You walk into a weyr that is brightly lit, somewhat cheery. A large black and grey dog approaches you, tail wagging but unsure.

"Blackie," says a man's deep voice, "come away from them, sit."

"Thanks," you say, "that's a gorgeous dog!"

"Blackie, he's been bred for his work." The man is very tall, wiry, with dark skin and hair clumped into a dredlocked tail. His wide lips move into a smile when you show him the survey of information that you're out gathering. The Weyr's scribes are never lax, and when your task is to interview the new Candidates you relish the effort. Sometimes, it's a bit scary. This time, it's not.

"So what is your name?" You ask. He offers you a seat in the smaller of two threadbare chairs, and he clears his throat.

"I am Baralt, son of Beck, son of Berruda. I'm a herder by trade, my family keeps sheep and goats on the hills far from here."

"Ah, then Blackie is a working dog?" You ask, and he nods.

"Yes, Blackie is a good herder, I think he's been having a little fun with the flitters around here. If he could get dragons to fly the way he convinces sheep to flock, I might put him up for Candidacy myself!"

You laugh - but he's clearly still a little uncomfortable. "I can come back at a better time," you suggest but he waves his long, calloused hands.

"No, no it isn't you," he admits. "It's, well, being inside like this, I was never one to sleep in a Hold with a ton of stone above my head. It makes me a little afraid. But if I'm to ride a dragon - then time flying above the world would balance this weyr-life nicely."

"That's true!" You tell him. "Is there anything you'd like to have me put in your record? Other than your family and previous career? Perhaps what your goals might be if you do Impress?"

He thinks a moment. He's handsome, but doesn't even seem to realize it. And his voice! His voice carries well especially indoors - he's used to shouting out commands to Blackie, or other herders across wide hills.

"Well, if I do Impress, I'll be staying here at Dragonhope. But they've already told me that I can visit my family - and I'll be getting money for just being a dragonrider. That is something I'll be sending back home, they need it much more than I would, if I'm here I will be able to eat in the hall, get my clothing fixed, everyone's provided for very well here. I hope that if I Impress, I can pay that back by good service on a dragon."

"What kind of dragon do you think you'll Impress?" You prod. This is always interesting - it separates the humble from the arrogant, that's for sure.

He again ponders for a bit. "Well, I suppose that I'm right for a brown dragon. I'm no leader, there are plenty of other Candidates here that have better qualities than I do for being on a bronze. And I'm not really ready for the quick life of a blue-rider either. So ... I'm hoping that a brown calls me rider."

"And your name, when you elide it?"

"Hahhah," he chuckles with a big grin, "you said 'when', you've much confidence in me. Well I've given it a little thought, and since my family has a certain way of naming their children I want it to keep to that pattern. So B'ralt will do, it sounds almost the same anyway."

Over the next few minutes you chat with him about his life before being Searched. He was on duty, and somewhat resents that the dragon riders came overhead and scattered his herd while they landed. Sheep aren't smart like dogs, he explains, and would bolt because of course anything big they don't recognize would be coming to eat them! At least he didn't have to sacrifice one of the sheep - they are his family's only way of paying tithes, and they have never been rich or even really middle-class. Always herders, possibly even from the begining, his family history has always been around animals.

There was one thing he mentioned in passing which you note down, that he alone among his friends and family, or even his animals, has never been bothered by the stings of flies or bugs - they just don't come up to him. He's even been able to move them away from other folks, just by walking closer. That's an odd talent, but certainly one worth mentioning!

That, and his humble, solitary life led him not into ignorance, but into a fairly well-learned path. Out on the hills all he could do was imagine flying on a dragon, or riding a steed into a battle... But never really thinking he'd want to be in conflict. He read all the scrolls and books (rare though they were where he's from) that he could find. A very literate man, he knows he's not so young that he'd be picked over for a dragon, but also that he would like to Impress sooner than later, because at twenty turns, he's not really anything but an adult.

"Did you have a girl?" You ask, and he rolls his eyes.

"Well, not exactly. There weren't many families out there besides my own, though we would go to gathers and sell or trade goods. I met one girl once, but ... well, she wasn't from the hills, and her father didn't think much of me. Maybe I'll meet one here, there are so many beautiful young women here! That..."

He pauses, and you lean in. Curious, your eyes widen, who is he thinking of?

"That one rider... Ah, what am I saying, she's a gold-rider, I'd have no chance with her, anyway." He waves his hand, and looks away a bit embarrassed to have mentioned it.

But now that he has... "You're thinking about Aniz, aren't you!" You smack your lips, "I would say you should try, at least - she's a very nice young woman, and she's just about your age! And even if she is a gold rider, you're about to become a rider yourself! You might even have the dragon that flies hers someday!"

With that, he leans back and gives off a huge laugh, "well that's ... true, I suppose! Maybe you should tell me more about her... You're a scribe..."

The afternoon goes on, pleasantly - he's not one to really pry for information, but you offer that he and Aniz would probably make a very handsome couple, with or without dragons! Plus, she's a Master scribe, he loves reading! Between the two of them you think they'd certainly have a lot to talk about!

You move on, pretty sure that this Candidate will Impress well.