CERICE
Candidate At MoonCrest Weyr
She reaches over and shuts it. "I thought Harpers were a bit more loquatious than that."
"Uh, usually... When their ... subjects are more ..."
"More what, normal?" She smiles, and the world spins again. Her green eyes are fixed on you, and she pushes her pale blond hair over her shoulder. "Shards, I don't think I want to be normal. I get too much done this way. Don't you think?"
You would follow her anywhere. And you tell her so.
"But I don't want you anywhere, I want to be on a dragon. I've tried being a harper, I dance, you know." She spins once, with a grace that would agree with her statement. "But my mother was caught in Threadfall, and now father is alone. I know that I could fight it."
"But your skin!" You blurt out, "it would--"
"It would get scarred? Of course it would." Her eyes narrow, and she looks at you differently. "You know, I met a very strange man. He told me that he would love to have my skin."
"Well, it's beautiful..."
"No, he wanted to HAVE my skin. Like ..." she shuddered, "he was going to TAKE it from me. My father chased him away. But I knew that he'd be back."
She leans on a table's corner. "Perhaps I want to have scars, just to keep that madman away from me!"
You gulp, and hope that she never has to deal with either that crazy person, or thread fall marring her beauty!
About 16 Turns old
A candidate at Moon Crest Weyr
An apprentice Harper (but does not practice any longer, since Searched)
about 5'10" tall, and built slender but strongly
Has milky pale skin, which is obviously her pride. She does not seem to care that it will become tanned and leathery, or even scarred! Her eyes are blue-green, and her hair is blond, cut fashionably shaggy, and goes to her shoulders
She wears closely cut burgandy clothes, a gown with a snug corset and no sleeves.
Then the dragon descended to the ground and lit upon a wide courtyard, where others at the cothold began to gather. Mutterings and children's excited shouts were drowned out by the dragon's cheerful bellow of greeting.
The rider got off his back, and dropped with ease to the ground, brushing dust from his riding leathers.
"Greetings to you," he said, "I am J'layle, and this is Moonvith. We've been passing over head on our search."
Search! The very word sent shivers down most spines, and then ...
The dragon turned his blue head to look at Cerice and her father. His eyes whirled a color of grey-blue, then brilliantly sapphire.
You will be one, the dragon bespoke to the young blond woman. You will be a good rider. You have conviction and sense.
Cerice gasped. She'd been searched! And after so much pain that her father had endured, it seemed that this alone was going to alleviate it. The smile on his handsome face reminded some of the older folk in the cothold that in his prime he was considered one of the best catches of the area... But there was only joy in his eyes for his daughter.
"Oh father," Cerice said, "this is how I will make you proud!"
"You have already," he replied. "You go and pack your things. I will arrange to have the harper hall told of your Search."
Cerice ran into the small homestead and gathered her clothing, a set of pipes for playing, and her writing gear. It was more than most, but it was less than a richer Holders daughter would ever have had.
All Cerice wanted now, was to get on the sands, and become a rider.
"Where are we going to, anyway?" She asked of the rider, J'layle.
"Moon Crest Weyr," he told her, as the blue dragon rose into the air. "We have a small clutch, but it's going to have good candidates and that always means a successful hatching. Have you ever been to one?"
"No," Cerice admitted. "I'm a dancer. I've been to Holds and parties, but nothing like this!"
She held on to his waist, tightly, and with the thrill born from a first experience, they went between to the Weyr!
A brown came from the egg, and Cerice grinned to herself. A good solid color to come first. That was a fine way to start.
She noticed a green hatch, but that was purely on her way to the golden Queen egg. She had to admit, even against her will, that there was a small shred of hope that she'd Impress this queen. But then in the bustle two more eggs broke, a blue and green. They both Impressed their choices and Cerice bit her lip.
This was a small clutch, after all. What if...
The golden egg began to burst, and finally did so! She glanced over all the girls, and went straight to someone else. Cerice's heart about broke. She could hear people commending the choice, but of course there was always a bit of jealousy among the girls when a Queen did not choose them.
The newest egg to hatch was Green, though, and all the remaining girls headed over to crowd around her! Such an attitude, Cerice thought. But a much clearer thought came to her mind.
I am Ceveth, and I am hungry! She bespoke Cerice! There was a deep need for food, in there, but there was also an abandon, a desire, which could be put onto fighting thread, flying into the skies, or anything else Cerice could think of. This passionate dragon was hers!!
Cerice unloaded all her sobbing right at the start. This was to be a long, loving relationship, and she didn't care a wherry tail that she had to get up to her elbows in gory meat or oil or even ashes and Threadscores to keep it up. This was how it was meant to be!
"You will make my father very happy," Cerice announced to Ceveth. "And you will make another person very very unhappy."
You sound like that is a good thing, my rider? That is odd, I thought people and dragons would make everyone happy.
Cerice allowed the dragon's mind into hers, so completely that Ceveth suddenly understood, worried, and even shared her rider's fears and pride about the strange man who wanted her skin as a trophy.
We will never allow him near us!
You have beautiful skin too, Ceveth, but when we battle Thread, it will get scarred up. Are you afraid?
I am not afraid of anything! I am hungry!
Cerice continued to feed the ravenous dragon, until they were both happy.
