Search (Searchrider Lennae)

[weaving]

Post here to be searched by Lennae!

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Trulurve was excited. He had a few things packed, he had his confidence screwed up tight and he was raring and ready to go. He just wasn't exactly sure... where to go. How did one go about getting Searched? Generally it was the other way around, they found you, you didn't find them.

He supposed all he could do was be somewhere out in the open where he was easy to see. The solution seemed, to him, to be the roof of his family's house--that way he could still talk to his sister while he waited to see if anything would happen today.

This wasn't the first day he'd been out here actually. The idea had come to him three days past and for those three days, he'd spent hours just sitting around on the top of their home, checking the skies periodically for any dragon flying overhead that he could wave at hopefully.

So far no luck, but that wasn't about to get him down. He knew he would be found, he had to be eventually, either because they really wanted him or because they thought he was crazy for hanging out on a roof all the time. He didn't mind either way so long as he was picked up and given a shot at it.

Of course, what would he do if he didn't make it? If he didn't get Searched for weeks, or if he did but then got turned away once he was in the Weyr? Well, it wasn't his way to dwell on such things. He could worry about that if it happened. But he was determined that it wouldn't. He just knew he'd get lucky this time!

[weaving]

Today is nice. We will find suitable candidates for Millieth’s clutch. The pair flew low over Blossom, alerting the hold to the presence of a dragon. Though the hold had already been Searched, there were always those who were absent the first time around, and with the clutch rapidly approaching hatching time they needed all the candidates that the holds could afford. I think I feel something.

Well, make an announcement that we come on Search then. Hopefully whoever you feel is smart enough to heed that call. Lennae didn’t much appreciate doing Searches, but apparently someone had grown tired of her constantly sulking around the weyr and had assigned her to Search. She had a feeling that Amith had something to do with it. The green was sensitive to candidate material and she had probably mentioned it to someone just to make sure that they got out and actually did something.

Green Amith and rider Lennae approach! We come on Search for the clutch of queen Millieth! Amith let her thoughts broadcast far and wide as she backwinged to land just outside of the hold. Once she had landed, Lennae slid down, removing her riding helmet and looking about at the small group that had already gathered. Do you feel them?

Not yet. I will tell you. Amith’s words caused the young woman to sigh. What if this person didn’t show up at all? Hopefully they wouldn’t be leaving empty-handed, though she wouldn’t mind it. The withdrawel had hit her hard today, though what had triggered it she couldn’t say. It was making her irritable and giving her a headache and half of her wanted to scream while the other half wanted to break down. It was not a good day to be on Search.

“All youth between the ages of twelve and twenty step forward! We come on Search for the Weyr!” She took a deep breath immediately after making her announcement, clutching her hands tightly to try and stop their shaking. The sooner this was over, the sooner she could go and hide in her weyr until it passed. She felt Amith’s nose press gently against her back and allowed herself to relax slightly. She could do this.

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Trulurve saw the dragon in the distance and waved happily at the creature and her rider, gleeful to see one about. If one was nearby, then there was a chance.

When the announcement came he about fell off the roof in his haste to get down there. He made his way to the ground level and ran off through the streets, taking every shortcut that he knew of to reach the spot where the dragon had landed. Far too exciting! If it wasn't him that was being called for then, well, he didn't really want to think about that. It was just too depressing a thought and he didn't deal with depressing thoughts.

He came skidding to a halt once he was within sight of the dragon and rider. He could tell quite quickly that the Searchrider was not having a happy day, taking a few slower steps towards her, looking uncertain and slightly concerned. He didn't forget why he was there, however.

"Hello there," he said with a smile, such a bright, hopeful smile splitting his face nearly in two. He shifted his gaze from the unhappy woman to the green dragon standing next to her, and his expression only grew brighter. It was an absurdly enthusiastic smile. He restrained himself from babbling over the sight of a pretty dragon but only just barely.

"Who is it you're Searching for?" he asked just as a prompt, shuffling his feet back and forth in excitement, not quite realizing that getting his hopes up so high was a bad idea. Really, what would he do if it wasn't him? His poor little world would be crushed. He just didn't think that way, however. To him, it had to be the good ending, it just had to be!

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As the group around them grew, so did the noise, until it became so loud that Lennae thought that she would scream at them all and just leave. Forget the Search. Only Amith’s constant waves of love kept her from leaving right then and there. She waited a few more minutes, jaw clenched tightly, before she allowed the formal Search process to begin. Amith had already been eyeing those who had stepped forth, trying to figure out who it was that she had felt.

That’s him! Amith announced to Lennae with pleasure at the same time that Trulurve spoke. Lennae was quiet for a moment, trying to sort the two voices in her mind. Him? she questioned skeptically, looking the boy over. He seemed too enthusiastic for her to deal with a the moment and she could only imagine the ride back to the Weyr. He’d probably be chattering non-stop, even through /between/. Yes him. Now, be nice.

“What makes you so sure that we’re searching for anyone in particular?” She asked, ignoring Amith's advice and quirking an eyebrow up. A bit of doubt wouldn't hurt the boy. In fact, he probably wouldn't notice, for he certainly was eager about this. While he was certainly hopeful that he would indeed be searched, she highly doubted that he really considered himself a likely candidate. The look on his face when his fantasy became a reality would make her day a little better.

“Alright now, everyone stand in line. Amith will be inspecting you individually. You’ll know if she chooses you.” With that, Lennae stepped back, allowing the green to begin her inspection. Amith dropped her head close to each person, sniffing at them one by one. When she reached Trulurve, her eyes whirled brighter.

You. That one word was filled with promise for the young man. Amith hoped it would make up for her rider’s gruffness. She moved on, inspecting the rest before pulling away, the Search finished. The only one that she had chosen was Trulurve.

“Alright, if you were chosen, please step forward so that I can inform you of what being Searched entails.” He was the only one? Rather than reply with words, Amith sent only feelings of assent, leaving Lennae to brace herself for Trulurve’s reaction.

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Trulurve just kept smiling as they were lined up, as each individual was inspected, as he came up to be investigated like the others. He bounced from foot to foot in excitement, annoying a few of the other people in line near him, but he didn't notice their irritation. Too excited! Too excited! Oh it was so exciting, he had no idea if he would make it or not but in his mind he was so determined to be chosen.

And then that single fateful word. That single You. His eyes went wide and he tried not to absolutely explode but it was not really any use. He managed to hold on until the dragon had finished her inspection of the other folks who'd shown up, and it did not escape his notice that he was the only one she seemed to have singled out. As the others, disappointed or not, started to head back to their business, he finally couldn't contain himself any longer.

"I knew it!" he shouted, pouncing Amith, hugging the green dragon's neck because she was a bit closer than Lennae, not considering that maybe he would get shoved or maybe something worse than a shove could happen. "I knew today would be the day oh thank you thank you thank you!"

As Lennae had predicted, he was not quick to shut up. He just started talking, hanging onto the dragon in his utter glee, apparently quite willing to recount every day in detail for the last turn that he'd spent preparing to be Searched.

[weaving]

Look what you’ve done. Now I have to listen to him the entire way back to the weyr. This is all your fault. Lennae watched silently with narrowed eyes as Trulurve clung to Amith’s neck. The green seemed to appreciate the gesture, though she had to fight hard to keep from flinching at the initial contact. Despite how much smaller he was than her, the green was still rather shy around unknown people. But he’s so nice. Besides, once we get back, you can just have someone else show him around. It wouldn’t hurt you to be nice.

“Congratulations,” she all but growled, plastering a smile on her face for Amith’s benefit more. “Now, I need permission from your parents. I’m assuming they’ll say yes, but I need verbal consent from them. You’ll need to back your belongings. The candidate barracks aren’t very large and we don’t need them filled with unnecessary clutter. Most things can be found within the weyr so pack only what you need.”

Lennae had the feeling that the boy’s bags were already packed out of hope that he would be searched. She should probably tell him that being searched didn’t automatically guarantee him impression, but that speech could wait until they were readying themselves to leave. She didn’t feel like trying to talk over his babblings.

“The sooner you get all of that done, the sooner we can head back to the weyr. Quick now, or we won’t make it back until nightfall and then there’ll be no one to show you to the barracks until morning.” Liar. If it gets the kid moving, who cares? Lennae folded her arms across her chest, her patience wearing thin. Shards, her head was killing her. “And dress warmly. We’ll be going /between/ and dragons usually prefer their candidates alive.”

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He finally let go of Amith, smiling broadly at Lennae, apparently totally oblivious to her general distaste for the situation. "I'm already all packed! My parents have already said yes but I can go get them if you need to hear it!"

And he was gone, scrambling away back down the street, moving at top speeds. With those legs of his, top speeds were fairly impressive. Still, it took him longer to get back, mostly because he was hauling along his mother and father and they were not so willing to go racing off down the streets as he was. He had only a single bag with him, that was all he'd judged he would need after months and months of planning and consideration. He was fully prepared for everything, wearing long sleeves with a jacket to make sure he didn't end up a candicicle during the trip between. Yes, it was quite important he come out intact!

His parents looked bemused when they finally reached the dragonrider, but still generally content and not really annoyed. They were used to their son's antics and they would miss him, even if it would be a lot more peaceful with him off busy at the Weyr.

"Trulurve has been preparing for this day for a turn," his father chuckled lowly. "I'm just glad all that preparation has paid off somehow. You'll come back to visit, won't you Tru?"

"Of course!" he replied with an enormous grin. "I'll be back once we learn to fly!" Already talking as if he had a dragon of his own assured, the boy just couldn't consider the worse alternatives.

[weaving]

“Well, Kemma will have fun with that one,” Lennae commented as she and Amith watched Trulurve run off to fetch his parents. Amith rumbled her agreement, though she was far more amused by the boy’s antics than her rider. It wasn’t long before he returned, parents in tow.

“If you fail to impress, you’ll also be given the opportunity to return back to the hold,” Lennae added, giving the boy a pointed look. To get his hopes up so high was simply asking to have them crushed. Perhaps her words came off harsh, but she didn’t think that it would be fair for the boy to continue this fantasy only to have reality bite him hard come Hatching day. “You’ll be allowed to come to the Hatching if you so please. A dragon will be sent to take you to the Weyr when it becomes clear that the eggs will be hatching that day.” The boy’s parents would help him deal with the pain of rejection that the hatching could bring.

Turning away from the family, she allowed them to say their goodbyes more privately while she busied herself with Amith’s straps, attaching Trulurve’s pack to them and generally making sure they fit right. It was more of an excuse than anything. Families always made her uncomfortable, probably because she couldn’t imagine having one herself.

“Alright! Time to go! Trulurve, just use Amith’s foreleg to boost yourself up onto her back, just like mounting a runner. Don’t be afraid to use the straps if you need to.” She supervised the boy as he mounted Amith, making sure that he didn’t fall and injure himself. She quickly swung up behind him, settling in easily. “Alright, now just buckle yourself in and hold on tight. Take-offs are always a little jerky.”

Gathering herself up tightly, Amith sprang into the air, climbing upwards with ease. Lennae readied the image of Selenitas in her mind for when they reached a high enough attitude. Alright love, when I count to three, you go. While they didn’t usually do that, it would give Trulurve a better chance to prepare for the shock of /between/.

“Okay Trulurve. When I count to three, we’ll be going /between/. Take a deep breath now. One…two…three.” Promptly Amith winked into the cold of /between/. It all lasted about the time it took to cough three times, but for someone who had never experienced it before, /between/ was nerve-racking. Then they were back in the midday sky, soaring above Selenitas Weyr. Home.

“Welcome, Trulurve, to Selenitas.”

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"Mmmhm" was his only distracted reply to Lennae's attempts to warn him of the chance he wouldn't Impress. It just went into his head and got tossed right back out again; he would only be returning home for visits and Gathers once he was a rider, and he didn't need to worry about any other possibility because he just couldn't allow himself to think of that. He had to stay focused and determined and he couldn't do that if he was thinking about failure!

His family nodded a little at Lennae's words, shuffling back a little as she turned, talking with Trulurve quiet. Tru himself was not quiet at all, promising to come visit, hugging both of them with rib-squeezing enthusiasm before he waved them away, watching them go back up the street with another of those brilliant smiles.

He turned back to Lennae and followed her guidance to climb onto Amith's back, almost vibrating with energy and excitement, careful not to slip up or make any foolish mistakes. He had to make sure he made it there in good shape, after all, he would be getting busy right away! Doing what he wasn't sure but he knew he would find something to occupy himself with. And once he had he would give it his all, just like he did with everything, to make sure he was the best candidate he could possibly be. Nevermind that the dragons wouldn't necessarily care if he'd done all his chores on time or had aced all his lessons.

He did his best to prepare himself mentally for between, but it really didn't help very much. He took in a deep breath and almost lost it at the utter cold that he was suddenly immersed in, the strange place that was no place, but by the time it had entirely registered into his shocked mind they were already out. He gasped a little, startled--and then just grinned brilliantly again. He'd gone between! It was amazing and exciting and he couldn't wait to be learning all these things.

He stared out at Selenitas and had to keep a very tight rein on himself; his automatic desire was to lean over to get a better view, but he was sure that would be a very bad idea at the moment. The straps would hold him he was sure but still, he kept his seat and just looked at whatever he could see without starting to shift around on the dragon.

[weaving]

Amith landed gently on the landing platform in front of the candidate barracks. Lennae dismounted first, detaching Trulurve’s pack before motioning down as well. She gave him a moment to soak up the sight before explaining exactly how folks got from place to place. It was, after all, rather different than anywhere else and would probably take some getting used to. It certainly had for her when she first arrived.

“So, the main method of transportation from place to place are boats. It’s pretty simply to figure out, but if you need help, most of the other candidates are willing to assist you. What you need to do now is find Candidatemaster Kemma. She should be somewhere in there.” She gestured toward the barracks. “She’ll get you a bunk, a robe, and whatever else you’ll need. Here’s your pack.”

Good luck Amith told the boy, making up for her rider’s lack of friendliness. While the green didn’t usually talk to others, she liked this boy. He was sweet and well-meaning if a bit too optimistic. He would do will in the weyr. She added a soft croon to her words, eyes whirling peaceful blues and greens.

Lennae gave only a curt nod before mounting Amith. Rubbing her head, she directed the green to their weyr. What she needed now was a nice long nap away from everyone.

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Trulurve nodded quickly as he climbed off Amith again and listened to the Lennae's brief explanation. He would figure it all out with time, he was sure, it couldn't be too hard if everyone used it as their main system of transportation!

He accepted his pack and gave them both a final bright grin. He would have hugged Lennae again but she was already climbing back on Amith and he didn't think he could jump that high, and if he did he might pull her off and that would be a little too much even for him. Instead he just waved at them both with enthusiasm. "Thank you, thank you both so much!"

And then he went skittering away, determined to find Kemma as he was told.