Welcome to Gaia! ::

Daimon had decided to take a tour of the Weyr as well, although he was being somewhat more energetic about it than his sister, running between places with some enthusiasm. "Ha! This place is huge!" he said, coming back to where Astri was standing. Meanwhile, Rowan was busy befriending the Weyr's occupants. Or, rather.. the furrier ones. He was currently fascinated by a stray feline that he was slowly charming into coming out of its hole. After giving his younger brother a worried look, Daimon turned back to his twin. "Beats the Hold by a mile. Hey, do you think we'll really get to ride dragons?" he asked her. He wasn't sure what to think about their becoming Candidates. Right now, it felt a little hard to believe. In less than a month, so much had changed. He gave another quick glance towards Rowan to make sure his brother's back was turned, then said to Astriana, "Hey, you know, I was thinking.. Dragons can talk in your head, right? If Rowan impressed, his dragon could tell him what people are saying. He'd be able to communicate with anyone he wanted." And Daimon would give up a hundred dragons of his own to give his brother that kind of liberation.

R'yn normally didn't approach candidates. Being Weyrleader within a Pass meant he was constantly busy, constantly preparing, constantly making sure as few lives were lost as possible. His free time, what little he had, was spent with his Weyrmate and daughter, Tiry. Sometimes though, the occasional burst of conversation would hit his ears, and he would pause. Dragons talk in people's heads? That was dismissed as typical candidate chatter. They would learn about that in classes with their Weyrlingmaster, T'rel. The first lessons always focused on strengthening the dragonic bond. Wait. Someone named Rowan? And the boy speaking seemed to be familar with him. Huh. Dragons communicating for someone?

That was awkward. He would have to ask Lavi to explain that dragons only very rarely spoke to anyone but their riders. They wanted someone to Impress: someone who couldn't communicate on their own? That was impossible. Oblivious to the real reason the boy, whoever Rowan was, could not Impress, he made his way over to the two candidates.

He wished Ticene was there. She would've known their names. She kept track of the ins and outs of the Weyr. Surely she would've recognized these candidates. He wasn't sure how to address them. "I couldn't help overhearing," he began, "But you think a dragon would be able to communicate for someone?" While it was true that dragons often got messages to other riders quickly during Threadfall, the message-game during Weyrling classes had proved that to be impractical. Even dragons became confused!

((R'yn is displeased that he's been described as an old man. xD He says he's twenty two!))

Was he a rider? It was somehow nice, to not be recognized and immediately named by status. He glanced at his shoulder knots. Ahh. These must have been the candidates who had just arrived. "I am," he said, flashing the boy a smile. "I'm sorry for interrupting," he added, feeling the need to apologize a second time. "Its true! Dragons speak to their riders telepathically. Often, to other dragons. Rarely to another human, unless their rider is weyrmated." The boy seemed particularly interested in this ability. R'yn had personally been interested in discovering what between was like, before he Impressed. He'd been Weyrbred, and had never left the Istan sands. It had been a treat to be able to do so!

"You seem especially interested in that ability," R'yn wondered aloud. "Any particular reason why?" He glanced towards Rowan, and for a moment, his expression became closed. Oh. Oh dear. The boy was about Ionan's age, he supposed, a bit older. But from the way he signed, R'yn had no trouble diagnosing him. The boy was deaf. And these candidates--they undoubtedly wanted their brother to join their candidancy. He was too young: and he could not permit a child with a handicap to attempt Impression.

The very idea felt like murder. "I see. Does he have a firelizard? I can arrange for him to--" he'd noticed the gold firelizard on Astri's shoulder. No need, then. He'd been about to offer an egg from Zara's most recent clutch.

Astriana looked over when she heard an unfamiliar voice and quickly wiped away the tears still lingering on her cheeks. Then she put her 'mask' back in place while her brother talked to the man. She listened to the two talking, occasionally stroking Caelia's head, waiting until Daimon began speaking to Rowan. She bowed softly to the man before them, telling from the way he carried himself that he must be important.

"Yes, my little brother does have a firelizard, it was one from Caelia's clutch she had not too long ago. Thank you for the offer, however, even if you did not finish it,"Astri spoke politely. She had great respect for people in power, knowing many of them earned those positions.

Astriana watched him talk about his dragon and could tell he was talking to him for a moment. She wondered what it was like to have that kind of connection with a dragon, it must be really cool. She was quiet as he spoke, internally smiling, not seeing anything wrong with the man. He also seemed to speak with authority, so that added to her belief that he was one in power. Then she heard him say something about a dragon not picking her brother.

"I hope you do not find me rude for asking, but why would a dragon not want my brother? I think he is very intelligent and very calm. He is a little hesitant, but that is because of our parents, I am afraid. They never cared about us,"Astri explained. Why had she told him that? She figured it was something he needed to know.

Astriana listened to the other's explanation of a bond between a dragon and future rider, she found it fascinating a dragon knew who their rider was when they hatched. She wondered if they could sense something or if it was just some kind of instinct. She started to wonder what kind of dragon would want to be with her, someone who had trouble opening up. Then she heard the last part and she had to turn her head to hide tears that were threatened to emerge. So her little brother couldn't have a dragon? It didn't seem fair, though she supposed the life of a rider could be dangerous. She looked over to her brothers, knowing her brother Daimon would not take this well at all.

"I guess I can understand, but it just seems a shame he can't impress. I guess I just figured he would be able to, since he can do so much else. And you don't have to look nervous around me, I respect you because I can see you are a leader. I am pretty good at reading people. I am cold, but mostly because I am scared,"Astri told him, feeling she needed to tell him that..maybe to get him to understand. She didn't look at him, not without her 'mask' in place.

Astriana looked up with her 'mask' back in place, when he said there was someone around her brother's age. She wondered if Rowan would like a playmate his own age, she would have to ask him. Then she felt surprise as she heard the man say he was the Weyrleader. Se knew he was important, but she never would have guessed he was one of the leaders.

"Couldn't you let my brother impress, make an exception? Or are you worried he will be hurt because he can't hear danger?"Astri asked. She couldn't say the same worry had not come across her own mind on more than one occasion.