Zhronsha grinned at her twin brother. She swatted him lightly on the arm, and he pouted.
"Ow, Nasha," Mahtel said, using his childhood nickname for her. "That hurt." Zhronsha laughed out loud at the look on his face. He was six foot two, and very muscular. Seeing him pout and with his freckley face was just too much.
"Well if you would get out of my room when I'm trying to change, Mahtel, I wouldn't have to beat you up." Now he laughed. It was funny how similar they looked. Yes, they were twins. But they looked so much alike, that when they were small some people mistook them for identical. Of course they couldn't be, being one male and one female. But it was close enough for Zhronsha. Both had strawberry blonde hair, slightly wavy. Zhronsha kept hers down past her waist, and Mahtel kept his to the nape of his neck and held back with a leather wrap. Both of them also had the same impish blue-green eyes framed with long lashes and topped with highly arched eyebrows. Zhronsha pushed Mahtel out of her room and gently closed the thin door. She heard voices from the room next door, and then gales of roaring laughter. The room next to hers belonged to Zhlae, Dhyay and Epifoni, her three older sisiters. They were three of the five quintuplets born before her and Mahtel. There were thirteen chlidren in her family. It was wonderful. She enjoyed every second of life with her brothers and sisters. But it was no time to think about that. She needed to get ready.
As much as she despised dresses and fancy galas, she had to admit that she was pretty in her new dress. Her mother, very skilled in many crafts, had spun a dress of the lightest lavender, with a silver shoulder covering. She spun in front of her looking glass, enjoying the feel of the silky material against her skin. It felt like the satiny underneath of a flower petal. It was the smoothest feeling, cool and thin, shaping against her body. It spun out when she twirled, and when she stopped it bounced around delicately.
"Mah deah, you look stunning!" Mahtel barged into her room and dramatically threw himself onto one knee, grabbing her hand. He kissed one gloved hand and she rolled her eyes. He looked up at her, and began a whole new spew of compliments.
"Marvelous! Gorgeous! Dazzling! A vision of lovliness! You are absolutely radiant! And did I mention that you are beautiful? Who can you be? This is no mortal girl! No, no! No mortal woman, for this is no mere girl. Are you a goddess, oh high one? I am not worthy!" He got down on his knees and bent over until his forehead touched the floor. Zhronsha stood with her arms crossed, watching with amusement.
"Please, Oh Mighty One, just speak! The words that flow from your mouth would be so sweet to my ears, like honey nectar!"
"Are you finished?" asked Zhronsha with one arched eyebrow. Mahtel looked up and bit one lip in thought. Then, he jumped up to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm done." And then, he left her room. She shook her head. He could always make a girl feel good, like the most beautiful person in the world. But sometimes he did go overboard. She had been told by one boy that she was pretty, but she knew she was no beauty. She was muscular, not skinny. And her nose...she really disliked her nose. It was kind of long, but skinny and it tilted up at the end. Some people thought it was cute, but she thought it made her look like a snob with her nose up in the air, and that it really didn't fit her personality. And her freckles. She was eighteen turns old! And her freckles made her look like a child. And her wavy hair... Why couldn't it be straight? Either straight or curly, it made no difference to her. But the half-way in between wave was not something she liked. It was so thick it was hard to do anything with. Of course, the characteristics she hated about herself were the things that other people liked about her. She just couldn't see it. And now, looking at her reflection, she could see her furrowed brow and pursed lips, and she just burst into laughter at her expression. Here she was, wallowing in self-pity while she was supposed to be getting ready for the gala.
"Nasha! You look beautiful!" her mother cried. Kagi was short and plump, with large hips from having born so many children in her lifetime. She had full lips always curled in a smile, and ice blue eyes with smile lines at the corners. She had raven black hair gone slightly grey in places. She was always ready with whatever was needed, whether it be hugs and kisses, food, mending or a kind word of encouragement. And right now, she tossed the vegetable she had been holding across the room, careless of where it landed. She walked to her daughter ang hugged her tightly, careful not to wrinkle the dress. Zhronsha would be going out on her own tonight, to the gala. She was a bit nervous, but very excited. Kagi, that is. Zhronsha was all excitement, no nervousness whatsoever.
"Okay mommy. I'm ready to go. I'm going to go now. You can let go. I'm leaving. Goodbye, mommy. Mother! Let go." Kagi was hugging Nasha's arm with all her might, tears threatening to squeeze from her eyes.
"My baby! Going to her first formal gala! All by herself!" Zhronsha sighed.
"Mommy, everything will be fine. And I'm going to be late!" Her mother backed off then, grinning. Zhronsha noticed her brothers and sisters gathering behind her, smiling.
"You're right. Okay. Go. Go on, get!" Zhronsha rushed from the house, long hair trailing behind her. And as she stepped from the front door, she heard her mother's voice, stern but partially joking.
"And you all! What are you looking at? Get out of my kitchen! And stop your laughing!"
Zhronsha rushed to the Hall, her fancy shoes clicking as she walked. She felt strange. Her shoes made her several inches taller, and she wobbled uncertainly. They were strappy and dainty, and she felt as if they belonged on someone more delicate and graceful. But it was time to forget all her insecurities. This was a gala!
She entered the Hall, and was introduced to the sounds of several Harpers playing their best, and greeted by the smells of the cooks' delicasies prepared especially for that night. There was a tremendously large space in the centre of the room, where people danced or stood and talked. Around the edges were several small tables. At one side, along the entire wall was a giant buffet table which the cooks' apprentices rushed back and forth to all night carrying trays of food. Zhronsha breathed deep the smell of rich meats, many meats, vegetables, drinks, and the mountains of desserts at the very end of the table. At the very back of the room she could see what she had come from. A crowd of people, all surrounding one thing. A dragon, large and proud, brilliant royal blue hide stood, looking out over the crowd of people. He was the real reason she had come. Not just for the Gala. Her mother knew nothing of the Searching Dragon, as far as she knew. She frowned at the line. It was really long. There was a small makeshift area filled with warm red sand. She walked slowly to it, wondering what it was. She saw several eggs in the sand, and people standing around, each with their eye on an egg. They were each holding meat, and then it dawned on her. These were firelizard eggs! A bucket of meat was passed to her, and she grabbed some strips from it. She found an egg near the edge of the sands and watched it. After a few minutes it began to rock. And then, it hatched.
The tiny green flitter screeched a welcome and fixed its eyes on Zhronsha's. She bent down and handed it the meat, smiling.
"Tuk. Won't mother be surprised when I bring you home!" she said with a smile. She lifted the firelizard up and placed the small green onto her shoulder. She glanced back over at the big dragon. And then she made a decision that would change the course of her life forever. She stepped past all of the people watching and stood there in front of the great blue dragon. The rider stepped up.
"Hello. My name is K'var. This is Blue Merrenth. We are from Dark Moon Weyr. Please wait a moment for Merrenth to Search you to see if you are fit for candidacy..." The rider's eyes were happy, but Zhronsha was terrified. A moment of swirling thoughts in her mind, and then the dragon trumpeted overhead. The rider clapped her on the back and she nearly threw Tuk on the floor. She smiled bigger than she ever had in her entire life. She was off to Dark Moon Weyr!
"Oh look at the little Doll!!!" shrieked Epifoni. Tuk jerked back against Zhronsha.
"Shh, Epifoni! Don't scream. She's only just hatched. Mom, I have to get ready. I have to go soon." Zhronsha's mother smiled, but her eyes were sad.
"You've been Searched, haven't you?" asked her mother. Zhronsha smiled, and her sisters squealed and hugged her. She managed to force herself away from them and ran to her room. There, she changed out of the dress and threw it on her cot. She changed into what she was more comfortable in: Pants and a lightweight tunic, and boots. And she began to pack. She packed only what she thought she would need- clothing, mostly. And some paper and charcoals. If she were to be waiting around for a while, which she probably would, she would want something to do. And she loved to draw. And she was good at it, according to her siblings. There would be many things to draw at the Weyr. Her mother would want to know everything, and pictures would be nice to show. She also packed her dolly- something that nobody knew she needed. She couldn't sleep without her doll, especially in new places. So she put the doll carefully into her sack, and clipped it shut. She hoisted it over one shoulder and lifted Tuk to the other. And then, she left her room, kissed her 12 siblings good-bye, and went to meet the Rider.