Larede · · · maximize for best effect · · ·
stats :: candidate :: jr.weyrling :: sr.weyrling :: adult :: Beach Shards Weyr :: Quinalt Weyr :: Aprilrain

Larede leaned against her runner, greatfully sipping at the water her brother had been thoughtful enough to bring out. Being only ten, the twins only helped with the less demanding parts of farming, though both chafed at the restrictions imposed on them by their age like any eager holder boy.

Without warning, and nearly making Larede loose her balance, the mare she was leaning against snorted and took two nervous steps backward. Larede put a calming hand on the runner's neck and whispered soothing words into pricked, white-tipped ears that swiveled around to hear what she had to say. She gazed out over the fields, seeing nothing to alarm a runner, especially an even-tempered one like her little bay.

The answer came in the form of a shadow. Larede's heart jumped with excitement. It had to be I'soas! He'd been back two times since they had met, and though he hadn't said when he would be back, he had said that it would be soon. "Rorial!" Larede called to her brother, who came running over. "Take Hashe to the stables." Rorial nodded and, swinging himself easily up into the saddle, left.

As the dragon spiraled down to land in what had become the landing field, Larede noticed, with understandable dissapointment, that the dragon was a green, not I'soas' Maeleroth. She had to remind herself as she walked out that just because the rider wasn't I'soas that she still had to be properly polite.

The green's rider was dismounting when Larede came running up to meet them, throwing "lady-like" to the wind. "Hello!" Larede called to the rider, waving. The rider smiled and waved back, leaving his green to meet her in the field.

"Good morning," he replied politely. "I don't suppose there's room in your lake for another dragon?" he queried.

"Actually, you're the first. Quinalt doesn't have a fall today, and that's usually where the dragon's come from," Larede told him. "Which weyr are you from, by the way?"

"Beach Shards," he replied. "We're a ways away, but Remarth was very insistent that we come here. Said something about good fishing."

"We do have some weird sort of fresh-water fish in our lake. We don't eat them much, they're kind of sour, but the dragons don't seem to mind. We've seen them grow up to three handspan's long," Larede replied.

Remarth had evidently had enough of this chatter, and was flying across the fields down to the lake. "Stubborn thing," the rider muttered.

"Would you care for a cup of klah?" Larede asked politely, tearing her eyes from the magnificent sight of a dragon in flight and turning back to the rider.

"If you'd be so kind to lead the way," he replied. She smiled and they began the trek back, talking about various things that everyone knew about. The hulk of Lake Front Hold was soon looming over them, and Larede led the rider up the steep path to the entrance, joking that Lake Front had obviously been made for flying beasts, not walking humans.

Her mother was already in the kitchen and making klah. It seemed that Redea had some sort of innate sense of when a dragon was going to show up. Perhaps it came with being the wife of the holder of one of the most dragon-frequented minor holds on Pern. "Ah, I see you've brought a visitor, Larede," Redea said with smile. "Klah?" she asked, holding out a cup to the rider.

"Thank you," he replied, seating himself and sipping slowly at the warm klah, hands cupped around the stone mug.

"So," Redea asked, seating herself across from the rider and sipping at her own mug. "What's your name, where're you from?"

Redea suprised many riders with her straightforward manner, but this rider seemed unfazed. "Z'rae, rider of green Remarth of Beach Shards Weyr," he replied smoothly.

"Merry meet. I am Redea, responsible for this sorry excuse of a hold and it's sorry excuse of a Holder," Redea replied. "Merry meet. I suppose you and Larede have already met?"

"Yes, we have. I think Lake Front is a lovely hold. Certainly clear of all unnessecary green and having one of the best bathing lakes, according to Remarth, of all the Holds on Pern."

"Dragonmen," Redea sighed exasperatedly. "All kiss-ups." Her words were harsh, but it was obvious from her tone that she was proud of her hold and the nuance was not lost on the rider, who just grinned.

"So," Larede spoke up, "what brings you to Lake Front beyond a smelly dragon?"

"I'm glad you asked," Z'rae replied. "I'm also a Searchrider for Beach Shards Weyr. We have a clutch on the Sands and we need to find Candidates to Impress it." He gave Larede an appraising look. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone with dragonrider potential, would you?"

"If I did, I don't know how I'd judge it," Larede replied with a shrug. "I suppose my sister, Roima, might. Shall I have her come in here to meet you?"

"Actually, the one who needs to meet her is Remarth. Would you and Roima be interested in accompanying me down to the lake?" Z'rae mused.

"I'd be happy to and I'm sure Roima will be greatful for the chance to escape the fields," Larede replied.

So Larede and Z'rae finished their klah and, after Z'rae had thanked Redea for her hospitality, started down the path. Roima was in one of the closer fields, and was eager to go along to the lake.

Remarth was laying submerged in the water, lidded eyes sparkling like blue green gems beneath the clear lake waters. Z'rae's eyes glazed over as he conferred with his dragon. The green trilled and waded back to shore, water glistening on her hide. She peered closely at each of the girls.

You would make a good rider, a woman's voice that sounded something like Z'rae's filling her mind.

"Did you say something?" she asked the rider, a bit shaken by what she thought she'd heard.

"No, but Remarth did," Z'rae replied. "And I quite agree. Would you like to come to Beach Shards Weyr and Stand as a Candidate?"

"I... I... I don't know what to say," Larede admitted at last, her mind a whirlwind of complications. If she left, how would she get word to I'soas? And Quinalt had a clutch on the Sands too. Didn't she owe the weyr that protected her first choice as to if she Stood as a Candidate? Yet, if she Impressed a dragon, she could go back to Quinalt and live with I'soas.

"Take your time," Z'rae prompted. "It's a big decision."

"I suppose I accept," Larede announced.