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 Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:30 pm
He was wandering around the vastness of the Bowl, unsure of where to go. Every time he looked to the skies, he saw dragons... Every time he went to the lake, he saw dragons. At the Feast, just a sevenday or so ago, Jessan had been eager to put on his happy face and congratulate his closest friends on Impressing. But deep down, he was depressed. What was wrong with him that three around him Impressed and he was left standing on the Sands?
Kicking a rock around, the normally cheerful and happy herder, was completely depressed and unsure of how to pull himself out of it. He had tried throwing himself into the candidate lessons and work, tried keeping a smile and laughter, even tried having a cup of wine every night. But he was down and out. Soon, his 21st turn would be upon him and he would be asked to leave. He could stay around but something would always make him a little sad to see his cousin astride Ianquith if he was not there beside him fighting Thread that would soon be arriving.
He did not notice the girl who stood eye level with him coming from the other direction.
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:08 pm
Allende would admit quite cheerfully that she wasn't the least bit upset or disappointed with failing to Impress at her first Hatching. Sure, the romantic side of such an auspicious beginning to her Grand Life Adventure appealed to her, but she was also pragmatic enough to know that she wouldn't know what end of a hatchlig dragon did what unless someone who did know guided her every step of the way. Up until a sevenday ago, Alle hadn't so much as seen a dragon up close until L'thor and Raith showed up at her doorstep, and before that.. well... she'd begun to realize that not all of her father's teachings were correct. Add having to relearn all of the basic teaching ballads, plus the rudiments of dragonlore, and you had one confused candidate. Which would be completely unfair to the hatchling... and likely one major thorn in the side of the Weyrlingmaster, who was in charge of tutoring new riders.
Not to mention a severe blow to Allende's pride.
As it stood, Alle had quietly inquired with one of the Weyr's Harpers and gotten herself a few scrolls to study. She'd always considered herself to be a quick learner, but she was having some sincere difficulties with the concept of the Red Star. Nevermind it's return.
Cautiously, she'd also approached an older dragonhealer journeyman on the topic of dragons in general. He hadn't been the most forthcoming at first, but Alle was persistant and she'd eventually managed to convince him to talk with her a bit if she promised to bring him lunch a few times. The conversations she managed to bribe out of him were enlightening, if sometimes confusing, and she was surprised by how much he knew about the abstract astronomical concepts that governed not only the Red Star, but the tides and weather as well. Never once had her parents or the traveling Harpers mentioned things like this, and she found herself completely enamored. Between draconic biology, botany, and tidbits of the starsmithing and fisher crafts... Alle's mind had found fertile grounds indeed.
So as she crossed the Bowl with no particular destination in mind, Alle let her thoughts wander down those tempting avenues. Her chores were on pause for the moment, compliments of the repressive tropical Heat, and she had some rare free time to herself. She noticed another figure not too far off, and would have bypassed him if she hadn't caught a glimpse of the lad's face.
"Are you alright?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:06 pm
Looking up from his obvious mope, Jessan stopped when the girl addressed him. She looked younger than he though wore maturity like cloak about her. Maybe it was her height or the concern on her face. He realized he had to look pretty conspicuous in his feelings if a complete stranger stopped him in the middle of the Bowl. Straightening up, Jessan put on his trademark grin in efforts to put the girl more at ease.
"I am doing just fine considering I am not in a sick bed and the sun is shining. What about yourself, are you alright? Do you normally stop strangers in the middle of the Weyr to check on them?" Jessan said all of this in a teasing tone. His blue eyes gave her the once over and decided her looks were pleasing, if not the most eye catching. Hopefully, she did not take offense to this as it was second nature to him.
Jessan didn't recognize the girl. Then again, with so many crowding into Ista and it's surrounding area, there were bound to be tons of new faces to meet. "Are you a Candidate here?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:45 pm
The odd look of melancholy vanished the moment the older boy noticed her, not that Alle was the least bit put at ease by the switch. She was a fair hand herself at hiding what she was really feeling, and with that ability came the understanding that sometimes hiding a hurt wasn't quite the best way of dealing with it. Still, he was a stranger, and she normally didn't go about prying into another persons private business. "No, it is not something I do normally, only in extreme cases." Let him take from that what he wanted, she thought, noting with a growing sense of irritation that he was sizing her up. He really had looked pretty pathetic not too long ago, so she had stopped. Her intentions were platonic, so she was a little surprised by the stereotypical Weyr-male reaction her father had ranted about frequently.
Shardit, she'd hoped the old man would be wrong about that!
"Yes, I am a candidate; and since you are apparently just fine-" Allende started, drawing herself to her full height with a unladylike huff. "-I'll leave you too your musings." She finished, starting to turn around to walk away. (And in the process, forgetting where exactly she had been heading.)
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Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:53 am
"Well, nice to meet you Candidate. I am Jessan, former Herder and Candidate as well. Thank you for stopping to see if I was alright," Jessan replied in his most jovial tone. It was almost apparent that this one was probably sheltered if she couldn't handle a little teasing. It wasn't often he came across a girl as tall as he.
Seeing her jolted him mostly out of his doldrums. Jessan wondered if she had stood last Hatching. Moving quickly when she started to walk away, he wondered if she was the easily offended type. "Well there, candidate. I am surprised that you are not in the middle of a lesson or into some tedious chore like the rest of us. Which way are you heading?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 10:54 pm
The reminder that she had forgotten where she was headed earned a slight grimace from the tall Holder, but she wasn't directing it at Jessan. Turning back around to face him swiftly, she flashed him a vague shrug and a self deprecating grin. "To be honest, I have just completely forgotten. My lessons are over for the day and after a small disaster in the kitchens, they sent me off until this heat subsides." She started, shifting her weight to better peer at him. "My name is Allende, by the way. Nice to meet you as well, Jessan." Well, she hadn't intended to be sarcastic with the 'nice to meet you' bit, but given the heat and her uncertain temper when frustrated, she wasn't going to assume she wasn't being taken as a little snit.
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Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2009 4:18 pm
"Considering this is Ista and the heat never subsides, then you must be in luck. That means you are free just like myself. And it just so happens, I was wandering around as well." It wasn't so much an invitation or a question of "Hey, want to hang out?". It was more of a "I am going to follow you around so I don't mope again."
Of course, whether Allende actually picked that up was a whole different matter. Just then, a green flew overhead. And although, Jessan knew that his cousin and little Ianquith were too small to fly, a pang of longing crossed his face. He had still not yet received new room mates, something he was thankful for... But the silence of not having his three closest friends around constantly drove him out of the room and any place else he might be wanted.
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 2:41 pm
"Not this time. Soon though. All three of my roommates Impressed this time around and I was left standing. Makes you question if there is something wrong with you when everyone around you walks away with a dragon." Jessan said softly. His voice faltered when he spoke. The former herder did realize that he had had such a longing within him until that very moment.
"Don't get me wrong. I am happy for them. They are my closest friends, and J'riar is my cousin. We grew up like brothers. I would do anything to help them out. But..." He trailed off and shrugged. There was nothing he could say that could make the scene any better or his feelings any less hurt.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:04 pm
Observing him with a curious look, Alle decided that she obviously didn't fall into the category of candidates that had a lot staked in becoming dragonriders. As she considered this, she realized that narrowing her horizons to just being a dragonrider was just as silly as being dead set on being a specific crafter... or a simple wife. Despite that, she could sympathize with his dilemma. Being left alone when everyone you knew went on could be quite disheartening. Faranth knew she'd felt that when her brothers earned her fathers aproval time after time, and she ws left in their shadow.
"But you can't help feeling what you do. Honestly, it is ok to feel a little put out when Fate tosses you a hand like that." Alle said, regarding Jessan with a slight smile. "You just have to be able to pick yourself up from such a disappointment and keep on searching until you find what Fate has in store for you. Who knows, maybe becoming a dragonrider is not in the cards, but becoming the Masterherder is? Or even a fisherman! " She paused then, her smile broadening. "Life has so many choices, I'm just beginning to realize a small fraction of them myself... and frankly, it's exciting! Every single one has such potential... it is hard for me to imagine anyone being miserable in a life they truly chose for themselves."
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:46 pm
"It's not that my whole life depends on being a dragon rider. I was actually up to be a journey man herder but turned it down to come here. You can always go back to your craft," Jessan muttered. He randomly kicked a stone as they continued their walk across the Bowl.
"Being in the weyr has definitely opened my eyes to much. Which is good. I never really thought of my mind as being closed or narrow until I came here. Even if my other half is not out there, I can still make a living..." Jessan sighed. He sounded almost defensive, which even to him was not acceptable. Giving a dry smile, he stopped for a moment. "You have to forgive me if my mouth wanders as I am not even sure which way my thoughts are going."
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 9:16 am
Ahhh, if only he had truly heard what he had said. His other half. The very notion that he would be incomplete unless he Impressed was bound to eat at him from the inside for years to come unless he realized it. But, that was not for Allende to say. She supposed she was quite different in this respect, but she really saw dragonriding as a partnership in the truest sense. A dragon would not save her from herself, she had to save herself first.
"Don't worry about it Jessan, " she started, smiling at him wanly. Despite earlier, he did seem like a generally nice guy... if a little open with his wandering eyes and emotions. "You know, even if I was kicked out of the main kitchens, I'll bet I can go in the back way and grab some of the lunch packs they kept out. Are you hungry?" Ever the holder, food was the first thing Alle thought of when it came to cheering up men. Faranth knew it had worked wonders with her brothers!
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:33 pm
Food! They say the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach and Jessan was no exception. Taking a turn to head towards the kitchens, he continued to walk side by side with Allende. She seemed like a nice girl so far.
"So you came to Ista Weyr? Where did you come from, if you don't mind me asking?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:16 pm
Well, she supposed he was making his answer clear enough by heading in the general direction of the kitchens, but Alle nevertheless asked him again. She'd also learned that it is better to just ask outright, rather then assume anything.
"I take it you are hungry then, unless you need something else from the kitchen?" She began, glancing at him. " And ah...you could say I was brought to Ista from my father's cothold outside of Lemos." She started, noting with a slight smile that she was becoming gradually less tense whenever she spoke of her stolid father. "L'thor kindly brought me here, since I wasn't particularly sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. You could say his timing was impeccable in fact." She added, her smile brightening.
"Ista Weyr is a pretty fantastic place though! Even if the crowding is becoming a little much." That was the understatement of the century there, Allende was a tall girl and had to bear with the cramped quarters of the candidate barracks just as stoically and patiently as her father carved wood. Her cot, for instance, was probably meant for a girl a good five iches shorter then she was!
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:07 pm
"When isn't a belly not willing to eat?" Jessan asked in a teasing voice. The kitchens would be a good place to get something refreshing to cool him down. The downside to Ista weather though he had heard that Southern weather could be much more humid. "Lemos? That's kinda far away isn't it? A long way to be Searched."
"The Weyr itself is quite interesting, though I imagine any Weyr would be..." Jessan trailed off, unsure how to finish. He wrinkled his nose at the crowding comment. "Luckily, I fit my bunk. Though just barely. They seem to think us Candidates should be short."
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