T'ran and Surrith

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I can't tell you how lucky I feel, T'ran wrote. Here at Wu I thought I would just be talking to some of my foster sibs about their candidacy! Tell them about the things going on at the Cothold. Then of all things this beautiful white dragon knows ME as his lifemate! I can't even express how it felt, it was so brilliant. Everything was so clear all of a sudden! T'ran is my name now and Tell them about me! Surrith bespoke. T'ran chuckled. "Oh, I'm getting to it, my dear dragon." T'ran laughed loudly. "How could I not!" We must not be late, T'ran, the dragon reminded his rider. We are learning today. "We learn every day," T'ran said, folding the journal page down and setting a weight atop it so it would not flap away. "But I know... Today we fly. You know you're strong enough to do it, I only hope the other weyrlings and our weyrling master think so." You do not think they would stop me from trying, do you? "They want all of us in the skies, Surri, especially you. You're so special, you mean so much!" But I will never be larger than a green, don't you want a bigger dragon? Surrith bent down slightly and accepted a big solid hug from his rider. "You're exactly right for me, Surri, even if you stay exactly the size you are today forever. You're small and fast! And..." T'ran winked, "you don't eat as much as the big dragons!" *** Surrith didn't grow much more than the size of a typical green weyrling, but his mind grew! T'ran accepted responsibility for teaching some of the younger weyrlings and weyrbrats their lessons, rather than some of the harder duties of the riders. Surrith could chew firestone, but it didn't seem to sit well with him: he always looked quite sick after belching out flames! T'ran's foster sisters Tenjaray and Tsukiya eagerly helped him with the white dragon, cleaning his weyr with him and helping wash the brilliant milky colored hide. Then came a clap at the weyr-flap from a most auspicious man. Tall and tanned, with two-colored hair (how odd, T'ran thought -- but he looks so familiar!) announced himself as Shard from the Kshau Protectorate. T'ran's eyes got wide, and he leaned back to let Shard into his small weyr. He had never needed to move from a weyrling sized area into a larger one, since Surrith was so small. Suddenly, T'ran thought it was cramped and cluttered. He is a good man! His blue Jeremoth out here says that I am like his first mate, all white! But I told him I am not for him to mate with! "I think he knows that, Surri!" T'ran blurted out loud, and then looked at Shard who almost had tears in his eyes from stifling the laughter which had to come sooner or later. "You have been chosen to represent Wu weyr's dragon-blood in one of the Protectorate's wings, T'ran of White Surrith," Shard said with an officious tone but a smiling face. "If you accept my offer, I can guide Surrith to Blackstone weyr where you'll have a spot in the Currier wing, if you like. Or actually whatever wing you're comfortable with. I know that you and Surrith don't tend to fly thread very well --" "We will do our best!" T'ran said, slightly offended. "No, no you don't understand, you don't have to do it in that wing. Its a wing of all Harpers and Search riders, records keeper and that kind of thing, T'ran. And at the weyr, or more accurately at Dawnlight Hold nearby, you can complete your Mastery as well as continue to fly the dragon." Shard put his hand on T'ran's shoulder, "it's very important to me that the rest of Pern become literate. You should talk to Lord Holder Engell at Alabaster Weyrhold too, he's looking for people like you. People with fire inside, where it counts." T'ran looked up at the man's blue eyes and then broke a smile. "Then we... We'll go! I must collect my things and explain to the weyrleaders--" "That part is already taken care of, T'ran," Shard explained. "We've made arrangements already. You will be able to come back any time, you know. If they need you, and I'm sure they will eventually, you're perfectly welcome to travel. That's what we want too." It was almost like the man had read his journal. Then it struck T'ran: Shard was one of his foster-sib's parents! Raanatani and he had a son named Veitar, now V'tar, impressed a bronze at Sapphire! So this connection he had with the Protectorate was more than incidental, it was blood! Plus, Shard seemed to totally understand T'ran's wish to see all the Pernese children grow to understand their history and see their futures... He flushed with joy. We will go? With Jeremoth? Yes, Surri, we are going to see the whole world!

Surrith and T'ran began working in the Wing right away. In fact, they began Searching even before they realized what was happening! It turned out that Surrith's nose for candidates was good. He seemed to understand and even guess which dragon might impress, something akin to feeling what HE might wish for in a candidate. Of course, T'ran is the only rider for HIM! But then one day, while flying over Sapphire weyr, Surrith happened to view a most incredible sight. That is a very small, and very purple dragon, T'ran. "Purple? Dragons don't come in purple, Surri." The rider said, unsure. This coming from a man who rides a white...? Surrith dove down, and saw that sure enough a purple female was beginning to glow quite strongly. He'd never felt like this! Only when he watched a mating flight... Oh! T'ran... I think she is going to rise. I wish to be among her suitors, if you think I stand a chance... "A chance! Surrith, go get her! Sapphire is a great weyr, and she certainly IS purple!" Sannith, the purple colored dragon, would rise... Without him. But the Healing Den had several flights which Surrith participated in, and a wonderful flurry at Ryslen weyr -- each time Surrith provided the world with new pale dragons! With Ajandeykth the Christmas Istabithan, at least two offspring. With Quioath, bold rainbow and light rainbow. (I thought there were more... maybe there are...) Below is Tran as he "really" looks. Offspring of the Zekiran Raanatani and Aern, he blends their features nicely!