hadenydoan

You wouldn�t believe that two brothers could exist who were more different than Haden and Yiodayn, especially with only two turns between them. Everything from how different they looked from one another, down to the type of music they liked, was completely opposite.
Haden, the oldest, was taller, less muscular, and looked something like an acrobat. He had shaggy blonde hair that was always falling into his face, and startling blue eyes that seemed to carry a warning more than a welcome. He kept to himself a lot, and preferred the intrigues of learning and education, and didn�t really enjoy the complications of other humans.
Yiodayn, born to the same set of parents as Haden, was very different. He was short, stocky, with a body built like a draft horse. His muscles showed through his clothing, muscles grown that way from years of conditioning. He had long, dark hair that he always tied back and dazzling brown eyes. He was somewhat vain about his looks, although he was definitely �less handsome� than his brother. Yiodayn never really took to learning, and pursued entertainment through the social circles of his family�s hold.   He was constantly surrounded by female admirers, and male enviers. But even through all his popularity, Yiodayn still looked up to Haden, and worshipped him as all younger brothers do their older male siblings.
With this said, it is also fair to say that the boys were completely opposite in temperament as well. Haden was impatient, moody and determined. Yiodayn was an outgoing, sympathetic person who had no evidence of a temper. Yiodayn also drifted through life, never really making his mind up about something until the end. Haden was constantly trying to push some self-discipline on his younger brother, but Yiodayn also responded with a silent, affectionate refusal.
Despite their obvious differences, the two boys shared one thing in common. The overall desire to become dragonriders. After all, much of their family had been Searched, a few had actually traveled to the Weyr, and a few of those had even Impressed. Even with all their parents� cautioning about getting their hopes up, and to settle on a future that was less chancy, the boys still turned to dragons with full hearts and minds. So when Haden was eighteen, and Yiodayn sixteen, it came as no surprise to either of them that they were Searched.


Haden was sitting in his room, whittling on a piece of wood he had found down by the lake. He had entire stockpile of small wooden pieces, and whenever he felt lonely, or he needed to think, he would come up to his room and carve things from them. Usually they turned into dragons, but today he was making a boat. How he hated boats.
He thought angrily about his �girlfriend�, Nalia, as he carved large chunks away. The fardling girl had played with him, led him on, when she was really trying to get closer to Yiodayn. Oh why didn�t he see it? How could he have been so dumb? He had let himself love her, want her, need her around, and she had just left him! He wasn�t mollified even a bit by the way Yiodayn had cursed her thoroughly for what she did to his brother, and settled to ignoring her. Nothing would make it right.
Haden told himself he shouldn�t keep trying to open himself up the way he did, he was just inviting trouble in. When the right people came along, he would know, and let them see the real him. But until they did come, he was better off not trying to chase half-witted, pretty girls around the Hold. Fardling Nalia, he couldn�t believe it.
�Hey Haden!� A voice called to him from down the steps. Haden ignored it, and continued to carve his boat. Unfortunately the boat was turning out to look more like a spoon, but that was alright, Haden knew it was a boat. He carved another large chunk from the side. �He-ey Ha-den!� The voice called again, Haden heard footsteps running up the stairwell, and tried to prepare himself for Yiodayn�s cheerful face. And just as predicted, Yiodayn entered smiling and looking quite goofy.

It took Yiodayn just a second to realize something was wrong with his brother, and another second to realize what that something was.
�Hey Haden, you�re not still upset about Nalia are you? Com�on Hade, that was yesterday for crying out loud. It wasn�t that big a deal, Nalia was a stupid wherry, and she�s gone now.� Yiodayn crossed the room to stand closer to his brother. Haden had stopped carving the whatever-it-was, and was staring out the window. Poor Haden.
�It�s not like that Yeed.� Haden replied, softly and sadly. Yiodayn was unsure how to comfort his brother, so he merely stood there, letting Haden know he was around.
�Hey Haden, it�s not as bad as you�re taking it to be. Nalia�..� Seeing the look on his brother�s face when he mentioned the girl�s name, Yiodayn quickly covered it up. ��.She wasn�t worth it. I thought you knew that going in. I thought you wanted a casual relationship with her. She�s not the type of girl you settle down with.�
�Of course I know that now.� Haden answered, looking at his brother. �But how was I supposed to know that then? She was kind, and pretty, and funny. I like funny. I thought I could make it work with us. I�ve never met a girl like her before.� Haden looked off into his own little dreamland, until he shook his head angrily and turned back to his whittling. Yiodayn sighed, somewhat annoyed, and continued.
�Never met a girl like her? You�ve never met a girl period. Haden, she was the first woman you ever really tried to start something with.� Yiodayn waited patiently for his brother to explode. Haden hated being proved wrong, especially when he was in a bad mood, like now. Yiodayn had come to expect Haden going off, and prided himself on his ability to stand it and calm his brother down. But Haden didn�t explode; he didn�t even refute what Yiodayn had said. He just sat there, staring wide-eyed out the window. Yiodayn hoped he wouldn�t cry, but remembered his brother never cried, so immediately disregarded that thought.
�Haden?� Yiodayn asked, cautiously. He�d never seen his brother like this, quiet and sullen when he was angry. He didn�t know what to do. �Haden?� He asked again, touching his brother�s shoulder.
�Dragons.� Haden answered, and Yiodayn crossed his eyebrows at his brother.
�Dragons?� Was his brother going mad?   Haden pointed out the window, into the view of the courtyard below.
�That�s what I said half-wit. Look, down there! A dragon just landed in the courtyard.� But Yiodayn had already seen the green, and was already at the door.
�Well come on �half-wit�! Maybe she�s here to Search us!� Yiodayn teased, and bolted down the stairs. Haden turned, and looked out at the dragon, stretching her wings as her rider dismounted. She turned her head, and seemed to look right at Haden. Haden leaned back involuntarily and the dragon crooned. Haden smiled.
�Maybe.� He whispered to no one, and lept up to follow his brother.

By the time Haden caught up with his brother in the courtyard, the dragonrider was already talking to their father. Yiodayn was standing in the shadows, just within hearing distance. Haden snuck up to his brother. They knew that if their father saw them hanging about, he�d tell them not to bother the dragonrider, and send them off on some chores. They couldn�t risk getting to close.
�What�s she want?� Haden asked his brother.
�Shhhh.� Yiodayn whispered, pulling Haden�s arm closer to him. Haden took a step forward, and leaned over so Yiodayn could say something in his ear. The whole childishness of the situation made Haden want to laugh, which was really a good thing, seeing as he had been very distraught over Nalia. �She hasn�t said yet, she�s just introducing herself, and her dragon!�
�And?� Haden whispered back. Yiodayn grinned.
�Her name�s Brenna, and the green�s Nikath.� Haden jumped up.
�But they�re Searchriders for Beach Shards!� He exclaimed, as Yiodayn hushed him. Too late, their father and the greenrider Brenna had turned to see them in the shadows.
�Boys! Get out of there and introduce yourselves properly to the dragonrider! In all my days�Lads are so rude now, much ruder than when I was growing up! Boys.� Haden and Yiodayn walked up cautiously from their �hiding� place, closer to the dragonrider. Their father hadn�t told them to get lost, so maybe it wouldn�t be to bad.
�Good day dragonrider.� Haden was the first to speak. �I�m Haden, first son of the Holder Alchhameed and his Lady Oridena.� Haden bowed respectively and the woman, Brenna, smiled. With something of a mocking manner, she bowed back to Haden.
�Good day Haden, I am Brenna, rider of Nikath.� Haden grinned warily at her, and Yiodayn pushed his way forward.
�I�m Yiodayn, second born son of the Hol��
�They�re brothers full.� Their father, Alchhameed, interrupted dryly, and Brenna grinned.
�So I figured, they look something alike.� With that statement both Yiodayn and Haden exchanged glances. They looked nothing alike, not in the slightest, so this rider must be half blind not to notice.
My rider is not half-blind! A voice shouted in Haden�s mind. And from the look on Yiodayn�s face, it had shouted there too. Both boys looked in awe at the green dragon, sunning herself in the courtyard. Had they really heard the dragon speak? To them, no less? Yiodayn refused to believe it, and Haden was in complete bliss from hearing the dragon�s voice.
Well, that�s a bit better. Maybe you'll realize now that it's not your faces she was talking about when she said you looked alike. The voice said tarly, and neither of the brothers heard it again. Yiodayn looked at Haden, who nodded in wide-eyed agreement. They definitely heard the dragon that time! They took a step closer to the dragon and her rider, and ignored the menacing looks their father threw their way, warning them not to disgrace the Hold. Given all this, Brenna�s next words came to no surprise to them.
�I know this may shock you a little, but Nikath thinks both of you boys might make good Candidates for the clutch we�ve got back at Beach Shards. It is kind of sudden, but I think I agree with her. What do you say? Would either of you like to go?�
�Absolutely not!� Their father declared. Both boys turned to stare at him. He glanced at them angrily. �I�ve only the two sons anyway, they can�t both go! And if one goes, the other will stay here, jealous and upset, and I won�t have that!� Yiodayn began to plead with his father, and Brenna stood about, looking uncomfortable. But Haden kept his calm, and realized that both he and Yiodayn were grown, and didn�t have to listen to their father anymore.
�Searchrider Brenna, Yiodayn and I would love to join you at Beach Shards.� Those words set of their father roaring, and Yiodayn smiled and stood by his brother. A few minutes later Yiodayn and Haden were aboard a flying dragon, watching their shouting father below. They each held the other�s hand as the dragon winked, taking the boys for their first trip, between.