lox

Searched...
"I will not have it Loxen. You're the daughter of a Holder, my daughter too, and I will not have you wasted on some..some Crafthall!" Lox's mother told her daughter too firmly, if not angrily. Lox looked at the floor in shame. Her mother didn't have to yell at her in front of all her brothers and sisters. They gaped open mouthed at their mother's words. Lox wanted to join a Craft? What blasphemy, she was the oldest! Of all the children of that Hold, she had the brightest future! They stared at Lox in disbelief, waiting for her next words.
But the words didn't come, instead they watched as their sixteen year old sister's mouth began to tremble, and she stamped her foot angrily and whirled around and raced out of the hall. After a few moments the rest of her family shrugged off the incident and went about their business. Afterall, what was it to them?
But Lox sat in her room, fingering the tiny wooden dolphin that Nallian had carved for her, and vowed that she would find a way to the Dolphin Hall, and join that Craft. She'd always known she was meant to do something more than be married for her family's benefit, she knew she was different. Once she'd heard about the dolphins, that was it for her, that was the future she wanted.
To bad Nallian didn't think to take me with him when he snuck out. Lox thought wryly. She missed her old friend, and often wondered why, when he ran away from his family to go to the dolphins, he didn't ask her to come along. He knew that she wanted to go. Did he think it was just a phase? That the Holder's daughter was just rebelling? And that she'd settle down in a Turn or two? Lox didn't think so, but who knew how Nallian's mind worked.
She remember when she had loved Nallian, and had been heartbroken when he didn't love her back. She had been thirteen then, and foolish. Lox smiled on the memory, those days had been the best of all. Life was all game then, nothing serious ever happened, and the worst day of your life was when you got in a fight with you best friend.
Now it seemed everyone was against her, and that she had no choice in her own life. Her best friend was gone and left, and she was too old for games. Lox felt trapped in her own life, and didn't know what to do. Indecisivness was her worst trait, and she often made a mess of things.... because being overly willful was her second worst trait.
What I would do to just be able to leave! She thought angrily. Take a runner and just go!
Perhaps it was the mood she was in that day, or perhaps it was something that that thought had done to her, but an idea dawned upon her, and she suddenly knew that that's exactly what she would do. Pack up, take a runner, and leave. She immediatly began to make plans.

Later that night....
Lox couldn't believe how easy it had been to steal a runner from the beasthold. No one was watching, and not even a canine came barking at he heels. Even the black runner she took didn't seem to make any noise as she led him from his stall.
Good thing Father made us all learn to ride properly... Lox thought as she mounted the large beast, Otherwise I'd be in real trouble with this one. He's so big! But Lox's choice of runner was well aimed, because this particular animal had a reputation for being obediant and fast. She would need that in the future. As Lox cleared the main gates of the tiny Hold, she urged the runner into a fast-paced lope, and didn't look back at what had been her home for the past sixteen years.
"And may I never have to see it again!" She yelled vehemently as the first canine began to yip with the news that something was out of place.

A sevenday later....
Lox was cold. She wrapped her already torn shawl around her body to keep warm. She couldn't believe how dumb she'd been. What made her think she was in any way prepared to take care of herself? She was Holdbred, and and a pampered girl at that. She had no idea where she was going, or how to take care of herself, and with Thread falling she'd been forced to take 'permenant' residence in a cave she'd found. She'd never get to the Dolphin Hall now, especially since she lost the runner. He'd bolted at the first sign of Threadfall. The area they were in was rocky and protected, so Lox was certain he wasn't hurt, and had probably found his way home. But now she was even more trapped than before, and all because she hadn't the brains to make a simple plan!
Lox decided she'd try to make another fire, although her first attempt had failed miserably, and left her cave in search of some dry grasses. Keeping her clothes wrapped tightly about her, she walked into the open night air. The sky seemed to stretch on forever. Just like a blanket, she thought, but there's no protection there. It's a false security, just like a blanket. A blanket cannot protect you from anything, but it fools you into thinking it can, because it's soft and big and warm.
But as she walked in a fruitless effort to find something that could burn, she had failed to notice how far away from her "home" she was, and when she stopped and looked around, she realized she was lost. Lost in the mountains, freezing, and with no food and no shelter.
Lox had stopped being afraid two days ago, fear got you nowhere. But now she was afraid again. What would she do when Thread fell tomorrow? She realized she was overwrought and was making no sense, but how had she known there would be Threadfall tomorrow? Threadfall was erratic and unpredictable, so how could she know?
Lox stopped suddenly, and felt a chill go through her spine that was colder than anything the mountain air had thrown at her. How could she know? Because she had always known, that's how. She had always known when Thread was going to fall, on what day and what hour. The thought of it scared her, and she tried to shake off the feeling as simple fatigue.
But the thought still plagued her, and as she glanced up at the menacing Red Star, she knew it was true. She had always known when there would be Threadfall, she always felt when it would occur. Suddenly, with a desperation beyond anything she had felt before, she thought,
I have to tell the Dragonriders!

The next day...
Lox had traveled all night, using only her gut instinct to help her find a Weyr. And she had done it, she'd found a Weyr. Well, she hadn't found it, but she'd been close. She'd collapsed of cold and weariness before dawn, a few miles from a Weyr. A dragonrider had found her like that, crumpled and sleeping, and brought her to Tiynarea.
When Lox had awoken, she'd been surprised to find herself in a warm bed, somewhat cleaner and not at all weary. Seeing no one near, she'd gotten up and began to look around. It didn't take her long to realize that she was in a Weyr, and thanked Faranth for the good fortune that brought her there.
As Lox was wondering about, she began to notice that there didn't seem to be anyone about. An empty Weyr? Perhaps they had just stationed her in an empty section? Lox continued to explore, and was quite enjoying herself, until her stomach interrupted, announcing it needed to be fed.
Lox eventually found the kitchens, where to her surprise, several people were preparing a meal. Lox waited in the doorway and cleared her throat. One of the people, an older woman, looked up an smiled.
"You'll be up already then? I suppose you'll be hungry, and what good timing for didn't I just warm up some soup? There now don't look so frightened, I'm the one whose been taken care of you this past day, and I knew you were a strong one. Call it intuition that I've food ready for you now." The kindly old woman spoke so quickly Lox wasn't sure she understood anything until she was sitting at a table, sipping on some delicious, warm soup.
As she ate a young man came striding into the kitchens, joking with the older woman who had fed Lox, and making himself a bowl of soup too. He saw Lox sitting at the table, and decidely went over to sit by her. He made Lox very nervous, and even more so when he began to talk.
"You'll be the Holder's daughter won't you? Loxen?"
"Lox. I'm called Lox." She stated firmly. The man smiled.
"Alright, Lox then." He paused. "I'm V'ran." Lox looked up at him, startled.
"You're.....You're a dragonrider?" She was rewarded with another smile from the man.
"Yes." Then, quickly changing the subject, "What were you doing so far from home? You'd have been dead if K'lot's Etronth hadn't spotted you on sweeps." Lox gulped.
"I...I was looking for the Weyr." The dragonrider didn't look surprised, in fact he looked mildly annoyed.
"Running away to the Weyr. Every rebellious holder-girls ambition. Did you think you'd Impress a queen too?" The dragonrider waved his hand and looked into his soup. "I'll have to take you back you know. But it can wait awhile. Let the Hold's work their groundcrews after Thread. Thank Faranth that's over with, that was an ugly fall." V'ran shuddered, and Lox nodded knowingly.
"I knew it would be." The dragonrider looked at her inquiringly, but suddenly Lox was angry. "What do you mean "every rebellious holder-girl's ambition"? You know nothing about me, or why I was coming to the Weyr. I had no mind to "Impress a queen too", so you can just be polite to a girl whose rank is daughter of a Holder!" Lox finished stoutly. She didn't usually pull rank, it went against her grain, but even a dragonrider couldn't make her feel meak and stupid. If he tried, he would have to know he failed. V'ran, looking somewhat confused by her outburst, began to speak.
"What did you mean when you said you knew this'd be a bad fall?"
"I know Thread. I know what it's going to do." Her voice was shaky now, although still demanding respect for herself.
"You know Thread?" He asked in disbelief. "How...Why?"
"I don't know why! And I don't know how either! I only knew yesterday that there'd be heavy Threadfall today, and that I needed to find the Weyr to let them know." But Lox couldn't figure out V'ran knowing look, nor why he looked so thoughtful and serious all of a sudden. But before she could ask a question, he spoke.
"The Weyr knew yesterday that there'd be Threadfall today. We also determined it would be heavy. Do you always know how the Fall will be?"
"No. No, not always." Lox was confused know, and V'ran looked pleased with himself.
"I know why you sense the Falls! Coacleth said it makes perfect sense. You don't sense Fall young lady, you sense dragons." He let that statement sink in, but it was wasted on Lox because she didn't know what it meant.
"Dragons?" V'ran laughed.
"Why yes, some people hear dragons afterall, why can't some people sense them? Coacleth says you must sense their collective minds, so when they know there'll be a Fall, you know too. It makes perfect sense you know."
Lox sat, stunned. Sensing dragons? Who'd ever heard of such a thing? But the dragonrider had said so, and for that matter so had his dragon.
"I suppose that makes sense..." She began slowly, but V'ran chuckled. Lox looked up at him annoyidly, why did he keep interrupting her? "What now?!"
"Well it's just that Coacleth says that you'd make a fine rider, and we've eggs hardening on the Sands. Coacleth thinks you should give it a try and stand Candidate." He continued solemnly, "Unless of course you've other plans? Returning home perhaps?" But Lox shook her head.
"I'll never go back there, I'm not cut out for the Hold. But a dragonrider? I was planning on becoming a dolphineer..." But the oddness in her voice didn't escape V'ran attention.
"You'd rather be a dragonrider." He stated. Lox smiled, and nodded.
"I suppose I would. Okay then, I'll stay and stand Candidate at