Berrol looked off into the sunset. He sat perched on a rock, alone. There were thoughts swimming around in his head, none very clear. A tear slid from his eye, and he brushed it away. It landed on the rock beside him, and turned into a miniscule splash mark on a gray background. He sighed, and stood. He saw children laughing and running around. He sighed again at their happiness. They had each other, and would not experience the pain of love for several turns to come. Berrol had just lost his love. She hadn't died, but she had gone away. She left him, voluntarily she had moved away from him, telling him goodbye, and oh she would miss him some. He sighed again, and trudged to his room.
Later that day, Berrol was sitting on his bed with his blue flit, Ekot. He scratched the blue's eye ridge slowly, thinking all the while about himself. Ekot peered up at Berrol, and then bleated loudly.
Berrol jumped. He looked at the flit, who looked back at him. Berrol sighed.
"You're right, Ek. I am being selfish. I'm sorry. Let's get out and do something fun!" Instantly, Ekot was shirping and soaring all around the weyr. Berrol grinned, and walked out the door, his flitter right behind him.
Berrol stood at the waters edge, peering out at the reflection of the moon. Ekot was spiraling around in the air, and with a loud trill, he dived into the water. Berrol smiled and looked for his fun-loving flit. Ek leaped from the water, flinging droplets and mud across Berrols face. Berrol laughed, and wiped his face off. Ek chirped invitingly, and Berrol leaped into the water. Ekot was delighted, and began flying circles and loop-de-loops. Berrol threw a handful of mud at his flit playfully. The mud landed in the flit's face. In retaliation, Ek threw talon-fuls of mud at his companion. Berrol cried out, and mud went into his mouth. The mud war went on for at least one candlemark before both the boy and the firelizard were tired. Berrol then, laughing, helped his flit out of the water and carried him up to the Weyr. Berrol first cleaned off Ekot, and then took a bath himself. He especially needed to clean his hair. The normally light blond colour had turned dark brown from all of the mud. Berrol watched as spirals of brown went down the drain. He felt that as he was cleaning the dirt from his body, he was also cleansing his heart. His heart was clean now, and no longer dirty from the girl who's name he refused to speak aloud.
Berrol awoke the next day. He stretched, and realized that for the first time in a few sevendays, he felt good. He smiled, and peered over at Ekot. Ekot was still sleeping, sprawled out at the foot of the bed on his back. Berrol rose slowly as to not wake the flit. He dressed quickly and then left his chamber, shutting the door quietly. He strolled from the Weyr and down to the grassy field. Then, he walked. He thought about how happy he was now. The mud fight with Ekot had really helped heal his soul. And just think...If a dragon as small as a firelizard could help Berrol that much, imagine how much a Pernese would do for him! Berrol had seen Pernese dragons before. Living in a Weyr, he saw them a lot. But he had never gone for a ride on one. He had never touched one, or seen one up close. And he had never been Searched. He had Ekot, but deep inside, he wanted the bond that came with the magestic Pernese. A gust of wind interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, gusts of wind blowing his hair around his face. A large green Pernese landed right in front of him. Berrol just stared in awe. A girl leaped off the back of the Dragon. Berrol averted his eyes from the dragon just long enough to see that she was very beautiful, with blond hair and big blue eyes. She was short, but skinny.
"Hello. My name is Rian." Berrol smiled shyly. The girl grinned at him a winning smile.
"Do you have a name?" Berrol smiled again, wondering why he was so nervous. Was it the girl, or the dragon?
"Berrol. Hi, Rian. Where are you from?" The girl leaned against her dragon's side. The dragon was looking intently at Berrol. He tried to ignore it.
"Valley Weyr. I am Searchrider Rian. This is my dragon Sharranth." Berrol gaped at the dragon with renewed interest.
"Searchrider? Why'd you stop here?" Rian glanced at Sharranth.
"Well, I'd think it'd be obvious. You are the only person in sight." Berrol looked around and had to agree.
"What are you saying, exactly?" Rian sighed and rolled her eyes toward the heavens.
"Do I have to spell this out for you? Sharranth thinks you would make a good candidate at Valley Weyr. She would like you to travel with us between to the Weyr so you can become a candidate. Sharranth must think you'd make a good candidate if she brought me all the way down here. But you seem to have something on your mind...anyway. Get your things together, and we'll go see Valley Weyr." It took Berrol little less than one candlemark to wake Ekot and gather his things for the long trip. In no time at all, Berrol was having his first ride on a dragon, behind a beautiful girl. And as they popped into and out of the cold between, Berrol got his first look of Twin Weyr.