kaleyasa

Never had two twins existed that were more different then Kale and Yasa. Kale was loud, crude and overall in love with himself. Yasa was a gentle, quiet but witty girl who did her best to help others. Where Kale played, Yasa worked, and vice versa. Kale dreamed of becoming a dragonrider, and soaring the skies on a beautiful blue beast. For although Kale thought he was worthy of a bronze, he couldn’t imagine riding anything so big. Blue was just his size, and that’s what he wanted.
Yasa, however, wanted to become a Healer. Already she knew much of the herb lore and mending wounds, but she wanted to know more. Her desire to help people was something that pulled at her and left her restless and impatient. She never really thought about being a dragonrider, but when she was very young she’d pretend she rode a flaming green against the Thread, saving a Hold full of people below.
   Because of their differences, it was surprising to know that Kale and Yasa were the best of friends. They were together as often and possible, and shared all their secrets with each other. The special twin-bond was close in these two, and they nurtured it whole heartidly. Kale supported Yasa in her desire to be a Healer, and Yasa told Kale he could do anything he set his mind to. And as they grew older, the bond grew strong, to the point where they were inseperable.
When they both reached sixteen, Yasa was given the opportunity to apprentice at the Healer Hall. It was the moment of her life, and Yasa refused, afraid to go without her brother. The entire family was upset, and from then on treated Yasa with a cool indifference. They had not brought their daughter up to be so dependant on anyone, and if she threw her future away, so be it. Bewildered, Yasa turned to Kale for comfort, and was heartbroken when he rejected her too.
Kale was in dispair when Yasa turned down the apprenticeship, and deep down he knew it was his fault. It was a big step for him, admiting he was at fault for something, and he knew he had to fix it. Yasa couldn’t count on him like that, he couldn’t have that kind of responsibility (you see, it was really Kale’s fear of responsibility that made him worry about Yasa). He told Yasa that she needed to grow up and be herself, and from then on he treated his sister like, well, a sister. It tore both of them up inside to not be able to talk to the other, laugh with the other, fish, ride, hunt, and work with the other.
Yasa’s way of dealing with her grief was very different from Kale’s. She applied herself more greatly to her healing studies, and decided she wouldn’t let anything stand in her way again. She ignored Kale then, making friends with some other girls who were snobby and just suited for her new, cold, outlook on life.
There was no obvious change in Kale, he was still the same fun-loving, arrogant child he’d always been. But Kale knew he was changing, and if Yasa had been with him, she would have seen it too. He was losing hope now: an unexpected, unwelcome change. Without anyone to tell him to believe in himself, Kale was quickly forgetting how to do just that. No longer did he think of becoming a dragonrider, and no longer did he stare wistfully at the sky for hours on warm summer nights.
The world had changed for Kale and Yasa, and they both noticed the change too well. Yasa didn’t like her friends, didn’t like not being able to spend time with the boys of the Hold instead of the girls, and didn’t like not having a best friend. Kale didn’t like feeling awful, and instead of being full of feelings of self-worth, he was full of self-doubt. They both knew even going back to the way they were wouldn’t help them now, they needed each needed to find out who they were, alone.

“Yasa!” A giggling voice called from around the shed. “Yasa.” Several more voices giggled, and Yasa smiled. Hethar, Nurami, and Shendella were eager to go swimming that afternoon, and they wanted Yasa to go with them. More like they wanted Yasa to keep lookout for any boys that wanted a peek while they swam, but it was all the same to Yasa.
Yasa quickly joined her friends behind the shed, setting her basket of collected herbs neraby. It wouldn’t do for them to spill, not at all…Yasa frowned as she looked into the basket. She’d forgotten to get mettle weed. Perhaps she should go back now?
“No Yasa, you can’t go get more plants right now!” Hethar whispered loudly, pinching Yasa’s shoulder. “We’re going swimming, and you agreed to go along!” Shendella giggled and nodded.
“Yeah Yasa, you promised you’d go with us this time!” Shendella’s voice was so high pitched it seemed only canines should be able to hear her. Yasa always had to smile at Shendella for this reason, and if she was smiling, she’d have to have a reason that wasn’t so rude.
“Alright.” Yasa agreed, shoving her basket aside with her foot. “I’ll go.”
“Good.” Hethar (a rather large, aggressive girl, but honest and moral) purred. “I’ve already told Genelle and Ranlia to meet us at the pond.
“The pond?” Yasa asked. “The pond’s a muddy mess after last night’s storm. We should go to the lake instead. It’s more fun to swim in the lake anyway….no reptiles biting at your feet as you wade along the sand.” Hethar nearly growled at Yasa for challenging her authority.
“No. The lake’s too out in the open, the pond is sheltered and closed in.”
“Meaning it’s dirtier and stale as well.” Yasa replied, but she shrugged. What did it matter to her? It wasn’t as if she was going to swim anyway, especially now that Hethar insisted they go to the pond.
“I think Hethar’s right.” Shendella, ever the follower, piped up. “Too many boys hang around the lake, we’d surely be seen.”
“Isn’t that why you’re going swimming today though? On a rest day when none of the boys would be working anyway, so they could see you naked?” Yasa asked sweetly, and was rewarded by a fake shocked look on her companions faces.
“Is that what you really think we’re doing Yasa?” Hethar asked, coming threatening close to the smaller girl. Yasa shrugged and picked up her bakset.
“I see what I see Hethar.”
“Lady Hethar to you Yasa, I’m daughter of the Holder here.” Hethar drew herself up, letting her rank fall about her like rain. Yasa was unimpressed, and proceeded to turn around and leave. She didn’t want to spend the afternoon with these girls anyway.
“Fine!” Hethar shouted after her. “Just for that, you can’t go with us! That’ll keep any boys from noticing you!” Realizing what she’d just said, Hethar cursed quietly and as Yasa vanished over the hill, she yelled loudly, “Like they would anyway!” Yasa almost laughed as she found a patch of mettle nearby. This happened nearly every sevenday, and it got more amusing to Yasa every time.

Kale snuck around the side of the barn with his cronies. He led the group of course, but lately they’d been getting restless with his same-old same-old schemes. He used to be innovative: “accidently” glueing wherry feather’s into the girls’ hair, redecorating the Hold with the Hold’s garden, moving all of that Holder brat girl, Hethar’s, thing out into the main shed. That had been a good one. Today they were just going to move the runners about, switch stalls and let some loose. It didn’t make much sense, they’d all done this already last sevenday.
Kale, now eighteen, was beginning to feel a little old for such antics, but he had nothing else to do. He had no future that really called to him the way Healing called to Yasa, and so he just remained a boy into his adulthood. Most of the boys he hung out with now were three or four turns younger than he was, but that didn’t bother him much. The younger they were the more they looked up to and worshipped him. And Kale was one to get at many followers as possible.
It was as the group was reaching the entrance, all feeling bored and immature, that something was spotted in the air above them.
“Look!” A younger boy, Grenim, shouted, pointing at the sky. “A dragon! A dragon, here!” Without another word the whole group of seven dashed away to follow the large beast as it landed. Now here was something to do with the afternoon! And if any of them managed to get into the rider’s attention, well, no one would reject going to the Weyr as the product of a Search!
But it was Kale who reached the courtyard first, and Kale who snuck past the “guards” at the entrance. He was too quick for them, and he got as close as a dragonlength from the large, green creature who’d landed in the courtyard before his friends even reached the gates. The “guards” however, were ready for them. The guards were actually a couple of older lads, employed by the Holder to keep peace on the grounds. They were each over twenty, and had been part of the group Kale had followed around when he was very young.
   They refused admittance of the rest of the boys, and all six of them cursed loudly at Kale. Now only he would have the chance to be Searched! Kale knew this quite well, and he slowly approached the dragon from the side, trying to make her see him.
A sharp pinch on his shoulder frightenend him. He yelped and whirled around to see Yasa standing there, eyeing the dragon fearfully.
“Watch it Kale, they’re not here on Search.”
“So? Just because they’re not on Search doesn’t mean I won’t be! Fardling sakes Yasa, what does it matter to you anyway?” Kale glared at his twin angrily, already feeling the slight pull of his twin on him. It was odd, sometimes he swore he could feel exactly what she was thinking. Yasa turned her head then, angry and saddened by her brother’s brutal treatment of her.
“Go ahead then, get into trouble. It’ll be your head the Holder breaks when he finds out you’ve been disgracing the Hold, acting like a ten-turn old with your games!” Yasa screeched quietly, and took a few steps backward. Kale, in a moment of remembrance, grabbed Yasa’s arm and pulled her forward.
“Don’t give me that Yas. You know full well you want to get as close as I do to her. Let’s go.” And Kale pulled his protesting sister closer to the dragon.
She was a beautiful creature, Kale thought. Perfectly proporitoned and had a lovely glimmer to her hide. I wonder what her name is?
“Nikath.” Yasa whispered, a look of wonder in her eyes. Kale turned to her sharply.
“What?”
“She said her name was Nikath.”
“She talked to you?” Jealousy ripped through Kale’s mind, and he almost accused his sister of lying. But he knew Yasa wouldn’t lie, especially about the dragon. It was at that moment he knew Yasa would be Searched. Now he could only hope that he would be too.

    Brenna left the Hold, message delivered, and she was ready to go back home to Beach Shards. This place gave her the creeps, although she didn’t know why. It always had, and she suspected it always would. I wonder why that is? She asked herself. It’s just an ordinary little Hold. Southern Continent even, so it’s kind of nice. It certainly shouldn’t be so eerie.
It’s the people that make it eerie, Brenna. Nikath informed her. Brenna smiled as she walked towards her dragon.
And how would you know love?
I am a Search dragon. Remember? I am good at sensing people.
Alright, so these people are eerie then, hmm? Why? Brenna reached Nikath, and patted her dragon lovingly before she mounted.
Don't! Nikath told her firmly, and Brenna, about to swing her leg over the dragon's neck, dropped slowly back towards the ground.
What?
Don't. Nikath said more gently. There are two worthy of Search here. Them! And Nikath looked over at where the twins were standing nearby. She'd already talked to the girl, Yasa, and liked her. The boy was Searchworthy, but not particularly interesting.
"What?" Brenna asked in disbelief. She would never have thought anyone from this Hold worthy of Search.
You say that a lot. Nikath joked, and then shifted to she was closer to the Candidates. Those two, right there. They will go with you if you ask. I want them for the clutch. And Nikath snorted, eyes whirling quickly.
"Um, okay." Brenna took a few short steps to where the kids (twins obviously), were standing.            "Greetings." She said brightly. "I'm Brenna, rider of Nikath." The lad stuck out his hand first, warm and eager.
"Kale." He said, peeking around Brenna's shoulder at the dragon. "And this is my sister Yasa." Yasa shook Brenna's hand firmly, but not eagerly. It was obvious she was confused by something. The girl smelled sharply of herbs and medecine.
"Healer Yasa?" Brenna asked, and Yasa shook her head.
"I'm only eighteen, of course I'm not a Healer. I'd like to be though, but I need to find someone who will teach me first."
"Ah." Brenna said, and looked at Kale, who was watching the exchange jealously. Brenna smiled. "Well Yasa, we do have a couple of fine Healer's at Beach Shards who would be willing to instruct you and teach you the necessary skills." Yasa's eyes lit up, and it was obvious she wanted to go. "However, we can't just let you do that if you're not at the Weyr; you'll need to be a Candidate first."
"What?" Yasa and Kale sputtered at the same time.
"Her?" Kale asked, obviously jealous and getting angry.
"Me?" Yasa asked, voice meak in disbelief.
"Yes." Brenne quipped. "Nikath likes you, and she says you'd make a find Candidate. Our Healer's will train you will while you're there. If you choose to stay, well, there are many dragonriders who double as Healer's when necessary."
"And if I don't?" Yasa asked.
"Then, well, I'm sure there are other Weyr's who would do the same thing for you." Yasa's eyes were bright now, and completely in awe of the dragonrider. Brenna smiled and waved Yasa away. "I know that look well enough. Go pack your things and do what needs to be done, I'll be here." Yasa scampered away, hugging herself and almost laughing. Brenna turned back towards Kale, and her eyes grew heavy with mock-anger. "You too. I don't want to have to wait for you when your sister's ready and waiting. Go!"
Kale stared at the dragonrider, and part of him warmed and part of him cooled. He was going to the Weyr! At last he would be a dragonrider! Kale grinned at Brenna, nodded his head respectfully, and darted after Yasa.
"Hey Yas, wait up! I'm going with you!"
Good ones. Nikath said. They will make fine riders one day. Brenna rolled her eyes and patted Nikath absently. This same moment had been replayed so many times Brenna didn't take much notice of it anymore, even though Nikath did.
So what was it you were saying about the people here Nik?
Nothing. I said nothing. Nikath stretched her wings as she settled into the courtyard. Turning her large head towards her rider she crooned gently. You might as well make yourself comfortable. We have to wait for them to pack.