The room was lit with a dim gray light, and she listened to the random but steady percussion of the rain. There would be mud everywhere, since the snow was gone and the green groundcover hadn't made an appearance yet. Rumbles of thunder punctuated the rain, and Giera smiled to herself. She loved the rain - she'd missed it all winter and now that spring had come at last... Another rumble of thunder.

Good thing Lilli is sound asleep. She thought as she got out of her bunk and straightened the blankets. She'd be squalling about the thunder and lightning. That's what a seven year age difference would get you. Giera was a very mature fifteen. She'd had plenty of childhood, but with her intelligence and curious nature, she had taught herself the truth about the world, and had quietly begun to do her fair share of the work even as her two elder brothers balked at the task. The eldest of her siblings was Ambyr, who was half a dozen years her senior. She was married with a babe in arms and a second on the way. Giera wasn't in a hurry to have children of her own - with five younger siblings, who would be? Other than Ambyr, that is?

After a quick but thorough wash, Giera dressed for the day - plain shirt and short trews under her equally plain skirt. Most women would not have worn the trews, but Giera always did. She never knew when she'd be sent on an errand. Since the boys had taught her to ride, she couldn't abide to ride side-saddle "like a lady." It seemed foolish to her - with both legs on one side of the horse, you couldn't use them to hold onto the beast! She loved to ride and secretly wished she had the option of herding the cattle like the boys but her father believed in protecting the women, so that was right out. She understood why her father did what he did, and had accepted it. She could be of far more use at home anyway. The boys were worse than useless in the kitchen!

They were, thankfully, quite adept at the farmwork. The morning milk and the eggs were waiting for her in the enclosed porch where the cats and other animals couldn't get at it. Later in the season, they'd be putting a screen or cloth over the milk to keep the insects out, but not today.

The fire in the kitchen crackled merrily, and Giera lit the lamps against the gray morning and had water for tea boiling by the time her mother appeared, with Alek in her arms. He was about eight months old, and wasn't sleeping through the night yet.

Breakfast was a merry affair - with nine of them around the table and the baby 'talking' at them all. Father and the eldest three boys (the older two, and Riken, who was thirteen-and-a-half) were damp from the rain, while the youngest children were just damp.

"White will be coming into season soon." Her father said conversationally. Giera perked up. Father had promised her the next foal from his prized mare. "I'll be taking her up to Silver Falls once the mud dries up a bit." Giera knew how well packed the roads were between their home and the runnerhold, but a heavy and early rain like this could make even that routine trek a bit of a challence.

"Why?" Riken asked. "Isn't Blackbit capable of servicing her?"

Their father looked at the boy, but not in a way that suggested anger or impending punishment. "Bit is certainly a virile stallion, Riken, but he's got a temper. So do the two he's sired on White. Neither are suited for a lady's mount." He smiled at Giera, and the older boys beamed.

"We'll have to pay the stud fee then." Mother sighed. There was plenty of money, but paying for a Service when they had a willing stallion...

"Actually, no." The second eldest boy said. "Aydon is letting us have White serviced for nothing."

Mother looked at him quizzically.

"Not for nothing, Gered." Sajeni corrected. "As you know, the young bull Tawr has been at SilverFalls since last fall."

"Since Bully doesn't like him!" Lilli chimed in.

"Yes." Sajeni continued. "Father and Aydon agreed that in exchange for boarding the bull until Bully goes, Aydon's cows can be serviced by him. And since Aydon is a fair man, he's given Stud Service for White as part of the bargain."

Father acknowledged this with a nod. "He's still getting the better deal, but I get to choose the stallion."

"Which one, pa?" One of the twin boys asked.

"Starspeed." He said with a bright spark in his eye.

"Isn't he a racer?" Gered asked, more than a bit confused by this choice.

"He is." Father confirmed. "But he's an endurance racer, and one of the most even-tempered beasts I've had a chance to see."

Finally Mother smiled. "That will do nicely, I think."

Giera practically floated all day. Not only was she getting the next foal, she was getting a foal of Caerina's Star's bloodline. That horse had done a lot of winning, and her offspring had their fair share of ribbons as well. Her mount would be the most spectacular horse this small farm hold had ever seen!

Several months later, when White was showing her pregnancy, Riken rode up to the hose on one of White's angry sons. Avry, who was nearly 12, took the beast so the excited Riken could run inside to tell Mother the news. Avry had a way with the horses, and Giera expected he'd be apprenticed to Aydon's stables before the summer's end.

"Mother! I've been Searched!"

Their mother didn't stop kneading the bred dough even though her face showed her surprise.

"J'rin came today - just walked out onto the field like he belonged there, and had a few words with Pa."

Giera set the stack of plates on the table. "When are you leaving?"

"J'rin and Amitath will return after evening meal." Riken continued excitedly.

Mother nodded and put the dough into the bowl to rise. "Bathe - then pack." She instructed as she gave her boy a quick hug.

"Yes Mother!" The newly-searched said then took off like the excitable child he still was.

"This calls for a cake." Mother said calmly, and Giera beamed. Her mother had been a baker's apprentice in her youth, and Giera's baking paled in comparison to her mother's confections.

J'rin arrived just as Giera and her mother were clearing away the dinner plates.

"Welcome J'rin." Mother said. "Would you care for some cake?"

The cheerful dragonrider grinned. "I would love some."

The spice cake was fine-grained and light enough to practically melt on your tongue. It was one of Mother's specialties. J'rin enjoyed it so much he had seconds right along with Father and the boys.

J'rin grinned at Giera. "It's been a long time since I've had cake this good. If you can bake this good, I'll whisk you away to the Weyr in a heartbeat." Giera blushed.

"Mama was a baker's 'prentice." Lilli chirped.

"Oh really?" The searcher's gaze turned to her.

Mother's smile was half teasing, half pleased. "I was old Baylie's last. Have you forgotten me, Jayrin?" She asked, calling him by his birth name.

The light of recognition shone on J'rin. "Maidera! Bright stars, I didn't recognize you! Motherhood has been wonderful to you!" The searchrider jumped up and hugged his old friend tightly. "Heavens! I've been searching among my nephews and nieces and didn't even know it!"

Father laughed. "How is Maiahn?"

"As gorgeous as ever, Avrem. Jaiahn is toddling around after the older kids at Ryslen, and we're talking about a second."

Maidera laughed too. Her youngest sibling was J'rin's love. "Ambyr has her second on the way. Due any day now."

J'rin gaped. "We've been so out of touch! Maiahn will die of embarrassment!"

"No, she won't." Maidera reassured him. "She'll be delighted to hear that her nephew is on his way to being a dragonrider."

J'rin turned and looked at Giera again. "And her niece. Amitath wants you to go as well, Giera." The girl was stunned.

"You can go if you want to." Her father said.

"But Mother needs..." She began to protest.

"Mother can take care of things. Besides, Lilli is ready to start taking on more work." Maidera interrupted.

"So?" J'rin asked.

"I'd better go pack..." Giera said, and Riken practically carried her off in his excitement - excitement for her.

"Have you heard about W'ren? Fell for a goldrider as homely as you and your girls are beautiful..." J'rin continued as the new candidates moved out of earshot.

"J'rin said I'll be going to Dragonhope." Riken said as he helped his sister pack. "I wonder where you'll be going."

Aneris Weyr. Amitath said to them both.