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 Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:24 pm
Three days, ten hours since she had been Searched and landed in the Weyrbowl, flying on the back of a dragon for the first time. It had been difficult not to pee herself when they went between, but that was one small point for Peradan. It was one small point where she had none, so that was something. She had to hold on to the little victories in this new situation with these new people and this new climate and new everything. Peradan had thought she was ready to leave the Vintner Hall (she was, after all, very nearly a journeywoman), but this wasn't how she originally intended to leave. But how could she give up such an opportunity? She could always go back and make wine if she didn't Impress, but Peradan thought that if the dragons had bothered to Search her out, she probably had fairly good chances.
The Weyrbowl drew her out of hiding in the Candidate Barracks. It was still fairly early morning- not time for chores yet, anyway. The cool air felt good on her skin. Besides the Weyrbowl was the most interesting place for Peradan to be currently. Dragons were new and different and exotic, and Peradan had the chance to witness the new colors in a way she never would have before. She had never even seen one flying overhead, prior to coming to the Weyr. Now she couldn't get enough of them. Peradan wanted to drink them in as she would drink a fine wine.
Sitting on a dusty ledge somewhat out of the way, still near the safety of the Candidate Barracks, Peradan simply stared. Some dragons were sunning themselves at this early hour. There were already riders out and about. Weyr life seemed to run on a tighter schedule than she was used to. Admittedly spoiled, Peradan had gotten away with sleeping in more than a few times, especially as she grew older and closer to relaxing in rank. Vintners tended to be more laid back, she thought. There was something about the craft that called for dedication when needed, and relaxation for everything else.
When was she going to meet her fellow Candidates? That was the big question now. Peradan found herself craning her neck, looking for someone who looked friendly enough to talk.
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 2:10 pm
Siano's search dragon landed in the Weyr bowl. The rider helped Siano off and she thanked him and his dragon before she sucked in a breath of fresh Weyr air. She gazed with awe at all the dragons. The atypicals were of special interest to her because they were so new and vibrant. She grinned hugely and wandered over to the side for a better vantage point. Another young girl was seating in a particularly good viewing area. "Beautiful aren't they?" she asked her gaze never stopping on one dragon for more than a minute at a time..
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:07 pm
Would the sight of dragons ever make her feel less excited and fearful at the same time? Peradan hoped that she never left that feeling. It was thrilling- especially when a dragon landed as close as this one had, close enough that she had to shield her eyes from the dust brought up from the mighty wing beats. It looked as if there were two people up there, but by the time Peradan looked back, the other girl had already hopped off. She did it so smoothly, and did not look at all like Peradan had, which was slightly sick and mostly scared and excited. This girl looked so smooth.
Blinking as Siano spoke to her, Peradan watched the Search dragon go back up to its weyr. Were all people in the Weyr so friendly? Then again, Siano was brand new. Where did she come from that they could be so open? Peradan immediately chastised herself for thinking like that. If she was right, they were both Candidates now, and one day they would be lucky enough to be riders together (hopefully). That meant that being friendly was the correct thing to do. You had to like the people you flew with, whose lives you might depend on one day.
"I don't think I'll ever get enough dragons, even if I live here fifty Turns. To think that we've lived our whole lives without them, up until this point." Peradan watched a graceful green circle the Weyrbowl, drinking it in, admiring the way the light hit her hide so that different shades played across it, depending how she turned. From her position on the ground, the green looked no bigger than a trundlebug. If they were on a level, however, Peradan knew the green would be huge.
"I'm Peradan." She extended her hand as she spoke. "Where did you just arrive from?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:49 pm
"Just flew in from Eron Hold, but usually I'm on one of many various volcanos," said Siano. She grasped Peradan's hand.
"A pleasure to meet you Peradan," greeted Siano, "what was your profession before you arrived at the Weyr?" Siano asked as she admired a strong looking nearby brown dragon and a cloud of flits that floated past in a cacophony of noise. She admired the brown dragons, they were sturdy and dependable and less pompous then bronzes in her opinion. Greens were swift flyers and blue were unobtrusive and colorful. The atypical colors were of great interest to her because she hadn't quite figured out where they belonged on the dragon hierarchy scale.
" What do you think of that brown over there?" she asked Peradan with interest.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 7:20 pm
The volcanoes? That sounded like dangerous, dirty work. Peradan couldn't grasp what could possibly be enjoyable about that, but to each their own. She would stick with her fine wines and the occasional ale, thank you very much. There was nothing like seeing the sun glint off the leaves and the grapes on a warm spring day to make the world seem at peace. "What does one do with volcanoes, precisely?" Peradan knew that there were jobs that involved those monstrous craters, but she had never bothered to find out what exactly they were. It didn't seem important, and to be honest, it didn't seem terribly important now, but she was mildly curious enough to at least ask.
"I was a vintner before I was Searched. Just an apprentice, but I think I might have moved on in rank soon enough. But coming here is a good opportunity. Was it difficult for you to give up on what you did?" More polite words, though Peradan was still genuinely curious as to what one actually did with a volcano. They were filled with lava and other unpleasant things, weren't they? Personally, she would want to get away from all that. But who knew? Peradan had never wanted to get away from the vintners, and yet here she was.
Her eyes followed the brown that Siano had gestured to. Peradan knew little of the colors, other than what was considered common knowledge. The newer colors intrigued her more. She probably wasn't alone in that sentiment. Three days ago was the first time she had ever seen one, and now she couldn't get enough. She had to track down a rider, as soon as possible.
"It's very large. And handsome." Peradan squinted, shielding her eyes against the sun. "The first day, I couldn't tell the dragons apart. I've been here only a few days, but now I'm starting to see the differences. He's one I haven't seen before. He looks... friendly, if that makes sense. I'd like to meet one of the new colors though."
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:23 pm
"Well we monitor the volcanoes and note increased action. We alert nearby residents to the danger and we explore areas around the volcano for dangerous things. Occasionally we find gems." Siano's eyes lit up as she talked about her craft. "It's dangerous but we have the potential to save lives and it beats knitting any day."
"Hmm, a vintner, I like whine. You must have been good if you were going to gain rank." Siano smiled. " I wanted an occupation where I could get out and explore! What better way to explore then with your very own dragon. I miss my masters and my friend but the Weyr called to me... loudly."
"Yes! Arn't the atypicals fascinating? t is so weird to think of dragons in crimson, black, silver, and white as well as gold, bronze, brown, blue and green. The Weyrs have certainly become more colorful."
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:10 pm
Ooh, gems. Gems were a very tangible benefit to what sounded like a dirty job. Much to Peradan's surprise, it wasn't gems that held her attention as Siano described her past career. It was the notion of saving lives. Was this really her? Was this the same girl who preferred finery over all else? It was. The idea of saving lives had suddenly just become incredibly interesting.
Much of it had to do with the nature of her own craft, of course. Being a vintner meant that you very rarely saved lives, if ever. Peradan couldn't remember anything in recent memory that could even halfway count as saving a life. Indeed, wine and beer had far more chance to ruin a life than to save one. It wasn't as if Pern had many alcoholics running around, but accidents did happen. Alcohol loosened inhibitions, and sometimes brought old grudges to life. It was a viewpoint Peradan had very rarely considered, but faced with Siano's far more admirable craft, it was hard /not/ to think about it.
On the flip side, Peradan was going to be a dragonrider now. No one could complain that the dragonriders didn't do anything useful. Or rather, people could, but anyone with half a brain knew better than to do that. Still... That was a ways off. Siano must have had some exciting stories, and Peradan loved a rousing tale.
A nosy question was thus in order. "This might seem silly to ask, but did you ever save someone's life directly? Or see a volcano spill forth lava? That just seems exciting. Not that I don't love my craft, but wine doesn't often destroy small holdings." That would at least be a delicious way to die, as long as it was a good vintage. Peradan was partial to native Southern wines- call it a bias, if you would.
Ooh, but now they were going to talk about her craft! "My father was a master in the craft, so perhaps part of it was genetic, and the other part being raised by him. My brother did the same. But I felt like I was getting stuck. I didn't see how I could achieve greatness through wine. And then I was Searched. It wasn't a hard decision to make. The Hall will always be there for me to go back to, but I would eventually get too old to be Searched again. Sounds like a similar story to your own." It seemed as if no matter how happy one was, the Weyr was impossible to say no to.
"I heard that there are people who don't like the atypicals. I really can't see why. Do you know anything about it? I just don't understand. They're so... pretty, even if I haven't seen one up close."
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