Stepren's Past
Pre-Revolution History:Stepren was born to a greenrider at Benden Weyr nine months after the rider's dragon rose to mate for the first time. It was rumored that his father was a bronze rider, but Step never learned which, for he was promptly sent away to Keroon River Hold to be fostered there. He also knew very little of his mother -- not even her name -- only that she had been born a holder's daughter and was adamant that her son be raised with holder values, which she still preferred over the liberal ways of weyr life -- which is why Step was not aborted
between in the first place.
Sometime during early childhood, he came to learn of two additional rumors related to his birth: One, that his holdbound mother had expected to be faithful weyrmates with his father, whose bronze went on to fly a queen according to the man's desire to be a weyrleader, leaving the greenrider feeling betrayed and abandoned; and two, that his mother's dragon had suffered terribly during the pregnancy and birth, not wanting anyone else to occupy the attention of
hers for very long.
Stepren's mother had sent him to the quiet, unassuming hold to prevent him from getting involved with a Weyr, but Searchriders came sniffing there for potential candidates before he was even old enough to walk. They came often throughout his childhood, but passed him over every time.
The boy grew up as an apprentice of beastcraft, raising and training immense draftbeasts to pull plow and wagon. It was the life he would have chosen for himself. He loved working with the other apprentices and with the huge equines, appreciating their strong, yet gentle nature. Part of his craft was protecting the beasts, too. While he was not big enough or skilled enough to take on predators that would hunt the young runnerbeasts, he developed a strong arm and an excellent aim throwing stones to help the older men drive them away.
In the spring of his thirteenth turn, the hold's mares began to foal, as usual. Stepren was present for as many births as he could, assisting some of the mares by himself while Master Vilring and the other apprentices were busy. When one of the maiden mares had difficulty, the boy was right there to help. The foal was positioned the wrong way and could not come into the world on its own. Step tried to right the baby, but it kept slipping back into its previous position. Hours later, the mare was nearing the end of her strength. Step called for his master, who arrived just as the mare gave a final, desperate push while the boy pulled with all his might. The foal slid out into the world and took in its first breath, coughing as it struggled to lift its head.
The foal, a pearl-colored colt, was weak in the beginning, but had such good bloodlines that he could not be left to risk nature's odds. His care was entrusted to Stepren, who enthusiastically committed himself to the little beast. The boy named his charge "Kotha." The colt grew into a fine creature, half again the size of some of his sire's other get. Kotha was able to be trained to haul and plow a full turn earlier than his agemates. At two turns old, he brought in a smashing good deal of marks when he was sold to Nerat Hold to work the fields.
What Master Vilring, whom Stepren looked to as a father, did not account for was the bond between boy and beast. The colt had been almost like a brother to Step, was his playmate and best friend. So the boy was shocked, then heartbroken. Then he was angry. It was during this phase of his reaction that the Searchriders returned to the hold. This time, the dragons sensed a change in him. Whether it was his age, his anger, or some other hidden quality only a dragon could sense, Stepren never knew or even thought about it. When he was invited to Stand at the upcoming hatching at Benden Weyr, Step did not hesitate. Master Vilring was against it, and argued with the Searchrider about something to do with Weyr politics, and the boy's tender age of fifteen turns. But in the end, he was convinced to let Stepren go.
Benden was the Weyr that Stepren's unknown greenrider mother and bronzerider father rode for. At the behest of her fearful, jealous dragon, his mother transferred to another Weyr before Step ever even started to look for her. She had insisted at her departure that no one tell her son who she was or to which Weyr she had gone to. It was no great emotional blow to the boy, as he had never met his mother and had enjoyed his life thus far -- he just had so many questions he'd wanted to ask her! Such as, who was his father? There were so many bronze riders there, and it was tempting too to suspect the odd brownrider who might in some way resemble Stepren. All he had to go on was rumors that he'd heard, or perhaps
misheard, as a small child.
He did not get far in his investigations, for life in the Weyr was busy, especially for Candidates. With so little free time on his hands, Step submitted himself to his tasks. He managed to make a few friends here and there among the other young folks, and while he was not comfortable with all aspects of Weyr life, he did not feel out of place as his mother had when she became a Candidate.
Stepren did not Impress at that first hatching, but after seeing the spirit of himself and Kotha magnified hundreds of times over in the bond shared by those who Impressed and their dragons, he elected to stay and keep trying. He didn't dare admit it aloud, but he was also reluctant to return to Keroon River and Master Vilring after the ill-planned and ill-mannered exit he had executed.
During/Post Revolution History:It was not long after his decision to remain in the Weyr that Stepren personally learned of the recent controversy that had been going on over ranks and the colors of dragons. The colors meant little to him at the time, but he thought it was strange that anyone felt that a system which had worked for hundreds of years needed to be changed. He was glad he'd ended up at Benden instead of a place that had converted to the new way.
When Benden Weyr was taken by the Wherholders, his somewhat indifferent views were hardened into true belief that things should have stayed the way they were. The violence was senseless to the point of obscenity. With nothing but courage and his beltknife, he fell to his most natural response to danger -- protect the weak. In this case, it was a pocket of weyrfolk defending a rider and dragon who were so badly injured that it would have been fatal for them go
between together. He joined them all in fighting back, but they were no match against so many whers and their handlers.
The boy would have fallen to the whers had an older rider not forcibly yanked Step onto a dragon and taken him
between. He was outraged that he should be saved, but not the injured rider. His rescuer, grieved and shaking with barely-contained emotion, bluntly informed him that, even if the rider had been rescued, he would have had to leave his dragon behind to die -- and likely would have committed suicide as a result. There was no time left to prepare a rescue, for Benden was already overrun by the Wherholders. The rider then pointed out that, as an unbonded youth, Stepren had a chance to Impress a strong dragon and fight on in their memory.
Now Stepren is one of the refugees at Trine Weyr, lending his skill to tending and working the draftbeasts that are used in the Weyr's recent farming ventures. At nineteen turns of age, Stepren has Stood for four years without Impressing, and again is reconsidering his decision to Stand. He wonders if he should return home and try to pick up his old, slow, and relatively safe life... assuming Master Vilring would take him back. But the words of his rescuer at Benden have stayed with him, keeping him from making any move. He could stay, and try to Impress a defender who would help him fight to bring peace to Pern. But if he stays in the Weyr to Stand again, would the joy of Impression be worth the possibility of losing his dragon in battle, perhaps even before they ever flew the skies together?
