Baron - originally 2000 - Impressed at Aneris

Baron is, well, a burly hulk of a man. He is 18 turns old, and even then he's 5'6" and about as thick around, all muscle. His skin is leathery and tanned, already, he has light brown hair and eyes, and usually is seen squinting into the sun. He has scars on his skin from working with fire and animals, and is not entirely unattractive, but he's no award winner that's for sure. He often has a fringe of pale brown hair on his chin too.

His steady, overbearing attitude is coupled with a fierce friendship and devotion. He is loud, but not boisterous: he uses his bulk and his heavy voice to command but not to bully.

Baron is a strong man, and as such has usually been fit for all outdoor activities such as beast crafting and forge work. He has assisted blacksmiths, and used ploughs as well as hunted with his bare hands! He loves looking at dragons, and has also done work for the leather fittings the riders wear in his youth. He looks forward to the time he will braid his own.

Baron's place might be best on a Brown. He is not a leader but not an innovator or jokester either. He is strong, compact and healthy, and as such will be a good candidate during Threadfall.

"The nose knows," Shard said, as Jeremoth butted his blue head against the thickly muscled young man. "And Jere says you're fit for candidacy. In fact," he looked at the much-shorter Baron, "you'll be standing on the sands where Jeremoth's mate's eggs are!"

Baron grunted. "That so," he said simply. "Well. I can't argue with the dragon or his nose, can I?"

Shard folded his arms over his wide chest, and grinned broadly. "Nope, I would think not."

Shortly after, Shard flew the new candidate back to Seascape Weyr to get settled in with the others.

There was obviously a problem.

Seascape had been there, when Shard left it, but now... Where was it?! He and Jeremoth flew frantically, scaring Baron half to death with their flight.

"What's wrong?" Baron asked, when he'd caught his breath.

"The weyr is gone," Shard said, half a desperate edge on his voice. "I don't understand. We're in the right place, and the right time... but it's just gone..."

Sadly, this meant that Baron's stand on the sands had to wait...

***

The wait wasn't very long. It was hard, though, for Baron who had been primed and ready for the new weyr and all.

But Shard came back with a smile on his face soon enough.

"Found another weyr for you to stand at," the tall man said.

"This time it won't just up and disappear, right?" Baron asked, eyes hard.

"I know, I know... No this is Aneris Weyr. I ... know several other people there. There are already some candidates from Tani's place. So you know it's legit."

Baron nodded, lowering his eyes to the metal piece he had been working. "Mind if I finish this?" He asked, and Shard bade him a good day.

"I'll come back soon. Be ready tomorrow, will you?" He said, and Baron nodded, accenting the motion with a crashing spark-filled beat from the hammer onto the anvil by his side.

***

Baron waited with the candidates on Aneris' sands. He didn't see very many people he knew in the stands, though that wasn't the most important thing to him.

It was impressing a dragon. It would be hard if he had to wait again. Perhaps harder if it were a second time.

A green and a bronze broke shell, another green and then a blue... The gold hatched and Baron started to worry.

Then, a big brown got out of his shell nearby. He looked almost in awe over the sands and the people, perhaps he was looking for the right person to impress! Then, his gaze turned to Baron!

The brown made a squawking noise, and his voice came to Baron's mind.

There are so many! I am glad I found you, because you are my friend! My only!

"I know Sorinth, there are a lot of people here!"

***

B'ron pushed the limits of the riding gear, and he knew the risks. The strap broke under him while he and Sornith were about to make a short flight in front of the rest of the weyrlings at Aneris.

"That, weyrlings," the weyrlingmaster bellowed, "is why you MUST keep your straps oiled and checked every day!"

Some of the weyrlings snickered amongst themselves, but a look from either the rider or their weyrling master shut them up.

"It was a mistake sir," B'ron admitted, "I knew I'd seen some wear, but I didn't think it was that serious." He rose from his fall and dusted off his hands and rear. "I would have been killed if we'd gotten off the ledge." He looked down and saw far below the rocky weyr bowl.

I would never have let you fall, B'ron!

I know that, and he doesn't know that you and I ride like that lunatic Shard, without leathers. But now wouldn't be the best time to bring that up, all right?

I will remain silent about it! Are you going to get the better straps now?

B'ron bowed and left the others and his dragon on the ledge, and just as soon as he was around the corner and out of their sight, he leaned heavily against the wall. His hip was surely bruised, much more than he'd let on just then.

You are in pain, B'ron. Go to the healers.

I will be fine...

***

"B'ron, I'm disappointed that you never told me about your limp," Shard said. B'ron snarled at him.

"It's nothing, happened long ago."

"Not so long that I remember you without it," Shard pointed out. "Isn't there anything to be done about it?"

"It does not hinder me," B'ron said in no uncertain terms, "so it doesn't matter."

Shard backed off. "I've good news, old friend. The Uplift wing has been going through some changes, and they're in need of a new rider or two. I know you liked making things, do you still?"

"Making things..." B'ron's face finally adopted a smile. "Yes, I haven't been to the smithy hall for too long, though. This Uplift wing, what about it? Don't your wings just fight thread, Shard, like every other weyr on Pern?"

"Hardly," Shard said, as they reached their dragons. Tiny Jarmuth stood only half Sornith's height, and seemed more intimidated by the big brown than most dragons he knew. Shard continued to speak, about their wings.

"The Protectorate Wings are all designed around the idea that we had crafts or ideals before we became riders. We should continue to contribute if we are able. We do have a wing with nothing but guys who want to fight Thread, B'ron, and you'd probably do just fine with them. The Stone Fury wing. But they're ... not cultured like you are."

Since when are you cultured, my rider?

Hush! Wherry brain!

"I think I follow you. What do they do in the wing, then?" B'ron asked, while climbing carefully to the neck ridge of his dragon. They rode with leathers, now.

"The Uplift wing assists in large construction and disaster relief. Cleaning up big debris, moving stones, lifting buildings."

A slow smile went across B'ron's face.

"I am so in. Tell them I'll be there as soon as the transfer papers are in order!"