Jakar

You wonder the halls of Adanuk Weyr, looking for something to do. Suddenly you hear faint music coming from one of the rooms in the candidate baracks. You decide to check it out. The door is marked JAKAR in faint letters and the light is dim inside. You see a youth, sitting on his bed, playing music. He has charcoal grey hair and big, round black eyes. He continues his song, his eyes examining you. You stand, mesmerized by the music. You notice a blue firelizard sitting on his desk, nodding in time to the music.

When he finishes, you snap out of your trance with the firelizard. "That was beautiful," you murmur.

He smiles in a quiet way and points to the firelizard. "Zanari likes it." His voice is so soft you almost don't hear it. The firelizard, realizing it is being mentioned, flys over to the boy.

"My name is Jakar." He says in the same quiet voice. You introduce yourself.

Jakar is wearing loose clothes that make him appear even thinner than he really is.

"Are you training to be a harper?" You ask, sure that he would make an amazing harper.

He smiles. "Actually no, I don't have the voice. You would barely hear me over my instument."

"Oh," you say softly, thinking that that shouldn't be a reason for him to not be a harper.

"My parents thought I should be a harper too. They were rather," he searches for words, "upset when I chose to come here."

"Why would they be upset. I'm sure you could continue training as an apprentice harper here." You say. Adanuk Weyr has always had a nice Harper there.

"That's not why I came though." T'nir and his brown, Feth, pass by his window. He looks at them and then you. His big, black eyes are open wide in astonishment. "I came to see the dragons."

You nod. More than one young boy was probably lured here from the nearby Hold by the dragons. Jakar just doesn't seem that type of person on first glance.

He smiles, almost having read your thoughts. "I know I don't look much like rider material, but you can't blame me for trying."

You blush, slightly embarassed and wondering how he knew what you were thinking.

"My father was a harper, and my brother is a rider. My dad always expected me to follow in his footsteps. I've always been thin, and sickly looking," He sounds bitter. "I guess everyone thought I wasn't strong enough to do anything but play music. I know I can do this though." His bitter memories erased by the conviction in his voice and the passion in his eyes. He repeats it again, softer this time. "I know I can do this."

You uncomfortably break the silence. "Umm...are you a candidate here?"

"No, I'm a candidate at Seasparkul Weyr though," he gives a half-smile as he thinks. "That sure surprised everybody. I think even Magika was impressed I was searched."

"Really?" You ask. "Why?"

"Well," he says it's a long story. "Do you have time to hear it?"

You nod and sit down on the bed beside him. Zanari flies to your lap to let you pet him. You smile and do so. Jakar's voice, although soft, has a melodic quality to it and you find yourself drawn to the story.

Listen to Jakar