Candidates at Talor Cliff
At 19 turns and 17 turns old, Talisen and Talisman have both been searched from Dawnlight Hold, where their mother resides permanently. Their father S'lanin flies in one of the many Protectorate wings, running information from weyr to hold and crafthall. It was that ability to move from place to place that worried not only Dawnlight Holders, but the boys' mother. Yet her partner is devoted to her, and that loyalty has shown through in their sons.
Talisen enjoys a sort of status being the eldest, but he knows that if they both go to a weyr, he stands just as much a chance to inherit the skies as his mother's lands. Talisman likes being second-born for many reasons, not the least of which is that it always freed him more from the Lord Holders' scrutiny. Of course, that black-bottom hair style that Talisen sports has always gotten him attention!
Talisman's own pale white hair is just like his father's, though many people assume that his hair is dyed, like his brother's.
"I don't care what that blue rider said, you're going to OUR weyr to stand."
"But he's never wrong --" said the pale-haired Talisman.
"Not about the fact that his searches are always successful. He does search right, now, I'm telling you that he was searching you for ME."
Nora stood with her hands on her hips, gazing at the pair of harper apprentices. Her own blue dragon snorted.
Did you just insult our friend?
A'rd won't mind.
Sure, right. Our sands aren't getting any hotter, Nora...
Nora beckoned her two companions. "Come along. You're already packed, I see."
"Yes, because we were 'supposed' to be going to Blackstone Weyr," said Talisen.
"Well... We've been over this. Not going to do it again. Our sands are just about ready to burst, so boys, GET GOING!" The search rider screeched and then laughed as the pair scurried away.
The ride to Talor Cliff was smooth and everything they expected. The weyr... Oh, that Weyr! From above it was just as spectacular as they had ever been told. The blue swung over the cliffside, and deposited the pair of boys and his rider down to the warm beaches first.
"Why here?" Talisen asked, looking around suddenly blinded by the white beach and the sun. "I thought we were meant to head to the sands."
"Well first, you're going to have to get used to the Weyr. This is the beach... You might find a fire lizard egg down in that area," Nora pointed to a nook where there was a shelter of rocks. "And the entrance to the lower caverns is over here. So, let's go. You're going to need a place to stay, until the eggs hatch."
"I thought you said they were practically hatching already," muttered Talisen.
"She's a good host," Talisman said, "don't be ungrateful."
"Yeah," Nora said, with a broad grin. She led them through the kitchens, picking up a pair of muffins for them, and a meat roll for herself. Then, into the low set of catacombs where storage areas rested. Up through one passage, the pair heard the songs of a harper training his young charges. They both almost stopped there and helped out. Nora dragged them along.
"Here we are," she said, holding her arm out to a set of bunks in a narrow weyr. "I know it's nothing much, but hopefully it will be temporary for you."
The young harpers set down their bags, and breathed in the scent of the whole weyr.
"I like it here already," Talisman said, sitting on his bunk.
"I want the top." Said his brother, and they tussled briefly before laughing in odd relief.
"I wonder... when we'll get called to the eggs." Talisen said, while penning a short hide to their mother about their arrival. "I mean, when will we get a look at them?"
"Maybe sooner than you think," Talisman said, furrowing his pale brows. "Listen..."
"Dragon humming!" His brother exclaimed breathlessly.
"You always like getting bathed, yes. I know."
"He treats it like it's the first time every time," his brother L'man laughed. "Unlike my beauty here... She remembers how good it is." He scrubbed the golden-greeny speckled wing of Kazulieth, and she gave off a crooning. "Don't you?"
I do. It is always nice. Why do those other boys stare at you so much?
"Ahh, because they're jealous of you my dear." L'man said. It was half a lie, but it was mostly true too: they stared because he had impressed what could only be considered a partly-golden dragon. Did that mean he was partly-girly? He'd withstood a bit of ribbing for that, but by the time Kazulieth could walk a straight line she was also quite capable of being a snippy little queen in her own right.
And L'man wasn't about to stop her either. It was about time that someone stood up for odd things. The brothers were odd enough. Now they had dragons, and that said everything.
Can you give me another bath again tomorrow? Bespoke blue Broderth, and L'sen nodded. "Always."