Samber's Giveaway (Weyr Between the Worlds and/or Dasmalenra Weir)

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Talbent (B'en) and Bronze Brith

From oldest to youngest, the group was lined up in front of the Weyrleaders for appraisal. It wasn't uncommon for them to mingle with the newest groups that had come to Dragonhope, but it was never usual for those newcomers to be put in such a spot!

For not only had they been brought (some at long last and some quite abruptly) to this chilly far-north Weyr with very little to their names, but they'd then been informed it wasn't even to stand on their sands at all! (Wasn't it usual, Fentra commented mostly to herself, for a weyr to search for their own eggs?)

Most stood with an unflinching pride. Zun for instance was extremely happy to be there, and had her eyes on all the walls and hallways since arriving. Llandra as well was almost giddy now that she was closer to her goal of riding a dragon. The eldest, Talbent, though, was obviously uncomfortable.

S'xon stood towering over the young man, and asked, "is there something wrong, Candidate?"

Talbent shook his head, but wouldn't make eye contact with the Weyrleader. "No sir. I .... I hadn't known that I was Searched. When a dragon came to my crafthall a few years ago ... I didn't really stand out with the others. I hid. I'm sorry, I'm not very good with dragons. Like here."

"What is it you are good with, then?" He asked, with a faint smile. Knowing that only the other more adventurous Candidates would be looking for it. He was toying with the poor man, knowing that some day soon he'd be riding. Whether he liked it or not.

"Well I'm a Journeyman Harper, sir. I play the flute, and I'm quite good at tailor works. My foster parents were tailors." He hadn't noticed that when he said Harper, the Weyrwoman, Kira, gave a little quiet snort of derision.

Yiorn, however, did notice it. "Ma'am, if I might ask, why is his being a Harper anything to sniff at? I'm a Master Balladeer. I know forty of the longest histories by heart, and some that only come from the sea travelers I trained with."

Here, S'xon raised his eyebrows and glanced at his diminutive wife. She stood, and slid around him to stand by the group of Candidates as well. She looked Yiorn up and down - even though Yiorn wasn't very tall herself, she was still a hand bigger than Kira, and probably thirty years her younger. "I noticed that you had Master's knots," Kira stated. "We don't really have much use for ballads here. We like our Scribes."

"I'm quite good with writing too," Yiorn said, now unsure what to say and whether she was impressing them or baiting the weyrleaders. Apparently it appeased Kira enough that she pursed her lips, nodded, and glanced at the others instead of giving a scathing commentary on Harpers.

"You're also both from craft halls," Kira said of Gunter and Khynlieu. She identified the Vintner badge on Gunter, and grinned. "Have we got some wine for you to test out, kid..."

Gunter chuckled, "I've tasted the very best from the biggest craft halls and holds, Weyrwoman. You have wines here?"

"We get ours from a private little winery," S'xon said. "It rarely trades with others because of the secrecy they tend to have."

"It's hard to keep a good wine a secret for long," Gunter said off hand. If anyone in the large room could have prevented him from doing so, they might have - just to prevent Kira from yelling. But she only clenched her fist a bit, let it go, and moved on to the other crafter, Khynlieu.

"And you?" She asked curtly.

"Minecraft, gems, Weyrwoman," he said. "But I'm glad to be out of that profession."

"Why is that?" She asked him, sensing some kind of urgency to his voice.

"Every time you're down in a mine, the walls might fall in. Every single time. I ... got very tired of being in a mine. Some folks love it, but ... Not I." He shrugged.

"I can understand that," Said Balshi, "my foster parents thought that having a basement room was a good idea, we all would dig in it... It was horrid." She gave a shudder, and Kira all but had to slam her husband's jaw shut from it hanging open like it did.

If they were telepathic, which it was highly likely they were, Kira would have scolded him for looking at this seventeen year old like that. And S'xon would have replied simply, 'she's ridiculously beautiful, no one can stop looking at her like that.' Fortunately, most of this escaped notice yet again, by the newcomers.

Perhaps not all. Del seemed a bit put off by the closeness of this tall, darkly handsome man. His wife notwithstanding, the aura he gave off was powerful and it made her nervous. Challie as well - the youngest of the group at only a dozen turns - seemed a little creeped out by the way he looked at the drop-dead gorgeous Balshi. Then again, they were probably both seethingly jealous of the girl too!

After a few minutes more questioning, it came out that Balshi along with Llandra were quite unable to read and write anything more than their name and simple numbers.

"Your father is a recordskeeper," Kira said to the platinum-haired girl. "How in the world did his skill escape you?"

"I think you mean maybe, how did I escape his skills," she grinned. "I don't know, it was all more interesting to go out and see the dragons flying, when they would come. My foster parents did everything they could to keep us fed and clothed, but you know... I wasn't always up in the weyr with my true parents."

"Well in any case," Kira announced, "those who do have the skills - Zun, Yiorn, Gunter, you will instruct those of lesser skill until you think they're good enough to read a simple instruction page with common words."

So it fell to the group itself, instead of devoting the Weyr's scribes to the task, to get a little bit more literacy going in the bunch. While they were boarded into one spacious and warm dorm, fit for a group such as this but more often than not of only one gender, they would sit and talk a bit, learn about each other.

Talbent's fear of dragons for instance, was something he was certain was going to get him into trouble or get him mocked. But instead, the others commented that they all had some kind of fear. For Fentra though she disliked wide open spaces, she admitted to be a bit dizzy when they landed in the cliffside Weyr. Zun's moderate willies at those same landing patterns got Yiorn all but shaking talking about the heights that they'd have to be flying dragons into!

Llandra, having grown up in a river community, got a few odd looks when she told the group of her fear of drowning, Gunter and Yiorn both offered to help her try and conquer it, as they'd spent time on the open sea.

Each too had their own strong points. Challie loosened up and began doing a clever dance when Talbent pulled out his flute and began playing. Del, Balshi and Llandra had a good chuckle about how they could keep most men at bay by brandishing - expertly - a knife or fighting stick. Khynlieu claimed that he was good with bows and arrows, along with caravan animals. Fentra spent most of the time discussing higher math and philosophical debates with Gunter or really whoever would listen.

All too soon, they were going to be sent to Impress - hopefully - their very own dragon bonds. Once the group were pretty well along in their studies about anatomy, tactics and riding gear, and those who couldn't read very well still asking questions about this or that word, they were summoned once again to the landing flats above the Weyr. In the two weeks they had been together, they'd had to get used to - if not be very comfortable with - the sheer marble wall of cliff that made up the Weyr's outside toward the large bay. Foggy days helped temper the fears of heights, but today it was grandly clear, and no one was going to be allowed any second thoughts about it. They were needed. They'd be gone, and come back - when their dragons were apt enough to do so and the Weyr they were headed to deemed it appropriate.

Then, they were going to be placed in wings - not all of them were going to be required to fight, of course. Challie was looking forward to being on a fighting wing, perhaps on a green or even blue - she loved both colors and would say so often. Del would most certainly enjoy a stint in a fighting wing too - her expertise with fighting and orienteering could make her a good sweep rider looking for Thread. Zun had made friends with a few of the staff responsible for gathering supplies and keeping the tithes coming in, she might be asked to fly Thread only when needed.

Balshi... Balshi and Llandra would both relish the idea of being in battle with a senseless foe - their grasp of tactics and focus on things would keep them safe. Yiorn, even though she was a harper, would be of far better use as a scout, search rider or recordskeeper - and S'xon made it clear that she was still a master at her craft, and would be expected to keep up on it. If that meant they would sit through ballad-versions of records that their scribes were busy jotting down, so be it! Khynlieu was a hunter, and it seemed that a number of flits had already latched on to him while he was here. He didn't understand why, but they responded to his kind words and commands - his command over animals was almost uncanny. That would be of more use in the back up wings, and gatherings, rather than for fighting.

Gunter, usually rude, was going to be in a wing whether he liked it or not - so said the weyrling master, and Kira agreed. Whether he was any good at making wine, that would certianly have something to do with whether he came back for an enjoyable evening or a long debriefing session.

Talbent... What to do with him. All the dragons in the area, really any area, sensed him, and though he didn't overhear their minds, they could certainly tell he was much more brave than he realized. As a Journeyman harper, his uses in Searchriding would be obvious - but there was more to him than met the eye, perhaps he was kept from being Searched and brought out earlier, because he needed the time to grow without being forced onto a dragon.

And at her own pace as well, Fentra would have to get over her Ladyship and do a bit more work. She had finally ditched her costumery and fancy clothing, in favor of the more comfortable and casual (if a little chilly) wear in Dragonhope. She could stand a little dirt under her nails, Kira asserted privately, but she'd still make an excellent dragon rider, and the Queen's wing would have her whether she rode gold or green. There was a certain kind of dignity around the girl, too, even though she was distractable.

So off they went... On a new journey which would bring them even closer to dragons than they ever imagined!

Melral (M'ral) and Brown Kjilbith

What about Melral? He wants to come too! Just a little late, but still in time for the grand hatching!