They were an odd little family, the three of them, all bound together by odd circumstances. Abellus was raised in the seahold, found to be a deft hand at numbers early on, and given the position of tallying their takes and keeping tabs on other necessary fishing supplies. The men said it was beyond the Headwoman's authority to do such things, and felt she'd not need to be bothered with it anyway, with him to tend the task.

Abellus was narrow-faced, with a slender nose upon which a small pair of spectacles were always perched. He wasn't near-sighted, so did not squint when without them, but he seldom was seen without their presence on his face. He used them for peering at the tally sheets and records, but since one was almost always in his hand, or beneath his arm, or in a satchel hanging at his side, it meant he would have those glasses on as well.

As children, he'd found his soulmate in the Hold's wildchild. Jengasa was often the center of trouble and mischief as she grew up. Her hair, though seldom bound back properly, was silky soft and never tangled. It did however fall across her face, making her look feral when she chose. She was often caught scrambling along ledges and rock faces, giving her caretakers a heartspasm. If a prank was pulled, it was Jengasa they would look to first. She was rebellious, unrepentant, and completely out of control.

However, this did not mean she was a cruel soul, nor an unkind one. She never let the adults know, but she had a fair hand with the littles, telling them far-fetched stories or sneaking them sweets. She was easily as strong as most of the men, which wasn't taken well in the tradition-bound Hold either. Men did the fishing, women did the tending of home , hearth, and children. Jengasa fit into none of the proper pigeon-holes.

Abellus was her bosom buddy from toddlerhood on, though. Though she was rough-and-tumble, and he was bookish and pale, they somehow always got on well. Generally their pairing was viewed as fortiutious, for when Abellus was around, Jengasa was less likely to do something wherry-brained. They never quarreled, never seemed dissatisfied with each other. Even as they grew older, neither fussed when some auntie cooed about their matramonial likelihood.

To the shock of nearly everyone, the pair had chosen to be handfasted at fifteen. The men were glad to be rid of the worry that no man would take her, but the women were less than pleased that their daughters had never had a chance to wed the important Tallier.

The couple's young lives were changed when one day the sailors came back with a shivering bundle. A child of about three huddled in a greatcoat, pale eyes wide and unblinking. Abellus had been gruffly told the child was daft, that she saw nothing and spoke nothing. She was put into the creche and left to the nannies to tend.

Disturbed and troubled, he told his mate of the sodden girl and how strongly he felt that she needed someone, something. He was certain that whatever she needed, the creche was no place for her to find it. Bold Jengasa, flaunting her disrespect for how things should be, went and collected the toddler from the nannies, cradling the shivering child to herself and ignoring the prostest hurled at her.

The ruckus had been loud and vehemant, but the couple had won out in the end, with the dark warning that she would be taken from them if either fell behind in their duties. Ensconsed in their tiny room finally, they swathed the girl in thick blankets, offering her broth and milk in hopes of enticing her to eat. She merely sat silently, trembling, staring off into space.

Abellus was moved by the poor child's state, scooping her into his lap, face wet with tears. Jengasa was no less moved, though tears did not escape her eyes. She came and wrapped herself around her husband and adopted child, and together they fell asleep, three bodies entiwined in sorrow and sympathy.

It was long after that she began to talk. They learned her name was Rairne, and that she could not see. She never could tell them how she came to be lost at sea. It simply wasn't something she knew or had an answer for.

Meanwhile, the couple were struggling with an increased amount of disapproval from their community. Bad enough that Jengasa was not the compliant, gentle wife that was deemed suitable. But now they had taken in a child who everyone was convinced was wrong in the head. The weight of such pressure fell heavy upon their shoulders, nearly taking them to the breaking point.

It was both a shock and a relief the day the dragon landed, pointing out Abellus and Jengasa seperately as Candidates. The greenrider had been rather startled to discover they were married, but even moreso to discover a third person was to come with them. The seahold did not protest to their departure, despite the important role Abellus had held. Clearly, it was their time to leave.

Now at the Weyr, they are daunted by the size, the respoinsibilities, and the strangeness of Weyr-life. Jengasa has refused to allow Rairne to be fostered with another family, once more flaunting traidtion. Only time will tell if these three will find their place in Ista Weyr, or be forced to find another way to live their dreams.