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 Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:04 pm
Orothor smiled slightly at her and received an even bigger smile in reply. It was hard to tell, since she was young, but Orothor thought she might take after their mother even more than he did. "I can tell."
She'd been coming from the direction of the Barracks and the Candidate Master's office, and that made Orothor reappraise his half-sister-by-blood. Maybe she had just been running an errand, but it wouldn't hurt to at least ask her a few questions before she left. Be sure he wasn't making any wrong assumptions.
"Are you twelve yet?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:06 pm
Orlina's smile broadened into a grin. "I just turned twelve Turns today! I went to sign up with the Candidate Master. I am now officially a Candidate, and just in time for Feynath's next Clutch!" He was old enough to have Stood several times, she knew, but she asked anyway. "You're a Candidate. Have you Stood before? What was it like?"
She really could be a chatterbox once she knew someone, though hopefully the fact that Orothor was a new friend might temper that somewhat.
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Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:11 pm
Orothor fell into a thoughtful mode, analyzing the question and Orlina's motive behind asking it. He didn't want to give her the wrong impression, just because he was looking into other careers now that several Hatchings hadn't yielded a partner for him.
"It's... very intense. It feels like it takes a long time when you're watching other people go off with their lifepartners and hoping that the next one comes to you. Then it's over and it feels like a it was a blur. If you Impress, I imagine it's a little different." He wondered if she would grasp that you didn't get a lifepartner right away or even ever in some cases. Then again, they had a decent chance; she seemed as if she was nice enough and their mother and probably both of their fathers were riders. Sometimes people said that that might help. Others said the dragons liked those pulled from the Holds and Weyrs more because they thought in different ways. No one really knew, when it came down to it. Everyone Stood and hoped for the best.
"I can say that whether or not you Impress you're bound to see something interesting at every Hatching," he swore. After all, the last one had yielded the first White on Pern since Ruth. That had been quite the spectacle.
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:57 am
Orlina deflated slightly, but at least she could say he was honest. She couldn't expect to Impress right off the bat. After all, as she'd pointed out, Orothor hadn't. Some, like Yadil or Koruman, had been Standing all their lives and still hadn't found a partner. That was likely for a different reason than Orothor not getting a dragon, though. The thought of Yadil as a dragonrider was not a pleasant one. No one that mean should have a dragon to back him up and give him undue respect from Holders and Pern at large.
"I wasn't at the last Hatching, but I heard all about it. Maybe we'll have an equally exciting something happen this time." She saw him tilt his head slightly, and although his face was still polite, she could almost sense the doubt. She smiled anyway. "You never know! It happened once, so it can happen again!"
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 10:59 am
Her enthusiasm seemed to be a primary trait for his bloodsister. Even the poor odds of such a rare event occurring again didn't seem to stop her optimism. Orothor couldn't say he had a trait like that. People sometimes accused him of being too much of a realist.
He smiled slightly back at her, turning over her personality and their first meeting in his mind. He doubted another White would appear-- and doubted it strongly-- but atypicals weren't uncommon for Malvren. One or two had to show up, which might be good enough for his sister, who just seemed to have the usual thrill that first-time Candidates had before they walked onto the Sands. Orothor knew part of that thrill still sat with him when he entered the Sands at the start of a Hatching, even when common sense had already begun leading him to look at those other opportunities outside of dragonriding.
"Maybe," he finally agreed, realizing he hadn't replied to her and her smile was beginning to wane. "Something exciting will happen, anyway."
Orothor looked past her and then back at the petite girl. Not to be rude, but he did have places to be going. Besides, this would give him something to think about during his chores. Orothor smiled at Orlina, knowing he would see her again and likely soon. "I do have to get ready before chores, but it was nice to meet you."
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Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2011 11:05 am
"It was good to meet you, too. Good-bye!" She said, her feet already carrying her on as she gave him a last wave. He returned it, also moving on, and left Orlina to turn back down the otherwise empty hallway. He had paused for so long that Orlina almost thought he . No, no one would think that of her at their first meeting. That was another silly thought. Orothor had been very nice and Orlina would probably see him a great deal around the Barracks; maybe even be assigned to chores with him, if G'ten didn't consider bloodlines when he paired Candidates up for chores (which she was assuming he didn't, since so few people in the weyr knew their bloodlines, anyway).
Almost skipping, the dark-skinned girl headed back upstairs. She was all signed up now, but she still needed to pack her things for the move and have cake and see what gifts her mother had bought her. After all...
It was her twelfth birthday!
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