Just over 6� tall, evenly built and used to stuffing firestone sacks, so his musculature is already very well developed. He has remarkably few calloses on his hands though, to look at his hands you�d think he�s a harper. His face is his most impressive feature, he is remarkably cute, with a chin to die for and very expressive thin eyebrows. His skin is reddish tan, his hair is dark and light browns and very fluffy, often around his shoulders. He has small, dark blue eyes and usually has either the beginning of a grin or frown on his lips. He is usually seen in weyr-type clothing of smocks, tunics or just leggings.
Weyr bred and born � son of brown-rider H�rel and green rider Tecor. He is very protective and observant. Hector was made to be aware of the weyr life early on, even though his parents have maintained their relationship during his mother�s green�s mating frenzies. He has had a couple girl friends, but none so deeply devoted than Vayelle. He knows that if they impress the right combination of dragons they may stay together forever� or be torn apart by the emotions of other dragons. Hector is mature enough to take whatever he is given, but he will seek a better way. He is not leadership material, at least in terms of weyr-leadership.
Vayelle - Female, 17
Standing 5�6 with a sturdy build and a strong back. She is shapely without being obnoxiously so, and can be very sexy in a dress � however she prefers not to wear such things because of the work at the weyr. She has tanned skin, with hair almost exactly the same color, and always cut short, with a cute flop of hair over her forehead. Her eyes are darker brown, and are very pretty. Vayelle wishes that she had more chances to have pretty dresses or fancy clothing, but whatever she wears, she tends to look good in it.
She has worked in the lower caverns staff for years, but when she was 15 she was searched. She has not impressed before now, but finally along with her love Hector did at last.
Quiet and defensive about herself, she opens up to people who she believes she can trust. Hector is one of those people, and she will remain by his side with or without a dragon. She is playful around him, even sultry on occasion, but rarely does anyone else see these traits.
"It's a good weyr. I like the look of the dragons here. They're... sleek. Strong."
Vayelle hummed and dragged her finger up Hector's chest to his chin, "mmmmm, like you..." She kissed him and then swept around the room. It was a small shared den, one they'd been afforded only for their candidacy. Neither was happy with the fact that they'd have to split up when or if they impressed -- or if only one of them did.
"A whole year..." Vayelle muttered, as they unpacked. "If it's an impression for either of us. A year... Could you live without me for a year?"
"I won't be living without you," Hector said, folding a formal shirt into a drawer. "We'd still be here together. It isn't like they'd send one of us away. We've both been Searched, after all. If you impress and I don't--"
Vayelle sputtered a laugh, but Hector continued.
"Well, that would give me another season to wait for the next clutch, but there'd be no need to send either of us back to Dawnlight or Blackstone. There is always need for more hands in a weyr."
"Got that right," Said R'gol, the weyrling master of the weyr. "So don't get too used to this nice cushy weyr of yours..." He stood at the doorway, and Hector and Vayelle looked about them. The weyr was just barely big enough for two beds (they'd have to stay that far apart, so said the Headwoman), two dressers and a large desk. The irony of the weyrlingmaster's statement appeared to be lost on him. He ticked his tongue and clapped his hands, "classes start in a candlemark. Let's get going!"
His bellow echoed down the barracks hall, and the pair could hear the groans of the other candidates.
"I don't know what their problem is," Hector said. "Weyrling classes! I mean, candidacy!"
"You're still just as thrilled as me to be here," Vayelle giggled. "That's good. I thought you'd be all stable and boring..."
"Well they only ever had me working with the firestone and cleanup... I never go the chance to sit in on the candidates classes."
"You got to wash dragons all the time," Vayelle reminded him on their way to the class room. "You told me about the blues, and how that one bronze almost squished you."
"Yeah..." Hector blinked and remembered the incident with a flutter of his stomach. It was the only time he'd ever truly been frightened of a dragon, but it was also when he was quite young. "It's a wonder I didn't hide from every dragon I saw since then."
"Dragons like you, Hector," Vayelle pointed out. "The search dragon was really taken with you." They sobered up and gathered their note tablets and pens at the door of the class. The weyrling master and his assistant started the education with simple things which most people should know.
The colors of dragons, their sizes, gender differences... Expectations and requirements... All these things were items that Hector and his love already knew by rote if not by heart. Hector was interested in the tack of dragon riding equipment, but they would cover that in another day's class. Vayelle swore she was waiting to hear about feeding and breeding habits.
"I have heard that queens actually glow when they rise," she asked, during the question session, "is that true?"
The weyrling master mulled it over, and explained in some detail about the pheremones, the skin, and most importantly the telepathic effects of a queen on heat. He was put off by several of the girls in the class who blushed crimson when he spoke of such things. The class was dismissed after another couple more mundane questions. They'd be back again in the morning, and further until the eggs hardening on the sands hatched.
"But if they get like... that... don't you just want to die? I mean, what if it's some old gnarly rider?" Gossiped one girl from the class. Her friend nodded.
"With scars, or a beard? Eew!" They tittered, but grew quiet when Vayelle walked by them. She'd been the one to start the subject, and they weren't about to forget it.
"It isn't as though you'd have to go through it anyway," one of them commented, "I mean, not every green will rise."
Vayelle looked at the pair, and coldly said, "mine certainly will, and with luck she'll be caught by a fine blue or strong brown. But I'd be caught by my Hector no matter who the rider of that dragon is. You heard him, no one MUST mate with the rider of the dragon."
"Except the weyrwoman," snarled one girl. "But if that was me, I'd make sure that my queen was flown by the hansomest, most popular --"
"You talking about dragons, or their riders?" Interrupted Hector. He walked by and took Vayelle's elbow, bowing to her politely. "You'd think the dragon was being flown by a lord holder or something... That'd never happen, ladies... Remember, it takes someone who could actually WORK for a living to ride a bronze or even a brown dragon. Anyone knows that. Well... Most anyone who's dragonrider quality."
Shut down for the moment, the girls clamped their hands onto their hips, and watched the pair go back down the hall. Vayelle snickered privately, and Hector just grinned.
Three greens, their proud mates somewhere nearby, sat or paced near the eggs. Three greens, laying together. A very special clutch indeed! Cracks opened in one egg, and a tiny-tiny blue came out!
He bonded to a girl named Jari. She embraced him, and then an even smaller green came from the same clutch -- it was Starth's. The green looked around curious for a moment, but then went straight to Vayelle! Her little jaunting steps were quite comical.
Vayelle! Vayelle, I am yours! She bespoke. Inside, Vayelle heard her voice and knew her name immeditately. She cried -- this was so much better than any words could express! Hector was proudly smiling, he knew she'd bond, and before him too!
"Her name is Deilvarath!" Vayelle called out, and then hesitated before leaving the sands. Though they were both hungry, Vayelle stopped near Jari and her little blue. Two eggs broke, showing a brown who sniffed up to each boy candidate carefully. He went all the way to the end of the line of boys, and then looked back at Hector. His head tilted, and Hector laughed a little at the way he sat there.
What?
"It's okay, Cioraniyeth," Hector said, knowing that his name would now be H'ctor, "I'm not making fun of you, you're much too grand for that!" Even though the little brown was hardly the size of a typical white at hatching!
One would normally have thought that would be it for these two candidates. Excited, they did not leave the sands as other newly bonded pairs should have. Jari, the other bonder, and the one whose blue found him a moment after Cio's bonding to H'ctor, a boy named T'um, all remained on the sands. There were other candidates, but so far not one of them had been really seriously entertained by the dragons.
A tiny green dragon hatched, and started sniffing at the candidates left. But it looked like she just didn't find anyone she wanted among those present. Then, her emerald head swung around and saw Vayelle and Deilvarath. She bolted toward them.
I thought I'd lost you! Don't scare me like that!
Vayelle stood, stunned, wondering what was going on. She looked at her bond, Deilvarath. "Lost me? I didn't go anywhere Deil--"
No! Vayelle, I'm over here!
She turned her head to see the other, newly hatched green. This was not right, was it? She already heard Deilvarath's clear voice, and then realized that it was subtly different than this other ... second bond!
I do not understand what is wrong, Vayelle, can we not both want you?
She hardly knew what to say. But finally, she looked at the Stands and said "Her name is Tissanalyth." It rippled through the onlookers like a thunderbolt -- she'd bonded TWICE!
Though the people in the stands were in an uproar, several other eggs hatched now. A bronze, obviously sired by the bronze Gorrith, stepped from his shell. He was only the size of a white, but was bigger than all the other hatchlings that had come. The moment that the bronze chose stunned the audience again -- for he chose a girl named Calliope. A GIRL! She suddenly turned to see the green which had hatched out as well, and ... bonded her!
A blue hatched out and finally bonded to Jari, and they almost looked like twins. It seemed she'd have her hands full with these two blues!
Another green hatched, bonding to T'um, yes another second-bond! By now the people left on the sands were getting quite worried. What was with these dragons? The candidates all had the same plain white robes on, so they couldn't be distinguished physically from anyone else.
It was when two more eggs hatched, from different clutch mounds, that H'ctor was again surprised. Two blues, one light and small, the other darker and larger, both rumbled right at him. He clutched Cio, eyes wide. But he smiled. They were nuzzling each other and looked lovingly at H'ctor. Softly, he said, "Hey, there. Y'know, I already have a dragon." But to his chagrin, it was brown Cioraniyeth who came to their defence.
It's okay, H'ctor, they can join our family if they want to. I can share.
Yay! The little blue made everyone aware of his pleasure at having been accepted into the club. I am Nesbith!
I am Mirlanth. Is three dragons too many for you? The darker blue asked. H'ctor knew the dragon's name, knew he would never leave his side no matter what happened. Nor would Cio, nor Nesbith.
"Never, Mirlanth. I will always care for you. For all three of you!" He knew that would be a chore, but then it was one he now relished.
Another brown broke shell and bonded to the already-twice-dragoned Jari. Several unbonded candidates left the sand, in tears or angrily, and well they had a right to feel snubbed. The trio of eggs left opened at the same time, showing off a blue, green and brown.
The blue bonded to Calliope, while the brown looked at the three girls, Vayelle, Deilvarath and Tissanalyth. He approached and asked, Is this a girls only party, or can I crash?
Come! Come join us! The more the merrier! Vayelle laughed, and Deilvarath opened her small wing to allow the brown under it, while Tissanalyth clung closer to her human bond.
"I will love you all just as much, no matter how many of you there are!" She scratched Tissa's head to make her reassured that she was always to be included. "You are welcome, my Garath!"
The very last egg was a tiny-tiny green, bonding to T'um. Then, everyone finally left the bonders to their task of feeding and cleaning their new herds.
The girls who had been in Vayelle's class and so rudely brushed her off were angrily yammering at one another, with tears standing in their eyes. Jealousy was high on their minds too, but to Vayelle, nothing mattered but the soft minds of her new friends.
H'ctor gathered up his pair of blues and brown in his strong arms, and assured them that they would be getting only the best from him, forever!
