Cortan spends a lot of time with boys, and not in a girlish way. She is adept at their games such as fighting and insults. Cortan is not a particularly bright girl, but neither is she remarkably stupid. Her physical form is what keeps her healthy: she is 5'8 and weighs in at 160, and it's all muscle. She is "big boned" but she's very strong and powerful in addition to her frame. She would belong on a farm, if not on a dragon.
Her skin is light tan, and has several small scars from accidents both in and out of her foster family's care. She has creamy hair, cut very short like a boy's cut, and dark brown eyes. She is not much of a pretty girl either, and doesn't expect that any boy will find her attractive. For this reason, she has truly adopted the boy's clothing, style and mannerisms.
Girls don't much like her.
Cortan is a painfully honest girl, and often doesn't understand sarcasm or 'in' jokes. She enjoys hunting, alone or with a group, bashing things (her favored weapon is a club or mace), and loves being around the smithcrafters with their hammers and bellows and fire. She has a little bit of smith training, but not even enough to be called an apprentice. She usually is allowed to watch a smith in action, but rarely is called upon to help, mostly because she is a girl.
However she learned that these things can be challenged. Changed. When she was moved to Mama Tani's fosterlings, it was because her foster sister became quite ill and her mother needed more time to devote to that child and no other. Cortan does not miss the days of her old Hold.
At Mama Tani's, Cortan has been invited to participate in many hunting exercises, scouting journeys and such. She has a rudimentary education but doesn't pay much attention in harper classes. Her attention span has gotten longer, since coming to the Fosterling cothold, though.
And she has been Searched...
"Of course he is, dearest," Tani said, smoothing down the girl's unruly pampas hair. "That is my son Beao', he's the wing leader of the Stone Fury wing of the Protectorate."
"Can I see him?" Cortan asked, turning to look at her new and beloved foster mother. "Please can I go see him?"
"Which him, my dear? Beao', or his dragon Myuxeth?" Raanatani shooed her away, in the direction of the dragon.
"What a big brown! I can't believe it!" Cortan ran over to the courtyard, where Myu and his rider were only just getting down. The young woman bolted up to the dragon with such bravery and boldness that Myuxeth was forced to bespeak his rider.
This one has fire in her! Look at how she admires me!
Look how you admire yourself, Myu, Beao' thought back. But he had to admit, the girl had more spunk than most children. Even around here, where he grew up.
"Hi mom," Beao' shouted from Myu's back. "Who's the newest?"
Cortan stared up at him, and yelled right up, "My name is Cortan! I want to ride! Can I ride him?"
She will ride her own, Myuxeth told Beao'. She will ride, and probably soon.
"She'll give you a good run for your money, won't she!" Beao' said, laughing. "Come on up, Cortan!" He extended his hand, and Myuxeth grumbled.
But I just landed!
You're not tired! We can do once around the cothold grounds and then come down. I'm hungry and tired too, but if we don't I don't think we'll ever hear the end of it!
So Cortan got her first ride on a dragon, and was Searched at the same time!
Since then, her grandest desire has been granted: she will stand on the sands at Dark Moon Weyr!
Well, she was a LITTLE interested. But something compelled her to believe otherwise. That she wasn't meant for it, not even just a bit. Nothing in that feeling she had told her that she wasn't a fine enough candidate... just not for the gold was all.
And she was proven right, suddenly, when a big angry brown hatched! She heard his bellow, and saw him plod RIGHT over a poor boy who was so scared, he couldn't even move out of the dragonet's way! He strode up to Cortan, this bold brown, and announced himself.
Maverith. You know me, and I know you now. Show me where the food is!
He started off the sands, and Cortan laughed, "Maverith! Shards, you've got spunk!"
