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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:36 pm
 A day well spent, peeling vegetables, scaling fish and seasoning meats to be dried! As Aabsinral pulled himself up the roughly hewn staircase and out of the kitchen, he felt assured that his progess as a baker and cook was right on schedule, and that in a turn or three more, he would be suitable to take his exams for journeymanship. That was a thought that always hurt his head a bit. What exams, exactly, could they devise for him to prove he was a good baker? Would he have to make some sort of complex pastry?
He didn't like pastry work, if only because everything had to be so precise or it might fall apart. No, no. Savory foods- like the three meatrolls he'd been given to eat on his way home- were the best kind. You could do a thousand things with them, and even if you did something by accident, it would still turn out alright, or maybe even wonderful. Pastries weren't anywhere near as forgiving.
The wide avenues of Keroon proper were still new to Abi, though he'd been living in the actual hold for several turns. He had never really gotten used to all the stone and all the people everywhere, and it sprawled so much that getting to any kind of greenery or fields was almost more hassle than it was worth.
But, he had finished early, and been shooed out of the kitchens. After all, there was only so much one could do to a heardbeast and a half that were slated to be dried out. Most of the process was just cooking all the moist out of the meat. There were several candlemarks before the sun would even start to set, and with meatrolls in his pocket and nothing else planned for the day, he set off down the wide streets, nodding absentmindedly at people he passed. He would find a good, green place to eat his dinner, and then he would head back to the room he lived out of, and maybe sleep early.
He almost liked sleeping as much as he liked vegetable peeling. It was a chance to live in a swirly world of colors and floating things, without having to actually imagine one up for himself.
"Yes." He muttered, taking a left turn and sparing a glance for the tall drum towers he was passing under, "I shall go to sleep early tonight!"
It took the better part of a candlemark, and it must have been getting close to a reasonable dinner time, when he finally found the edge of the Hold, where it met with the fields of the largest farmers. It probably wouldn't have taken that long, if he'd ever really learned how to get anywhere, but aside from the Lord Holder's own dwelling and the kitchens that served him, Abi had never really thought to find out where things were.
He found a little strip of softened dirt at the edge of a field, hoped that no one was going to catch him trespassing on farm ground, and laid back, eyes on the light clouds that drifted lazily across the sky. It wasn't as much fun as watching avians, or those little fire lizards that a few of the Holders seemed to have acquired, but watching clouds fly was as good a thing to do as any, while eating a meal.
He wondered idly if these rolls were some of the ones he'd prepared, early that morning. But, these had a subtle sweetness in the meat, like dried fruit had been involved, which his hadn't. No, he'd made his with whiteroots and some green leafy vegetable he'd found in a basket, with a spicy smell he hadn't recognized. Not a hint of sweetness to be found.
He busied himself with trying to identify the sweetness and other flavors in the roll, without actually looking at it.

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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:20 am
Normally, the green rider didn't like to miss the Hatchings. He always loved seeing the new Impressions, but he was glad he'd missed that last Hatching. At the time, he was rather annoyed that Tiarenth insisted that he stay and finish bathing and oiling her, and by the time he'd finished they'd missed the entire event. After, however, he was glad.
Tia, like most other dragons, had completely forgotten what had happened in the last Hatching. The knowledge that something Bad had happened and that everyone was sad about it didn't escape her however, and flecks of yellow appeared in her normally green eyes whenever Z'ven thought about it.
So, in order to try and rid the both of them of their oppressive pessimistic feelings, the green rider suggested a little trip to Keroon Hold. It just so happened that he could get some delicious, edible food there, too!
They popped back into blue skies after a quick between trip, and the pair found themselves soaring over rich fields. A mental request passed and the slender green angled her wings down, and landed quite gracefully outside the Hold gates. She lowered one side so Hers could slide down easier, and he offered her a bright smile and rubbed her eyeridges gently after she lowered her head. She crooned happily, eyes swirling blueish-green, and he chuckled a bit. I'll be back soon, then we can go for a nice flight, alright? I just want to find some decent food, which they should have plenty of here. And with that, he hugged her neck and walked through the gates.
Tia kreened and took to the skies again, flapping her wings to gain altitude before an updraft carried her higher, and she circled the Hold until she couldn't see her rider any longer. She knew he wouldn't be looking for girls here, he was looking for food. That was almost all he could talk about lately, the awful food in the Weyr. She couldn't really imagine what it tasted like, but from his descriptions it couldn't have been good. Especially if some of it was too hard to eat, like some of the bread. Z'ven had demonstrated once with an exceptionally hard piece he'd been given, and when banged upon a table it not only retained its shape, it didn't break into pieces. The green wasn't sure how they expected the humans to eat something like that. Some of them were missing a few glows from their baskets, obviously...
With a snort, she decided she'd better conserve her energy, and she angled her wings downward again to land near the fields. Normally she would try and stay in the air; she did like attention from humans, but normally at some Holds she was completely surrounded, and it made her very uncomfortable. And some humans had the nerve to try and touch her! Without permission! The nerve...
Had she been paying attention, she would've noticed the apprentice she'd landed a ways from, but she was too busy scouring the grounds for a herdbeast, maybe --
No eating herdbeasts while we're visiting a Hold, Tialove, Hers reminded her with an amused tone.
I wasn't going to eat any, Mine, I was just going to, um, pet it. Really.
Of course you were, he replied with a chuckle.
Tiarenth snorted bemusedly, and turned to see not a herdbeast, but a human. Hu. Well, one was good, just not dozens all around her. Her eyes swirled to a pure green and she bugled quietly - which was still loud, considering her size - a hello to the human. She did love attention after all, and since Z'ven wasn't here to give her any...
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:57 am
 More than the drifting clouds he was looking at, Aabsinral was concerned with his half-eaten roll, which was beginning to sit heavily in his stomach and hint towards a less experienced maker- maybe one of those three new girls that had shown up a few sevendays ago...
Before he had finished the first roll entirely, though, his unconcerned attention on the food was ripped away. A dragon! A dragon had come here and what luck it was that he had come here too! Clearly, this was the underlying reason for his urge to go on a trip outside the main hold, when he could just as easily have stayed and eaten his rolls near people instead.
Alas, the beautiful creature landed, rather than gliding overhead, and even as the dust settled around it, made such a powerful noise of greeting. There was nothing he could think of that would be more exciting that seeing a dragon during dinner. After a moment studying its colors- or rather, hers- Aabsinral pulled himself up off the ground, managing to catch the two rolls he'd left laying on his stomach before the hit the ground and splattered everywhere.
As an afterthought, he shoved the last large bite of the first roll into his mouth, chewing it as quickly as he could, so he would be able to speak clearly when he got to the dragon's side. While he swallowed, he took a moment to realize to the fruit must have been goru pears, and improperly dried if they were making the meat so heavy. Yes, I will definitely be ready to take my exams by the time I'm properly old enough.
Of course, as was their habit, his feet had been working separately of his brain, and he was standing very near the striped green dragon now. Nearer, in fact, than he'd ever stood to one of the wonderful things. What word, exactly, did one use to refer to dragons anyway? Beasts, creatures, things, it all seemed a bit disrespectful.
Perhaps, when the rider returned, he could ask. Until then, he bowed. He'd heard it was proper to bow to dragons, maybe because they couldn't return hand gestures like people could.
"Hello, very pretty one. I am Aabsinral, and you are the loveliest thing I have seen in a very long time, indeed." He smiled through the compliments. It was true. Closer now, he realized that what had appeared to be a dappled pattern was actually dozens and dozens of uneven stripes. "You have very intricate skin, it is wonderful to see!"
Past studying and complimenting, though, he wasn't sure what one did in the presence of dragons. He wondered what would happen if he got closer and tried to touch her. More than likely, she would not take off his hand, but even someone as prone to oblivion as Abi knew touching a dragon without permission crossed several lines. So, he walked a little closer, heading towards her wide head, and the strange, spinny eyes.
"I shall look forward to finding out your name when your rider returns."

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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 12:49 pm
She watched him, slightly amused, as he jumped up and stuffed the remainder of whatever he'd been eating into his mouth, and it vaguely reminded the dragon that she was, in fact, a bit peckish. But Z'ven had told her no herdbeasts at the hold, so she would wait until they returned to the Weyr. Oh well.
As he approached, she crooned happily, eyes swirling blueish-green again at the praise. Of course, she was beautiful, and it was partially due to the excellent care her rider gave her. Of course, she wouldn't expect anything less, and she knew that Hers wouldn't, either. And he bowed, too! Usually she'd only seen humans bow to Queens, and certainly no one had bowed to her before. ...well, not that she could remember, anyway. Someone might have. But that wasn't important! What was important was that a human was standing before her, giving praise and calling her wonderful things, and the slender green was thoroughly basking in it. She loved going to Holds. She didn't get this much attention from other humans back at the Weyr. No, they'd save that for bronzes and golds. Hmph. She was more beautiful than any other, of course, but she didn't need to say so. Someone else was already voicing that for her.
Mine, when are you going to return? There is a human here, and he keeps saying wonderful things about me! He's polite too, not like some other humans, he hasn't tried to touch me and oh, Mine, he's saying such lovely things about me! You must come talk to him and tell him my name, so that he can continue to --
Alright, alright, Tiamine, I'll be right there! The rider replied, laughter present in his mental tone. He knew that His was enjoying the attention very much, and wanted more. Such vanity, but he loved her all the same. Then again, he was the same, so he had no right to poke fun at her love of praise.
Kreening happily, the green continued to bask in the apprentice's attentions. Tiarenth was not one to become shy at such words as his; instead, she'd show off more! She flicked her tail and stretched out her wings to their fullest extent, and bugled before launching herself into the air to show him what she could do. Let him see just how amazing green Tiarenth really was!
She began by merely gliding overhead, flapping her wings when needed, and circled around to make sure he could see her. Then she angled her wings up and was carried higher, and after a sufficient height was gained she dipped down, sending herself towards the ground. Partway through her dive she tucked her head under and used the winds to propel herself into a forward roll, bugling loudly as she finished and righted herself. Oh, but she wasn't done yet! Immediately after that, she lifted her head up and flapped her wings, sending herself into a backwards roll, after which she was still high up in the air, and took a spiraling nose dive. At the last moment her wings snapped out and she gave a few powerful flaps to send her right back into the air, but not without sending a huge gust of wind through the crops in the field, and as she gained altitude she let out another proud bugle.
Z'ven had sauntered out midway through her antics, and watched his dragon with pride as he came to stand next to the apprentice. This must obviously be the person she mentioned, as he couldn't see any other people around at the moment. That was always a very good thing, he knew that Tia hated being mobbed. And touched, ugh. Some people were so rude, going about touching dragons that didn't belong to them!
After the agile green had finished, the rider spoke up. "Greens are the most agile of the dragons, you know, and that beauty there is Tiarenth. You can call me Z'ven, and your name is.. Aabsinral, isn't it?" Hopefully he'd gotten it right, but he was certain he had. By this time, Tia had received the mental request to come back down to Pern, and she kreened happily at her rider's return and landed near the pair.
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:09 pm
 Aabsinral offered a surprised smile at the rider's words. He hadn't actually noticed the man's approach, too concerned with the amazing aerial stunts of the beauty called Tiarenth.
"I had heard the green were the smallest and the fastest. I like to think that makes them the best, because they can do things like... well, like that! Tricks that even the biggest and strongest Avian would not dare do! It is amazing! I remember watching them once, when I was much younger, still living with my family. I think they must have been doing an exercise of some sort, it looked like they were dancing in the air." His smile widened, as Tiarenth settled once more on the ground. "Green has always been my favorite color, though, so perhaps I am..." he paused, searching for the proper word, "biased."
"Ah. And my name is Aabsinral, and it was a lovely attempt at pronouncing it right, but I think my mother might have been drugged or asleep when she named me..." He gave a nervous laugh. He had just been positively gushing, and to an actual rider. Oh, the other apprentices in the kitchens would have too much fun mocking him if they heard what a fool he'd been making of himself. "Most people call me Abi."
He looked back to the wonderfully green dragon. "That was absolutely amazing, Tiarenth! I had just been hoping you would fly, when we met, and that was truly one of the best flights I have ever been lucky enough to see. Though, I wonder why you fly in Keroon, and not closer to your home? I am not keeping you from some terribly important task, am I?"

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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:29 am
The rider nodded, grinning as the large dragon came over to nudge him affectionately. See? He's saying such wonderful things about me, Mine! Why don't you say things like that to me all the time?
Because you know how much I love you, and you know that I think you're the most amazing dragon in all of Pern, why do I need to say it all the time? He rubbed her eyeridges and the slender green crooned happily, flicking the split tip of her tail. "Well, Abi, Tia likes you quite a bit and appreciates all the praise. And no, the only task we have right now is doing a bit of grocery shopping for me," Z'ven said with a grin as he lifted up the bag filled with a variety of foods. This would last him a few days, at least, which was perfect. At least this food would be edible, unlike the food at the Weyr right now.
He speaks rather odd, doesn't he, Z'venmine? But he's so cute and small and polite!
You think everyone is small, love.
But they are! Mine, he would be a perfect match for a dragon someday, you need to tell him and bring him back so he can find His!
The rider smiled and rubbed Tiarenth's eyeridges more. She'd taken more of an interest in finding possible Candidates since the last Hatching, even if she didn't admit it. Even with girls, although not quite as often, and that was something in itself right there. He turned to offer the apprentice a smile, draping his arm over the green's neck. "Abi, I've a question for you. Have you ever considered becoming a dragonrider?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:21 pm
 Aabsinral's eyes began to wander down the cart-wide path as he considered the rider's question. A dragonrider? No, not really. He hadn't considered it much, or possibly ever, though he imagined most people dreamed of it once or twice as children. He'd always been more than content to watching things fly, and the urge to be up in the air with them had never really hit him.
Likewise, as far as a life-mate, a true friend who was always there... Well, until three turns ago, he'd had his twin. When she'd left, he'd felt the absence deeply. It had been hard to manage. He'd turned to the kitchens, in the end. But, if he spent too long thinking about it, he still felt a looming depression. Abi was not a fan of depression, and so, he simply never thought of it. But, perhaps having someone who knew you, who trusted you and cared about you... Or at the very least, someone who knew whether you could call a dragon a beast or creature without being insulting... That would be nice.
His brow furrowed as something occurred to him. "Is this what you would call 'being searched'?" He finally asked, offering no actual answer for a moment. "I had always thought there was more to it than being out in a field and a rider stops by for dinner." His voice trailed off into silence once again, but only for a brief moment, until he recollected that there had been a question, and he should be answering it.
"Ah. I have not, as far as I remember, considered being a rider before today. But, I think I would like to." Though his voice had the same slightly awestruck tone as before, when he'd been watching Tiarenth fly, his thoughts were now firmly planted on the bond between rider and dragon. In fact, being in the air, zooming around and making sudden turns, might be terrifying. "It sounds amazing. And, I suppose your kitchens must need extra staff? As you have come all the way to Keroon for what cannot possibly be even a sevenday's worth of food."
He finished with a wide smile- at least it was wide by Abi's standards- as he was rather pleased with himself for catching and commenting on the size of the bag. He wasn't usually so sharp about his surroundings, but if there was anyone in the world worth impressing, it was the man who might be offering him a chance to stand before dragons.

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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:07 pm
The greenrider couldn't help but chuckle; yes, he was rather odd, but overall he liked the fellow. "I don't know about the staffing situation in the kitchens, but I do know some little troublemakers have been making the food a bit worse than normal, to the point where it's nice to do a little personal shopping rather than eat there. It's still worth it though, of course," he said with a grin as Tiarenth crooned in agreement. "And yes, this is what it's like to be searched. It's how I was searched, too. We're not on active Search duty because we have tons of Candidates already, but if we're out and our dragon finds someone they think are worthy to stand on the Sands, then who are we to say no? And Tiarenth says you're worthy as any other Candidate."
The slender green lifted her head and bugled her agreement into the sky. Of course he was! Tiarenth had said so, she had found him, and he had the potential because, well, because she said so! Mine, tell him that he is allowed to ride on me back to Ista, because he's been so polite and has said such lovely things about me.
Z'ven couldn't help but chuckle again at her thoughts. "Alright, Tia says you have permission to ride with us back to Ista. We'd have to go between though, which isn't too bad, just a bit uncomfortable. One of those things you never quite get used to," and with that imparting of information, he turned and quickly strapped the leather bag onto Tia's harness, making sure it was secure and wouldn't fall off, especially on the trip between, then he really would lose it for good. After that, he turned to Abi once more. "Oh, and if you want to take that trip, it would have to be soon. We have the time for a quick shopping trip, but we can't exactly wait around for too long. You'll have to pack all your belongings, preferably light clothes due to the heat, and say your good-byes fairly quickly, Tiarenth and I will wait here. Is that alright with you?" Of course, it would have to be; they really didn't have time to wait around for him to have long good-byes or some silly nonsense for hours. What if they had to attend another Wing meeting, or something just as important?
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 5:19 pm
 Aabsinral nodded resolutely. It had taken nearly a candlemark for him to make it here, but if he tried- and for this, he would definitely keep his focus- he could probably be there and back in less time than that.
As for goodbyes... Mmm. Truly, he wasn't leaving much behind. As far as he could tell, only a few people even remembered his name. For the most part, he had drifted along, never doing anything of note. He suspected that it would take a few sevendays before his fellow kitchen staff began wondering where the weird, quiet boy who liked peeling had gotten off to.
He knew that he was beginning to be over-dramatic, giddy with the possibilities this presented, but it felt almost as though he'd been biding his time and waiting for this day since Neffa had left for the Healer hall. Already, he knew he would put much more effort into making himself known at the Weyr than he had here.
Wait... The Weyr. "I can be back in less than a candlemark, certainly, but... Where am I going?" He had sense enough to sound sheepish, having forgotten something so simple as which Weyr he was going to. All sense would say Ista, Keroon was beholden to them after all. But, perhaps Igen? That wouldn't be too far, certainly not for a dragonrider.
Even as he listened to the answer, he was trying to retrace his steps. He'd lived in this Hold for so long now... Certainly he'd learned enough just by passing through that he could get there and back that fast. His smile was almost wide enough to be called a grin, now. The more he thought about it, the more this seemed like the right choice.

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