A Candidate's Arrival

[Akira]

Akira sighed, and held Blue close to her chest as she stood there, staring around her at Trelis Weyr. She nodded her head slightly when the little blue flit sent her a mentle picture of something small surrounded by something huge. Your right Blue, this place is huge. Her voice was soft as she spoke to the little flit. She had been to the Weyr a couple of times before, and every single time she had the same feeling that she had now. Blue chirped contendedly as he climbed up Akira's shirt, wrapped his tail gently around Akira's neck. His favorite place was on Akira's shoulder withhis tail around her neck, just like he was now. He wasn't sure about why they were here, but he didn't really mind as long as he could take a quick napon her shoulder.

[Lark]

Zalanth's wings beat down as he landed on the Weyr Bowl's smooth rock. He had just departed after dropping off His and the girl they'd found to go eat. Now, he was done and back, with a little croon the blue dipped his head down toward his rider. Oh K'torLoveMine! What a fine day this was until we had to tell her. Loraketh has even clutched MyLove. This should be a day to celebrate not to be all sulky. Come on little one, even you should look happier! K'tor swatted the light blue hide, not playful in the least.

"I'm sorry Loba...if you need anything I'll be around, just have Blue come find Snow." The huntyre in question raised is silvery wings and ruffled the feathers on them. A plume mixed with blues and whites fell to the ground drifting slowly on the Spring Breeze. "Zalanth tells me that our Senior Queen just clutched though. Come and have breakfast with us, we can talk to the Weyrleaders about what you'll do after." Moving to give the girl a slight hug, the blue rider smiled warmly at her face.

It wasn't easy to lose one's parents, K'tor knew that. He had lost both of his parents in a wing practice when they'd collided mid-air. The startled dragons had betweened to avoid one another without thinking of where to go. Closing his dark brown eyes briefly, the young man opened them again and reached up to pet Zalanth's head.

You will like it here, give it time. Would you not be excited to hear that you may impress soon? Won't you like your own dragon? I see something in you little one...so does your blue friend. Pointing his tail in the direction of the little firelizard, Zalanth turned to his rider. Oh K'torLoveMine, can't you tell? She'd make a great rider! Smiling at Loba, K'tor put his hands on her shoulders. "Congratulations, you just have been searched."

[Akira]

Akira turned her head to watch as the blue dragon that had brought her here returned. She turned her head away from the dragon and his rider when she heard the large creature crooning. Her arms were once again at her sides as she gazed around her. She turned and gazed at the blue dragon when she heard his voice in her mind, telling her that she should be happier. She raised her eyebrows as she stared at the dragon. Blue raised his smaller blue head and trilled curiously as his multi-faceted eyes swirled a bright green when he heard his name. Alright, thank you sir. Her voice was quiet, and respectful as she spoke to the man, ignoring the dragon's earlier comment about being happier.

She nodded when she heard K'tor tell her that a dragon clutch was on the sands. Which in her mind meant that she actually might have a chance to have a dragon of her own. She nodded her head in response to the man's words. She was actually hungrier than she was letting on because she hadn't had supper the night before, and had skipped breakfast because of K'tor and Zalanth's arrival and their bad news. She let the man hug her, but made no move to return the gesture. She just wasn't in the mood for affection, which was actually the norm for her.

She narrowed her eyes on the rider when he closed his eyes and started petting his dragon. There was something about this man that had Akira's curiosity rearing it's ugly head up. She turned her head and gazed at the blue dragon as she listened to his words. Alright, now she was just down right confused. What could a dragon and a flit see inside of her that she doesn't already know she has? All this talk about impressing a dragon was starting to annoy Akira when she felt K'tor's hands on her shoulders, and heard his words. I've been searched? The thought rang through her head, and just wouldn't go away.

Blue ruffled his wings when the larger blue pointed to him. He chirped playfully at the large dragon and turned his faceted gaze on Akira. She gazed at the little creature, and wondered what would happen to them now. They've been searched, and from what Akira knew that meant that they would learn to be a candidate for a clutch of eggs, in this case, a queen dragon's clutch. She turned and gazed up at the dragon rider, wondering what would become of her now.

[Lark]

K'tor could tell that Loba was not understanding Zalanth and his meaning until he outright said she had been searched. At that moment different emotions warred on her face. "Hey, don't worry okay. Right now we're going to get you to the breakfast to get something in your stomach. Then I'll show you where the candidate barracks are, we'll put away your things, and I'll even give you a tour." As candidate master it was his job after all to make sure they all learned and understood what to do.

Zalanth crooned as well, adding his own tone of comfort. Yes, yes K'torLoveMine, we will show her where to go. Her and the pretty blue flit, he reminds me of...well...me! They are wonderful, I am certain she will be a great rider, I see it in her, don't you My Love? Shaking out his wings, the blue sat down on his hind legs and curled his tail around his feet. The darker, dusky blue hue to his underside was more evident now as he raised his head up to the sky. I will go see Loraketh now K'torLove. She deserves to have many dragons come and praise her on her new beauties.

K'tor snapped his head to the blue dragon. As long as she doesn't see you as a pest. You know how clutching golds can be. Loraketh may be normally kind and certainly a lady, but you know how she can get. The blue rider thought back on the gold's hatching. He had been there when it had happened, and the sight of that gold was so much different than the one that usually occupied Loraketh. Shaking his thoughts away, the blue rider went to usher Loba toward the kitchens. It would take some time though to get there. "So, tell me, how much do you know of dragons?"

[Akira]

Akira stared at the rider indignantly when he told her not to worry. How could a girl who had just lost her parents, and then been Searched on the same day not be worried?! She lowered her gaze to her hands, which were now crossed in front of her. Akira nodded her head when she heard him tell her that they were going to the kitchens, her short, dark brown hair bouncing with the motion. Blue trilled happily when the larger dragon said that they looked alike, he felt as though it was a praise whenever anyone said anything about him looking like a dragon. Why, Akira didn't know, but that's who the little flit was. She watched, a little confused, as the dragon sat down on his haunches. She had never seen a dragon do that before, but she realized that she hadn't really seen them doing much.

Akira turned her head back away from the dragon, and let her mind wander. She wondered what it was like to be impressed to one of those large creatures, or any creature bigger than a flit actually. She tried comparing the way she felt when she had impressed Blue to what she thought it might feel like to impress a dragon, or a wher, but then pushed the result from her mind. How could impressing a flit be anything like a wher or dragon? The question was a mental scold at even attempting to compare the two things. She started walking with K'tor, and raised her head to look at the rider when he asked her a question. Well...um...I don't know much really. She did it again. She had heard so many stories about the beautiful creatures from her parents that she actually know quite a bit really. It just wasn't in her personality to be forth-coming with that knowledge.

[Lark]

K'tor smiled and nodded his head. So, he'd have a lot to teach the candidates probably then. Looking at her, the blue rider thought for a moment. What would a simple lesson be? One that was short and easy? Perhaps you should tell her about the colors K'torLoveMine. Or maybe what impresses to what? Zalanth crooned as he beat his wings to gain altitude. The lightly colored blue was soon in the sky, and K'tor shaded his eyes as he watched the blue circle the rider and newly named candidate.

"Well, there are six colors. The golds, or Queens, are in charge. They impress to heterosexual females mostly. Bronze dragons, sometimes called Kings, impress generally to heterosexual males. Occasionaly a bisexual male will become one though. They're second in command. The browns are the middle ground of the Weyr. They impress to hetero or bi males. Occasionaly a homosexual female. Blues like Zalanth come next, they impress to the same people as browns basically. It's easier for a homosexual or bisexual female to impress them though. Then there are the greens. They go to any sort of girl or homo or bi males. They don't clutch, but they're wicked fast and uselful against thread. Whites don't have a gender so they don't fly or chase either. They're the smallest, and yet some of the smartest. Not quite as much as bronzes or golds, but much more so than let's say a certain blue I know."

Snorting, Zalanth flew low over His' head as he heard the blue rider talk. LoveMine, I am smarticles. I'm telling you, I am smarticles too! Rolling his eyes and laughing, K'tor looked at Akira again. "Seeing as there are no Queen eggs from what Zalanth says, you'd probably impress to either green, brown, blue or white. I won't ask your sexuality, it's not any of my business. You should have a good idea now though of what you're capable of getting."

[Akira]

Akira turned her head from the rider as they walked. She turned her head and watched as the blue dragon lifted himself into the sky with his powerful wings, and started to wonder what it would be like to fly with one of those magnificant creatures. Blue chirped, and started aimlessly flapping his wings. He wasn't trying to fly, he was just flapping his wings. Akira turned and watched Blue with a mix of curiousity, and exhasperation in her eyes. She has had the blue flit for quite a while now and he still found ways to suprise her. When Blue felt he was done, he neatly tucked his wings back close to his body, and relaxed once more on Akira's shoulder.

Akira turned her attention back to K'tor as he started speaking. He was telling her about the differant colors of the dragons, and what they impressed to. This much she already knew, but she wasn't about to say anything to the man. She listened to him quietly as he spoke. She knew that the golds were the queens, and bronzes their kings. She knew that browns were the middle men of the dragon world. She also knew about blue's, and greens, but didn't really know much about the white dragons though. A small smile crossed Akira's lips when she heard what K'tor said about his dragon. She wasn't a very big smiler, so this was actually a pretty rare occurance. Blue on the other hand was just chirping away, feeling a little indignant about what the man had said.

You see, Blue thought the man was talking about him, but when Akira gentle stroked him, and reasured him with a mentle picture of the larger blue dragon, he quieted, and resumed his relaxation on Akira's shoulder. Akira flinched a little when she saw the blue dragon fly low over his rider's head, hoping that he wouldn't hit her. She looked confusedly at K'tor, wondering what was so funny. She turned her head, and gazed at her feet as the two of them walked. So there wasn't a queen egg, which meant that Akira would definately impress one of the lower ranking dragons, like a green, or a white. This didn't really bother Akira so much as the fact that she would never be able to tell her parents that her dream was finally coming true.