"The searchriders are waiting," Kadare said at the entrance to the dimly lit room.

"Well they're going to have to wait longer," Larado grumbled from his bed.

"You're a candidate and they need you to get your butt out there, with your bags!"

"I'm a gemcutter," he spat, "not a candidate!"

Kadare rolled her eyes, and leaned heavily against the stone wall. "Your father was a dragon rider. His father before him, and who knows how many generations of others."

"That doesn't mean I'm a rider," he replied, darkly.

"It's because of that stupid dream of yours, isn't it?" Larado demanded, "it's just a nightmare! It wasn't real!"

"It might as well have been," Larado said, and his cousin Kadare noted the waver of his voice. He was still terrified, after all this time, of the things he'd seen one night in his dreams. He'd described the dream to her in detail, since he woke her up with the frantic gasps and brief shout that brought him out of it.

It had been a cold, dark evening, and the skies were clear - the stars were visible, and there was only the faintest of glow from the Red Star which had sunk to the other horizon. Dragons by the dozen flew through the sky, mostly in formation but some wobbling on weaker, injured wings. Suddenly it was day - just like that - and equally suddenly, there was Thread falling from the turbulent skies. Only a couple dragons were left, they'd all fallen to the ground. One came to him, having crashed and left his rider dangling dead from his harness. It was a rich colored brown, but momentarily it was sunset bronze, and then a moment later, a bloody, dark red. The dragon shrieked at the touch of a piece of Thread, unable to burn it away - and the dragon's body crumbled to bits on a hot wind.

Kadare didn't blame him for having such a horrible dream, but she did blame him for keeping it in his heart and mind for over seven years. They'd both been Searched long before, but never had access to a clutch. Now, a Weyr had two small nests on the sands, and they were going to head to it - if and only if Larado could be pursuaded to leave his room.

Kadare picked up his big, heavy canvas bag - at least he'd packed - and said, "I'm going to bring this to the flats. If you don't come, your clothing will be going to Isla for the duration, and I'll be sure to hand it out to whatever drudges need extra pants."

That brought a snort of laugh from Larado, and he picked up his head, craning his neck around to see his cousin. "I'm... I'm coming, it's just hard. I ..."

"Can't stand the sight of dragons because all you see is a meaty skeleton," Kadare muttered, halfway under her breath, but he heard her anyway.

"Yes. Because of that."

"Well come on," she grunted, making a half attempted swing with the bag. "I need to learn to lift more weight," she said. "If we're going to be in training, people will laugh at me. I'm not muscular. I'm only a cook, after all."

"Me neither," Larado commented, as he swung the bag over his shoulder, and swept his hand through his short, dark hair. "But that's because I'm a gemcutter."

"Doonen is a gemcutter, and he's very strong." Kadare taunted. It was true, the red-headed apprentice was tall and strong, not really handsome in the same way that Larado was, but certainly willing to show off his well-toned physique.

"Well... Doonen wasn't searched, so I don't have to compete with him any more." There was a hint of relief to Larado's voice, "but I want to be a crafter."

"We'll get transfer papers to Dragonhope, they're all about crafting," Kadare said, grabbing her own much lighter satchel and guiding her cousin down to the flats.

It was true they'd likely wind up at Dragonhope either way, they could always use another cook and a crafter. Even if they didn't Impress at Isla, it would be a journey that Kadare would insist Larado take. He had to know that not every dragon died horribly in Threadfall, though truth be told she didn't really know how most dragons died... And didn't much care to dwell upon it.

Kadare

Status: Servant (not drudge)
Age: 17
Gender: female
Siblings: 9
Legitimacy: born to married parents (parents fostered Larado)
Born: first
Health: sick occasionally like a normal child
Height: a moderately tall person
Build: average in build
Skin Tone: clear and unique tattoos (star and crescent moon on right shoulder, flame tribal on left shoulder), fair
Hair Color: darkly brown
Hair Style: full
Hair Length: to waist
Eye Color: forest green
Literacy Level: has learned to read and write over time
Politeness Level: they know their place in society and are deferential to their superiors
Focus: they are continually distracted by the things around them - work? What's that?
They are not terribly attractive
They give and take without thinking of consequences of either

Values and Goals
Values: their grandparent (mother's father)
Enjoys: Deep Forests
Practically nonexistant goal: travel
Very weak fear: death
Extremely strong fear: cave-ins and landslides

Skill most often practiced: basic cooking
Other skills: animal driving (cart/carriage)

Larado

Status: Rider Born (parents: a rare-colored riding mother with her drudge companion)
Age: 18
Gender: male
Siblings: two out of wedlock siblings on their father's side
Born: last
Legitimacy: illegitimate
Fostered: father was transferred to Weyr, mother died - neither was close to Larado
Childhood Health: frail child
Adult Height: an average-height person
Adult Build: well muscled, but not burly
Skin Tone: well tanned
Hair Color: salt and pepper
Hair Style: very straight
Hair Length: cut to the neck
Eye Color: pale teal
Literacy Level: are able to read and write
Politeness Level: on occasion they've been known to mutter an insult openly
Focus: they are able to focus easily on the tasks at hand
He is reasonably attractive
They are neither truly giving or selfish

Values and Goals
Has fun with: a friend
Enjoys deeply: a Guild hall
Very weak goal: teach others their skills
Extremely strong fear: dragonry/dragons
Strong dislike: having recurrant nightmares

Feels Very weakly in favor of being a dragonrider like parent(s)
Skill most often practiced: gemcutting (apprentice level)
Other skills: mining (apprentice level)

Larado was kept busy by their candidate classes, but almost every opportunity he got, he would slip away to do anything else. Anything. Since the boys and girls were separated for the duration, Kadare wasn't there to help him when he woke again in a cold sweat. At least he didn't yell this time, and the other few candidates nearby didn't awaken.

Eventually they did get right up close to the dragons, and sooner than they expected, the hatching was upon them. Almost all the eggs from the larger of the two clutches hatched at once - within moments of one another in fact. So it was, that a good number of little wobbly dragons were scattered on the sands looking for their bond-friends.

"You're...not a blue!" The gemsmith stared at his dragon who tilted his head in confusion.

Of course I am blue. What else would I be?

"No...Barith, you're not blue. You're covered in gold speckles! But just lightly..." the young man said, running his hand over his dragon's back where the golden speckles were just barely showing over his blue hide. Barith turned his head to look at himself, suddenly very amused that he was very different.

It wasn't nearly as invasive as L'ado thought it would be, but ... he knew that little Barith sensed his fear. So, it was private when the dragon thought to him, I'm not going to die that way, and neither are you, and L'ado drew in a deep breath.

"I sure hope not."

Kadare had watched this with interest, she wasn't sure what would happen now - there were several unhatched eggs, but only one still-searching green on the sands. Her cousin would have to tell her about this special dragon he'd found - because she saw something glittery on its back too.

What about my back? Isn't it special? The green bespoke, and fell to her belly on the hot sand - perhaps to show off that back, but also, equally likely, because she was exhausted and needed to eat.

"It's very special, Mivarith," Kadare chuckled, suddenly aware that she was mighty hungry - it was a good thing she could cook!

Larado & Barith
Color: blue w/ gold
Adult Length: 28'11"
Adult Height: 8'1"
Color Size: blue
Genetic Code: XgwDF Y RR bb Hh (ll) UU C1C5 T1T1 Ss O2O3 N1N3 M1M1

Kadare & Mivarith
Color: clouded green / blue
Adult Length: 23'5"
Adult Height: 6'7"
Color Size: green
Genetic Code: XgWdF XgWDF Rr Bb hh (LL) uu C1C5 T1T2 Ss O2O3 N1N3 M1M1