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Post by weaving on Nov 10, 2008 1:12:48 GMT -5
Post here to be searched by Lennae.
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Post by antinanco on Nov 28, 2008 23:46:32 GMT -5
Today was an unusual day. The first deviation from normal routine came with the odd occurrence that Pasine was outside. Usually she highly disliked being outside. She didn’t mind the dirt and animals as some would think, but rather the way everything was sprinkled across the landscape rather haphazardly, as if no thought had gone into building the complex ecosystem. At least inside there was some sort of plan, some sort of logic to the way things worked.
But today, as mentioned before, was unusual. Pasine had again failed at creating the intricate weavery that had been ordered and had felt perhaps if she tried something completely unorthodox then her creative juices would finally begin flowing.
After three candlemarks of sitting in a windy field, all she had managed to make was an ugly olive scarf. Sighing, Pasine neatly folded the half-finished peace and placed it next to her on the mossy slate. She had originally thought it was a good spot for cultivating creative juices due to the way it overlooked almost the entire meadow of swaying grains, but so far all she had cultivated was a wet butt.
Pasine pulled her knees towards her body and nestled her head on bony caps, quietly humming off-key the entire time. Music had always appealed to her with its neat, orderly meters. Unfortunately she had a horrible singing voice and didn’t wish to stray to Harper Hall to learn an instrument. Well, at least she hadn’t when her mother had brought it up. At the time she vehemently believed that her place in the world had been in her mother’s Weaving workshop. Now she wasn’t so sure, but the opportunity was long gone.
Her watery grey irises stared out into the sky. The heavy cloud cover hung forbiddingly overhead, currently matching her eyes. It looked like rain. Pasine didn’t wish to be rained on. Even if she started back towards the Hold now, the storm would catch her before she reached safety. If she couldn’t create her own juices, the least the world could do is dump something wet on her.
Pasine hummed until she got to the part of the song she forgot, then started all over again. Today was an unusual day indeed.
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Post by binker on Nov 29, 2008 18:31:14 GMT -5
Neikolai was, as always, hard at work. There were always scrolls to read and re-write, things to organize... The young tyrant of the Records Hall was never left without something to do. Why would he laze around when there were so many things waiting for him? However, not everyone shared his dedication; as the hours went on, the archivists trickled out of the halls, looking forward to a hot meal. Still, it was hard to ignore Neikolai's look of disdain that was shot at their departing backs, silent disapproval washing over them. But most didn't feel bad.... They, unlike him, had /lives/.
It was a silent Records Hall that awaited Zaqx as he bounded in, hair tousled and his whole appearance in sloppy disarray. So much different than his brother, trim and proper and cold as he carefully copied faded words on to a fresh page. He was lost to the world, stuck inside his place of words... But Zaqx was determined to change that.
"Neiko-Bean!" If the shrill voice hadn't messed up his work, the sudden weight on his back would. Neikolai nearly toppled out of his seat even as he tried to shove the arms wrapped around his neck away, irritation building quickly inside of him. "ZAQX!" That was his cue to let go, and Zaqx obediently released his elder brother, dodging the fist swung at his face as he raised a bag; his peace offering.
"Come on, Neiko! You have to be hungry, cooped up in here all day! Let's go out and eat! It's a nice day, we can have a private picnic..." Neikolai sniffed sharply as he straightened himself out, eying him unhappily. That red mark on his neck looked suspiciously like... "Looks to me you already had a fun time in the hay," He commented airily, fingers flicking out to the hickey gracing the younger's neck. Zaqx didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed, instead grinning wildly. "That Baker girl Hylie is getting kinda possessive... A shame, really. I'll have to drop her... And she makes the nicest noises when I-"
"Zaqx, I have no interest in hearing your sexual exploits." Neikolai was quick to interrupt, a hand massaging the bridge of his nose as he looked on irritably. If he ate the food with him, Zaqx would leave him alone afterwards... The only question was how long he would be left in relative peace before his brother struck again. But he /was/ hungry, and that made his mind up for him.
"Alright, alright, let's go-" That was all Zaqx needed to hear, and he happily grabbed his brother's wrist and dragged him from the Records Hall. Neikolai spent far too much time in there than could /possibly/ be healthy; all that reading was just... So boring! Zaqx only sat still when he was day-dreaming, not to waste time reading about some harper that lived long before his time. That stuff was just so nerdy.
As they reached the outside, Neikolai's eyes narrowed; this was not his idea of a nice day. Zaqx was oblivious though, still happily tugging him along, so Neikolai decided he would go along with it, wait until it rained, then huff and yell his way back to the Records Hall. Zaqx would feel guilty and leave him alone for a few extra days that way... It was worth getting wet. So he followed his brother without complaint, even as they drew further and further away from the Hold.
"Ooh! Look! Someone else is out here!" Neikolai blinked slowly, stirring from his thoughts as his brother peered at /something/. Someone, rather, but it made no difference to Neikolai, so he quickly returned to his dream-world as Zaqx happily waved towards Pasine. Idiot...
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Post by weaving on Nov 30, 2008 12:32:52 GMT -5
Southern Hold was always one of the most difficult to Search. They simply didn’t like the dragonriders, and though Searches were allowed, the holders never made it easy for the Searchriders. Yet that was where she was going to go today. At the very least she and Amith would fly low overhead so that the green could get a feel for who resided within the hold. If she didn’t feel anything that would make Lennae’s job that much easier. Oh, they would still stop and conduct the Search, but she wouldn’t need to argue with any family about how the Weyr was actually a decent place to live. Relations had been better since Shmee had taken power and begun to fix some things, but she wouldn’t call the folk at Southern Hold friendly at all. Not in the slightest.
I feel something. Multiple somethings. Amith’s words irritated Lennae. Just her luck that while she was flying Search over Southern that they would actually find candidate potential. Can you say how many exactly? She rubbed the bridge of her nose, holding back the headache that was sure to hit her as soon as she had to speak to parents. It would do no good to arrive in an already bad move. No, she needed to be as pleasant as possible. Hopefully she would have a stroke of luck and everything would go smoothly. Doubtful, but she could hope.
Three at least. Maybe more. I cannot tell. Amith had already begun her descent, circling to land in a field not far from the Hold entrance. While normally they would land in the courtyard, Lennae had learned that a more subtle approach was more effective. The holders felt threatened when a great giant beast landed in the midst of their land. She supposed she could understand how it might make them feel powerless and come to resent the Weyr. That understanding didn’t make dealing with these folk any easier however.
As Amith touched the ground and Lennae slid gracefully from her back, she noticed what hadn’t been apparent before. There were three others in the field with her and Amith. The tall grasses hadn’t made them obvious at first, but now that she wasn’t high enough to make humans look the size of bugs, their presence became somewhat obvious. Perhaps she could get one of them to run to the hold and announce that a dragon on search had come. They’d be less likely to insult their own folk than her.
“Hello there!” She called as she approached. She’d rather not startle them, though if none of them had noticed the dragon rather near them they’d all be dim-glows. Two young men and a women, she noted as she drew closer, all of age to be searched. Well, provided they hadn’t been brainwashed to think that the weyr was a horrible place, they should be excited to hear what she was about to tell them. “Would one of you be kind enough to relay to your hold that a dragonrider, Lennae of green Amith to be exact, comes on search for Aslath’s impending clutch?”
Amith had drawn closer as well, following Lennae about similar to a puppy. The pair had always been close, and though now full grown, the green was still somewhat uncomfortable in unfamiliar situations. She could hear Lennae’s thought regarding the folk at Southern and it made her somewhat nervous. What if they didn’t like her? Her attention was caught, however, by the three that her rider now talked to. Love, them. They are who I felt.
These ones? Lennae’s eyes narrowed as she studied the trio. Well, this was interesting. It would present a problem though, provided they were all allowed to come back to the weyr. Amith was small, small even for a green. The idea of carrying all three of them, and two of them male, was impossible. Well, they’d just figure it out when the time came. First, they needed to be officially searched. And that couldn’t happen unless the Hold was notified of a Search.
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Post by antinanco on Nov 30, 2008 13:20:39 GMT -5
Pasine’s song was interrupted as two men romped across the field towards her, waving enthusiastically. Okay, alright, only one of the two was so obviously energetic. The other stranger seemed sullen and brooding, being literally dragged along by the first one. It was almost comical. Almost. Paine gave a brief wave in response and was ready to go back to staring at the sky and ignoring them when something green interrupted waves of brown and amber.
It was a dragon. Pasine reeled as a rider disembarked from the beast and sent a greeting that drifted towards them on a breeze smelling of rain and earth. Faranth! What was today, socialize-with-Pasine day? The one day she wanted to get away from people and they seemed to be clinging to her like metal filings to a magnet. Inwardly Pasine groaned at the peculiar events unfolding around her. Today was not going to be normal or easy, was it?
Pasine gathered herself in an effort to brace against whatever curveball was thrown at her next, for there was definitly going to be more. How could there not be? Clutching to her weave, the apprentice scrambled off of her perch and sent chunks of up-turned moss into the air in a desperate effort to dig her feet into some sort of grip on the slick rock. With a wet thump she landed on the ground, wincing as one of her ankles threatened to buckle, but it held in the end. Pasine wondered how she had even gotten up there without incident in the first place.
As the teenager attempted to wipe some of the dirt and cold off of her water-stained butt the rider requested an announcement. While she was tempted with the excuse to get away from all this craziness and escape the rain, Pasine was intrigued at the Searchrider. The stories she had heard around the Hold about Selenitas varied widely. While some praised the new leadership of the Weyr, others insisted that a Weyr was a Weyr was a Weyr and it would always be filled with elitist gluttons. Besides, the over-exuberant boy would probably volunteer for the job any second now.
“Welcome to Southern Hold, Rider Lenna…” Pasine’s voice trailed off as the green hesitantly lumbered towards them. Even though Amith was small for her size, the Weaver apprentice had never seen a dragon before. They were even bigger than runnerbeasts! Her head tilted backwards ever so slightly, observing the puppy-like air that surrounded the dragon with conflicting emotions. Silently she tried to sort them out before speaking once more. The air seemed different today, not just due to the weather, and Pasine felt the urge to make each word count more than normally.
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Post by binker on Nov 30, 2008 18:54:03 GMT -5
"WHOA!" Zaq's loud outburst made Neikolai blink slowly, looking around as he snapped out of his thoughts once more. It had better be something good that had Zaqx all excited, or else he was going to take his belt-knife out and- -Whoa.
Neikolai stared at the Green dragon that had landed nearby with surprise, having never seen a dragon up close before. Not many dragonriders came to Southern, after all; it must be a Searchrider. He nodded as his thoughts were confirmed, looking at the dragon once more. He was wary about the beast; greens were the smallest color, and yet she still looked enormous. "I'll go," He offered after it became apparent that Pasine would not, turning and jogging towards the Hold. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be around the dragon...
Zaqx, meanwhile, thought differently. At Neikolai's words he snapped from his dragon-induced daze, grinning madly as he scooted closer to the pair, his attention fully on Amith for the moment. "Wow! No one ever comes to Search here. A clutch, huh?" He darted down to peer fully up at Amith, giving a delighted gasp. "She's /beautiful/." The prettiest girl he had ever seen, definitely.
He shifted to look at Lennae, grinning; a nice rider as well. "I'm Zaqx. I'd like to welcome you to Southern Hold as well." He nearly bounced with hsi excitement, wondering just /what/ was taking his brother. The dragon needed to find candidates!
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Post by weaving on Nov 30, 2008 20:18:36 GMT -5
While the rest of the hold might treat Lennae with disgust, it seemed that she had won the hearts of these three. Or rather, the tantalizing thought of what they could become if Amith deemed them Search worthy had won them over. Either way, she didn’t much care at this moment, as long is it offered her peace for at least a few minutes more. At least until the eldest boy returned, quite possibly dragging along the Lord Holder to protest her coming here. But by that time it would be too late. Already people were crowding out through the courtyard gates, the youngest leading the way. They must have seen her or Neikolai had announced it to the entirety of the hold for them to have come so fast.
“It’s nice to meet you Zaqx and you as well…” Lennae let her voice trail off as she turned to Pasine questioningly. They both seemed to be admiring Amith, who if she were human would be blushing. The green didn’t much like flattery, being a rather shy being. Still, she didn’t back away, allowing them to admire her, head hung low in modesty. “She is rather lovely isn’t she? She says to thank you for the compliment.”
Talking about Amith always brought a bit of joy to Lennae’s voice, and so when the rest of the hold came to meet them she was in a fairly good mood. Ignoring the fussing and indignant mutterings of the majority of the hold folk, she mainly focused her attention on the younger hold occupants who crowded close, eyeing both dragon and rider hopefully.
“Right, let’s get this started in an organized manner, shall we? We come on Search from Selenitas Weyr for Senior queen Aslath’s upcoming clutch. I’d like all residents between the ages of thirteen and twenty one who are interested in a future as a dragon rider to line up in front of me please.” She paused, allowing everyone to get settled. “Now, now, it doesn’t matter who stands where. Amith shall be looking at each one of you very carefully to decide. I warn you now that being Searched does not automatically equal impression. If you are Searched and decide to accompany us to the Weyr you will be given robes, assigned a bed, chores, and but into candidate lessons. You will be attending these up until the day of the hatching. Those who fail to intend will be barred from Standing. Am I clear? Right, now, if you think you cannot handle that please step back now.”
She let her words sink in, looking down the line of girls and boys with a stern face. Her lips twitched upwards in a smile as she glanced at both Pasine and Zaqx. Had the other boy arrived yet? She scanned the candidate hopefuls, seeking out his face. If all three said yes, she and Amith would need to make several trips, but the weyr was only a /between/ away. Hopefully Amith wouldn’t find yet another possible candidate in the lot. Lennae watched carefully as Amith stepped forward, extending her snout toward the first in line. While she looked relaxed, her hand rested on her hip, near her dagger. Past stories had told her that dragonriders weren’t always safe on Searches, especially at a place where they weren’t necessarily respected. If all went smoothly, there would be no need for the small blade, but better to be safe than sorry.
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Post by antinanco on Nov 30, 2008 20:54:39 GMT -5
Pasine broke out of her dragon-induced coma at the same words that seemed to bring Zaqx back to reality. Her gaze followed the lone figure making his way back to the Hold, head quirked to the slightest of degrees. But before she could begin to fathom what the most recent and sudden turn from the expected meant, Lennae again began to speak and she snapped her attention back to the Searchrider. "Pasine, I apologize," the apprentice offered as she realized in her momentary lapse she had forgotten to give her name, “ She was deciding whether she should shake, bow or salute when the crowd of people crawled into her line of sight.
Shards! Why did they have to come? It wasn’t that Pasine didn’t like people, not at all. There were even a few faces she recognized in the mass and called out to, her mother included. But the ensuing chaos was infuriating. There was no way the dragon would be able to do... whatever dragons did when they Searched... in this mess.
When Lennae called things to order Pasine was eternally grateful for the organization and stepped into line without a second thought. She was about halfway through the row, just a person away from Zaqx. As the greenrider went on her tirade, Pasine was pulled away from searching for the boy who had originally been sent for people and back to the task at hand. Her grey eyes stared steadily back into the greenrider’s gaze as she finished, not bothering to see if anyone else had stepped back. Work ethic was easily the least of her worries and if it actually was a worry to anyone then they shouldn’t have even gotten in the line in the first place. Simple as that.
But what was truly intriguing was the way the rider carefully watched the green, hand coincidentally close to the handle of some sort of blade. Surely no one would physically attack a dragon, Pasine was sure. It would be an obviously one-sided battle. Then again, today had been strange indeed and she had never been to a Search before, preferring to stay in the Weaving workshop to work. Her eyes narrowed at a stalk of reed in front of her and she clutched her croquet needle tighter, nearly dropping her scarf in the process, thankful for its one semi-sharp end. How much damage her sinewy body could deal she doubted, but having something somewhat similar to a weapon empowered her. She was ready for whatever was to be thrown at her.
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