- Updates - Sept 11 2010 - Clarified some points on Rick's personality. Hopefully it should be easier to read now. Sept 27 2011 - W'rick became a weyrling today!
Full Name: Winderick Ivo (wind-rick ive-oh) Nickname: Rick Rider Name: W'rick (rick)
Age: 17 OOC Birthdate: August 10, 2010 (15)
Sexuality: Strictly homosexual, except when influenced by a Rise. Even then he prefers the company of men.
Craft & Rank: Smithcraft, Apprentice in Metal Craft. Winderick mainly specializes in machinery but also makes jewelry and small household items in his spare time. As he grows he will develop his skills toward becoming a mechanic and already shows an interest in repairing spring-powered clocks, although he is far from mastering this skill.
Description: Winderick is naturally tan with a strong upper-body and small square face. At fifteen turns he stands at 5’5” and will grow a few more inches by the time he reaches his twentieth turn, but will never be considered tall. His dark hair is cut short and is naturally straight and coarse. He has light brown eyes. There's a rather large patch of light skin on his right forearm, a burn he received from the furnace while rushing through one of his early lessons. He now treats the furnace with the respect it deserves. He has a few other minor scars on his arms and legs, most of them the result of impatience in the smithy.
Personality: Winderick considers himself mostly autonomous. He practices his craft to the best of his ability, completes his work on time (most of the time) and tries not to get involved in other people's problems. He believes he knows exactly who he is and refuses to change for anyone. He takes unwanted criticism as a serious affront to his honor and may even fight to defend it. However, if the criticism comes from someone who outranks him or whom he respects, he will usually only growl and sulk at their perceived disapproval. He’s stubborn and always wants to do things his way. In spite of being over-confident, his general dislike of people has made him a bit socially awkward. He's sometimes mistaken for shy.
Despite his rough exterior, if you can get through to him you’ll have a friend for life. He’s more likely to help than hurt unless he believes the other person is not worth his time or insults him in some way. He believes in honor and justice, but only his personal ideals of them, which he often takes into his own hands. He’s been aware of his sexuality since his 12th turn, at least as far as he can remember, and is interested in sex but still a bit too anti-social to attract any partners.
There’s an impulsive, adventurous streak to Winderick. Since he left home and began training with his uncle he’s had little contact with other children his age and thinks of himself as an adult, giving him a right to break the rules when he sees fit. He only follows the rules when he seems the value of them or because he wants to stay out of trouble. Some rules are extraneous and he will happily bend them, even break them, as far as he believes he can get away with it.
This applies to his craft as well. He will often cut corners or refuse to follow instructions in the name of what he calls "creativity." Sometimes the results are positive, such as enabling him to complete tasks more quickly than other apprentices, but most of the time his freewheeling leads to poor results. He truly loves exercising his creative spirit but has yet to understand that there's more to imagination than breaking the rules.
Perhaps Winderick’s biggest flaw is his difficulty with letting things go. He still believes his father sent him away to give more attention to his brothers, even though there’s no evidence to support this. After the Hold children swallowed the rumors spread by Tanner Winderick decided he wanted nothing more to do with them, even though he could have dispelled the rumors by making friends. It’s often very hard to get him to see things from a point of view other than his own.
History: Winderick grew up in a rural area, in a cothold run by his grandfather. When Winderick was 12 turns he joined a caravan to take him to Benden Hold were he could be taught Smithcraft by his uncle. He was accompanied by his older brother, who would be returning with the caravan after Winderick was safely with his uncle. From an early age Winderick showed a talent for building and creating things, even helping his father with repairs, so his parents thought smithcraft would be the best choice for him. Even though there was a smithcrafter in the cothold, Winderick's father insisted he be trained by his uncle on the grounds that his uncle was a superior craftsman. Deep down Winderick felt that he was being pushed out of the cothold to give more attention to his older brothers. To this day he holds onto this perceived abandonment, even though it makes him miserable.
While traveling with the caravan Winderick was befriended by a group of boys around his age, the oldest being 14 turns and the youngest 10. One night the oldest boy, Tanner, whom the adults considered a trouble-maker, lead the group of boys away from the caravan while the adults were sleeping. Winderick went along, eager to make an impression upon his new friends. They wandered around until they came to a pen of herdbeasts owned by a local beastcrafter (they were not part of the caravan). Winderick stood on the fence pegs, watching the herd with the rest of the boys, until Tanner picked up a small stone and threw it at the head of the nearest herdbeast. The rest of the boys laughed and soon joined in, all but Winderick, who was horrified by the plaintive cries of the defenseless herdbeasts. One of the boys tried to give Winderick a stone to throw, but when Winderick refused and tried to escape the gang turned their aggression on him. When the guards came the boys fled, leaving Winderick lying by the fence with several bruises.
Tanner threatened to beat Winderick up again if he told on them, but Winderick told his brother anyway, thinking he would get the better Tanner and his gang. To his disdain, little was done about the incident. Although Tanner received a stern scolding and extra chores, and even though the stones were too small to cause any real harm, Winderick thought he should have been punished more severely for attacking the herdbeasts. Since Winderick didn’t know all the boys by name (even the guards could not identify them all, for it was dark and they ran quickly) some of the guilty children were able to escape punishment simply by denying involvement, which further infuriated Winderick against them.
This single act of tattle-taleing sparked a vicious feud between Winderick and Tanner. The gang continued to bully him for the rest of the trip. Winderick was even more dismayed after he was blamed for starting a fight with one of the kids in the gang (mind you, the accusations were completely true, but Winderick saw it as justified revenge for the herdbeast incident). Tanner’s gang made sure every kid in the caravan knew Winderick was a snitch and a fibber, ensuring that he made no friends. When the caravan arrived in Benden, Tanner continued to spread rumors to every kid he met, calling Winderick a dullglow, a goody-two shoes, a thief and bed wetter. By the time the rumors reached Winderick’s ears the caravan had already moved on, so there was little he could do about it even though the rumors were mostly untrue.
Eventually the rumors were all but forgotten, but they were always present in Winderick’s imagination. He isolated himself with his craft and avoided social contact with other children as much as possible, making few acquaintances. Now Winderick has decided he doesn’t need friends to be happy.
- Other -
Opinion on Atypicals: He pretty much share's Benden's opinion. However, he does not hold this opinion very strongly. The old colors seem fine to him, why bother with weaker variations when the originals have worked for centuries?
Name: Pectolath Colour: Blue Font:Deep Sky Blue Inspired by: Pectolite Personality: Above all else, Pectolath is a good dragon. He isn't always nice, but he can always be relied upon to be honest, honorable, just, and true. He has a certain self-contained austerity about him; even as a hatchling he will not be desperate to cling to his rider as the other hatchlings and as he grows older he will become ever more autonomous, quite content for his rider to be elsewhere and not focusing their attention on him for long periods of time. This isn't to say he doesn't adore and need his rider, of course he does, he just doesn't feel the need to stick to them like glue or to have a constant stream of thoughts passing between them.
He is extremely critical of anyone who he feels isn't doing The Right Thing, or even anyone doing The Right Thing in the Wrong Way; nobody is above his criticism, nor is anyone below it or excused based on youth or the circumstances under which they transgressed. In general Pectolath will only use words (and a very cold shoulder) to show his displeasure, but if violence is instigated against him he will respond in kind. Fortunately, however, Pectolath is also a believer in forgiveness; if somebody he believes has done wrong genuinely apologizes to him and seeks a second chance he is more than happy to give it. Getting a third chance is a lot harder though, and forth chances are very rare indeed.
While he's quite reserved with others in general he is far from incapable of affection; just because he's not the sort to bounce all over his friends doesn't mean he wouldn't live and die for them without question. It takes quite a long while to earn this blue's esteem, but doing so is certainly worthwhile. It is worth noting however that he has a certain prejudice against bronze and gold dragons, and indeed browns to a lesser degree. His resentment stems from the fact that blues and greens cannot achieve the same ranks as the bigger dragons, this isn't because he wishes he could be a wingleader himself - he has no such ambitions - it's just because he sees it as Wrong. It would be possible for him to form a friendship with a larger dragon, they'd just have to work a lot harder and getting through his cool exterior than other blues and greens.
Despite his resentment of the bigger dragons and despite great self-confidence, Pectolath tends to play by the rules and will seldom disobey an order. He'll voice his opinions of course - privately to the dragon in question, because broadcasting it wouldn't be right of him - but if he's vetoed he will accept it stoically unless he believes that following the order would put somebody in danger. In instances such as this he will make sure that everyone knows what he thinks, and will then do what he believes is right under the circumstances. While this does have the potential to cause chaos in the midst of a maneuver, it also means he won't blindly follow along just because he's been told to.
Why me? Winderick and Pectolath need one another, but they don't need to be around one another twenty-four seven; neither could have dealt with a clingy lifemate. Both of them are also loyal and basically good and honourable souls, although Pectolath is rather more militant about it and may need Winderick to reign him in at times. On the other hand, when it comes to bearing grudges it will be Pectolath urging Winderick to be a little more reasonable and allow people the chance to atone for and be forgiven them mistakes. Whilst Winderick tends to test the limits and break rules where he can Pectolath is generally a rule-follower, and while this may be a point to tension between them at times their disagreement on the matter may help them both to decide what is really most sensible to do in any given situation.
Size: Above Average Build: Average
Inspiration
Pectolite, as mineral, is confused with other minerals like okenite, wollastonite, artinite and few others. The name "Pectolite" has been derived from the Greek word "Pectos" which mean "well put together." This semi-precious stone occurs in white or colorless, gray, light yellow, light brown, light blue, and light pink. Physically, pectolite is very sharp and can easily puncture skin, if not handled properly. It is composed of Sodium Calcium Silicate Hydroxide and sometimes even, manganese. Pectolite is found in cavities of basalt in the igneous environments and it is always, almost, associated with zeolites. This stone is popular among collectors for its interesting radiating "blobs."
It is believed that pectolite softens, enlightens and even heals in a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual way. In 1828, the stone was discovered in Mont Balto and Mont Monzoni (Italy). Few decades ago, in the Dominician Republic, an ocean blue variety of pectolite was discovered. It was given the name of Larimar. Even this is popular in the semi-precious stone world. Pectolite is found in California, Paterson and Franklin - New Jersey in the USA, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Italy and England. the specific gravity of the stone is 2.7 - 2.9 and hardness on Mohs scale is 4.5 - 5.
Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:24 am
Description: An average sized silver with a shining hide. Personality: Squall is a curious, energetic and friendly flit with a love of shiny things. He dotes on golds - and even bronzes - for their bright hides (though he has no sexual interest in either) and often steals small trinkets from candidates and weyrfolk alike. Usually the things he steals are of no consequence, but if W'rick finds something of value in his nest he'll always return the item to it's owner. Aside from some moderate kleptomania, Squall is clever and easy to train. He is W'rick's first flit and is often used as a messenger. Dew and Tide are his siblings.
Description: A rather large blue whose eyes are often purple. Personality: Fade is a stud. Flirtatious and playful, he would chase any green, crimson or gold in Benden (if not for those pesky browns and bronzes) and has even been seen trying to work his charm on dragons, though this only applies to greens. He seems to have no cares in the world and would have proved quite impossible to train if not for the influence of his adoptive brother Squall. The two are very close. Perhaps... too close. After a failed flight Fade, possibly in a state of confusion or wounded pride, will rub up against Squall as if to woo him. Squall does not seem to mind his advances (though he does occasionally throw him off) nor does he seem particularly interested. W'rick likes to think he simply doesn't understand.
Sergeant Sargent
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Sergeant Sargent
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:26 am
RPs
1. [FIN] Rick gets Searched ----------While looking after his uncle's smithy, Winderick meets a green rider named K'la and is unexpectedly Searched. After meeting her dragon Yvoth Winderick makes a snap decision to become a candidate. 2. [FIN] All for the greater good ----------Winderick's second day of candidacy. On his way to the dinning caravan, he witnesses Sileny verbally abusing another candidate and steps in to stop the harassment. 3. [FIN] An edgy start ----------After spending a week at the weyr Winderick is starting to have some doubts. He meets Galeia, a weyrbrat and harper, and she becomes his first friend at the weyr. 4. [FIN] Gamma Clutch: Candidate Lesson #1 ----------Winderick has his first lesson with Candidatemaster A'air and his blue Templath. Sileny, Gale, Tia, Kadayon and Antigonos are also in attendence. 5. [FIN] Adventure and romance ----------Galeia takes Winderick out to search for flitt eggs when something unexpected happens.... 6. [FIN] What have we here? ----------Winderick is discovered sneaking out after curfew. 7. [UNC] - A rare respite 8. [FIN] - Gamma Clutch: Touching 9. [FIN] - Transplanting: Rick and Kadayon 10. [ORP] - Gamma Clutch: Hatching 11. [FIN] - Aftermath 12. [PRP] - The flits choose us 13. http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22163853&page=1 14. http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22175537 15. http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=22192615
Relationships
Humans ♦ Sileny A horrid, fire-breathing she-wherry. • Galeia Rick's first friend at Benden Weyr. • Greenrider K'la She Searched Rick from his uncle's smity in Benden Hold. ○ A'nos W'rick's crush at one time. Now that he's acquired a bronze W'rick is wary of him. ○ Kadayon A good-looking boy Rick met during his first candidate lesson. He tried to gain his attention by talking to Tia but was mostly unsuccessful. ○ Tia Rick spoke to her during his first candidate lesson. ○ Zhac He caught Rick out after curfew trying to warm the flit eggs he found with Gale. Fortunately, he decided to let Rick off with warning. ○ P'ne She met W'rick at the hatching feast and caused a stir by drinking wine against W'lin's orders. W'rick finds her carelessness unnerving. • F'law Pectolath introduced him to W'rick at the hatching feast. W'rick finds him easy to hang out with.
Dragons, Whers & Flits ○ Green Yvoth She Searched Rick and is the first dragon he's seen up close. ○ Gold Zhask A big ugly queen wher!!
Pectolath's Clutch ○ Gold Yirath Pectolath's mother - looks to Kestril. Deceased. ○ Bronze Bruinth Pectolath's father - looks to W'lin. Pectolath is wary of him, as he is of all bronzes and bronze riders. • Green Pyth Looks to P'ne. Although Pectolath counts Pyth as a good friend, both he and His are wary of her rider. ○ Bronze Stromath Looks to K'en. ○ Blue Larth Looks to Brynja. ○ Brown Gneisth Looks to Bannan. • Blue Zurith Looks to F'law. W'rick and Pectolath both enjoy his company and maturity. ○ Bronze Orthoth Looks to Cormeric. ○ Brown Heth Looks to Kahar. ○ Green Malath Looks to Analyssa. ○ Green Rhodonth Looks to Liah. Impressed right before Pectolath. ○ Bronze Tyeth Looks to Nemmol. ○ Brown Torsheth Looks to Ru'et. ○ Green Mawsith Looks to Maya. W'rick's bunkmates! ○ Blue Troiseth Looks to Alian. ○ Green Treeth Looks to Viddle. ○ Green Demanth Looks to P'lan. ○ Green Microth Looks to Dezima. ○ Gold Sunnath Looks to Kindra. ○ Gold Keth Looks to Isely.
NPCs ○ Candidatemaster A'air & Blue Templath Rick met them during his first candidate lesson. • Bhalgun Ivo Rick's grandfather and the patriarchal master of Rick's cothold. • Marko Ivo Rick's older brother (one of many) who accompanied him on the caravan. • Ludmill & Elena Ivo Rick's father and mother, respectively. • Uncle Gavril A metalsmith and Rick's mentor up until he was searched. He disliked Rick's creativity or, as he called it, "disrespect for authority." ♦ Tanner The leader of the boy gang on the caravan Rick took to Benden Hold. After Rick ratted him out for throwing stones at herdbeasts he spread vicious rumors through the caravan and Benden, discouraging Rick from making friends.
The clutch was hatching much more quickly now and all things taken equally, it had been rather straight forward - the young had Impressed swiftly and surely, none had gone Between... and three bronzes and browns now graced the Sands. Whatever the Ancientcrafter had done to foster health and potency in the plants had worked, and well.
The Weyrleader, however, was scowling as he watched the proceedings from the usual perch. The ancientcrafter was gone and they didn't know the ingredients or methods the ancientcrafter had used.... and he was not going to trust another Ancientcrafter to step into the other's place. They'd received many a flit regarding the employment of the not-entirely-sane individuals as of late, most wishing to cash in on the fame working for a Weyr apparently gave them.
Below, with Yirath curled around her eggs, nosing them gently as they rocked and legs and wings and heads began to emerge, he sighed. Not that it would matter anyway. The new Goldrider would be at least two, maybe three, turns off of taking up the mantle - it would be suicidal to put a child in the rank of Weyrwoman while her bond was fresh. But, he was reminded by his dragon, they were thinking too far into the future right now. The eggs needed to hatch, to make it past the dead gold, and Impress.
Not an easy feat, all things considered.
The gold crooned encouragingly, having retreated in her to focus only on the eggs and the one duty left to her. In her embrace, two eggs had hatched - a bright and striking blue and spilled from the honourable champion egg and a coo from the unquestionable love egg revealed the green within. Lifting her tail to unblock the path, the dragonets warbled at one another, nuzzling briefly, cooing, and started off; the green headed towards the girls and the blue to the boys.
Dragonflight Pern
The green toddled towards the girls, broadcasting love and affection in her attempt to cheer them up while simultaneously searching their hearts for Hers. She knew, very keenly, that something was wrong, very very wrong and well, it seemed to inspire even greater effort in this little one as she cooed and called and flapped still-wet wings.
She paused only briefly to stare into the eyes of Kindra for a very very long time - so long, in fact, that some thought she'd impressed. But then the green trilled and moved on, having decided against the girl. She swept past Dezima, rubbing against her side and chirruped up at the candidate before pressing onward, deeper and deeper into the girl's ranks. Where was Hers hiding? Why was she hiding?
And the blue walked proudly, his bearing similar to that of a bronze despite the curled lip when he looked in their direction. Did this one bear a grudge against a clutchmate? Or simply dislike the other colours? There had been rivalries this soon out of the egg before....
He tossed his head and called, beating useless wings as he filled his lung full to bellow his summons. Then he waited, watching the boys to see who would react, come forward, unaware of the danger that was his mother not two dragonlengths behind.
Dragonflight Pern
The green continued in her meandering, looping path into the girl's ranks, head up to peer at all the girls she passed and still none of them caught her own heart. She called out once or twice as she pushed into the furthest ranks from the front and at last spotted hers. Lilahmine! You are wise to be back here but you were far away from your Rhodonth! Feed yours?
The blue watched the boys with a critical eye, noting those who stepped forward and shook his head, turning his attention away from them. They were not the right ones... why hadn't His stepped forward? Calling again, less loud and more searching, he started forward again as another egg burst and the slick hide of a newly born brown tumbled onto the sands from the Questionable Egg.
He rolled to his feet and creeled up to his mother as he padded over to lean his body against hers. He nosed at her skin, tail and wings drooping from the weight of goo and it seemed for a moment he would not move from that place. Though whether he were comforting his mother or craving the contact, it was hard to tell and while she indulged him for a moment or two, she nosed him towards the Candidate with a croon of a mother putting on a brave face.
He stumbled away and she guided him with her tail until he was turned about properly and facing the candidates. The rumble and whirl of her eyes, however, as she looked out at them dared the youths to be foolish enough to come forward.
More eggs began to rock and twist and at last the Gold egg began to shake as well, wiggling to and fro, to and fro with much activity. Was it soon to hatch?
Dragonflight Pern
The blue, growing impatient, poked through the boys, deliberately walking such that the young men had to step back or forward and reform the ranks lest they stay in his way. The rippling colours of his body made it seem as if water flowed through their ranks and it came to a pause as he spotted his, the blue's mind curling and fusing with his Lifemate's in the instant of Impression. Your Pectolath is here, Winderickmine. Come feed yours?
With the brown toddling towards the boys and the blue now Impressed, another egg popped and a green came stumbling out of the Balancing Earth egg, knocking against the Queen egg as she got her feet under her. The Queen egg gave a violent wiggle and cracks began to appear.... but it wasn't hatching just quite yet, it seemed. What was taking so long?
The other eggs - there weren't that many left now - were all wiggling and jostling as well now, cracks here and there, holes here and there where hatchlings were working to get out out of their eggs.
But then the startled chitter of a flitter drew the protective queen's attention with a growl and she arched her neck, eyes flashing crimson in an instant. The firelizard wheeled and tried to avoid the gold as it swooped around, its companion popping into existence nearby - to fetch or to warn, it was impossible to tell. Yirath bellowed again, though the sound trailed into a loud rumble as her head shot up and her teeth caught the pair of flits in a vice grip, their death squeaks piercing in the air and punctuated by the cry of a person in the audience.
She was up and watching the crowd now, eyes whirling red as if just noticing them and she was angry. Very very angry. Her tail lashed, her gums were pulled back, stained green from the ichor of the flits she'd just slain.
The Weyrleader's bronze bellowed again, broadcasting to all this time in a voice that sent ears ringing, ALL FIRELIZARDS BEGONE. NOW. He flared his wings and trumpeted again, all of his noise and bluster drawing the enraged queen's attention to him. Every last firelizard in the Weyr vanished without any further encouragement, presumably to lands elsewhere... far from the deadly queen.
She snarled at him but remained where she was, wings twitching, tail lashing and sending up waves of sand as below the hatchings toddled and stumbled around, scattering away from their angry mother as they searched for theirs.
It was impossible to tell if she would attack the Weyrleader's bronze for this intrusion or not. He wasn't sure either, and the Weyrleader glanced at his dragon, worried. Yirath was still a gold and a gold could command utter obedience in dragons... if she wanted to kill, she could do so, easily.
Sergeant Sargent
Winderick was not stupid. The blue might not be threatening, but the Queen watching over him was Death incarnate. Whether this blue was calling to him he would have to wait and see. When the blue made his way through the ranks Winderick prepared to move if necessary. As the blue’s head came into view the dragonet looked straight at him and the dynamic between them abruptly shifted. Before he even heard the dragon’s voice he sensed something different. Like a name teetering on the tip of his tongue suddenly spoken, Winderick simply knew.
”Your Pectolath is here, Winderickmine. Come feed your’s?”
He staggered as if blown off balance. Was this really real? His stomach clenched with newborn hunger; however, before he could come to his senses, Yirath’s bellow silenced every thought in his head. Winderick and Pectolath looked up as one as Yirath ended two flits in her massive jaws. Pectolath’s eyes whirled orange and yellow as he stepped in front of Winderick protectively and gave him a gentle push. ”Hurry, Mine! We must get to safer ground!”
Convinced, he nodded quickly and took Pectolath away to be fed, staying close to him the entire time. Once they reached the tables the pair gave the Queen as much space as possible and watched events unfold with similar horror. Pectolath curled around his legs while Winderick leaned over him protectively without even thinking about it. The Queen could kill them both in the blink of an eye, but if they died they would die protecting one another. As the drama subsided relief washed over them both like a wave breaking on the shore. Winderick could not imagine what the Queen was experiencing. It occurred to him that Pectolath might know, but he dared not ask. At present Pectolath prodded him in the stomach with a plaintive whine. Winderick took some meat from the table and set cross-legged on the ground. Pectolath curled around him. Winderick fed him very carefully. He glanced at Yirath as Pectolath gobbled up the meat. “Would she hurt us?”
”It would not be her choice. She is doing all she can to see us off safely but her mind is half-gone!”
Though it was not the sort of reassurance he was hoping for, having Pectolath at his side made him feel secure. Pectolath seemed to take the same comfort from him. “I’m sorry…”
”For what? Pectolath tilted his head. Winderick stared at him a moment, unable to articulate what he meant. Impatient and confused, Pectolath nosed his hand with a warm snort and Winderick handed over another cut of meat, sighing, “It’s just something people say.”
Sharing in the rapturous pleasure of hunger sated, Winderick realized he loved this creature. Yes, love, that’s the thing. That word always sounded corny to him, but love turned out to be not at all like harpers sang. It simply felt right. Right like waking up with the sun on your face and stretching until your knuckles pop. Sensing a stir in the stands, Winderick stood and watched, awestruck, as twin golds tumbled from the massive egg. Pectolath let out a peal of joy for his siblings and struck a broad smile across Winderick’s face. He cupped his hands around his mouth and whooped with Benden pride. As the twin golds searched the girls both fell silent, eagerly watching. As the last two dragons Impressed Winderick nearly forgot about Yirath. He never felt like he was a part of something before. When his eyes caught the gold at last a frown creased his face. Pectolath looked up at him and made a quiet noise of sadness.
Dragonflight Pern
When the last dragonet had Impressed, the queen at last gave a sound of triumph, of anguish, of torment unending and pride ever enduring. It was a soulful, haunting song as she lifted her head and looked to the ceiling, and the sky beyond. Her eyes were white now, no longer grey, devoid of colour, and as she drew those final breaths, her song, her eulogy drifted around the Hatching Grounds, echoing off the walls such that even after she disappeared without a sound, the impression of her weight in the sand still visible, the song echoed for several heartbeats before it began to fade.
The loss of the queen before their eyes drew a keening, humming sound as one from the dragons as they lifted their voices to mourn her passing. She was at peace now, gone with the knowledge her triumphant brood would live. The song she’d sung was taken up by a few dragons at first, their voices quiet amongst the din of mourning dragons, the loss of her rippling out through dragon kind as it always did when a gold went Between but as the keening fell away, the song swelled, joined by humans and dragons alike, although the flits were elsewhere, banished by the bronze.
Grief chased pride and triumph, a complex twist of emotion that rolled across all and for a time, the dragons shared their thoughts abroad. Bruinth stood where he was and gave a roar, one that was loud and commanding, one that promised remembrance. Promised the young would live and in her death learn the importance of life. W’lin bowed to the place Yirath had been, murmured his thanks for the brave gold and her rider, swore in his heart to find the culprit and bring him – and his Weyr – to justice. It was an oath that was echoed in the hearts of many that day.
Outside, the overcast skies opened up and rain began to pour as the remaining candidates were ushered back to their chores or their barracks, and the Weyrlings – so many of them, proud and hale – were escorted to the Weyrling Barracks.
