Chir, as Quachir was best known as, watched the brownrider who was their instructor carefully as she answered her sister out of the corner of her mouth. "Well ya' didn't have to except being searched as we were, then you could be teaching the weyrbrats all day." Tiff shuttered, she loved her students dearly but they were more dragon mad than she'd ever been and in her youth she was a big time tom boy, not that she wasn't still slightly one.
Netron was sitting behind the two girls and chuckled leaning toward them sligthly, "Besides, Tiff, if you drop being a canidate now there might be a dragonet on the sands that could die because it wanted you."
"Don't ever speak of such a dreadful thing," the 18 turn old girl replied, unconously louder than she'd ment, turning to face the 14 turn old boy, looking him straight into the boy's scared face. Both Chir and Netron suddenly sat up straight and looked straight ahead. As the Weyrling Master cleared his throat Tiff's eyes went large and she winced.
"Is there something you'd like to share with the whole class, Tiff Prisim?" Weyrling Master D'tol asked seeming a bit testy. There had been a number of times that students had talked in his class, but Tiff had some how made it a habit and like his brown dragon, Easoth, he was starting to get anoyed.
"Uh, sorry, D'tol," Tiff replied meekly and looked down, for once not daring to meet the dragon rider's eyes. D'tol nodded at her curtly and walked back up to the front of the canidates.
"Now, as I was saying," the brownrider continued, giving Tiff a stern look as her eyes returned to the Weyrling Master, this time she did not turn her eyes from his but held them and he nodded, "impressing a dragon is different experance for each canidate who impresses. You can try to encourage a dragonet to come to you but truthfuly that only works if the dragonet was looking for you. Remember, the dragons not only know their name at birth but they seem to also know who they will choose long before the hatch. That should be it for today."
The whole class sighed in relief, it was nice learning about the dragons, but sometimes tiring. For those who weren't born in the weyr, it was a more intimate experance because most of those canidates only knew their duties to the weyr, the colors and genders of the dragons, and that they were huge versions of the fire lizards around Pern except much harder to lose between and continue to live on without them.
Netron seemed to know a bit more about the dragons than Tiff and Chir did mainly because he'd lived in Ganatek Hold just down in the Weyr's shaddow when the sun was right. The two sisters, though, had learned a lot about dragons since arriving over a turn back. Espicialy when Tiff's half brother Xantro impressed bronze Rezoth and became X'tro. So some of the things D'tol went over were plain review for them but the majority was an eye opener.
Tiff, Chir, and Netron walked out of the class room together. In the past few months they'd become fast friends for three reasons. First of all Netron's brother was green Trith's rider, C'fron who had accidently searched X'tro when he was to convay Tiff to Talor Cliff Weyr shortly after she'd gained her Journeywoman knots. Secondly was the fact that when Netron arrived at the weyr to stay he was given an old weyr in the same corridor as the sisters and Tiff's brother. Last of all was the fact that a few sevendays after Netron arrived he was searched.
The trio hadn't gone far when they ran into X'tro. The boy of 16 turns was much taller than when he'd stood on the sands over a turn ago. He was quickly developing a form that girls were starting to take long glances at him. Like most riders his red Ruathan hair was cut short, this only adding to his newly developed rogishly good looks. The bronzerider ran his fingers through his hair and his blue-gray eyes smiled mischieviously at his sister and friends.
"How was classes today?" he asked odviously half poking fun at them as he would do from time to time. He was rewarded with three mock glares.
"They were alright. Where's your bronze, Rezoth?" Netron asked.
X'tro's eyes clouded over yet Chir could hear what the dragon was saying to his rider. It was only two words but it still made the 12 turn old girl laugh.
Sun Bathing Rezoth said simply and X'tro relayed the message his dragon had told him, even though he knew, like the others, Chir probably heard the whole thing, even if it was short. Not long ago, Tiff and X'tro had found that the young girl could hear all dragons. In fact it was on the day of the flight for the eggs that they now would stand for. When Netron arrived Chir had mentioned it the day that their corridor's green watch-wher, Bleak, had hatched.
Some of the canidates walked off towards the weyrling barracks, while others, like Tiff, Chir, and Netron, stayed outside and chatted with the other canidates. Chir at first didn't notice the murrmer of the dragons but was quick to hear the Sr. Queen as she complained to her rider more. She turned slightly as she tapped both Tiff and Netron on the back and X'tro turned himself. They could see the golden hide of Noamith aproching and then the eyes of the dragon spotted the canidates.
There are some. Chir heard the dragon clearly. The other canidates finally started to take notice and stepped back letting the queen land. Weyrwoman Falora slid off her weyrmate's shoulder and walked over to the canidates who still kept an eye on the dragon in awe as her rider talked.
"Naomith and I have come to get you. The hatching will take place soon, and so it's up to you to get ready and find the rest of your classmates. You know what to do as Weyrling Master D'tol and all the other teachers have all gotten you adequately ready. We expect the hatching in less than an hour, but as with all eggs, they have minds of their own." With that the Weyrwoman vaulted back up to her dragon's neck and the canidates dashed off like a watch-wher was after them. X'tro just smiled and bespoke his bronze, Rezoth, would you come down here please, we have an earen to run. He had one passenger to pick up.
In a weyr near Netron's, the young boy's brother C'fron was getting the message from Trith about the hatching taking place soon.
We should go get her. Trith told her rider simply and C'fron grinned, "Wouldn't have it any other way, dear heart."
The trio were waiting off the sands watching the eggs. Though not one moved they seemed to be alive, and the gold egg seemed to shine brightly, even more so than in days earlier. The humming of the dragons soon started and the canidates became even more nervous. Chir looked at her fellow canidates, they were all quite taller than her and it wasn't because she was short. Chir was the youngest of the canidates and so she was the right hight for her age yet was dwarfed by those she stood with.
The humming took on another not and the canidates walked out onto the sands. Netron's eyes were wide and his jaw hung slack. Now that the hatching was at hand the sands looked much bigger, as if he were five turns old again and was watching his big brother impress green Trith. Perhaps he'd be the second of their generation to impress, Netron could only hope.
Like all the canidates, they looked about the stands to calm their nevers some. That's when all three of them spotted C'fron and X'tro sitting by a woman of about 23 turns and a older man. The woman Netron quickly realized was his oldest sister and runner jockey, Crisma. The man both Tiff and Chir knew from the begining, it was their father. The male riders just winked at their friends.
Soon all attention is back on the hatching grounds as the eggs begin to shake and wobble. Chir had to step back as the others started to crowd her. She soon could only just glimps the eggs that shook before the other canidates. Suddenly an egg shatters just out of Chir's limited sight, followed by five others. A gasp eminates from the crowd and the youngest of the canidates tries her best to see what the reason was for.
Don't you dare take another step my sisters Chir heard the screach of one of the dragons. But sister... came another dragon's voice but the first one inotrupted her, You will not go near those girls until I, Mekoth, have found her!
It was quickly odvious to Chir that one of the dragonet's sisters had not listen to her as Mekoth screached again. Chir was quite surprised when most of the girls moved at once, including her sister Tiff. Then she saw the dragonet green Karosi knelling down by her. Chir watched as a blue walked up Narolnner. Odd that she would not yell at her blue brothers, they could impress a female just as easly as the males, she thought to herself, I must see the dragon who would do this.
With that Chir made her way through the crowd of older girls, practicly popping out in front of them all. The girl from Ista stood looking at the gold before her in awe, some how remembering to keep her mouth closed. That was when the gold spotted her.
Quachir, where have you been? Mekoth barked at her. Chir smiled at the seemingly irritated little queen, "Mekoth! I've been here the whole time!" The youngest canidate on the sands resisted the earge to chuckle as her new weyrmate snorted and eyed the other girls as she struted up to Chir only to tower over her, more so than any bronze dragonet to the tallest new rider. Non shall have you, Quachir, as non will hurt you. I will protect you always. Chir smiled even larger as she started to lead her new lifemate off the burning sands, You can call me Chir, Mekoth, and I know you will, my dear dear Mekoth. And I will do my best to return you the favor ten times over. It isn't a favor, Chir, it is a promise!
Back on the sands Tiff smiled brightly, her little sister had impressed the queen and she was happy for her. Netron chuckled at the pair as they walked off the sands, life should get very interesting around here now, even if I don't impress. For the next few minutes Tiff and Netron could only watch as six of their classmates impress a dragonet each, two greens, two blues, a brown, and a bronze. Tiff shielded herself as four eggs near her hatched at once. As she brought down her arms she saw two greens, a brown, and a blue trying to rid themselves of their respective shell. The first of the greens to rid herself of her shell ambled over to the girls while her brown brother went for the boys.
The green scanned the girls and, softly at first, then louder as the green came closer to her Tiff could faintly hear a voice in her head. No, no, no... nope, nada... not you either... Finally the green's many fasitited eyes rested on the eighteen turn old Journeywoman Harper, they whirled a blue as she rummbles happly, Are you the one? You are, I am called Vasharath. Tiff smiled at her new lifemate and though her eyes seemed to water no tears fell as not many ever did for the girl, even in the most imotional situations.
"Why don't you come here, Vasharath," she told her new green vocialy.
Tiff smiles down at Vasharath and then looks to Netron. He doesn't even look in her dirrection as his eyes, like most of the male canidates, are on the small, almost green sized, blue who is slowly inspecting them. Now where is he? the little dragonet comments to himself. Netron blinks as suddenly a gold and white flash past his sides, the boy quickly identifies them as his own fire lizards, Sight, and Seeker. They came to a stop above the blue's head and hover there. You know who I'm looking for? Netron heard the dragon again as he looked up at his fire lizards asking the question calmly. As the blue brought his eyes to rest on Netron he seemed to smile. My name is... "Zhantrenth" was all Netron said as he looked over his dragon with a broad grin.
Netron practicly jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Tiff smiling down at him, "What'cha say we go join Chir and her Mekoth, ever since Vasharath hatched my stumack's been growlin' non-stop." The bluerider nodded and they led their dragons off the sands.
While the hatching was going on there had been last minute betting in the stands between X'tro and C'fron. When the queen had still been on the sands the greenrider was trying to get X'tro to bet on her.
"I'll bet'cha two marks that Chir will impress her," he told the bronzerider extending his hand so that X'tro might take the bet. X'tro looked at his friend sternly, "I will never take that bet, C'fron. I will not bet on my sister or her half sister!... besides if I took that bet I'd loose, I think Chir will get the gold as well."
C'fron looked at X'tro out of the corner of his eye and grinned mischieviously. This was only moments before their perdiction became correct. The greenrider saw the bronzerider's eyes turn a loving blue, but it was odvious that even the rider didn't know of his reaction. He sighlently bet himself that when the gold would fly X'tro's Rezoth would be one of the chases.
The two had made bets on all the canidates before the hatching except for Netron, Tiff, and Chir. By the end of the hatching, X'tro had won six marks from C'fron and both their visiters were shaking their heads. They lead Chir and Tiff's father, along with Crisma down to where the new weyrmates were feeding.
Mekoth stooped over as she reseaved meat from Chir who giggled and every so often would give the gold a hug or a scratch on the eye ridges. Tiff and Vasharath were close by, after Chir's insistance and when she calmed her dragonet enough that she'd listen to reason that she wouldn't be taken by the green because her half sister was.
Netron was behind the queen with his small blue, Zhantrenth. The three weyrlings talked animately with each other and their own dragons. When Netron called for oil he reseaved it from a smiling X'tro.
"Nice blue," he said simply, but not in any way mockingly, "He looks like he'll be a strong one even if he's smaller than some of his brothers. What will you call yourself now, by the bye?"
The boy grinned ruefully and started to smear oil on the beautiful blue hid, "I'll be N'tron from now till my day's ends."
"Good name," Chir replied as she borrowed some of the oil to rub into the golden hid of her queen.
"Chir," Tiff smiled as she caught her baby sister off guard, "I have a present for you, you may be younger than me but you impressed Mekoth so I beleave you should have my weyr."
The girl's eyes widened, "I can't take that, Tiff, you've already gotten everything situatated in there."
"You will do it, Sis," she repied firmly yet smiled, "What good is a large queen dragon's weyr to a green rider when her sister has a smaller queens weyr which would be more than adiquit for a green and her rider?"
Chir smiled as her eyes cloud over and she grins as she looks from her dragon to her sister, "Mekoth and I thank you so much, Tiff, I have a feeling she may need all the space she can get."
"Well, we're off to the banquet hall," C'fron told them, "we'll see you in there when you come."
Chir's Weyr
Tiff's Weyr