He was a Silver 6 before he was even out of school. That fact drew several girls to Thor's side, but what impressed them more was his strong shoulders and broad chest. He went into the Security forces straight away, encouraged by his parents, both of whom had become dragon riders by the time they were in their 20s.*

Thor was born on the Old World, but just barely, as an infant he was brought to Alskyr and has always known this world more than any other. He knew he wanted to be a Guardian from a very early age - almost the same age that he was Searched. But he was not ready to be sent anywhere to stand, a six year old would hardly be able to compete with the teens on the sands.

So his dreams continued to fuel his attitude, while the girls in Dawnlight fueled other interests. But he was interested in one more than the others - a tiny but determined young woman named Ata. Atuara, actually, had an interesting family - riders late in their lives, rogues and Outcasts even. But even though Ted and Daleny (and his brother Darryl) were a bit put off by that fact, Ata and Thor made a great Guardian team. They could muscle into any fight and split it up without breaking a sweat - and anyone who underestimated the small girl beside the large framed man would get a nasty surprise...

But like all relationships started young, Ata and Thor argued frequently. Mainly about politics, but sometimes about their futures. Even though they were married shortly after they'd turned twenty-somethings, and Ata became pregnant shortly after, they were seen as being a rather fractured pair.

Thor knew that she was devoted to him, but whether it was from love or habit, he couldn't say. And... sometimes he didn't care. Because then came Serena. She was exactly what the Guardian needed: his thirst for something new was quenched whenever the vixen in violet was nearby. And though he heard the whispers, he saw the glances and double takes, he didn't feel guilt.

Why should he? He had it all, anyway. Why blow it?

Until that vixen was Searched herself, and taken all but immediately to ... wherever it was they took the Siang girls. She'd be a rider before him. That somewhat galled the stoic and argumentative man, but when he would come home from his work to his very pregnant wife, he shut up about it. They didn't speak of her, not together anyway.

But he knew that having a child might change everything... What if he could be a rider before then? He could hardly be expected to remain here in the Hold with his small family when his parents were already riders and he was impressed, right?

To say that he was shallow was overstating something important. He was not shallow. He was selfish to an extreme that not even Ted and his wife understood. Not until he came to the conclusion that they'd have to find a place for him to stand at last. He'd be a rider with them. Their letters and one visit that Daleny made to their homestead were a bit heated. Even though they couldn't say they loved Ata, wasn't she supposed to be a bit more important than his status as a rider? It was possible that she too would be searched some day - or their child, since it seemed to run in both families to an extent.

Then what?

Well, Thor wasn't going to sit around waiting to find out. He discovered that a couple others were headed to the Kshau Isle to be evaluated, how he did that no one knew. He was a lot smarter than he let on, most of the time. People assumed that because he was a bit sullen and usually put up an argument before a calm discussion, that he was merely average or perhaps dull witted. But anyone who sat around long enough to actually hear him discuss things? Knew that he was quite sharp. Arrogant as hell, but smart indeed. For his own purposes, he was like this.

So Ata remained at home, nearly nine months pregnant and now all but friendless since the Siang sisters (at least one of whom cared deeply about her plight) had gone to bond... While Thor traveled across the strait to the Isle.

***

The group of young men standing before the riders in their office were a bit intimidated. Even though not one of the white-haired pale-skinned men, the Blackstones, would compete physically with the likes of Thor, he felt ill at ease around them, as though they were not only prying into his mind and picking at his secrets, but that they were judging him as well.

"Riding is a popular thing these days," said one of the men, "it's got them coming out of the walls."

"I like this one," said the slinky Lers, "younger than the rest though..." He said of Dumas, who blinked with clear disgust at him. Thor thought that behavior was just appalling.

"Down, Lers," said H'lis, quietly. They all had the same spooky grey eyes, though it was hard to say with Lers because he wore glasses that were shaded. "I say we give them all a chance. The Warren's sands are too filled with eggs not to. Besides," he waved his hand at the pile of papers on his desk, "if they can't ride a dragon I'd like to have Dumas here help me with the paperwork or organization around here anyway."

At that, Dumas gave a little chuckle and looked down. Thor was a bit more amused than the rest but said nothing. After all this little whelp? Be a weyrleader? That'd be the day.

"Don't you think you'd make a good weyrleader?" H'lis asked the kid. "You've got more than enough qualities of a Holder, lord or otherwise, and the dragons seem to think you'd still stand well as a Lordling. You too, Graf," he said of the yellow-skinned boy barely older than Dumas was. "You two," he looked first at the tall Silver-caste Thor, and Brown-caste Typhon, "fighters for certain. I can't see you on anything but dragons that will want to fight as hard as we did for the Warren."

They looked happy about that, this Typhon was a clever looking one, but loud - he'd been around in Security too.

"What's wrong with the idea of becoming a weyrleader, then?" Asked Skye of Dumas. Thor was already starting to resent all the attention that kid was getting.

"I wasn't planning on remaining here, I was hoping to return to Dawnlight - with a dragon."

"Doesn't stop you from being a weyrleader," muttered Skye, "Dawnlight Weyr maybe?"

The other Blackstone men chuckled - the same eerie, knowing sound.

"I don't have any trouble bringing you back to Dawnlight if you want to, if you Impress even a bronze or ranking dragon," H'lis stated. "I'd want you to stick around here, I have little enough help-" His family all gave a chirp of protest but he held his fingers up to silence them. "But you'd be the right one to have at Dawnlight as well. How about we just play this as it comes, if you bond ranking or not you'll want to prove something to someone back home, won't you."

"Yes sir," he said after a moment. That seemed to surprise the older Skye, who said nothing but continued to look over the new recruits as though they were prize stallions at a sale. Thor was growing increasingly aware of Lers and his glasses - where were those eyes gazing anyway?

"Well we'll be bringing you lot to the Warren then, to see how you'll fare there. You may not impress, you might not bond, but you may still wind up coming home with a dragon. We'll see." H'lis said and would not elaborate. The four young men filed out, and were bid to gather their traveling gear. Shortly, they were put upon dragons - the Blackstone family dragons - and flew to a distant Nexus destination... Thor relished the chill of the Nexus, it made him remember that he was doing exactly what he wanted to do, and that was the most important thing in the world.

* - Please note that Ted and Daleny in this timestream are very slightly different than those listed on the Old Guard pages with their dragons. Thank you.