Walano is sixteen turns old, and is just short of 6 feet tall. He is built long and lean, with a strong, even body and long legs. His hair is strawberry blond, and he has light tanned skin, with brown eyes. His hair is lightly curled, and often in his eyes. His voice is still quite sweet, though it has dropped several notches.
Walano is innovative, using tools to his advantage, and learning about how to use things from watching. He had been quite playful as a child, but as his parents and young sister left him alone in the world, this has receeded into the background and is rather painful for him to think about. He wants very much to play again. He is very cute, physically, and enjoys the attention he gets from the girls, but he is rarely serious about a relationship.
Walano wishes that he could fly, if only to take away the pain in his heart. He has dreamed of soaring into the skies as long as he has been Searched. He has told stories of Impressions, dramatic flights, and such. His long term goal is to become a weyr's singer, quite an honor.
Should he Impress, his name will shorten to W'lano. He believes he does not deserve a bronze dragon, they are so impressive and massive and somewhat intimidating. He hopes to Impress a brown, they are sturdy and sensible. But what he might need most is a blue, a dragon to bring the best out of him again, and make him truly happy. He will wait and see, and write sad songs in the meantime.
She hunted around the cothold, scooting goats away from the garden while doing it. Then, she finally spotted the red-haired Walano, moping as he leaned against a tree.
"Walano, the search rider is here. Don't you want to go to Istabitha's?"
"I don't know," he replied. "What if I don't impres?" He struck at the ground with a stick.
"What if you do?" Mama Tani asked, quietly. She knelt beside the boy, and pushed her silvering-black hair behind her shoulder. "Oh, Walano, go there and try at least. You know that none of my children has ever not made it. My fosterlings have just as good a record of impression as my own flesh and blood. And you are so much to hope for in a candidate! You're handsome, and smart, and sweet..." She kissed his forehead.
"But I'm a Harper," he said, looking at the ground. "And don't Harpers just sing about these things?"
"You can be both," Tani said, "I assure you. You should be both! I am certain that the weyr will have a harper, or at least a recordskeeper. You could continue your singing while tending a dragon. That has never stopped anyone from singing..."
She nudged the teen with the back of her hand, and then stood. "Come, Walano. I have copies of your ballads in my records room. I will teach my fosterlings how to sing about ... everything you teach. Now, go find that search rider. I will have your things sent along."
She shooed him up, and grudgingly he stretched out, dusted his rear off and looked over the cothold, at the head of the dragon which was resting in their courtyard. Just so casually, the white dragon named Picketh glanced at Walano over the peaked roof of the cothold.
The eyes! How clear! Stunning! Walano suddenly began walking as if entranced by those eyes. Finally standing below the dragon, he looked up at the pale skin of him and finally dared hope.
"Let's go," B'nir said, patting the side of the white dragon. "It is you today, and another tomorrow, I think..."
Walano nodded, and climbed up to the dragon's neck, then settled in for the ride to Istabitha's Weyr!
Shocked, W'lano looked at the wonderful eyes of the hatchling and nodded. "Let's go show everyone how much we love music, eh?" They left the sands a pair, W'lano's heart in his throat! He'd impressed! And a bronze at that!
Mama Tani would be so happy with him!
