"I wonder how Kiya's doing." Roden seemed to spend all his spare time worrying about Kiya now. He'd finally 'won' her and now he was scared that she was going to disappear, fade into the woodwork.
Oshieru, Roden's blue flit, seemed to roll his eyes. The creature may not know how to speak or even understand the words that Roden was saying, but he'd heard Kiya enough times in his short lifetime to know that Roden was going to go on for quite a bit.
"She's not really used to a lot of manual labour...maybe she's hurt. I'd better go and make sure..." The Harper headed towards the door to the boys candidate halls. The girls' rooms were just down the hall.
Oshieru cheeped and grabbed at Roden's tunic. He dug his claws in and pulled back. He sent his master pictures of the Weyrlingmaster.
Roden sighed. "Oh yeah...him..." The large man had already 'escorted' Roden out of Kiya's room once or twice before. He didn't really get the fact that Roden was hopelessly in love.
Oshieru climbed to Roden's shoulder and rubbed his head against his master's cheek. Even if he didn't understand love, he understood that Roden needed sympathy.
"What am I going to do? I can't go this long without seeing her..." Roden lay on his bed, glad that all the other male candidates were absent. He liked to mope by himself.
As if in answering his question, a loud drum sounded, it's beat pounded through the rock corridor. Roden, being a Harper, was versed in drum beats and half-heartedly listened to the message.
Oshi curled up on his chest and began to make a deep rumbling noise, much like purring. "Huh..." Roden didn't pay the message much heed. "The eggs are hatching." He continued to stroke Oshieru and stare at the roof. It took all of thirty seconds for the actual message to sink in. "Gah!" He jumped out of bed, starbursts exploding in front of his eyes. He collapsed leaning beside his bed for a moment, letting the blood return to his head. Oshieru cheeped loudly and angrily, obviously upset at having been disturbed.
Roden leapt to his feet again, slower this time and grabbed his candidate robe. He threw it on as he ran for the sands.
Just as the humming became almost too intense to bear, the first egg cracked open. It was a beautiful bronze who easily chose his mate. Roden smiled. Bronze first means good tidings. He anxiously shifted from foot to foot as he watched the next egg crack. The little queen surprised everyone, not waiting for a dramatic entrance, but hurrying out of her egg...and to Kiya. Roden's heart pounded with excitement and happiness for her. I knew she'd impress the queen!! She is a queen! She's a goddess! She's... His thoughts were interupted by a tiny voice within his mind.
She's great, but what about me!! At Roden's feet, a tiny frosted bronze sat looking up patiently. Do you love me too? His eyes were so hopeful.
For the first time since he'd met Kiya, she wasn't in his mind. Roden's thoughts were entirely filled with the tiny miracle before him who'd actually spoke to him. "Shempath?" He asked, almost nervously. "Me?"
I don't see anybody else standing around here. The bronze was obviously anxious to get fed. Just tell me you love me and let's eat!!
R'den laughed. "I adore you Shempath!!" He hugged the bronze quickly. "Let's eat."
Now you're talking my language. Shempath led the way to the kitchens, a misty-eyed R'den close behind him.
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Read R'den's candidate story!
R'den impressed Shempath at Mountain's Note Weyr.
Oshieru's picture is from Dark Moon Weyr.
Background form Enchanted Backgrounds.
