eroyik

Eroyik was the middle child; two sisters above him, and a brother and sister below him. He was constantly trying to live up to expectation. His older sisters were unpredictable and fiercly independant, and his father encouraged him to follow in their footsteps. But at the same time he was being adored and copied by the two younger children, so his mother told him to be charming and well-behaved; so the younger children could follow his "good example". It was no wonder by the time he was 13 Eroyik suffered something of a personality crisis.
HIs father introduced him as "there's my boy. Strong-willed that one, and headstrong. He's got a mind of his own, that's for sure......"and while Eroyik took pride in his father's words, he knewe they weren't true. However, his mother introduced him as "my good son. He's so honest, and so well-behaved. He's the manners of a true gentleman....." Eroyik felt good when his mother bragged about him, because she never talked about his older sisters with anything good to say, but her words lost their meaning on him, because he knew they weren't true either.
In truth, Eroyik was an easy-going lad, and had quite the sense of humour. When he wasn't trying to be strong willed and independant, or well-behaved and mannerly, he took on an air of seriousness which he applied to all matters of life, including his humour. Although he helped the other boys pull pranks and play jokes, he was naturally a very responsible person. He had a knack for leadership, and an insatiable urge for teaching others, especially children. So when his voice changed and he developed a nice tenor, it was no surprise that he was taken by the Harper Hall.
Away from the pressures of parents and siblings, Eroyik was allowed to nurture his own personality, and all his previously listed qualities rang true. He as serious and responsible, but in a light-hearted kind of way. He was especially adept at making hard-to-understand information easy for the young children to learn. He soaked up his lessons easily enough, so by his third year in the Hall he was almost ready to walk the tables and become a journeyman. Almost.

"Hey Yori!" A voice called down the corridor. "Master Pesh wants to see ya' in the instrumant room right away!" Eroyik wrinkled his nose at his un-asked for nickname, and yelled back to Baloren.
"Coming! Just give me a minute to find my....."
"I'd hurry if I were you Yor, he sounded fardling man!" Baloren's interrupted, and then his footsteps could be heard retreating back down the hall. Eroyik rumaged through the pile of clothes on the floor, searching for his belt. When Master Pesh called, you always made sure you looked presentable. That had been the very first lesson Eroyik had learned in the Harper Hall. Master Pesh was the one Master standing between him and becoming Journeyman, and Eroyik didn't know why. Ah, there was his belt. Eroyik fastened it as he ran out the door. He raced around the corner hallway, and stopped breathlessly outside the door of the instrument room. He took a minute to compose himself, smoothing the wrinkles out of his tunic, and straightening the loose strands of his hair. But before he went in, voice came out of the room. Rather than interrupt, Eroyik waited quietly in the hall, eavesdropping if you will.
One of the voices was definately Master Pesh, and Eroyik wrinkled his nose at the voice of the close-minded Master. But Eroyik couldn't identify the who the other voice belonged to. No matter, it was Pesh who was speaking now.
".......lazy, incompetent. No real talent in any field, shiftless to add. Well, you'll see what I mean when he gets here." Eroyik gulped, were they talking about him?
"I don't know..." The strange voice answered. "He seemed good when I watched him this morning. Perhaps you've incurred this about him at a wrong time?"
Pesh snorted. "Every time is the wrong time with that lad. Arrogant child if I ever saw one, and his breeding's not that good besides...."
"What do I care for breeding? That's completely irrelevant."
"True, true." Pesh agreed. "But be you a Holder or a drudge, there's no excuse for laziness."
"I'll mark you one that." The stranger's voice seemed more agreeable with Pesh now, and Eroyik wondered who the stranger was. After a long pause the stranger suddenly spoke up. "Does he have a short name he goes by? The one he's is quite a moutful."
"No." Pesh answered grimly. "I've heard some of the other lads call him 'Yor' or 'Yori', but he views their terms of endearment as an insult to his arrogant pride." So it was him they were talking about afterall. Eroyik wasn't very shocked to her this coming from Pesh, but was this how everyone saw him? No, he decided, although he didn't know why. But the stranger's voice seemed concerned now, and dissappointed.
"Lazy you say? And arrogant? And you're sure this isn't something you've inferred by accident?" Eryoik got the sense Pesh was nodding. The stranger sighed in a sad way.
"As if to prove my point, notice how he's not yet arrived? I sent for him a decent amount of time ago, and he should have been here by now. He listens to no one, another classic show of disrespect...."
"I see...." The stranger passed judgement on Eroyik then, and in Pesh's favour. Eroyik whirled around and left, not bothering to honour the request for his presence. He didn't need to deal with people like that today. He had enough troubles to deal with as it was. He decided he shouldn't go back to his room, he'd be too easily found there. Instead, he headed outside. He would go to the stables, and visit the runners. They had such a soothing presence.
He could not believe Pesh! Eroyik fumed at he stomped outside. How dare that man tell all of this to a stranger, someone Eroyik didn't even know. Eroyik had done nothing to the Master, and deserved nothing of what the Master gave back! But a sudden question, that hadn't truly entered his mind before, stopped him cold.
Who was that stranger?
Suddenly Eryoik screeched and backed up against the wall. His heart beat faster and his breath came quicker. There was a dragon next to the Harper Hall! Eroyik had never seen a dragon before, so his fright was in good cause. The blue beast regarded the scared boy with an even stare before turning his head around and yawning. Eroyik watched as the huge creature stretched his enormous wings, and re-situated himself comfortably on the stone. After a few more moments Eroyik decided he had no reason to fear, and let go of the wall.
But he couldn't bring himself to go to the stables, not with a dragon in front of the building. He stood quietly by the wall, regarding the creature with interest. He figured that the stranger talking to Master Pesh had to be a dragonrider, or someone the rider had conveyed. But then where was the rider, and who was the stranger? No, I think that man is the rider. Eroyik watched in awe for several more moments, and thought. I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life.
Why thank you youngling. It's not every day people find a blue dragon lovely. Eroyik heard the voice in his mind, and stared directly into the dragon's many faceted eyes, which were whirling quickly with a slight humour. But as the blue turned his head, Eroyik decided he'd been imagining things, and noticed that several other people, mostly boys, were scattered about the yard, watching the dragon too. I guess it's time to go now, before one of 'em tells Pesh I was out here gawkin' at the dragon instead of in where I was supposed to be. Eroyik snorted. If only I could decided whether or not I was responsible to Pesh. That man had no dignity, no brain, no..no orignal thought in his entire mind! Eroyik fumed, and let it run out of his system. He was not a rash lad, and by thinking fouly of something for a few minutes, could generelly clear any thought-blocking feelings that would interfere later.
Eroyik sighed. Life was life, and there was no getting around it. Everybody had problems. Eroyik had one last, lingering look at the blue dragon, and walked quickly to the stables, not looking back once.
The stables were situated on on the middle of the "mountain" between Fort and the Harper Hall. They were easy to get to, like climbing up a gentle hill, and had a small tunnel leading out to the top of the "mountain". The top was surrounded by good a good grazing pasture, and the entire stables were built "in the round", to make the most efficient use of space. They housed a scant number of runners, most were kept in the newer building closer to the main Hold. Eroyik never failed to retreat to this building when he needed time to think. But before Eroyik could start his climb to the place, a voice called out to him.
"Wait bo...Eroyik! Wait!" Eroyik whirled around to see himself being chased by a tall, strange-looking man. He immediately recognized the man's voice as the one who was talking to Master Pesh, and decided he must be the dragonrider. As the man drew closer, his shoulder knots only confimred this.
"Yes dragonrider?" Eroyik asked, slightly impatient, but with great dissappointment in his voice. The dragonrider looked confused, and unsure, but seemed to shrug it off.
"You've not kept your appointment with Master Pesh." The dragonrider said evenly.
"I had no reason to answer his request." Eroyik said just as evenly. The dragonrider raised an eyebrow and Eroyik knew he was only reinforcing the Master's unfair convictions. Eroyik bowed his head slightly. "With all due respect sir, I overheard the Master's comments about myself. I felt no need to honour his request with such harsh-spoken words at my disfavour." Eroyik watched as the dragonrider smiled slightly.
"Well said lad, well said." Eroyik, bowed his head with mock pride, and smiled slightly. The blue rider chuckled. "I'd say you aren't what the Master described you as...." The dragonrider's face suddenly contorted and seemed to be concentrating on something on the ground. After a moment Eroyik realized he was talking to his dragon. He waited patiently for the dragonrider to be finished. Eroyik watched as the rider's mouth lit up in a sly smile, and he nodded. "Merrenth says he told me that to begin with, and must I listen to everything I'm told......" The bluerider rolled his eyes. "Dragons. So full of advise....." Eroyik was trying to figure out what the dragonrider wanted, and the man obviously noticed the boy's scrutiny, because he slapped himself on the forhead and apologized. "How stupid of me. I"m K'var, rider of blue Merrenth." The dragon warbled, causing the boys in the yard to scatter behind available cover. Eroyik laughed, and waited for the bluerider to continue. "I'm here on a Search, and Merrenth has said you are the object of my Search. I wanted to meet you in person first, because Harpers tend to want to stay Harpers, but what would you think about joining us at Dark Moon Weyr?"
Eroyik's heart caught in his throat, and he looked past K'var to the blue Merrenth. The dragon was regarding the pair steadily, but he seemed to be nodding his head, as if encouraging Eroyik to say yes. Eroyik couldn't think. Thoughts and emotions cluttered his mind, and all he could think was that this was the perfect way to get away from Master Pesh. Eroyik shook his head to clear away the thoughts. But they didn't stop.
Okay, I've been Searched. Should I go to the Weyr? I mean, who wouldn't want to Impress a dragon? But what if I don't? Can I come back here to make a career out of Harpering? Or would they not want me back? Or, what if I don't go? Will I regret it later?
Enough with the questions youngling! Eroyik looked right into Merrenth's eyes, and knew it was the dragon speaking to him. Do you want to go to the Weyr?
Of course I do! Eroyik mind-shouted to the dragon. He felt a slightly approving feeling coming from the dragon.
Good. Then we'll go. You'll make a good dragonrider. The dragon then crouched in the position to help his rider mount. Tell K'var your decision now, and don't be all day about it please! Eroyik nodded and gulped. He turned to K'var. The look on the bluerider's face told Eroyik that he knew the boy would go. K'var smiled, and then Eroyik smiled.
"You know, I've never liked nicknames much. I suppose I'll have to get used to being called something, ah, shorter if I Impress." K'var's smile turned into a face wide grin, and Eroyik couldn't stop the feelings of joy, doubt, pride, and hope from welling up within him.