Jyxa sighed and fidgeted in her seat. Harper Rotinol’s melodious voice carried no charms for her. The Harper was a gray, wrinkled old man, really only suited to the lessons which were now his primary duty. Jyxa hated this life. She’d been living in her father’s hold for three years now and every day seemed more boring than the last. She wished she could return to Tripaldi, where her mother was, but her mother had sent her away and it was unlikely she would be allowed to go back any time soon.
Jyxa tried but was unable to stifle a yawn and Rotinol cast a sharp look in her direction. He finished the teaching ballad he was singing for them and closed his book with a bang.
“That will be all for today,” he said, adding as Jyxa jumped to her feet and raced for the door ahead of all the other children. “Jyxa, stay a minute, will you?”
Jyxa scowled and made a disgusted noise in her throat, but she stopped and let all the other children pass by her. The Harper didn’t like her at all, she was sure of it. Though few people around the hold did. They all knew she was the Lord Holder’s illegitimate child and only living here because her mother had decided Weyr-life unbefitting of a young lady. She’d liked Weyr-life just fine though, she’d enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the place, the comings and goings of the dragons, and towards the end of her stay there, the flirtations with the male riders.
Jyxa wiped the grin off her face as she realized everyone had left and Harper Rotinol was frowning at her. She straightened her shoulders, clasping her hands behind her back and cast him an innocent look.
“Jyxa,” he started, his frown deepening, “I’m a bit worried about you. Your attitude has, if anything, gotten worse during your time here. Now I know your mother sent you here to learn to behave like a lady, but you seem to be resisting it with all your might! What have you to say for yourself.”
“I’m sorry, sir, I will try to do better,” came her usual response to a reprimand and Rotinol tilted his head forward as he frowned hard at her.
“Why do I not believe you?”
“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to sound insincere,” she replied, her blue eyes staring emotionlessly at his face.
“Jyxa, what is it you want?” he asked and she started. No one had ever asked her that before. She just stared at him for a while, pondering the question. She knew what she wanted but could she trust him with it? “Well?”
“I want to go back to the Weyr and become a dragonrider,” she said, pulling herself up tall and tilting her chin up.
Rotinol arched an eyebrow at her posturing but seemed unsurprised by her words. “Very well, I will discuss the matter with your father.”
He turned away from her then with a wave of his hand in dismissal and she dashed out of the room only to stop in the hallway and lean back against a wall, her chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily. Did he really mean it? Would he suggest her father send her back to the Weyr? Jyxa could hardly believe it and she headed to her room, her stride light and bouncy, and a smile on her face for the first time since she’d come to the hold.
Jyxa almost could not believe it. She was being sent back to Tripaldi! She’d left three turns ago when she was sixteen and now, at nineteen she was being sent back. She spent a great deal of time in front of the mirror the morning she was due to leave. She had matured a great deal in the past three turns. Her reddish blonde hair was long and silky, her blue eyes sparkled when she smiled, and her figure had filled out in all the right places. Jyxa grinned at her reflection in the mirror and batted her eyes. Oh, yes, she would catch the attention she’d craved.
The dragonrider arrived and she was pleased to see it was M’ron on his brown Mrinalth. She remembered M’ron as being one of the nicer dragonriders and she waved and grinned at him as she walked across the small courtyard.
“M’ron!” she called and he frowned as he watched her approach. “Don’t recognize me, do you?”
“Jyxa?” he said in surprise and laughed. “Well, I should have known at nineteen turns you wouldn’t be the little girl I dropped off here three turns ago! Still a surprise though. You look good girl!”
“Thank you,” she replied, with a flirtatious smile. M’ron’s smile faltered for a moment as he saw the way she was looking at him, truly the dragonrider was old enough to be her father. But she just continued smiling happily and his smile soon returned. “Are we ready?”
“I believe we are, just need to get you up on Mrinalth’s back!” he said and she scrambled up without any assistance as he laughed. “A little eager, are we?”
She blushed, “I’m just excited to be going back to the Weyr, hold life can be so dull.”
“True, though I don’t suppose being a candidate has anything to do with your excitement, huh?”
“Nope, nothing whatsoever!” she laughed as M’ron climbed up in front of her.
Mrinalth leapt into the air and with several firm downward strokes of his wings they were aloft. They circled above the hold momentarily and flashed between to Tripaldi. Jyxa shivered as they came out above the Weyr, but her grin returned as they settled in the weyrbowl. She slid easily down Mrinalth’s side and gave the dragon’s shoulder a pat. The brown swung his head around to look at her for a moment but his gaze moved to his rider as M’ron slid off as well.
“Why don’t you go set yourself up in the barracks, Jyxa, I’ll let Killora know you’ll be attending the Candidate lessons this afternoon.”
“Thanks, M’ron!” she called as she dashed off into the Lower Caverns to claim herself a bunk.
Jyxa sat in the Weyrbowl along with all the other candidates and many of the weyrbrats. Killora and her green, Jurith, were giving them a lesson in wing structure. The green was preening as she held her wing extended and Killora was obviously enjoying giving the lesson. But Jyxa’s mind was far from there. She sat and looked around the bowl, hoping against hope that...
Jyxa grinned as the Weyrleader, F’rol, walked up to the group. She straightened, planting an enticing smile on her face and was rewarded with an approving gaze from the tall older man. Jyxa blushed and ducked her head for a moment, only to lift it again and stare at him boldly as he walked up to Killora. She had done her homework on the Weyrleader. He liked beauty and he liked innocence, but he also enjoyed a woman who was bold and it was said the Weyrwoman did not satisfy him in that respect. Jyxa had had her eye on him long ago, before she’d been sent away, and believed that was part of the reason she had been sent to live with her father.
“How are the lessons going Killora?” said F’rol as he walked to the group, his bronze Dritenth padding along behind him. Jyxa watched the dragon as much as she did the man and her eyes widened as she sensed disapproval from that quarter. She regained her composure quickly though. She paid no attention to the words exchanged between F’rol and Killora only rejoiced silently as he lounged back against Dritenth and cast approving glances her way as the lesson resumed. Jyxa felt a twinge in her stomach when he looked at her, which she found exciting. She only hoped she’d find a reason to come in contact with him more often.
A few weeks later Jyxa found her reason. She had been befriended by a young man named Taleran who’d lived in the hold all his life and was fostered to the Headwoman. The young man knew everything about the Weyr and didn’t recognize her in the least. She found this amusing and chose not to tell him she’d grown up at Tripaldi as well. But the young man was fun to spend time with and the two of them soon became almost inseparable. Jyxa delighted in having a true friend as she’d never really had when she was at the hold.
One day she woke to find all the other candidates discussing something in excited voices. She got dressed as she tried to listen in on their conversation and managed to discover that Killora had caught a cold. She grinned as she pulled her boots on; knowing that could only mean the candidates had the day off. She headed first for the kitchens expecting to find Taleran helping his foster mother but he wasn’t there. She headed next to the dining hall in case he was having a late breakfast. Finally she headed for the Weyrbowl and found him sitting on a rock all by himself. She laughed as she dashed across the sand toward him, holding her skirts up to free her legs. She skidded to a stop and flung up a toe to kick dirt all over Taleran’s tunic.
“Tal! There you are!” she cried, beaming down at him as he stared slack-jawed at her. “I’ve been looking for you all over. Didn’t you hear? Killora’s sick so there are to be no lessons today! We’ve the whole day to ourselves, what do you suggest we do? You’ve been here longer than I have.”
Taleran stuttered something but she didn’t pay any attention, looking around thoughtfully for a bit.
“Why don’t we go swimming in the Weyrlake? Or better yet on the beach!” she grinned mischievously and winked at him. “I hear F’rol likes to take Dritenth out to swim in the ocean.”
Taleran just sat there staring at her with his mouth wide open, a look of disbelief and shock on his face. She realized belatedly that she’d never really spoken of the Weyrleader with him before and almost winced. But she shrugged it off and tried to act as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
“Here now, Tal, are you alright? You’re not getting sick too are you?”
“No,” he managed to say, swallowing hard, “I think I just need to get something to eat. I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Well, then lets get you something to eat! The sooner you eat the sooner we can hit the waves!” she said with a grin and hauled him to his feet.
Jyxa was so excited at the prospect of spending some time with the Weyrleader that she barely noticed Taleran’s poor spirits. By the time she realized he wasn’t quite himself though the two of them were laughing and splashing each other in the waves and she just shrugged it off. She kept one eye on the sky, hoping F’rol would indeed show up and eventually she was rewarded.
A large shadow passed over them and Jyxa recognized Dritenth soaring above them. F’rol called to them from the shore as he waded in and Jyxa grinned. Just then Dritenth dove into the waves, water spraying up and drenching them all.
“Hello there,” said F’rol when he’d reached them. He smiled at Jyxa and she felt her heart skip a beat. “I don’t suppose the two of you would like to help me bathe my great beast there, would you?”
“We’d love to!” exclaimed Jyxa, an eager smile on her face. The three of them set to it. F’rol and herself working on one side and Taleran on the other. Jyxa had a ball, giggling each time F’rol bent to whisper something in her ear, feigning modesty and innocence when he said something provocative.
All too soon they were finished and they all waded back up to shore, letting the sun dry them quickly and pulling their clothes back on. Before long F’rol declared that he’d best get back to the Weyr before someone missed him. Before he left though he leaned over toward Jyxa, whispering in her ear, “Meet me out here tonight? Say when the moon is at zenith?”
She nodded eagerly and he winked at her as he vaulted onto Dritenth’s back. The dragon launched himself into the air and the two of them flew back to the Weyr. Jyxa turned her delighted grin on Taleran as they left; taking note of his gloomy demeanor but not letting it affect her in any way.
“Eeee!” she squealed as she twirled once. “I can’t believe what luck I had today, Tal! Thank you so much for coming out here with me! My life is perfect now!”
“What do you mean?” asked Taleran, frowning as if he didn’t really want to know.
“You can’t tell anyone, but F’rol told me to meet him here tonight when the moon is at the top of the sky,” Jyxa grinned, her happiness knowing no bounds. “I knew if I could just have him spend some time with me I could make him fall in love with me, and it worked! Oh! Thank you so much Taleran, you’re a wonderful friend!”
“Jyxa, I-I have to tell you something,” stuttered Taleran with a wince.
“Tell me what?” asked Jyxa, calming down as she saw his serious expression.
“This isn’t easy for me to tell you, but I think I owe it to you as my friend to warn you...” he trailed off and Jyxa watched him expectantly. He took a deep breath and the words tumbled from his lips in a rush. “F’rol doesn’t love you, he’s just after you because you’re beautiful. He’s been sleeping with every beautiful woman in the Weyr, most frequently my foster mother. I don’t think you should meet him here tonight.”
“Well at least he does want me which is more than anyone else has ever done,” she snapped, anger replacing her previous contentment. “Why can’t you just be happy for me? Why do you have to make up such vicious lies about the Weyrleader? I know he’ll be cheating on the Weyrwoman for me, but who cares? I love him, I’ve loved him for as long as I can remember and I’m not giving this up!”
“He’s not the only one who wants you,” said Taleran quietly, his green eyes downcast.
This gave Jyxa a moment’s pause, but it only lasted a moment and she was scowling again. “How dare you be so selfish as to try to persuade me against him. What did you think would happen? That I’d realize my error and fall into your arms, professing my undying love for you?” Her blue eyes widened at the slight nod of his head. “Well, you were wrong, I saw through your little scheme. I thought you were my friend!”
She stormed off then, leaving him alone on the beach. How dare he try to change her mind like that? And only for his own personal gain. He hadn’t cared that she loved F’rol, he’d only wanted to persuade her that she should choose Taleran over the Weyrleader. He’d probably just made all that up about F’rol and the Headwoman.
Jyxa scowled, letting out a breath rapidly in her need to vent her anger. Part of her wondered though and as it was already growing late she hurried up along the path, deciding to stop by the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before her evening interlude.
Jyxa stormed into the Lower Caverns after nightfall, it had taken her longer to walk back from the beach than she thought. She had only a few moments to grab something to eat and gobble it down on her way back out there so she dashed down the corridor and through the kitchen door. There she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw F’rol with his arms wrapped around Piliana, the Headwoman. He was whispering something in her ear and Jyxa recognized that bubbly, happy look on the woman’s face. That was no doubt what she’d looked like earlier. Neither of them seemed to notice her and she backed from the room silently, stopping outside the door to press her back against the wall and lean her head back. She stood there like that, feeling a fool for quite some time. Only when she heard the voices coming from the kitchen grow louder did she dash off, running back up the corridor and taking the first turn she came to. She wasn’t even sure where she was running to, she just ran. Before long her aching muscles made her stop and she sank to the ground in a dimly lit corridor, tucking her knees up to her chest and hugging them to her as she let the tears flow down her cheeks.
Needless to say Jyxa did not go back to the beach to meet F’rol that night and three days later she found herself called in front of the Weyrwoman. Having no idea what the Weyrwoman would want with her Jyxa went reluctantly when she was told to meet the Weyrwoman in her office.
She walked into the office to find Xalia sitting behind her desk going over some papers. She stopped in the doorway and cleared her throat to get the woman’s attention. Xalia looked up and arched a brow coldly before gesturing for Jyxa to come in. Jyxa’s eyes grew wide in surprise at the Weyrwoman’s cold manner. Xalia was known for being friendly to most anyone.
“Jyxa, there you are, come in, take a seat, I’ll be with you in a moment,” said Xalia, bending her head back to the paperwork in front of her. Jyxa sat down in the chair conveniently placed in front of the desk and waited. After quite some time Xalia still had not looked up from her paperwork and Jyxa fidgeted, clearing her throat in case the Weyrwoman had forgotten her. Xalia shot her such a cold gaze that Jyxa froze, her eyes widening in fear.
Eventually Xalia put down her pen and leaned back in her chair, regarding Jyxa with a look that was anything but friendly. She took a deep breath then spoke. “Jyxa, I’ve decided to send you somewhere else to be a candidate. There are plenty of other Weyrs in need of candidates and we’ve got plenty.”
“But the clutch isn’t full yet,” said Jyxa with a frown.
“Nevertheless, other places have a far greater need for candidates than we do.”
“But I’ve heard the Searchriders complain about not being able to find enough candidates to fill the current clutch. Why would you send me away?”
“I’m the Weyrwoman, and act as Weyrleader since F’rol is unwilling to fulfill his duties,” said Xalia and Jyxa jumped as she seemed to put extra emphasis on the name F’rol. Xalia nodded her head as she saw Jyxa jump and Jyxa all but quailed before the Weyrwoman as she stood. “Yes, I think you understand why I must send you away. Pack your things, you leave for Dawn Sister’s Weyr this evening.”
Jyxa sat there for a moment trembling, wondering how the Weyrwoman could have known of her feelings for F’rol. Wondering if she realized he was the one who had initiated it. She stood, locking her knees underneath her to keep them from wobbling. She nodded her head obediently and walked stiffly from the room. As she was almost out the door she heard a weary sigh from within and glanced back to see Xalia collapsing into her chair with her head in her hands. Jyxa felt sorry for her then and that moment realized that it hadn’t been F’rol she’d been in love with. It had been the illusion of feeling desired. How hard Xalia’s life must be with a weyrmate who so obviously didn’t desire her.
Jyxa went straight to her room to pack her things and make ready to leave. Only that evening when she was climbing on the back of the blue Searchdragon sent to collect her for Dawn Sister’s did she wonder what had become of her only friend, Taleran, whom she hadn’t seen since she walked out on him on the beach. She hoped they would meet again, but first she had to get a great deal of self-discovery behind her.
Jyxa liked Dawn Sisters, it was a pleasant place where no one knew her. She’d realized she’d been a spoiled, rotten child most of her life and her anonymity at Dawn Sisters allowed her to try to become a better person. She still flirted with the male riders, but the flirting was more innocent and fun than it had previously been and she never let them believe she meant more by it than friendly banter. At night when she lay down in her bed she felt truly happy for the first time in her life.
Jyxa had been at Dawn Sisters for a week when the eggs began rocking. She and the other candidates rushed to the sands in their traditional white robes and stood awkwardly on the hot sands, waiting for the eggs to hatch. They waited, and waited, and waited, but still the eggs did nothing more than rock steadily.
Finally, as the day was nearing a close a large egg rocked violently, rolling over and splitting open to reveal a brown hatchling. A massive sigh of relief echoed through the chamber and the male candidates all watched the brown eagerly as they all tried to help him to his feet. The brown would have none of their help though and soon righted himself and made his choice. Two blues were next to hatch, one making a choice quickly and the other whining by his shell until Karoth gave him a little push toward the candidates.
Then everyone’s attention turned to the largest of the regular eggs, which cracked to reveal a large bronze. The bronze made his choice quickly and regally and Jyxa began to lose interest in the impressions. She glanced nervously at the queen egg, wondering when it would hatch and if the young queen would want her. Several impressions later the dragons began to hum loudly as the golden egg began to convulse.
Jyxa had to focus to keep herself from holding her breath as first one foreleg split the shell, then another, and at a very odd angle! But then the shell was cracking and two perfect, though small gold hatchlings sat in the sand. The two just sat there as another smaller egg rolled into them and cracked to reveal a small green. The golds snarled at the green, the lighter of the two pounced on the small green hatchling, raking her with her sharp claws.
Jyxa gasped and ran forward, another girl, Adjoa, right beside her. Together they hauled the gold off of the green who whimpered and creeled in fright. Jyxa paused then, that proud foolish part of her demanding that she turn from the tiny green and present herself to one of the golds. But she couldn’t, and though she heaved a sigh of regret she bent to comfort the injured green, helping her to stand and sending her comforting thoughts.
Strangely she felt no emotional connection with the green and began to turn to see where the other gold had gone. But then she felt a tentative touch on her mind and she turned, a smile splitting her face and laughter bubbling up in her throat. She scooped up the little green, who crooned happily as she did so. Jyxa, I’m Carabeth.
Jyxa felt tears sliding down her cheeks as the little green wiggled happily. She left the sands quickly then; hurrying to get Carabeth bandaged and fed. It wasn’t until much later, when she was gently rubbing the green’s eye ridges as she slumbered, that she noticed the dusting of gold coloring at the base of Carabeth’s wings. Jyxa smiled softly and shook her head, it didn’t matter; she’d chosen the green before she knew and would never regret it, but that selfish, proud part of her was mollified at seeing the flecks of gold.
Not yet!
Obviously not yet! :o)
