At 20, Ari's chances of getting into the Hall as an apprentice were rare, and yet she made it. She had to learn to deal with being an apprentice while others her age were Journeymen, and some Masters. There was also so much to learn, and although Ari concentrated on her studies and practiced faithfully, a promotion was a long way away. In respect for her feelings, Arial was posted to Bahrain Weyr to apprentice under Journeyman Zenia.
Ari's life changed dramatically one day when at a wine gather in Benden's vintner compound, Jaylen's green Tirianth mussed up her lovely white Gather dress and then abducted her from the party and moved her to the weyr. At Fort, Ari had the time of her life and made many new friends. She vastly enjoyed her candidacy and the pranks that she helped pull. But when the Hatching day arrived, Ari found herself standing on the Sands, alone. Unable to return to Benden and wanting to retreat and lick at her wounds, Arial returned to Harper Hall and quickly buried herself in the archives.
Slowly, ever so slowly Arial's heart healed and her vigor returned. It was while with a fellow Harper turned candidate that she was truly exonerated from the ghosts of her past. They had settled into the galleries together, Ari wishing the young Harper turned candidate well. It was there, regarding the lovely eggs, that Arial had her epiphany and realized that although she hadn't Impressed, she was still useful and vowed to return to her studies.
While on her way to Healer Hall to get some salve for her calluses, Arial's way was blocked by Brown Audath and Green Ryath. Ryath was taken with a young Healer, Aloe, and out of jealousy (or so Ari believes) Audath chose her. Once again, she faced the prospect of standing on the Sands, this time for a different weyr. After much abuse by the Bahrain riders the Hatching day finally arrived and the most perfect blue hatched from her favorite egg. Joy filled this Harper-turned-candidate as a deep voice filled her mind and probed her thoughts. Zyelth had decided that she would be his lifemate.
After a seemingly never-ending stint as a weyrling, Arial and Zyelth finally got to try their wings. The rush, the joy, the effervescent feeling from flying engulfed the pair. Even the less than perfect landings at the beginning couldn't take away the joy of rider and dragon in the skies, together. Ari settled into weyr life well, and even handled her first mating flight admirably, although poor Zyelth didn't walk away the victor.
Fate knocked on her door and Ari accepted the knot of an Assistant Weyrlingmaster in time for Bahrain's massive clutching, where all four of Bahrain's queens (Fabrinath, Sirikith, Zivath, and Aerinth) inhabited the Sands at the same time. Lots of eggs meant lots of candidates and lots of weyrlings. Ari and Zyelth certainly had their hands full, but they survived and even more miraculously, they kept their knots and position.
A rather unexpected result of the large quartet hatching was the fact that Bahrain's riders were forced to move south. Xanadu Weyr became their new home, and with the move, Ari accepted a new position of Weyrsecond. Helping coordinate the move between the two weyrs stressed Ari overly much and it wasn't long before she passed the knot onto Kym.
Ari's lack of a private life was never much of a concern for her. After all, she had Zyelth and well, she never lacked for short-term partners. Long-term personal relationships never seemed to suit her, and Ari's one attempt at one with N'hn, rider of green Ecariath, proved her theory that she wasn't suited for the emotional restrictions of a long-term commitment.
Tapped as Fuji's wingsecond by Rivka, Ari now splits her time between the weyrlings and her wing, her duties keeping her quite busy and content. She even has time once in a while to relax in the Great Hall, unless there's a proddy greenrider present, but then, no one can really relax with proddy riders.
Ari's had another surprise added to her peaceful life. Her young nephew Thanial has joined her at the weyr in hopes that Ari can beat some sense into the boy. It seems that he's behaved badly given the freedom of a caravan and so now must contend with his demanding aunt and her lifemate. To make things worse, he's been Searched by Xanadu's senior weyrwoman, Elisa, much to Ari's and her nephews chagrin.
Thanial is no longer a large blight on Ari's otherwise peaceful life. The trouble-maker was fobbed of to Xanadu Hold as a Nanny, much to Ari and Neteen's delight and Nial's dismay. Since her nephew failed to Impress at Xanadu, the rider breathed a thankful sigh of relief and vowed never to complain that her life was dull and boring. She still has stewardship of the young man, but now he's someone else's headache. What does Neteen get out of the bargain? Who knows.
Nial didn't rusticate long in Neteen's care, and much to Ari's relief, he was Searched by Fort Weyr and subsequently Impressed green Riaeth. Pitying Fort for their newest acquisition, she turned her attention to her growing need to start a family. Enter Ky'rin, Arial's new weyrmate, and not long after Kyrian, her pride and joy.