Daniel's pages, written around 2001
Daniel is the 16 turn old son (son?!) of diplomat Holder Denrol and Lady Holder Anlei of Dawnlight Hold. Though they both are quite 'normal' somehow their eldest son has turned out rather bizarre, at least in their minds.
With his pale skin subject to sunburns he likes to remain indoors, but with the proper skin care products -- available at most Weyrs in the South anyway -- he spends glorious hours basking. He keeps his vibrant red hair well-brushed and has enough different clothes to kill a pack animal.
Daniel of course has no interest in following in his parent's footsteps, at least not 'on foot'. He plans on being a diplomat in the air, on dragonback. He has seen first hand the abuses that both dragonriders and holders put against one another, and truly wishes it to stop some day.
The arrogant young man stands more than 6' tall, but is fairly light in build. He has a long way to go before he's fit for Threadfighting, if that is going to be in his future. But he so wishes to ride...
"If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times, you sharded wherry, we do not pay tithes to those people. We will pay when we've got Thread fall to worry about!" The holder exclaimed and slammed his thick fist on his desk.
Daniel watched his father's reaction. It wasn't good. This Holder was truly either very stupid or very ignorant -- more than likely both.
"Sir if I may," Daniel said, softly, and his father turned to look but allowed the intrusion into his business. "When Thread falls it will be too late for you to pay your tithes, and you will probably be too dead to appreciate the wealth you've sat upon."
'Well said, son,' Denrol thought to himself. He watched the red-faced Holder get even more plum-shaded. Daniel seemed to want to diffuse this situation before it erupted, and he'd been getting quite good at it.
"So before you claim that dragonriders are annoying, please bear in mind that they do not know what moment will be their last, nor where they will be when they will meet their deaths. You, I am certain, are faced with a similar prospect. This land is in contention by several other Holders, is it not?"
The Holder sat, eyes wide.
"So, with that in mind, if *you* pay your tithes, and *you* gain face with the dragonriders protecting this are, *you* are the Holder to which they will look when the other nearby Holders become ... arrogant about their tithes. It would be an ideal situation to keep the dragonriders happy, keep your crops and cotholds healthy, and to make your own position a notch stronger in the process."
The Holder still sat, but his cheeks had lost more of their rednes. He blinked and gave a tiny sneer at the thought that this young flamboyant lad actually had a point. And there sat his father, gloating without a word.
"Right then, Harper. I will do as you wish, and bring the tithe caravan. But I must be promised complete coverage!"
"Sir, nothing is entirely complete. That is why your people are trained with the agenothree tanks. The flame throwers are only for the bravest men and women to hold. If Thread gets that close to your lands, you must take care of it. It would be more disasterous to have the dragons flame your groves of fruit trees than to aim a careful blast at it yourself." Denrol said, and rose from his seat. "Daniel, well spoken. Now, we should be off. I will expect to see you again in the spring, under better circumstances, Holder Meddin."
The pair left the room and went into the courtyard of the small Hold. Small but valuable. Their fruit trees supplied several cotholds and were well known as the juiciest in these parts. It would be a great shame if they were to die by Thread.
***
Two sevendays later, at Aden Weyr, Denrol was explaining the lateness of the Holder's tithes, to the headwoman. He smiled at the notion that his son really did have what it took to be a real diplomatic Harper, traveling from weyr to hold settling differences.
What he didn't count on was that big dragon sticking his nose halfway into the courtyard's entryway and sniffing up a storm. Papers went falling through the air, and two candles snuffed right out!
"Ach! Halanth! 'Ow many times 'ave I told ye to stick yer nose outside!" The headwoman bellowed. The blue chuffled a bit, and withdrew.
But that one inside, he is one I seek. I will get A'gen.
Shortly, a man about the same age as Denrol entered the room and looked about, half spaced because of his dragon speaking to him. He looked at Daniel, and then to Denrol.
"Well, he's here now, and we've got eggs. And if you say he's been Searched, my friend, he's Searched."
A'gen slapped Daniel on the shoulder and simply led him away.
He didn't notice -- or pretended not to notice -- that Daniel was smiling as if he knew that this was coming all along.
As they left, Denrol could have sworn he heard his son say to the somewhat embarrassed bluerider, "so where does a guy go to impress a green around here?"
It felt like a lifetime. Standing on the sands, Daniel and the other candidates waited the few moments before the hatching. Anissimoth was beautiful resting there beyond the main bunch of eggs, guarding what might have been yet another egg from sight.
Daniel's sight was hindered by another of the candidates. But when three greens came tumbling out of their shells, he knew, he just KNEW that one of them was his own.
He almost felt her name before she told him: Sharith. She circled around the boys, weaving through them and making some of them nervous -- they didn't dare come back to their weyr with a green... Not with what THAT could mean...
But Sharith settled finally, and Daniel, now D'ani, chuckled as he followed her movements. "Come now, Sharith, Let's get you something good to eat."
I will like that! I am hungry too. How did you know? I did not know that feeling was hunger until you told me!
"You'll learn everything, Sharith!"
Sharith and D'ani flew over the field with ease. D'ani's classes and weyrling training put him with strong honors among the weyrling master's records, but his personality still clashed with his wing mates.
If they do not stop calling you names, I will--
"You'll do nothing, Sharith! They're just being jealous. Because you and I are better at flying and our drills than they are."
But they are making you hurt... I do not like that.
"We'll see how hurt I am when you rise," D'ani smirked, and the way he looked at one of his fellow blue riders made the others nearby cringe. It wasn't like he couldn't control himself around people, but... Sometimes it seemed D'ani would just flirt to --
You are making them all VERY nervous!
That is the idea, my love, that is the idea!
Sharith could hardly believe her rider. He wanted to help her fly! Well, not help her DO it, but help her find a place TO do it!
"It's called the Healing Den, you remember some of the Alabaster men talking about it?"
I remember, and I heard they left even farther away than we did from the old world. I can hardly remember what it was like.
"I'll tell you a story about it, when we have time. For now, let's get you to the Den, and signed up for the Frenzy!"
Ooh! That sounds FUN!
And yes, Sharith flew and laid several eggs! Zyth and Chizuth were her mates! Chizuth - Green Deolath bonded Nicara, Blue Daymarth, bonded to Astlet; Zyth - Dark Green Ackransayth bonded Cari, Blue Kieronth, bonded to Miraup