Adelia was young, only about twenty turns, but strong, both physicaly and mentaly. Mentaly, because her mother had died when she was young, only ten turns, physicaly because her father was craft second in the smith hall, and she helped him.  It wasn't every female that could work at the forge, and Adelia had always prided herself in her ability.  She knew that her work wasn't exceptional, but it was something she enjoyed.  Most of the time.  She and her father shared a special bond, but sometimes, sometimes she wondered what her life would be like if it were somewhere else.
    She did sometimes dream about meeting a man who could take her away somewhere, but not often.  More she dreamed of going off herself, seeing Pern and all there was to do.  She'd have to be careful, since thread fell, but maybe she'd see dragons.  She never truly thought she would one day become a dragonrider.
    Adelia was not exceedingly beautiful, though she had been called pretty.  She had a tall stature with wavy and dark hair, pulled back from her face so that she could work better, and icy blue eyes that some said could crack metal.  It was often joked that she worked the metal at the forge with only her eyes instead of the heated hammer.
    It was an early autumn day, just like any other, that people would come and the strong little girl would be exposed to the world.  She was carrying a pile of hides and a metal cook-pan for her father when she saw a group of men, strangely dressed in wher-hide tunics detatching a glow from the wall.  They were also pointing out directions to go down one tunnel or another, but all she saw was the glow.  They were obviously not craftsmen, what right did they have to prance around these halls, taking glows and acting as if they owned the place! Had they no respect for craft secrets?
    Adelia kept the pan, but put down the stack of hides.  They hardly noticed her until she snatched the glow out of the leader's hands and shoved it back into its place on the wall.  When they tried to snatch it back or snatchher, she banged their hand with the pan.
    "What right do you have to be down here in the bowels of the Mastersmith hall and openly rearrange the place?" She demanded.  "Don't you know that only crafters are aloud down here?"
    "Foolish girl, show more respect when talking to dragonriders!" One of them cried hotly.
    Adelia froze, just for a second.
    "Dragonriders or no, you shouldn't be aloud down here.  You can't just prance around everywhere like you own everything!"
    "Dear girl." The leader said, catching her arm so that she could not use it to strike. "We are dragon men from Dragon Fang Weyr, and we are on search.  The mastersmith knows of such things, and will allow us to do so.  Perhaps if you would be so kind as to show us to the Mastersmith, since you seem to know so much about this place."
    Adelia mustered up an icy blue stare and shot it at him.
    "Follow me." She said, jerking her hand from his with unexpected strenght.  M'lay, for that was the name of the brownrider, signaled the others to follow.  Searching for a queen candidate here would be difficult if all of the girls were like this one.
    I  think '"this one" is a perfect queen candidate. Wayarth, M'lay's brown dragon spoke in his rider's head.
    "Perhaps." He told his dragon fondly.  "Why do you think so?"
   She's strong, you noticed it.  If she cared so much about things in her hall, she could be an equally caring Weyrwoman.
   M'lay looked the girl over thoughtfully.  She was dressed in a plain, checked blue dress, dark hair tied back from her face.  She had the looks of strength about her, perhaps a smith's daugther.  She certainly knew how to use her strength. There was no arguing with the great borwn.  He told this notion to the other men, who agreed.
    "You know what we are on search for." He began.  She had to have heard him, but she ignored him. "What we are on search for, is of great importance.  The Twin Weyr queen is dying, but she has a queen egg in her clutch.  The lucky impressor of that will become the Weyrwoman of Dragon Fang Weyr."  She turned her head a little.  "So you see," he went on "why we need the best candidates possible. Dragons can tell, but so can we, to an extent.  And though we must keep looking, sometimes on Search it is good to go with our first instincts."  Still, no reaction.  "And since you are the first woman we've met here, our first instincts say that you might be a worthy candidate."
    She spun around.
    "Me?"
    "Oh yes."
    "I'm a smith's daughter.  I help him at the forge.  Are you saying that I could become...a Weyrwoman?"  She gawked at the thought now, but later she wouldn't.
    "Naturally...well, I haven't quite gotten your name."
    "Adelia."
    "Would you be willing to come with us Adelia?"
    "I...I'd have to consider it.  And tell father.  I wouldn't have to leave righ away would I? You understand this is a very big thing to sudenly have to decide."  Now her hard exterior was cracking.  Her mind though, had already been made up.

    "Leave?" Adelia's father demanded.  "Adelia, this is your home!"
    "Yes, but there's so much more to life. Don't tell me you've never had fancies of impressing a dragon!  Who on pern doesn't?  I'ma  woman now, twenty turns.  Not a girl.  This is a wonderful chance, I could impress a queen, become a Weyrwoman.  You've always said I was helpful and would make a great leader somewhere, and here's my chance!"
    "You're right, daughter.  You should go, the weyr need a good Weyrwoman, and I'ld love to see my daughter impress a queen. But I'm going to miss you so! Just promise not to forget me."
    Adelia kissed her father.  "How could I? I won't, I promise."

    So Adelia rose from the crafthall where she had spent twenty turns of her life on the neck of Brown Wayarth in the start of her new life.  The bitter cold of between shocked Adelia so that at first she didn't take in the scene below her.
    "The Twin Weyrs." M'lay said.  "Built by two lovers with different customs."  It was a large mountain, and half a mile apart in two hollows were the Twin Weyrs.  "We go to Dragon Fang, the one to the right. If all goes well, and I do beleive it will, you will be Weyrwoman there."