Should I stay or Should I go? {{Osine, Search}}

Their latest shipping of leather from the Igen tanner hall had been sent to the wrong place. Or, rather, to the right one according to Igen - but it was not Dalibor. The trader vessel had sailed instead to Western Hold for fear of the plague. Despite still being present at Western, it was less prevalent there than at Dalibor or Crescent. A valiant effort, Osine had grumbled. She didn't care about the health of the trade ship's crew. She just wanted their sharding leather so they could get on outfitting the Stormsinger weyrlings with something that actually fit.

Being the newest Journeywoman and the only tanner with a dragon, Osine was sent to fetch the goods. She did it begrudgingly, but was thankful for between. It would save a lot of time. She clambered aboard Viorth with many ropes and tarps for securing the shipment, then spurred the great cyan beast into the air with her mind. Viorth's take-off was rough and fast that day.

Shells, take it easy, Vi, Osine snipped. She tugged her goggles down over her eyes.

I was just trying something different, Viorth clacked.

It was bad. Don't do it like that.

Well, I gathered that. Don't worry, OsineMine. I can tell when something didn't work out.

Ugh. I know. I just-- let's just go get these hides. She passed the overhead image of Western Hold to Viorth through the mind link, but nothing happened. Come on, Vi. Just go!

No. Wait. Viorth, with Osine fuming on her back, flew on ahead. Wind rushed past Osine's ears and she tightened the strap on her helmet.

Shard it, Vi. Where are we even going?

But Viorth was silent and determined. She had sensed something. It was far away, and it was small, but it had most definitely put a steady blip on her internal radar. Osine gripped the riding leathers tightly, for her dragon was flying very quickly. It took some time, but eventually Viorth angled downward and came into a controlled landing spiral. There! she barked. Good for dragons!

Sure enough, down in the woods along one of the western continent's streams was the small figure of a person.

Are you sure?

Very, said Viorth. She landed, and Osine jumped down off her back. The person was a girl - one that looked like she had been out in the wilderness for some time. Osine had no patience for contemplation, though. She didn't care what was up with the girl.

"Hey, you," she called. "Viorth says you're Candidate material. Come on over here and I can get you back to the Weyr. Hurry. I've got other things to do."

Viorth was not exactly startled by her rider's irritation, but was disappointed in it. Don't be so rushed.

This isn't in my schedule, Viorth.

Osine bristled. The motion rippled through her to Viorth, and the dragon flared her wings, snapped her jaw, and snarled. It was nowhere near Anya, but it was a threatening display nonetheless. Osine pointed a gloved finger at Anya, approaching her briskly.

"Faranth's egg! What do you want me to do? Give you my clothes? It's not my fault that you fell in," she snapped, her teeth gritting whenever they touched. "You could have seen Viorth landing. You could have paid attention to her huge sharding wings wafting the air around. I don't owe you anything. I fly over this sharding continent every time Thread falls to burn it up before it eats irresponsible kids like you that get trapped outside their holds. In fact, I'd say it's more like you owe Viorth more than anything, because she just Searched you, you ungrateful brat."

Faranth. Are you sure about this girl, Vi?

Well, ah. Yes. Yes, I am. Viorth blinked a set of eyelids and lowered her wings. Her posture softened, but Osine's did not.

"Look, if you want dry clothes, I bet you can get some at the Weyr, but I don't have all day. Actually, I don't have any time to waste on you at all, so you better make your sharding easy decision right now, because trust me - I will leave you here. I really don't care." She grimaced fiercely and turned away from Anya, making to climb back up onto Viorth's back.

"You should know better than to fall into a river," Osine shrugged. She clambered atop of Viorth and waited there. She became increasingly irritated with the girl and wondered why Viorth would ever Search her. There must be something hidden down there, beneath all the bratty tunnelsnake exterior, she figured - but she didn't care at all to figure out what it was. Viorth said she was good for dragons, and even if Viorth was just Searching someone so ornery to be different, Osine had to give her some credit. She strapped herself into the harness and then folded her arms, waiting.

"Oh, I do have something else to do, but now I have to drop you off with the candidatemasters," Osine said, "So I'm actually going to do that, because I like Viorth a lot and I respect her decision." It had nothing to do with Anya. Idly, Osine checked her straps again with a good tug. They were secure, as she expected them to be, and so she busied herself with tucking her scarf back into her jacket. She was glad that Anya was soon to be the candidatemasters' problem. She much preferred the company of the mild-mannered weyrtanners and had a feeling that Anya would get along better with Waroth.

She smirked in her mind but not on her lips. Viorth, waiting for Anya to join Osine on her neck, shifted her weight from foot to foot. She wasn't at all sure why Anya was good for dragons, only that she just was. She wished she could have provided Osine with consoling reasoning, but she could not. Instincts didn't come with an explanation.