any larger of a dragon would require FAR more effort than
he could really give!
"There it is, Isla Weyr," A'rd said to his younger
brother. The age difference between the pair made so little difference,
they were more than 8 turns apart, they both relished the skies and the
freedom that being on dragon back could afford. That much had become obvious
to A'rd when Trelerth nosed his brother out of a line of young candidates.
The Weyr stretched below, with the distinct ledges scattered all over
the low caldron's edges. The water and meadows looked so inviting!
"We will have to announce ourselves," A'rd said, and gave a mental command
to Trel. The dragon bugled at the watch-dragon, and they got a response.
"It's okay to come down. They know to expect us."
"That's wonderful," Anash said, in a daze. In his mind, he was thinking
that the note the dragon blasted out was just shy of an E flat, he wondered
if there were different meanings to dragons' voices, or if it was like
expecting a human's voice to be exactly the same as anyone else's. Of
course each dragon had their own voice!
Down on the weyr's bowl, Anash discovered that it was true. Each of the
dragons had their own distinct tone and volume. But what stunned him was
the colors on the one dragon, the big male!
"He's not a typical dragon, is he?" Anash asked, his soft voice nearly
over-blown by the others chattering nearby about their arrival.
"You're right," said a man, greeting A'rd as if he knew him. "That's Sunset
colored, and he's not the only one with an odd shade to him. You look
like you'll fit right in," the man saluted and then grasped Anash's hand
in a rider's grip.
"Why?" He said, hushed.
"Because of your hair, dim glow," A'rd said, pulling on his own white
mop of hair.
"Well," Anash said, smiling secretly about something, "I'm sure that I
will become known for other things than just my appearance..."
***
It was midnight. Everyone was slumbering, until
the bizarre hum of dragons voices began to fill the weyr. Getting out
of bed, raised by the Headwoman, the candidates that weren't already hearing
the thrum of dragons understood quickly that they must head toward the
sands!
Everything was ready, including cut meat in bowls, and a couple healers
on hand in case anyone got hurt. The egg that split its shell open first
came before all the candidates had even gotten to the sands! So the laggards
rushed along, just in time.
He was a beautiful icey-white blue, not a typical color so far as anyone
in the audience could tell. But then, his sire was Sunset... The dragon
impressed and the hatching was on! A bronze and green came out, the green
impressing to one of Anash's friends from near Eden's Gate, Lake. After
the bronze found his lifemate, a brown came out and impressed while a
green and blue scurried by. The green impressed almost immediately.
Anash looked around, carefully taking all of this in. He held back by
the entrance, not really sure what to do if he thought he was going to
impress. The thrill of being on the sands hadn't faded, nor had the dream
he'd been having of flying, just before waking.
More eggs broke, two greens and another blue. When they'd impressed, finally,
the blue who had come out earlier but never found his match cried out
and ran headlong into Anash! He tumbled around and looked up lovingly.
"Banith? Are you all right?" Anash said, looking at the surprised hatchling.
I'm fine. Where were you while I was standing
out there waiting?
There was no answer, but the love in A'sh's heart filled his little dragon,
like the fresh meat would be filling his belly soon!
***
"He is pretty small, for a blue." Someone said,
and A'sh glared at them. Another bronze rider, of course. When would they
learn? Sure, they would get the chance to fly their big bronzes through
whole Falls of thread, and they would get the opportunity to fly a queen
dragon for the weyr leadership.
But they didn't have the option of being just a rider. Or just a man.
Ever. A'sh on the other hand, could ride Banith into thread, if he was
required to. But then he would be allowed to continue his studies and
work on yet another small toy for this child or that kitchen maid.
That, and there were greens aplenty who would be flown by blues just like
Banith.
All the time.
You like that thought, don't you, A'sh... I like
it too. But I am not quite ready to try yet. I won't be able to take a
big queen... But who wants a gold when a green will be just as sweet in
the air?
"That's exactly it, my friend," A'sh said, smiling because the bronze
rider's dragon apparently turned jealous.
***
When the Protectorate's letter arrived to Falas,
A'sh and Lake were called up like they were to be punished. Fortunately,
they had both done their jobs in the air and on the ground, and could
never be said to have slacked off.
So when Lake handed him the letter which told of the plan to move the
Protectorate ... off pern, A'sh was more confused than happy to be leaving.
The two of them, and their dragons, as well as two younger riders, Vaya
and Grendel, were to go back to the Isle. There, they'd be used as a sort
of battery to ...
"To between to somewhere else," he said, and Lake shook her head. "I know,
I know," A'sh said. "But that's what they're doing. I guess we go with
them, whether we like it or not."
"But --" Lake proclaimed, "what about my wher? And our cottage? And --"
A'sh calmed her, and they collected their things. "It'll be okay. We just
have to trust that Shard and the rest know what they're doing."
I do!
As do I! Chimed in their dragons, sure if their humans were
not.
"He IS kinda small for a blue," A'rd said, "but
you know, that's hardly going to stop him from flying well."
A'sh looked at his brother, with a sort of confounded gaze. "A'rd, it's
been what, four years? Banith has chased a few times, you know."
"I don't think you're giving him enough credit." A'rd said, smugly. He
turned to Banith, and mentally added, is he?
He is not! What do you have
in mind for me, brother-of-my-rider?
"I think there's a flight you should attend at Ryslen weyr. It's already
got a few blues in it, but it's for a beautiful Flurry dragon. Viceith,
she's a light-green, I've seen images of her. Very pretty."
Well pretty and proddy are different things...
"Not with this one," A'rd stated, and tugged on his younger brother's
arm to get him into his riding gear.
"Look, I--" A'sh complained, but A'rd wouldn't hear it.
"There are lots of flights, and I swear all of us Blackstone riders are
getting out there and doing something with our lives. Sitting around here
on Alskyr waiting to die or something, it's just not right. Y'notice how
none of the older riders have gotten any older? Since coming here?"
"It itsn't this place," A'sh said with a sigh as he packed some things
into a satchel, "it was the transportation to the place. You know that."
Frozen in time, forever! I like it. Perhaps we will see more flights,
but I want this one now. I will fly as fast as ever, and you will find
her rider. Are there others coming to this flight?
"Going to Ryslen, yes, not for this flight though. There are others. And,
if you win this flight, you'll be able to stick around and see who's going."
A'rd nudged the small blue who gave off a delighted dragon laugh.