Araxel is one of many miners living in Dawnlight's more rugged terrain. He is responsible for actual ore refining, and as a young Journeyman miner he does take his job quite seriously.

Working in the mines since he was 11 turns old, Araxel gained a strong body as well as a strong mind: he put his mind to asking if a Harper could be down in the mines with the younger apprentices, where they were more likely bored stiff than anything else. As they worked, they learned. It was a system which worked and still does.

As appreciation for this, Araxel was awarded a fire lizard egg. He took care of it and now has a small green flitter to keep him company and alert him to dangers within the mines. He would consider giving all his mining friends eggs if his little green Glimmer ever breeds, as they are very handy to have around in mines.

Glimmer was found at Adanuk Weyr

"With all the work going on, I barely saw you there! Sorry!" Araxel said, smiling. "Can I help you with something?" He put down his pick and leaned on it, as his green flitter settled herself on his shoulder in this moment of rest. The mine was quite busy, apparently the miners had found a good strong vein of some precious ore.

"I would like to see ... about taking you outside, with the other young people. There are quite a few in here," the rider said, seeming slightly distressed to see such numbers of young lads and lasses below ground covered in grime.

"If you have the master Miner's permission, I don't see why not. We have been working quite hard, today." Araxel half-unconsciously sent Glimmer off to find the master miner, who arrived shortly.

"I thought I heard something about a rider coming in here... What brings you into the mines, blue rider?" The man was sharp-eyed, he caught the small logo on D'lom's patch. "And from Dawn Sisters... That's a good weyr... Ah, you're on Search aren't you?!" His tanned face brightened considerably.

"Usually, craft masters are rather distressed to see me," he muttered. "Not elated."

"Ah," master Ramiro said, "not at all. We've plenty of workers, you can see that. Most of them will move on to more fine work in the smith craft anyway. This is all part of their education. But it also helps mine the coal and gold, doesn't it!" He laughed and slapped D'lom on the back, as they led the group of surprised youngsters into the light of day again.

Outside, it was bright, so much so that those unused to the transition (read: D'lom) had to shield their eyes. The quarry pit was where his blue Fadeth chose to settle down, and was providing quite the amusing thrill for some of the workers in the area.

**okay, okay, insert "the Flinstones" theme music and watch the workers slide off the back of the blue as they head home... hee, I just couldn't resist!**

Then, once finished gathering the young workers the dragon was summoned up. There were quite a number of people lined up, and Fadeth took his time sniffing at them as if his nose knew something his mind did not.

Or perhaps to confirm what his mind *did* know.

The blue dragon sniffed over one section, then the next, ignoring most of the girls and passing on nearly all the boys. However, when all was said and sniffed, D'lom asked three of the males to step forward, and allow the rest of the group to go back to work.

"I'm sure they appreciated the break," Ramiro said, smiling as he led them all back into the mine carefully.

The trio of men who stood now before D'lom and his blue dragon, were Araxel, a fair skinned youth with a scar over one eye named Keting, and an older Journeyman with blond and black curly hair and a burly beard, named Toroy. Each of them stood uneasily before the blue and withstood a blast or two of dragon-breath.

"You three," D'lom said, "are all qualified for Search. However, I'm only meant to take one of you..."

The trio looked at one another, and Toroy immediately backed up, his hands waving in the air. "Not me. I've... been a miner for too long and I'm about to walk the tables for my Mastery. Perhaps... if I'm still qualified, when that is done, I might look you up. If that pleases the blue?"

Fadeth snorted and D'lom smiled. "How about you two? Any preference?"

"He should go," Keting said, indicating Araxel. "He's the smart one. And he deserves a dragon."

"And you do not?" Araxel said, "Keting, you're just as smart as me, maybe more. I wish --"

"No, it's settled! You go. If we were all searched that means that some day soon another dragon will come for me, and Toroy too if he's not too involved in his Mastery. I'll miss the little flitter, though!"

Before Araxel could stop him, the light skinned man went back to work, disappearing into the dim depths of the mine once more.

D'lom watched Araxel. "Well, get your gear together. You're used to wearing heavy gloves and leathers, you'll probably like the feel of the riding gear, much more comfortable than these..."

He helped Araxel arrange his leavetaking with the master and the Holders, while the dark skinned miner collected his gear and told his family he was headed off to Dawn Sisters Weyr!

And what a Weyr it was! Araxel got himself busy in the weyrling classes, since all candidates were expected to know enough about their new partners to get along off the sands. It was totally fascinating to him, but after only three days or so, his muscles ached to be lifting and working out!

C'gall the weyrling master chuckled, "Don't worry at all about work, Araxel, there will be enough of that to go around, once you're impressed."

Araxel beamed. The weyrling master seemed so confident that he'd impress! That itself lent him a happy outlook until the day of the hatching!

Everyone was shunted into the hatching sands, just after the morning meal. The humming of the dragons above was echoed cutely in Glimmer, who crooned her delight in sensing the new hatchlings.

Once all had come in, and there were viewers aplenty this quickly, Araxel didn't have to wait at all to find out how right C'gall was! For when the eggs started hatching, and a brown came out boldly with a squawk, he walked right up to Araxel and didn't even bother looking at anyone else!

I got out of the shell... And I got up when I fell down! I am strong, like you A'xel! My name is Noth, and I'm also hungry!

A'xel laughed and helped the dragonet off the sands, "yes Noth, you most certainly are strong! Let's get you something to eat!"

"Noth, you must spread your wings farther, it won't work unless you do." A'xel said. He watched the other weyrlings as they practiced their wing strengthening drills, and it just looked to A'xel that his dragon wasn't quite getting it.

I am trying, but... it pinches! I do not like this harness one bit, A'xel.

"I'm sorry, but it's got to stay. And you've got to get used to it too!" The dragon glowered all afternoon about that. The weyrling-sized harnesses were made of softer leather, but were apparently not up to par for the brown.

"He'll get used to it," said C'gall. "He must."

"So I keep saying..." A'xel moaned.

"Well, keep saying it." C'gall laughed. "He'll get it some say soon. I think when the other browns and the blues are flapping into the air, he'll be a lot more willing to put up with a little pinching on his neck."

A'xel laughed, and ran his hand down the brown's skin. He felt where the harness was 'pinching', and indeed it seemed like there was a bit of a bunch where it creased next to his wing shoulder. A'xel smoothed it out.

"It'll grow a callous, I think," A'xel said.

But I want to be soft and beautiful...

"I'm not soft, or beautiful..." A'xel laughed.

So this is what you would do all day long?

"It's still a good day's work, if I could ever get the time away from you!" A'xel laughed, showing Noth a large piece of ore. "We took the ore and sent it to the forges, where they melted it into metals. That's where this comes from!" He indicated the dragon's large harness, and jangled one of the metal pieces on it.

It gets so cold when we go between, A'xel. Don't you think you could put something nice and soft around it? Like a baa-skin?

"A... a what?" A'xel laughed, and the people around him wondered what he was talking about -- he was only talking to his dragon, of course. A dragon who wanted... Sheepskin around the metal tangs of the harness??