L'spen and Treth's record
Green picking or pipe making? "He's incredible," I thought to myself as I watched the young man tie the cut reeds together. I had been watching him for the last half an hour as he selected reeds, cut the correct lengths with his belt knife, and tied the whole thing together. Now, as he raised his new set of pipes to his lips, I was pleased to hear a lively tune. "That's quite amazing how you put it together so fast," I complimented him, "but how would you like to help the rest of us gather greens like we were sent out to do?" The beaming smile on his face from the compliment was replaced by the sudden realization that his project had taken a bit longer that he had expected, and he had only a couple handfuls in his sack. "I know, I know. But those reeds were perfect for pipes. Haven't seen reeds that good for a while." "So," I started to ask as we both now gathered greens, "if you're so good at making pipes, why aren't you at the Harper Hall?" Instantly defensive, he responded, "What! And have them turn me into a harper? No thank you. I'm going to be a dragonrider. Been planning it my whole life." "How long is your whole life?" I couldn'tt help but tease him. "About 16 Turns - give or take a month. My name's Lyspen. What's yours?" Introducing myself as Kirina, the record keeper, we exchanged the usual, how did you come to the Weyr, and what are your plans etc. Lyspen was about average in height. His green picking was constantly being interupted by his hand pushing the wavy locks of brown hair out of his eyes. On one of those occasions, I caught a glimpse of his blue-grey eyes. Lyspen came from a hold near Tillek. Always admiring the dragonriders from afar, he had been thrilled the day the blue landed near his family hold and asked for him on Search. Before that, he was pressured to apply to the Harper Hall, and various traveling harpers begged him to come apply his talent. Now in the weyr, he filled odd jobs while he waited for the eggs to harden. "So, what clutch of eggs are you to stand to?" I wondered aloud. "There's a clutch at Snow Valley Weyr right now, and they've been asking for candidates." Our conversation continued for a while as the whole group finished filling their sacks. "Well, looks like we're done. Let's head back," Lyspen suggested.
Hatching Day Lyspen watched in admiration as each egg broke revealing the soft, wet, dragons eagerly searching out their lifemates. Of all the stories he had heard of this moment, they all paled in comparison to the feeling of being a part of it. First a bronze, then a blue and a green, and then they all seemed to hatch at once. Lyspen's eyes traced each dragons path to its chosen rider while his fingers nervously twirled his pipes suspended from his belt. More and more hatchlings paired up with dazed candidates. What once was confidance that he would Impress was slowly beeing broken down as hatchling after hatchling never looked in his direction. Then, there was the little blue dragon that hatched and sat - not moving an inch, but looking around nervously. The next hatchling out of his shell was a bronze that nearly knocked him over. Carefully, the bronze coaxed the blue towards Lyspen and another candidate. Speachless, Lyspen witnessed the blue chose his mate. Satisfied, the bronze turned towards Lyspen. "My name is Treth." A feeling of love and acceptance swept over Lyspen (now L'spen) as he crouched to greet the tender bronze.
Bronze Treth
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