Parithet, younger brother of Bronze rider El'. A senior apprentice Harper, learning as a scribe and recordskeeper.

Tall and skinny, like his brother El'. They do not greatly resemble one another. Both of them have the same strong family nose, and the small eyes, high cheeks and curled hair that their mother has. Most of their family are Harpers or minor crafters.

Parithet is very outgoing and almost unnaturally cynical. He wants to ride a dragon but always jokes about coming in second like he often does. His brother impressing a bronze both gave him hope and disgusted him to no end: Eliot, on a BRONZE? Shards, Eliot on a DRAGON? But it was to be, apparently.

Parithet is a good, solid worker. He rarely slacks off, but when things get confusing or mired, he will usually be the first one to admit that he doesn't understand or can't complete the task. He is quite able, however, to follow rules and understand their reasons.

Parithet would be keen to ride a brown, but is not sure that any dragon would have him. He reserves his self-doubt for private times, keeping a broad and bold appearance to all who ask.

He will elide his name to P'ar, if he impresses, following Eliot's lead and ditching the last part of his name. Besides, "P'et" just isn't him!

"Aren't you jealous?" Vail asked, her eyes wide and forgiving.

"Of course I'm jealous. Who wouldn't be? Well..." Parithet looked at his plump girlfriend and raised a thin red eyebrow, "a girl wouldn't be. Of the bronze, of course. But any candidate who doesn't impress would be sad not to impress."

"You didn't stand, Parithet," Vail reminded him. "Your brother did."

"His disreputable friends took him off. I swear." Parithet shook his head.

"Disrep-- Parithet! It was Weyrleader Shard's dragon who searched him!" She cried out, and suddenly her eyes ceased being so nice. "You shouldn't insult him so! He brought three Holds and two Weyrs together!"

"He was blind drunk, when his dragon Searched El'," Parithet reminded her. "He had nothing to do with it."

Vail rolled her eyes and put her hands on Parithet's shoulders. "Sweetheart, you'll Impress some day. I know it. I can feel it in my heart."

She kissed him on the cheek and went off to finish her cleaning duties. Once she was gone from the apprentice's weyr, he slumped against the chair and ground his teeth together. "If you feel it in your heart, then why aren't YOU a search dragon?"

"Stop moping," Rue said, a little harshly. "They'll come any minute now."

"You'd think, they're on dragons who can blip between distances in no time at all... Why does it seem like they're always late?"

Smirking, Rue snorted a laugh. Instead of chiding him for saying something disrespectful, she instead draped her tanned arm over Parithet's narrow shoulder and muttered, "If they're out doing guy things, you'll be able to learn the answer to that mystery yourself, Parithet. Even I do not know how they do it..."

Soon enough, however, a trio of dragons appeared in the sky. Two bronzes -- one was simply gigantic, the other Parithet recognized as El's smaller Goherth -- and Shard's blue Jeremoth. The big bronze landed first, saving the other two the trouble of being smushed if he were to land on them.

Rue stood with a grin on her face about a dragonlength wide, as Shard came away from the other two and kissed her hand politely. The look he gave her when his eyes turned up to hers was something that Parithet rather wished he didn't have to see too often.

But if he were a bronze rider... Wouldn't he be getting the chance to woo his choice of beautiful women? Weyrwomen? Shard continued to kiss his handfasted mate along her bare arm, up her neck, and ... Parithet rolled his eyes and a-hemm'd but to no avail.

Apparently this was on the minds of the other two riders as well. "Pull yourself off her, Shard," said the thicker-bodied very pale skinned man beside Parithet's brother, "She'll keep! Now, this is who we want to talk to..."

"H'lis," Shard said while glaring at him around Rue's shoulder, "stuff yourself into an egg, won't you? You'll fit. I've seen you do those contortionist things..."

"That, my dear weyrleader, is my cousin Vi'per. Not I." H'lis bowed to Parithet and opened his hands in greeting. "Parithet, your brother says that it's time you were given the once-over. Synesth isn't a search dragon, nor is Goherth... But that overgrown blue Flitter Jeremoth claims that he can sense you from a ways back."

Just as I did Eliot, the dragon bespoke broadly. Parithet paled slightly.

"You've never had a dragon speak to you?" Shard finally paid some attention to someone other than his wife. "Well, there's always a first time. Good thing it was Jeremoth. He's pretty quiet, considering."

Considering what, Shard, that you're so obnoxious?

"I am not!" He shot back, and Rue tugged on his ear, dragging him away to parts unknown.

That didn't seem to matter to the blue dragon, however. He walked carefully around the now-sleeping Synesth and Goherth, to where Parithet, El' and H'lis stood.

He will ride. The dragon told the other two. Privately, however, he added to El', he doubts himself. A dragon will make him more confident. Like yours did for you.

Thanks loads, El' thought to the dragon, finally at ease with the speech.

He turned to his younger brother and tossed his head. "Dawn Sisters weyr is open again. It's been a while, they were ... well, they weren't as gone as poor Shard's Seascape weyr... But there are twenty eggs there, and I'm certain you'd impress well. Look at mine."

"I can't help it, El'... I can't help but look."

"You'll be happy to note that I brought my records of my own weyrling's stages," El' said, handing a thick paper journal to his brother.

"Thank you," P'ar said, and the honest relief in his tone was apparent.

El' looked at the small brown dragon, Zaveth, and smiled at his brother like he'd impressed moments ago too. "He's really strong, P'ar. We'll have fun flying together."

"You're already flying," P'ar said, and El' looked at the skin of wine they'd smuggled from the dining hall's celebration tables to the hatchling feeding grounds.

"Well, no. We've just reserved it for us. T'shen and Chuang are already headed off to their barracks, P'ar. Enjoy all this rest while you can..." El' laughed, and returned to Shard's side so they could get back to the Protectorate.

Eventually, everyone went home. Now, P'ar thought, this was HIS home!

OUR home! He will be fun to chase in the sky, P'ar. I wish I could already fly!

"Some day, little Zaveth, some day. We will show him what flying's really like!"

But I want to do it now, P'ar...

"The weyrlingmaster was extremely strict about telling us this before, Zaveth. We can't possibly go out and fly without the others!"

The brown dragon seemed to sulk. He did so gracefully, with huge soulful eyes watching the harper as he fixed the riding straps for their future use.

I still do not understand. I am strong enough to fly. You are brave enough. Why have we not done it yet!?

P'ar let of an exasperated sigh.

"Zaveth..." He said, "We'll fly, I promise, but only when the Weyrlingmaster tells us we're all ready! Remember that green who wanted to and lost her balance?"

I remember. But I would not do that.

P'ar looked at his beloved dragon, and wondered absently if El' and his bronze ever went through this...

She will rise, and ... Wouldn't it be grand to catch her?

P'ar sat numbly watching his big brown goof ball of a dragon stare at the sun-gold dragon who flew overhead.

"She is far too big for you, Zaveth. A green would be a better target."

You do not believe I can catch a queen? You of all humans?

P'ar sighed. "It isn't that I don't believe you could, but... maybe we should try a younger, smaller, and maybe a less experienced female first! Like a nice green! You would enjoy chasing a green Zav. They're quite fast and healthy. They'd give you a run for your marks!"

Zaveth pouted. But perhaps his rider was right. The bronzes and older browns did have a much better chance of chasing after even the youngest gold... But those pretty greens on the other hand!

But if I caught a gold it would make you a wing leader! Or Weyr leader!

Startled, P'ar spun on that.

"But I don't WANT to be a wing leader! Or the Weyr leader! I can't handle that kind of pressure, and neither could you! You're a great flier, Zav! But we're not cut out for that sort of work! And besides... all that paperwork!"

You used to like paperwork...