The Latecomer

[nightingale]

"Wa-ha-haow!"

Saeo giggled with barely contained excitement as climbed up the staircase that lead to the third floor. She walked slowly, wide grey eyes taking in every detail of the rather plain architecture as her fingers trailed against the banister. She was trembling. It didn't take much to impress the girl, but Saeo was trully entralled by the colours, the feel, even the smell of the candidate barracks. Everything was just so new, and the newness enveloped and held her like well worn leather.

She hopped the last few steps, fighting hard not to break out into manical laughter as she entered the bunk room. Her right hand clenched into a fist on the strap of her bag as she cast her eyes back and forth. It seemed empty for the moment, and that observation alone was enough to soften Saeo's expression into a small frown. Were they all at their lessons maybe? It was a definate possibility. She had shown up pretty late -two months late in fact- so it would probably be a while before she could get into the swing of things. Well, so much for the grand, sweeping entrance she had planned.

"Oh shoot...well, guess I should get settled in then."

She murmured to herself, setting her pack down on the lower bunk of the bed nearest to the door. She produced what appeared to be an old, battered textbook from inside it. The title was illegible, but the few parts of the cover that hadn't been torn or worn past identification showed bits anf pieces of what could only be a dragon. Saeo removed her boots, arranged them neatly at the bedside and then flopped backward onto the clean sheets to do a bit of reading.

[Rowana]

G'tor was humming merrily as he passed through the maze of passages that would take him to the candidate's barracks. Ruskeath was no search dragon, so he rarely got to meet any of the newcomers until they Impressed. Today, though, he had decided to help some of the late comers settle into their new life. The Weyr was large and often confusing. He remembered getting lost several times himself when he first arrived and had even barged into an older rider's room by accident.

<Can I meet them too?> Ruskeath asked in his mind. The brown was sunbathing by the waterfall, one of his favorite spots. His tone was hopeful and eager.

<Maybe later> G'tor told him. Then he added playfully. <I wouldn't want you to scare them like that girl at Blossom.>

<She was silly> Ruskeath snorted with disdain. He had a very low opinion of people who were afraid of dragons, especially blond girls who ran screaming at the site of him. <And she talked too much.>

G'tor chuckled. He hadn't been sorry to see the flirtatious girl go and it had been a hilarious sight. <Well, I'm sure the candidates are not that silly. I'll bring some of them to meet you later.>

<Good!> Ruskeath thrummed with contentment and returned to his morning nap.

G'tor shook his head in amusement. He was outside now and climbing the long stair to the upper floors of the barracks. He had always liked this building, built as it was inside a tree. Running his hand along the wood that was so different from the stone he was not used to, he remembered his own first days here so many years ago. Today, though, it was home to a new group of hopefuls.

G'tor stuck his head into the room on the third floor and saw it was practically vacant. He sighed. Of course they would all be at lessons now. He should really keep better track of other people's schedules if he planned on doing more spontaneous visits. Ruskeath would be disappointed. He was about to leave when he noticed at least one occupant. A girl was lying on one of the beds, reading.

G'tor smiled in welcome and cleared his throat. "Good morning," he said pleasantly. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

[dragon]

Cloar had been headed up the stairs to the barracks when he spotted a person heading up to the third level. In an of itself, that was nothing remarkable. She was even a girl, and that was where the girls lived. But he paused on his way into the second level when he realized what had caught his attention: she had been carrying a pack.

As he stood there in the entrance way to the boy's barracks, he noticed yet another person heading up there. This time it really piqued his curiousity. Why was a male rider headed up to the girls' quartering? Really very curious and forgetting why he was back at the barracks at all, he headed on up the stairs himself to see what was going on.

It was not often Cloar came back to the barracks when he didn't absolutely have to. And he was most probably there for a reason. But now that it was forgotten ... who knew what he was orignially there for.

Making his way to the doorway above, Cloar peered in curiously. "Hello?" He asked, spying both the brownrider and the new girl.

[nightingale]

Had she been anywhere else and not so egger to make a good impression, Saeo probably would have finished the sentence she had been reading before answering to the male voice that sounded in her ear. As it was, she flinched rather like a startled wherry, dropping her book and turning her flint coloured eyes to stare openly at the stranger.

"Huh? Oh, hello."

She murmured, her voice trembling slightly. This guy couldn't be a candidate, could he? No, he wasn't young enough -and they all had uniforms, right? She had a uniform-they'd given it to her earlier, but she had yet to put it on. So he was...one of the riders? The thought made her mouth go dry. A rider- real and in the flesh and TALKING to her! She hadn't been this excited since she'd been searched.

Then all of a sudden there was another person, and she gave a little cry of alarm, flinching again.

"Oh...there's two of you...hello..."

Her voice was guarded and cautious, just in case there was a third stranger ready to pop out from under the bed across from her. This second person seemed a little younger, but it was hard to tell, what with him being behind the first...

"What's wrong? Am I in the wrong room? I was told that the ladies dormitories were on this floor..."

[Rowana]

G'tor winced apologetically as the book fell. He hadn't meant to startle her so badly. Perhaps he should have waited until more of the candidates were present, it was probably strange to talk to one girl alone. He started to answer her, when his problem was solved by the arrival of a boy. He had probably followed from downstairs and looked to be another candidate. G'tor relaxed and stepped aside so the three of them could talk easier. It was better having at least two of them around and more fun for Ruskeath later if they agreed to a field trip.

"No, no!" G'tor told the girl hurriedly, trying to alay her distress. "You're in the right place. I just came by to see if you were all settling in alright. I'm G'tor," he held out a calloused hand to the boy, who was closer. "I ride the brown Ruskeath."

He hoped that would break the ice well, but it had been a while since he had talked with newcomers. He was used to his fellow dragonriders and his siblings back home. Fanras and Torsi were probably around the same ages as these two. He had hoped they would consider being candidates as he had, but Fanras was working hard to take over the fishing from their father, and Torsi was working towards being an apprentice Dolphineer. Dragons were not in either of their futures it seemed.

[dragon]

Cloar's brows ooched upward as he noticed that the poor girl there seemed to be getting more and more edgy and scared. Did he do that? He never thought of himself as a scary person ... but then, he realized, any lone girl suddenly being confronted by not one but two males ... that might be scary.

He backed off somewhat, though still curious, listening to what was said. "Hi." he said, simply, before realizing that G'tor was holding a hand out to him. Cloar took the offered hand, then. "Cloar. Just a candidate, at the moment." He said, by way of introducing himself to both of them.

"You're in the right place, miss ... more or less. Someone else probably already has been assigned to that particular bed. But other than that ... you're on the right floor." He told her, trying to be reassuring and helpful.

[nightingale]

So he was a rider.
Saeo swung her legs over the side of her bunk, fighting back dizziness as her heartbeat rose into her ears, rendering her half deaf. Her jaw hurt as she tried to keep her smile pleasant as opposed to derranged. Dragon rider. Right here. The calm acceptance she'd known when simply equipped with the knowledge that they would be around was torn right out of Saeo's mind in the face of actually being in the presence of one.

"I-I'm Saeo. I haven't really got anything to ride at the moment, but then, you knew that didn't you? Why else would I be in the candidate barracks? Well, then again you're here so I suppose that shoots my theory right out of the air...b-but I am a candidate."

She laughed weakly, the sound mostly an expression of dismay at the neurotic sound of her own voice. She hesitantly allowed her gaze to flicker in Cloar's direction When he introduced himself. Yeah, he was difinately closer to her own age. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of her chosen bunk.

"Our bunks are assigned? We that dosen't seem very fair."

She murmured the last few words, twisting her expression into a small pout.

"I mean, they've already assigned us a building, a room and a wardrobe. Shouldn't one at least be permitted to choose where she lays her head down at night?"

[Rowana]

G'tor was pleased that the boy, Cloar, had taken his hand so readily. In his experience, some holders were too nervous just being in his pressence, which always made him feel silly and self conscious. He was fairly certain he was having such an effect on the poor girl, Saeo. Well, she would settled down in time, he supposed, so he decided not to mention it.

"Well met, both of you," he said. Then he scratched his head as he ponder their debate. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about the bunks," he admitted. "That would be candidate master...." he paused while he tried to remember who that was. "Kemma's department. You'll probably be able to ask her soon."

He shrugged and smiled. "I'm just a regular rider. Nothing special. I'll be happy to help you in anyway I can though." He leaned casually against the wall with his hands in his pockets while he waited to see if they wanted any help.

[dragon]

Cloar looked around the room a bit, then shrugged. "We don't have rooms in the other barracks." He mentioned. "And yes, bunks are assigned. I can find out which one is yours, if you like?" He offered, on a spur of the moment, completely forgetting that he was supposed to be getting some different clothes for chores.

Chores could wait ... they would have to, actually, since he'd so conviniently forgotten them already. That wasn't like him, though. Normally he was quite dutiful. It was just that he was ... distracted.

"Well met, yes. Where is your dragon? I didn't see a brown below." Cloar asked, curiously.

[nightingale]

"Kemma..."

The girl repeated, getting a feel for the name on her tongue. The Candidatemaster's had come up in conversation several times over the past few hours. She must be important then, Saeo decided, and not jsut some figurehead who gave a speach once a year at graduation.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't want to steal someone else's bed anyway."

The girl continued with a small shrug.

"That would be rather dreadful of me wouldn't it? People do tend to get attached to their beds...I wonder how they number them though -left to right or right to left?"

Maybe they labled them clockwise she mused, glancing over her shoulder. They could start from the center and go around in a rough circle. Or maybe they counted them from the doorway outward...wait, stop that! You need to focus here new girl -someone's speaking to you.

She gave herself a mental shake, only catching the last few words of Cloar's statement. He was offering her something? Well, best not to accept then -if she didn't know precicely what she was accepting, she might fidn herself in any number of unpleasant situations. She gave her head a small shake as means of reply, then smiled weakly so as not to seem ungrateful.

She allowed herself to relax a bit as attention was directed once again to the rider. They were talking about dragons now? Fantastic! This was something she could pay attention to...

[Rowana]

G'tor was glad the two candidates seemed to be getting along so well. Rivalry between youngsters was something that almost couldn't be avoided, especially between the boys, so it was refreshing to see Cloar so willing to help. Saeo seemed to perk up when dragons were mentioned, so G'tor decided to stick to that topic. It was certainly more fun than chores or classes. He would apologize to Kemma later if he was keeping them from either.

"Him?" G'tor perked at Cloar's question. "He's down by the waterfall being lazy I should think." He winked a brown eye playfully.

<I am not lazy> Ruskeath quipped back. <I am simply bored.>

G'tor smiled knowingly and added to the candidates. "You can meet him, if you like. He enjoys company." Maybe after he could get them to help give Ruskeath a bath. The brown was large enough that having extra help was more than welcome.

[dragon]

Cloar nodded only as Saeo turned down his offer of help. She would figure it out eventually on her own, he figured, if worst came to worst. Even if it was the other girls pointing out that she was on thier cots. Nothing terrible bad would happen from it, but he hoped she wouldn't get horribly put upon by the others. He didn't know any of the girls very well at all, though he was starting to get to know some of the lads.

"At the waterfall? How did you get here, then? By boat?" Cloar asked, having naturally assumed that dragons took thier people everywhere they went.

Cloar, too, brightened at the mention of possibly meeting a dragon. That was something he had been wanting to do for awhile. Not see them in passing ... but possibly meet one. See them up close and personal, feel what they were like. "I'd like to meet him." He managed, without sounding too interested.

[nightingale]

"Y-your dragon? Really? You-you'd let us do that?"

Unlike Cloar, Saeo made no attempt to keep the enthusiasm from her voice when responding to G'tor's suggestion. She had only seen one dragon up close before, and it wasn't exactally polite to ask your Searcher if you could pet their mount. She had begun to think that she would need to wait for the next hatching before she could get anywhere near a dragon, and so was in a state of proper euphoria at the prospect of meeting a real live one.

"Oh yes, yes please!"

She enthused, clasping her hands before her in a desperate attempt to maintain her composure.

"That would be absolutely fantastic! A-are you sure Ruskeath won't mind?"

The last thing she wanted to do on her first day of candidacy was to offend one of the dragons. That was right up there with showing up to class naked on her on her list of 'things that would make suicide seem very appealing'.

[Rowana]

G'tor smiled as the pair met the suggestion willingly. Cloar seemed to be trying not to appear too eager, but he was clearly interesting. Saeo was practically dancing with excitement at the proposition.

"Not by boat," G'tor told Cloar to answer his question. "I swam over. It's good exercise." He kicked a foot on the floor to adjust his sandals. Normally he would just have gone barefoot, but he hadn't wanted to give them a bad impression of him. "Ruskeath doesn't always take me around, depending on how far it is." He chuckled. "He's probably say I was spoiled and lazy if I asked."

Beaming, he nodded to both of them. "I've already asked him and he doesn't mind at all," he assured Saeo. "He'll meet us just outside." He pointed down the stairs towards the entrance to the barracks.

<That's fine, right?> G'tor asked, just to be sure.

<Of course.> Ruskeath was already in flight, and gliding lazily to the base of the tree. He landed easily next to the great trunk and settled himself, with his tail curling lazily, like one of the many roots.

<Thanks,> G'tor told him, before waving expectantly at the candidates to go first if they wanted.

[dragon]

"Swim?" Cloar asked. That sounded like something he would have done. In fact, he spent a deal of time swimming in the river. But that was completely forgotten in a moment as the rider said his dragon was now here.

Here? As in ... right now? Wow. He had known dragons were fast, but ... the waterfall wasn't that close, was it? Cloar decided that next time he had free time, he'd have to march up river to see ... Oh, SHARDS. Free time! That was something he was most definitely not on, at the moment.

Wincing slightly, Cloar looked around. Well ... how does a body get out of a conundrum like that? Well ... maybe he'd go see the dragon anyway. And tell Kemma he was doing follow up research. Yeah. That was it!

"Really? Here? Now?" Cloar asked, just to be sure.