Thirza and Ronan became friends out of a common bond. They became best friends out of necessity. They became soul-mates out of love.
The snow slowly fell around Inobi Hold. Most of the Hold's inhabitants were huddled under warm furs next to fires, complaining about the weather, but grateful for the break from work. A passing dragon and rider would look down upon the tiny Hold to see little pin-pricks of light in the night and fields of snow; a picture perfect scene. If that rider was to look more carefully they would see two exceptions to the scene. Two heavily cloaked figures walked outside the Hold in the deep snow. Although the wind was blowing strong and the snow was piled hight, neither Thirza (pronounced Tear-zah) nor Ronan really noticed the cold.
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Thirza complained. She wasn't really upset, but she wanted something to bug Ronan about.
Ronan smiled and lifted his face to the sky. "Why? You're enjoying yourself aren't you?"
Thirza tried not to smile and smacked the youth. "How do you do that?"
Ronan played innocent. "What?"
"See right through me."
Ronan smiled, picked Thirza up and spun her around. "You're so thin, anyone can see through you. You're transparent."
Thirza laughed and almost fell when Ronan put her back on the ground. She fell back into Ronan's arms, a smile on her face. "If you keep bugging me about my appearence I'm going to get insecure."
Ronan laughed. "You? You've got the biggest ego on all of Pern!"
Thirza narrowed her eyes and threw a snowball at her friend. It missed by mere inches. Ronan raised one eyebrow, giving her an inquisitive look. "War is it?" With that he tackled the smaller girl. They rolled briefly in the snow, fighting like they did when they were little kids. The argument endded quickly when they both rolled down a small cliff onto the rocks.
"Umf!" Ronan groaned as Thirza landed on top of him.
Thirza pulled her hair out of her face and glared at the youth she was sitting on. "Serves you right."
Ronan tried to knock her off, but she stayed put. "Alright." He conceded. "How do I get you off?"
Thirza thought for a moment then smiled and crossed her arms. "Tell me I'm beautiful."
Ronan carefully examined his best friend. She was thin. She weighed too little and resembled a toothpick. Ronan worried about her. Tonight he wouldn't though. He looked at her face. She didn't smile a lot, but when she did it brightened up everything for miles, according to Ronan. Her hair was a plain brown and hung straight to her shoulders. She had a smattering of freckles and green eyes. To other people she looked like a plain, freckled toothpick. To Ronan she was beautiful. "You're beautiful."
Thirza blushed, knowing that he really meant it. She looked at her friend. He was well-built and tall, dwarfing her 5'3" by standing 6'4". He had short blond hair that hung to his chin. It was really thin and lifeless most of the time and if Ronan had his way, he'd cut the whole mess off. His eyes were hazel and always hid laughter. He was much stronger than Thirza and often lifted her and tossed her around. She smiled and got off him, knowing well that he could have thrown her off of him, if her really wanted.
Ronan yawned, breaking the temporary silence. "Let's head back to the Hold. Someone may have missed us by now."
Thirza nodded and slipped his arm around her shoulders. They walked back to Inobi Hold in comfortable silence.
"Where were you?" Lord Holder Rurik demanded both of them as soon as he saw them. "Off fooling around again?"
Everyone present caught the sarcasim in his voice and inwardly felt sorry for the couple. Thirza blushed. "Um..well..."
Ronan sighed. She was so strong when they were alone together. She never worried about speaking up, she said what she meant, not caring what any one thought of her. But as soon as her foster-father Rurik glared at her, her defences crumbled. "It was a nice night and we decided to go for a walk."
Rurik glared at Ronan. The older man hated both of them. Ronan and Thirza were both fosterlings to Inobi Hold and according to Rurik, were both nothing but trouble. Rurik hated them because they came from the Weyr. No one knew why Rurik hated the Weyr. Some thought it was because he thought the riders did't protect Inobi very well. Some thought it was because he was stuck with paying them for services he thought weren't performed. Some thought it was because he didn't like providing for all the fosterlings that the riders of the Weyr left here. Whatever the reason, everyone knew that Ronan and Thirza, both fosterlings, took the brunt of his anger and hatred. "You didn't ask."
Ronan tried not to let his anger show. Thirza crumpled under Rurik's gaze. "We couldn't find you."
Rurik continued to stare at both of them with anger in his eyes. "Go to your seperate rooms and stay there, until I come to talk to you." No one missed the emphasis on the word seperate. Rurik knew that the two were stronger together.
"We're nineteen turns each Rurik. We can take care of ourselves outside." Ronan exploded. Rurik calmly ignored him
Thirza sighed and headed for her room. Ronan clenched his fists, but headed for his room. Before they seperated at the stairs he leaned over and whispered to his best friend. "Don't worry, it'll get better someday."
Thirza nodded and headed down her corridor. Ronan sighed and went down his.
The next morning ever able body was put to work moving snow. They were trying to clear a space big enough for several dragons to land. Riders were expected from Adanuk Weyr. Rurik was in an all time bad mood, wondering why on earth they would be coming. He stormed about the Hold, swearing and breaking things.
Ronan and Thirza both avoided the angry Lord Holder. The talk that Rurik had given both of them still burned in Thira's mind, although Ronan had quickly forgotten it. It was basically the same as every other 'talk' Rurik had given them. It stated that they should be thankful he was kind enough to take them in, that they were less than him, that all Weyr-folk were worthless. Ronan sighed, seeing that Thirza had taken his words to heart. She believed him. Ronan tried to move closer to her in his work, but she purposly avoided him. He sighed and remembered when he first met her.
Thirza cried as she shovelled snow. She tried to avoid everyone, including Ronan. She hated Rurik and at the same time hated herself. If she wasn't around, Ronan would stop getting in trouble. In her misery she didn't realize that the dragons were landing.
Both Rurik's and Thirza's thoughts were interupted by dragon screeches and yells to get off the landing area. Two dragons set down in the cleared spot. One was Hyth, Weyrwoman Magika's giant queen. The other was a green, with a rider no one at Inobi had seen before.
Magika dismounted quickly and went to meet Rurik. "Hello Lord Holder. Nice day." She smiled and tactfully ingnored his anger.
"Greetings Weyrwoman." He muttered to the snow. "Why are you here?" With any luck she was just showing the new rider all the Hold's they were supposed to protect.
Magika continued to smile, making Rurik even angrier. "Very important business." She looked to the green rider who nodded. The other girl dismounted and her dragon looked over all present.
Thirza stared, open-mouthed, at the green and gold. She'd never seen any dragon this close, they were amazing. Unknowingly she stepped nearer to Ronan.
Ronan had seen Hyth many times, but this other rider was new to him. He moved closer to Thirza, still examining the new dragon. Jeez, it's much smaller than the gold.
To his surprise a voice filled his head. I may be smaller, but I'm better than her at what I do.
Ronan's mouth fell open and he reached for Thirza's hand. "Did you hear?"
Thirza was amazed to hear the dragon's voice. She'd always believed that dragons could only talk to their riders. The green's head swung to look at the girl. You heard too, did you? That's interesting.
Both people nearly jumped out of their skins when Ritana touched them on their shouders. "Excuse me, may I talk to you?" She asked Ronan.
Ritana was about to launch into her speech about searching when Jhacath interupted. The girl too.
Ritana looked over Thirza. Are you sure? She looks...well...weak.
Jhacath gave Ritana a knowing smile. Trust me on this one. She's got inner strengh.
Ritana smiled, finally getting it when she saw Ronan's and Thirza's hands clasped. She looked over Ronan and Thirza more carefully, and agreed with her dragon. They'd both do. She thought them an odd couple, Thirza was short and thin, while Ronan was tall and muscular, but they both had strengths that would make them good riders. She launched into her search speech again, this time including Thirza.
Magika smiled as Hyth informed her that Ronan and Thirza would be leaving for Andromeda Weyr. She approached Rurik again. "Well Lord Holder, we'll be leaving now."
"Good ridence!!" Rurik exclaimed and watched the two riders mount their dragons, with Ronan and Thirza. "What?!?" He exclaimed, "Where are you taking those two?"
Magika smiled. "Back. Good day Rurik."
Thirza smiled and leaned back into Ronan. They were finally leaving. Things were getting better. The dragon leapt into the air and she smiled watching a fuming Rurik get smaller and smaller.
Ronan and Thirza are candidates at Andromeda Weyr.
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