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Being a boy, Salael was quickly discovering, was not as easy as most of the men she'd known made it look. First of all there was that annoying Tydeia who kept sending her coy glances. Not only annoying, but incredibly emberassing. Did she really look that much like a boy?
Second, there were certain things expected of a boy that Salael wasn't prepared for. For example, they were expected to get right to work in the stables at the crack of dawn while the women made the morning meal. To Salael, who had never been allowed to do any real work in her sheltered life, this was torture.
"Did you sleep until the midday meal where you came from?" one of the other stablehands asked as he walked and Salael stumbled half-asleep out to the stables.
Salael made an attempt to keep her weariness from her voice. "No. I'm just... tired from my long journey. It was quite a long journey from the stables at the main hold, you know.
The other stablehand chuckled. "Well, tired or not, you'd better get used to waking up this time in the morning. Ol' Yetad expects it of it."
Yetad, the Stablemaster, evidently expected the same of himself as he did of his stablehands, for he was striding along, looking as if he'd slept for a day. "I see," Salael sighed. Was this really better than what she had left?
Whether it was or wasn't, Salael didn't have much time to think about it. One of the runners screamed and a few others answered. The stablehands exchanged worried glances. "Dragons," Salael's companion explained, and then started running towards the stables with the other stablehands.
Dragons? Salael automatically craned her head and gazed up into the sky. Indeed, there was the large form of a dragon seemingly suspended in the air, long wings extended as she, somehow Salael knew it was a she, floated down to the ground. "C'mon Salel!" someone called, and Salael tore her gaze from the dragon and ran towards the stables.
Though it was only one dragon and one quite high up at that, all the horses, except for Vazire, who had been raised around dragons, were spooked, some rearing, some shivering, some shrieking, others neighing nervously and pawing at the straw on the floor of their stables. "Why are they so afraid?" Salael demanded as she tried to calm a sandy colored gelding.
"Don't know," one of the stablehands shouted back from where he was trying to restrain a stallion intent on demolishing the stables. "Never seen runners so scared of a dragon!"
"They must have some reason!" Salael replied, wishing dearly for some sweetner. The gelding she was trying to calm would not be calmed, he was too spooked by the dragon.
The dragon suddenly trumpeted from somewhere low above the stable, and any progress made towards calming the runners was lost. They all began screaming, and even Vazire gave a little nervous neigh.
Yated stormed out of the stables, muttering something about dragonriders. Salael knew he must be talking to the dragonrider, and she strained her ears to hear what they were saying above the screams of the runners.
A few minutes later, the door opened. But it was not Yated who came through. It was the enormous wedge-shaped head of a green dragon. Stablehands backed away from runners who were now so spooked they were beyond help.
Foolish runners, a woman's voice remarked disdainfully. I'm quite full and not interested in their scrawny little carcasses anyway.
Salael looked around to see who had spoken and had the strangest sensation that it had been the green. But why would a dragon be speaking to her?
Well of course it's me, the green scoffed. Who did you think it was?
Salael took a step towards and then away from the green's head, not sure what to do. Should she talk back? Was she supposed to be hearing the green talking to her?
Why not? the green asked. You are a very interesting person, girl. Yes, I know. A dragon doesn't look at the outside. Quite a convincing disguise though. I'll have trouble convincing my rider that you're going to Stand as a Queen Candidate.
Queen Candidate? Salael's mind reeled. Did that mean she had been Searched? Was this a Searchdragon? And how in Faranth's name was she supposed to talk back?
Same way you're doing now, the green urged. Just think words, not thoughts.
Salael tried it. Like this?
The green crowed happily, making everybody in the stable but Salael jump. Perfect! Now, come my rider that you're really who and what you are. We have to be getting back to our Weyr soon, and you're coming with ups if I have to drag you between in my teeth!
That option didn't appeal much to Salael, so she followed the green outside to where Yated and the dragonrider were still arguing. When they saw Salel, they both fell silent. The greenrider's eyes glazed over.
"Nikath says you would make a good Queen Candidate, boy," the greenrider chuckled. "She says you're not what you seem."
Salael's eyes flicked to Yetad, wishing he wasn't here to hear this. "I'm not. I'm Lady Heir Salael of Sarizva Hold."
The greenrider's eyes danced. "Prove it."
Salael unbound her hair and combed it out a bit letting it fall around her face as it once had. The greenrider let out a gasp of suprise. Salael just smiled.
"Salael?" the rider breathed. "But you're... they said you were murdered a few days ago..."
Salael shrugged. "Obviously, I wasn't. I faked my death to get out of that horrible Hold. And don't you dare try to make me go back!"
The greenrider chuckled. "Not a chance of that, Salael. You've been Searched, and since you don't want to return to Sarizva, I'm guessing you're accepting the Search."
Salael opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a loud shriek and then the bang of stable doors as Vazire trotted out to protect her chosen rider from the dragon. "As long as Vazire can come," Salael chuckled, throwing an arm around her runner's neck.
"I don't think she'd allow us any other choice," the Searchrider chuckled. "By the way, I'm Brenna, Head Searchrider of Beach Shards Weyr. I suppose Nikath didn't bother to mention my name?"
Salael chuckled. "Nope, although she did mention many other things."
"I don't doubt it."
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