A slow smile curled upon the features of Roki as her new home opened below her. Eyotath small size was made smaller by the gigantic Weyrbowl below. Seiryuu Weyr, the green sized brown’s voice whispered in her head. Roki’s deep green eyes sparkled with anticipation. The bowl looked like a huge dragon and the fact that the wing was the Weyr Lake made it represent a blue.
This is our home for the rest of our lives? Roki let the thought escape her. She’d seen sketches of the Weyr and even been there a few times but it still amazed her. It was a great visual point, unmistakable. The Weyrlings will have a very easy time learning to between with this landmark. They will have to make a very drastic mistake in the image to get lost trying to find our home. the brown stated proudly as he bulged to the blue watch dragon. There was a happy reply and a few other dragons bulged a warm welcome to Seiryuu Weyr’s Weyrling Master’s brown.
It was still a sevenday before Seiryuu Weyr would officially be open but there was the sevenday long gather which mirrored what would hopefully become the population size of the new Weyr in the Third Pass. Blue dragons out numbered greens nearly two to one on the rim of the Bowl. But that was how the Weyrwoman, Quachir, wanted it, after all the Weyr itself was named after a deity from old terra, a blue dragon who was the guardian of the eastern part of that country.
Both were brought back to reality as a blue the same size as Eyotath passed them and was closely followed by a lilac colored dragon that was the size of a normal blue. The small brown rumbled as they watched the two dragons pass. They’ve gotten even better since we went through our training. They have haven’t they, sugar? I’m glade Ar’wen spotted us now, Roki replied remember the first day she met the blue rider from Seiryuu who’s dragon was the size of a small bronze. The new Weyrling Master quickly changed her thoughts and looked at the ground her muscles tensing at the prospect of what would soon happen.
“There, Eyotath,” she shouted into the wind, “By those blue and green tents, that’s probably where we should sign in so they know we’re here now.” I understand… The Sr. Queen Mekoth gives us her thanks for coming and taking on this job so you know… Eyotath paused once again, And her rider would like to meet with us soon, she’s in the tent actually. Then let’s go, my heart. We should never keep Weyrwomen waiting. The brown rumbled at the humor of the statement and gently made his way towards the tent.
As Eyotath came in for his landing a young woman only a few inches taller than Roki herself stepped out from under the tent, a winter wher-hide jacket on her though the jest was left wide open. After landing Roki leapt off her dragon’s neck and greeted her turn younger, and new, friend.
“Chir,” the woman formally from Kutou Hold greeted her Weyrwoman, “Looks like this will be quite the event.”
“I can only hope, Roki,” Quachir smiled softly a coo stopping further conversation on the sevenday gather. It was then that Roki noticed that Quachir had something strapped to her back. The queen rider carefully shifted the pack and smiled with a slight blush on her features.
“I don’t suppose I’ve introduced you to my first and, at this time, only child,” she chuckled and turned so that the buddle on her back was viewable by the brown rider, “His name’s Xachir.” What met Roki’s eyes now as a small chubby face of a nearly turn old child with dark brown eyes and brown, almost back hair that seemed to have only just started to grow in as it was only a few centimeters long. The babe gurgled at the Weyrling Master, his tongue sticking out of his mouth slightly causing Roki to giggle.
“He’s quite the handsome lad, sugar,” Roki smiled caressing the boy’s cheek. Suddenly Xachir screamed and the brown rider reflexively jumped back into a defensive position. Quachir some how turned around quickly without hurting or really disturbing her only child.
“What was that about?” the mother worried and carefully turned her boy to being in front of her. Xachir looked back at her blankly then screamed with laughter again. Roki blinked looking at the child and chuckled at having been startled by a child.
“I’ve been away from my family too long,” Roki smiled as she once again let her finger trail on the baby’s chubby cheek causing him to cry out happily, “I forgot how loud they can be and how they can get so excited.”
“Aren’t you the oldest of seven though?” Quachir giggled.
“Eight actually,” Roki corrected as they started to walk and talk, “three brothers four sisters. T’lcin and Tokin are already riders as you know.” Quachir nodded as the names of the bronze and the lilac riders were mentioned. “Speaking of which, I was wondering if one of the Searchriders could join me on my next visit down there, I think my brothers and sisters have what it takes to become dragonriders… but as you know, Eyotath doesn’t have the sensitivity of a Search Dragon.”
“How old are they now?” Quachir asked.
“Well,” Roki thought for a moment and then nodded at her memory, “The oldest left there is Trayzin, he’s 15. Then there’s Jayz, who’s now 12 and there’s the twins Zayin and Cyrin who are each 6… And then my youngest brother Riktojan is now 4 if my memory serves me correctly.” Quachir looked at her son longingly.
“You’re lucky to have so many siblings,” she smiled, “I don’t have any full brothers or sisters, only my half sister Tiff Prisim and her half brother, X’tro, is like a brother to me.”
“Sometimes I’d give anything to have less brothers and sisters or even be an only child,” she sighed, “But then again I couldn’t live without them I don’t think. Mom would be alive but then I wouldn’t have as interesting a life.” Quachir nodded in agreement.
“Well, I guess we should get down to business,” Quachir told Roki rocking her child, “I say we see if Headwoman Reca’s got a good brew of Klah and hot wherry stew going. She’s got the best cooking I know.”
“What Hold or Weyr is so privileged to have as good a cook as you say, sugar?” Roki chuckled.
“Actually, we are,” Quachir told her in all seriousness, “She’s blind but is the best cook on all of Pern. She oddly knows everything that’s going on and how to get around the Weyr without any help already.”
“You’re letting a blind woman run your Caverns?” Roki asked in astonishment and could hardly believe it when the Weyrwoman nodded.
“Her son actually asked that we take her in so he knew what was happening with still,” Quachir replied, “She has all the qualifications to be a Headwoman, she’s been raising children for nearly over twenty turns and has raised quite a few of our riders. M’rec and Yui being only two of them.”
The duo found a seat in the slowly filling lower caverns. Quachir carefully placed Xachir in left arm while pouring a cup of klah for each of them. The babe slept soundly as they started to talk once more, both women with large smiles on their features.
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