Aterri was sitting in the lake, shivering. Her wet hair had completely fallen out of her bun and was draped across her face. Her white robes were completely soaked and partly stained from the mud on the lake bottom. She hadn't planned on ending up in the lake, but not much worked out the way she planned. She glared at the three main reasons.
The blue, Jenar, was swimming near her. The brown, Serek, was carefully up and out of the way. The green, Tetia, was dragging the clean clothes that Aterri had just washed back to the lake. Aterri sighed and stood up.
"I don't know why I keep you three. You're nothing but trouble." She carefully made her way back to the shore. She picked up the scattered clothes and dunked them all in the water again, Tetia happily chirping the whole time. She quickly threw the clothes in a basket, before Tetia could knock them out again, and headed back towards the weyr. Ever since she'd been chosen as a candidate here at Alabaster Weyrhold she'd tried to help out. Every time she tried, her three 'darlings' caused more trouble. She finally stormed into the Weyr, wet and misrable, with Tetia, Jenar and Serek in tow.
"Aterri," some boy commented, giggling. "That's a new look for you, very.....interesting."
She glared at the young weyrbrat, hoping he'd leave her alone. Instead she was greeted with laughter from all the weyrfolk who could see her. Slightly bemused, she glanced down at her outfit and remembered what happened to white clothes when they got wet. Her face turned red and she ran to her bunk. As she slammed the door shut behind her, she looked in her mirror. Her white robes were practically see-through. She turned red all over agian and swung at Tetia when she got too close. "Stupid flits." She angrily threw on some new robes and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
She had never thought much of her looks, but then again, what girl does. She had long, brown hair which never did what she wanted it to, and dark eyes. She always wore white. No one really understood that, but Aterri. Aterri's mother was an amazing healer and she always wore white. Aterri hoped to follow in her mother's footsteps, so she copied her mother's dress.
"I'm never gonna live this down." She muttered. Jenar landed on her shoulder and shook himself dry.
Aterri entered the dining hall late, followed by her three flits. The flits immediately took to the rafters, knowing they weren't supposed to be in here, but not wanting to leave Aterri either. Aterri sighed and flopped down on one of the benches with the other candidates.
"Late again?" Wyaren asked, smiling.
Aterri played with the food on her plate. She wasn't really that hungry. "Yep."
Wyaren stiffled a laugh. "Heard about what happened earlier."
Aterri blushed. "I fell in the lake."
Sana smiled beside her. "You fell in the lake? How?"
Aterri glared at the rafters. "Three guesses."
Atana looked up from her meal. "How'd you get three anyways?"
Aterri sighed. "It's a long story."
Atana waited expectently.
"Well, it all started with..." Aterri told the story of her firelizards. At the end she received laughs and smiles from the whole table.
"You most definately have an odd sort of....luck." Atana muttered and went back to his meal.
"So how'd you get here if you wanted to be a healer?" Sana was still interested.
Aterri, still blushing, repeated that story.
More laughs followed and it looked like Aterri was going to get another question when a screech came from the kitchens. The cook and kitchen maids came flying out of the kitchen, followed by Tetia, Jenar and Serek. The three firelizards flew to Aterri and landed around her, picking at her food. Aterri hunched over in her chair, maybe she would disappear.
The cook blurted out her story to the Weyrwoman. "I turn my back for a moment and those beasts come swooping in. Ate half the dessert before I noticed. Got into everything. You should see the mess." Aterri smacked her head down on the table.
The Weyrwoman's voice echoed through the room. "Whose are they?" Everyone was starring at Aterri. She stood up slowly. "I believe you have some cleaning to do in the kitchen." The Weyrwoman finished.
Aterri sighed. "Yes Ma'am." She heard scattered laughter from the candidate's table behind her.
She turned back to banish the firelizards and saw them already gone, with all the food of her plate. She sighed again and trudged off towards the kitchen. "See you back at the bunks Aterri." Someone, possibly Sana, called. "Can't wait to hear about this."