A Peek at the Future (Kiran!)

[Rii]

{desc=Nori/Jafari}The evening meal was still going on - well, insofar as there were still people eating - but tonight Norilana hadn’t lingered the way she usually did to chatter with the many people one could find in the dining hall. Tonight she had a plan. She was comfortable in her lessons, her chores were done, and she was going to see the eggs. With not one clutch, but two on the sands, she wanted to take a good long look at what was ahead.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been to the hatching grounds. She’d snuck in to watch the last wher hatching, much to her brothers’ dismay. Ooh, but she’d got a talking to after. It hadn’t been fun. Really, the wher hatching hadn’t been much fun either. That poor black, and the poor candidate that had bonded to him before he died. It gave her a little shivery feeling in her stomach to think that she could be on the sands with similar whers running amok. And no big brother to sit in front of her and shield her with his body. Even though Lanorun and Ranthian would be on the sands with her, the rules were clear: no interfering. At all.

Nori sat closer to the sands than she had in that time of spectating, leaning forward to look at the eggs. There were a lot of them. She counted, ticking them off on her fingers as she went. Thirteen, no, fourteen wher eggs. And twenty-six dragon eggs. That meant… the former holdless worked it out on her fingers, lips moving silently. Forty. Forty eggs in total. That was a lot, she found herself thinking all over again.

Was one of them hers? She didn’t know. She was sure one of them was Ranthian’s. Ranthian was strong and hard-working and clever. And Lanorun, grumpy as he was about being in the Weyr, she just bet that one of the whers would be his. She’d have to remember to be quiet when they Impressed, though, because they weren’t supposed to talk or clap or anything. Just think happy thoughts. Nori grinned. She was good at thinking happy thoughts. Propping her chin in her hands, she watched the pair of clutches and gave herself up to dreaming of what the future might hold for them all.

[Kiran]

Jafari had taken a chance and gone to the sands to see the eggs. His stomach was twisting with nervousness. The last hatching, he hadn't gotten a wher. And the hatching before that, no! He was wondering if this was all worth it in the end. Saowyn said so, and so did the others, but Jafari was still in dinky doubtful. He didn't want to show his weakness and uncertainty, though, so soldiered on in the program. A gold clutch meant that he had a solid chance at a wher.

But maybe he also had a chance at a dragon.

The idea made him shiver with nervousness and anticipation. So he went to the sands when he was fairly sure that no one else would be there, during the evening (or for him, morning) meal. He didn't glance around for a few moments, taken aback by how large the clutches were, how amazing the gold queens on the sands were. But then as he moved to get a better look, Jafari caught sight of someone else on the Sands. Another Candidate, by the look of her shoulder knots. He stopped for just a moment, trying to figure out how to approach her or of he should approach her. She didn't look all that familiar, after all....

But then he squared his shoulders and moved forward, a bright grin on his face. He had been doing well, managing to adjust to the Weyr, and truly his deepest enemy at the moment was Lirmox. And Lirmox had been a Holdless! So it would be ok to make friends with her if she wanted. "Hey there," he said softly, not wanting to startle her or the queens on the sands. "You taking a peek before the hatching? It's pretty exciting, isn't it? You going for a dragon or wher?" Might as well just jump into the reason why they were both there. Besides, talking about it might get her to open up quicker. She was pretty darn young - younger than he was - and Jafari wondered if she knew what she was in for.

[Rii]

Oh, there was someone else come to take a look at the eggs! That was great! “Hi!” Nori greeted the other boy happily. Her voice she kept low out of respect for the golds on the sands, but two candidates up here in the stands couldn’t be that much of a bother, right? As long as they stayed off the sands away from the eggs, and kept quiet, anyway.

Truth be told, it would be nice to have someone to chat about the eggs with. To speculate over what might be in them or who they might go to. And to see if she was the only nervous one! She suspected she wasn’t; there was a lot of chatter about the double clutch and it wasn’t all happy excitement. “Dragon for me, although they say we might get a wher anyway. I’m Norilana, but you can call me just Nori. It’s easier. What about you? Dragon or wher, or both?”

Nori grinned, leaning forward in her seat and resting her elbows on her knees, propping her chin in her hands. “Never thought I’d be in a Weyr,” she confessed, “looking at dragon eggs. Wher eggs too, but sometimes there are wild whers.” Wild whers were kind of scary. They didn’t have people to rein them in, and that meant they were more likely to attack people than a bonded wher. “No wild dragons, though. So I’ve wanted to take a good look since they clutched - this has been my first real chance to. Callistath’s eggs are all smooth and pretty, but some of Kalesk’s are lumpy and rough. I wonder what it felt like to lay them?” The former Holdless girl giggled irreverently.

“I guess they’re saying both clutches might hatch at the same time. That’ll be…” she wagged her head back and forth, deciding, “interesting. But scary, too, don’t you think? A little, anyway.” Warm brown eyes bright with interest searched his expression, hoping for as open a response as she’d given him. He seemed nice; she liked that bright smile he’d greeted her with.

[Kiran]

Jafari had to grin at her enthusiasm, sitting down next to the girl to look out over the sands. "I'm Jafari, and whers for me. I got a bunch of friends that are handlers - I think I'd be sharding lonely if I Impress a dragon! So far two of 'em have Impressed, so I gotta catch up. Hoping that I'll have a wher out there this time around."

He piped down to let the girl talk. A smile flitted on his lips. A fellow Holdless! No wonder he didn't recognize her. She must have been from a different group, and if she was for dragons then it made sense that they wouldn't have met. And a Holdless! Jafari instantly relaxed and grinned widely."Yeah, it's pretty weird. I was a kid in a Hold before we were exiled, so even then I didn't get to see dragon or wher eggs. But this will be my third wher hatching, I was with the first group of Holdless to get picked up and we had two Impressions then. And then at the last one... But yeah, the eggs all look pretty different. I figure its like eating a big chunk of food that won't go down right... Except its coming out the wrong end with these, isn't it?" Jafari rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Then again, maybe if I ever get a chance I'll just ask. Maybe I'll Impress a female and I can ask her when she lays eggs!"

He gave a soft sigh at that thought. "If they hatch at the same time I'll be standing in the furthest end away from the dragons. I don't want to be in the way of the dragon candidates, and maybe they'll ignore me if I don't get near 'em. I suppose it might be a bit scary, but..l" Jafari's expression sobered up for a moment. "I don't think it could be much worse than the last wher hatching." That thought grounded him. It was horrific. If hatchlings bit or scratched or Betweened, he didn't think it would be as bad as that soul-death that Newt experienced.

His fingers clenched together. "But ya know, since I think I've seen the worst, I think I can handle whatever this one throws at me." Jafari glanced over her, his smile much more subdued but there. "So is it going to be your first hatching? Are you excited? Got any family that is going to be able to come to see you Impress?" He had heard that some family might be allowed... Family that wasn't the exiled, at least, possibly. The thought that he might see his sisters made Jafari's throat tighten. He hoped so.

[Rii]

“Well, there’s lots of eggs out there. Not enough for everyone of course, but… a lot better than at a smaller hatching, I guess?” She smiled encouragingly. It was clear he really, really wanted to keep up with his friends, and he could probably use an extra yes-you-can from someone else. “I keep hearing ‘you’re young Nori, you have lots of Turns to stand left’, so I guess it doesn’t matter so much for me. I mean, it does matter, because I want to Impress, but it doesn’t, you know?” Right. Clear as mud. “If they do hatch, I’m going to be trying to stay near the dragons. So we won’t be anywhere near each other. That’s too bad.”

Nori blinked at his words. “Exiled? Then… you were holdless too.” She beamed. It was neat, finding all the former holdless at Dalibor. “I was born out there. So all this,” she made an expansive gesture at the sands, stands, and really the whole Weyr, “is all new to me. In a good way. They seem really nice, most of ‘em anyway. And… even if there were more mean people, it wouldn’t matter. It’s awful nice to sleep warm all the time and never be really hungry.”

“I saw the last wher hatching,” she agreed, her smile vanishing. That… had been scary. And bloody. Almost as bad as her parents getting eaten by Thread and Joshu getting his leg chopped off to save him from the same. “I was up there,” she pointed several rows up behind them, “and boy, but were my brothers mad! I wanted to see. Because I’m a candidate too, and now it’s a good thing because there might be little whers on the sands with me. Except… I’m kind of scared, ‘cause I can’t hide behind Joshu this time. It’ll be my first time down there, instead of up here. I want to do it anyway, even if it’s scary,” she declared with a stubborn nod. So there.

She brightened at the mention of family. “All of the family I’ve got is here, so they’ll all be there for the Hatching. My big brother Ranthian got Searched for dragons, like me,” she ticked them off on her fingers, “and Joshu works in the kitchens, ‘cause he really likes that, and my oldest brother Lanorun is for the whers, like you. So him and Ranthian’ll be on the sands, and Joshu will be up in the stands cheering for us all. What about you? Do you have family here?”

[Kiran]

Jafari didn't want to laugh at the girl's confusion fiver her feelings about Standing. Truthfully, it was rather cute. Yes, he understood. A bit. If he didn't Impress this time around then he would be totally behind his friends. Completely. So completely that Saowyn would be graduating and he would STILL be without a wher! His stomach twisted. He couldn't understand how some of these Candidates did it for turn after turn without getting discouraged. All the same, Jafari reached over to give her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I think I get it. There's no need to Impress, but it still sure would be nice to." He withdrew his hand. "Even if we're on the other ends of the sand I'll be cheering you on as well. I think it would be pretty darn neat to Impress at your age, so you got even more time with him... Or her!"

He tilted his head at her, eyes gleaming with happiness at another Holdless soul. "Yeah, I gotta admit that there are certain things that are nice about Holds. Me and my family... We were kicked out. So I remember, and it feels like I'm still having dreams about being a kid and am about to wake up back in the wastes. I gotta say, I think you're exactly right. There is something really nice about a full belly at night." He couldn't say much about the mean people. Every time he thought he could write the lot off, someone was nice and treated him well and Wher's wings, he was actually getting friends here.

He acknowledged that she wanted to stay with a silent nod, and then listened as she spoke about her family. A full grin split his face once more. "Ya know, I'm glad ya have family here to cheer you on. Mine is back in the wastes, I don't have anyone here except my friends, but its good that you'll have family out there on the sands to be with you, and in the stands besides! That's really impressive!" Jafari couldn't begrudge her that, not at all.

So he turned back towards the eggs, motioning towards them. "And since our Bondeds are so obviously out on those sands, how about we pick them out? I'm betting yours is one of the three biggest. Maybe not the biggest, but one of the other two. And I think that you will get an orange!" His eyes gleamed. "Mine is that smallest egg, over on the wher side, and it has the tiniest little black ever, and that one will be mine. Whaddya think?"

[Rii]

“I guess more that I don’t need to Impress this time. I’ve got…” Nori counted on her fingers. “Seven more Turns that I’m allowed to be a dragon candidate, I think. I’m thirteen. I hope it doesn’t take all of those Turns, though, because I really don’t like the thought of waiting that long.” Her chin jutted out stubbornly. “I’d still do it, though, if I had to. If I have to stand til I age out, I will.” She looked at him curiously. “What about you? How many Turns are you?” He at least didn’t have to worry about aging out. He just got to watch his friends outpace him, which sucked, but in a few Turns they’d all be in the same place again.

Nori thought that most people were nice in their own way. Even the gruff people - they were like Lanorun, grumpy but good at the core, or so she believed anyway. And maybe even the really mean people, the ones that only had nasty things to say… maybe there was reason, and they could change? Maybe. She was an optimist. “Having dry clothes to change into and warm blankets in the winter,” she returned with a grin. “And harpers and others to teach us things. I like that.”

“Well, when Ranthian and me were Searched, Joshu asked to come along to keep an eye on us. I think if they’d left him, he would have swam here. And Lanorun, he grumbled a lot but he wasn’t going to stay behind and let us all get in trouble, so, whers. I’m really, really glad we’re all here. They’ve all been there as long as I remember.” She grinned. “Even if sometimes it’s a pain to have three older brothers after me if I do something wrong.”

“Maybe it’s not a black, but a really dark grey,” Nori joined in the fun willingly. “You accidentally call it a black and he just eyes you until you correct your mistake. Complete silent treatment. Then when you fix it, he pounces you like a happy canine and licks your face.” The girl surveyed the eggs. “I think mine is… that really bright green one, over there to the side.” She pointed. “It has, I don’t know, a cyan in it maybe, or a green.”

[Kiran]

"Fifteen a turns," Jafari answered promptly. He knew exactly how many months it was until he was sixteen, and he was already considering it for seventeen. Because with each month that passed, he was that much father away from his friends, that much farther away from being a Handler. But he grinned over at Nori. "You know, I don't think for a second that you'll age out. Seven Turns is a long time. Heck, we'll have a new weyrleader before then! There will be plenty more clutches between then and now, so don't worry about it for a moment."

She was too sweet for him to want disappointed or thinking that she would fail in some way. At least with him, it was just a matter of time. Even if it was thirty turns, it was simply a matter of time. No aging out. But Nora seemed like she was just right for a Candidate. And she was Holdless to begin with, so that made her super special and one of the most likely to Impress, in his opinion!

He chuckled when she talked about her brothers. "But they are here and can protect you if they need to, or help you with lessons of that's all you need. I sometimes could use some help with that! I keep mixing up my sums, and for the life of me have trouble with the names of the weyrleaders. Never had to remember stuff like that, politics. Wasn't important. Still don't really care, but now I have to know." He reached over to ruffle her hear. "I'm sure that they love being here with you. And will be super excited that you will have a dragon after this hatching!"

He glanced over the sands and laughed at her description of his wher. "Oh! But my heart would break if I guessed its color wrong! I should perish before it scorned me, but at least I would be forgiven!" He said dramatically (but quietly), slumping backwards into the seats in play-anguish. Then his expression turned playful. "But your cyan, there would be an interesting one. The one that wishes to become the greatest treasure hunter on all Pern! Exploring new places, seeing new sights, all of life would be an adventure! I think that would be the most amazing dragon!"

He gave a soft sigh. "Can't deny I'm a bit jealous. I would like a dragon, I think, since that gives a lot more opportunity to explore and have adventures in places you can't get to normally. Whers are a bit more limited. I think you'll have a grand time, though. Y and your other brother who is getting a dragon."

[Rii]

“Oh, you’re not that much older than me, then,” Nori answered happily. “You’re allowed to be a wher candidate at fifteen? I think I’m under the age limit for it or something. And, I want to fly, and fight Thread.” She tilted her head, braids sliding off of her shoulders. “So… why whers instead of dragons? Because your friends have whers?”

“The politics are really confusing and I don’t get half of what’s going on. I don’t really know the people involved so they’re all just names of strangers.” she agreed. “I don’t think they could help me there, they just all grumble about Lord Holders making a mess of things. I learned to read, though, and I’m working on my multiplication and, and division. Just the easy parts, like ten twos are twenty.” Oh, she was so proud of her little store of learning. Just being able to read the chore roster pleased her. “Reading taught me a joke. What do you call a fish with no eyes?” She waited a beat. “A fsh!”

Ehehehe, bad jokes. Nori was happy to laugh over Jafari’s playacting, too. “Oh, but your… Jask? Jafask? Would leap on you and beg you to stay. ‘No! Jafask’s stay! Jafask’s live with Jafask and do Jafask things!’” She dissolved into a gigglefit. “And then you’d have no choice but to stay, and live with the shame of your first mistake. But you’d get over it sometime.” The girl tried to stifle her laughter. “Maybe.”

Ohhh, she liked his prediction of her future. Sitting up, she savored it. “A treasure hunter. I like that. Finding all sorts of new and exciting things. Or an adventurer, making daring rescues, maybe Searching the next queenrider, and ridding the skies of Thread forever!” Nori gestured dramatically, although she did her best to keep her voice down. It was just a play-dream. May as well make it big. She laughed merrily. “Maybe we can take you and your wher with us. We’ll do a lot of evening runs or something.”

[Kiran]

Jafari nodded at her question. "Yep, I'm old enough for it. And yeah, because my friends are. I can't say that I won't get a dragon, I've never been Searched, haven't asked to be, but I don't think I'd want one just because then it would be tough to ever see my friends, what with the different schedules and all. I mean, Saowyn is my best friend! And Lirmox might not be my best friend... or a friend at all... But I still know him. I know more wher handlers than anyone else now. It would be weird to get a dragon." It was perhaps a selfish thought, but true.

So he listened to her about the politics, nodding understandingly. They were his least favorite subject. But then she told the joke about the fish. For a moment, Jafari kept as straight a face as he could. But that mask cracked gradually, until he was grinning wide enough to split his face and chuckling hard enough that he was worried that the queens' riders would come over and chuck the two of them out. "That's great! Oh, that's such a bad joke!" He said, over and over. As bad as it was, she told it so earnestly and it was so terrible that he couldn't keep from finding it hilarious.

When that finally quieted, Jafari had to shrug. "Oh, I'm sure, but Jafask would have to cuddle me and take me out on adventures to help with that. Guilt is a powerful thing." He gave Nori a wink, enjoying how she was willing to play along with him. "Obviously we would have to go on adventures together! What with Jafask thing to make things up to me... Or perhaps it would be Jafarisk, or maybe just Jask, that is a good question... It would work out great! As long as you were going out on them, we could kill two wherries with one stone."

That made him think some more on the subject. "Haven't seen much of the world, so I suppose we would have to make it a goal to travel al over and see everything, ya know? Even going out to sea and seeing what's out there, maybe discovering new islands or something like that. It would be pretty neat, I think!" The idea was actually pretty appealing to him. Going out into the big unknown. But then again, what with Threadfall... He gave a soft sigh. Jafari had to admit, there was something wonderful about having a home to come back to. A safe haven. That was something he loved too much to give up for a long period of time.

He glanced back at Nori. "So that's that, then. You'll get your dragon, I'll get my wher, and we will have some great adventures. Better plan on bringing your brothers along as well, they probably wouldn't like you going off with a guy like me like that, or any guy for that matter!" Jafari reached over to ruffle her hair, thinking about his own sisters. Yep, definitely would not be an approved outing. The former Holdless still had issues with the man who had start courting one of them... Though who knew how that had turned out? His expression turned wistful as he looked out over the eggs on the sand.

[Rii]

Nori grinned. “I have to admit, a lot of why I want a dragon is because they can go anywhere. And because…” she snagged one of her braids in her fingers, tugging it until the tie came off, then absentmindedly rebraiding the end. “Maybe it sounds silly from someone like me, that everyone looks at and just sees a kid. I want to help people, and protect them. Make people’s lives safer and brighter, you know? Dragonriders do that.” Looking determined, she nodded, tying the braid off firmly. “I will, someday. Whether I’m a dragonrider or not. You’ll see.”

Nori dissolved into infectious giggling to match his laughter. Oh yes. She knew her jokes were bad - people never failed to tell her so. And she didn’t care, because they still rarely failed to draw a smile, or a laugh, or at the very least a groan in response. People with gloomy problems were distracted by the sheer terribleness.

“I like it. We’ll see all of it, from up above Telgar to, to the bottom tip of the Southern Continent,” Nori agreed, her eyes shining. “We’ll find things no one’s ever seen before.” She laughed again at the mention of her brothers. “Tell me about it. They can be so overprotective.” She rolled her eyes, but there was an affectionate smile on her lips. She might chafe against their restrictions, but she adored them. Their opinions meant a lot to her… eeeeven if they tried to chase off any male who got too friendly. I wonder how they’ll react when my dragon flies? she thought irreverently.

Turning her head to look from the eggs to Jafari, she was struck by the look on his face. Somehow she didn’t think all of that wanting she saw there was over the eggs, because there was sadness there, too, and they’d been talking so excitedly about the future. No, that wistfulness had cropped up while talking about her brothers. Which meant... “You miss them, don’t you,” the girl guessed softly. “Your family. What are they like?”

[Kiran]

"I think it's wonderful to want to help protect people. There are a lot, even here, that would only think of themselves. It make she pretty sad. I just want everyone to be happy, because then.... Then life isn't so hard." He couldn't help but reach over and ruffle her hair a bit. "I think that any dragon would want you, just for that. They'll know you'll do right by them." It made Jafari feel guilty, since his reasons for wanting a wher weren't quite as noble. But he couldn't shake the feeling that one day, he might just head off and go back. He had nothing to keep him here, not with his friends having Impressed whers themselves. Their lives were moving on. His... Wasn't.

His thoughts were driven from that by the joking and laughter. Jafari couldn't help but laugh with her, amused at the idea of adventuring. He missed it, a bit, but he would want to do it with friends. With Nora and Saowyn, and even Lirmox a bit because that would add spice and drama to the mix. As long as he himself had a wher that would prospect him. That would be just fine.

Nora caught the sadness in his face, apparently, because her next question was about that. He glanced over at her, then back at the sands. "It's just my mother, my brother, and my sister now. My dad and oldest sister died out in the wilds." Short and to the point. "Mom... She tries. Tried. She was a Harper, and so sweet and gentle. She did everything to keep our spirits up. And my sister, she's just two turns older than me, she takes after her. Just like her. And my brother, he is super dour and serious. Always looking after us. Doesn't say much, almost mute, but was willing to tuck us in at night. He and I went out one time, and came across a wild canine, and he killed it when it attacked me. Didn't leave me without a limp, but I still can manage just fine."

He sighed. "I just... Miss 'em. I'm sure they are doing just fine, but still. They know where I am." And he knew where they were if something ever came up. He wondered if they would ever come back to a Hold, since they weren't the new who had been exiled. His father was. But who knew?

He decided that was enough moping. "So what is the definition of a good Farmcrafter? Someone who is outstanding in their field!" Jafari grinned at her, hoping to distract the girl from his own sorrows.

[Rii]

I just want everyone to be happy. The younger candidate beamed. “That’s it, that’s it exactly. That’s what I try to do, even if it’s with silly jokes. Because life can be hard, and if I can help make it just a little easier, it’s worth it.” She grinned. “Of course, maybe I’ll get a really grumpy dragon. Then I’ll have to cheer them up, too.” Treasure-hunting cyan dream-dragon would be much more fun, but what were the odds of that happening?

She listened with interest as Jafari told her about his family. “Dad was like your big brother, really grim and cross, but he tried to take care of us. I think that’s a lot of where Lanorun gets it. Well, that and Lanorun… well… nevermind.” It probably wasn’t wise to announce that her oldest brother didn’t approve of the Weyrs while they were in a Weyr. “Thread got both of our parents, so we were kind of on our own after that. I think it just made us closer, though.” She looked introspective for a moment - she missed her mother, the memories of whispered harper tales when her dad wasn’t there to stop her.

“Your family will be proud of you, you’ll see. You’ll get a wher and be able to show off to them, and in a couple Turns you’ll be caught up with your friends here.” She was above all things an optimist. Jafari was a good person; he was nice and funny and he wanted people to be happy. That meant that sooner or later, something good would come to him. “Even if you don’t, there’s still a lot of new chances here - my brother Joshu works in the kitchens, baking. I bet someday he’ll take up the craft. There’s lots of crafters here to teach people, all types. If I couldn’t be a dragonrider, I think I’d like to be a harper.”

Norilana dissolved into laughter again. “Oh, that’s a good one, I have to remember that one,” she giggled, storing it in her memory to tell the next person she saw that was having a bad day. “Hmm, oh, I know another. Why did the drudge eat a glow?” She grinned. “He wanted a light snack!”

[Kiran]

"If you get a grumpy dragon, I imagine it won't be grumpy for long or ever after when it Impresses you. And then both you and your dragon will spend the rest of your lives making sure the rest of they Weyr laughs." Jafari gave the girl a huge grin. She was a kindred spirit like that, and he liked that. Already he was thinking of her as someone great that he could pal around with, that he would enjoy hanging around. Another name to add to his list of friends. He liked that a lot.

His eyes softened when the girl talked about their brothers, and how she thought his family would be proud when he got a wher. And if he didn't... "If I don't get one, then I think I'll just take up beastcrafting. I got a friend in it, it doesn't seem to bad. Maybe a tanner. I don't have any skills in anything, really, so I suppose I could just stick round as a drudge." His heart wasn't in his words, though. He didnt really want to not have a wher... Though perhaps that was selfish of him, wanting one to be just like his friends. Maybe he should just give up now. Find something he wanted to do because he wanted it. It was better than this.

Jafari smiled brightly again when she enjoyed his joke, and he laughed in turn at hers. Two could play this game! "Why did Jada not find any redfruits or yellowfruits? Because she had a fruitless search!" Terrible terrible! All the jokes were, and if they kept up like this they would have to scoot so they didn't disturb the dragon or wher. It wouldn't do for her chances of Impressing to be ruined, even though he felt his own were going to be pretty dim.

[Rii]

“Even if he, or she, was grumpy forever, I could handle it,” Norilana replied confidently. “I’d just have to be happy enough for two.” It would be hard, though. She crossed her fingers for a moment. Avert. Faranth, give me a real partner. One I can work and live and play with. One I can make a -difference- with. It hadn’t taken her long to pick up the favored oaths of dragonriders, just from talking and listening to them, but Faranth had to be her favorite, supposedly the first queen. Although if Joshu caught her saying some of the other ones she’d learned, she was sure she’d be in trouble.

“Ooh, beastcraft would be interesting. They had us riding runners to get used to the thought of riding something, even if a dragon’s not at all the same. Some of the runnerbeasts are so pretty! But they’re really well-cared for here. Not like some places.” She frowned a little at that. “I hate it when people mistreat their animals, especially when they can afford them. It’s one thing to all be short of food and have to travel hard, people and animals both, but people who don’t even brush them or hit them… that’s low.” Nori shook her head, a smile coming back to her lips. “I still don’t think you’d have to worry about it. This time, or if not, then maybe next time, you’ll get a wher. You’ll see! If I had marks, I’d even wager on it.”

Alas, marks were something she wasn’t really used to having. Wits and hard work, on the other hand, were things she had in full supply. Covering her mouth, she giggled at his new joke. That was horrible, and therefore hilarious to her. What else could she dredge up from her vast supply…. aha! “A Holder, a harper, and a greenrider walk up to a Gather stall. The vendor looks at them and goes, ‘What is this, a joke?’” Yep, they might have to flee soon to escape censure from laughter.

[Kiran]

Jafari couldn't help but move his hand to ruffle the girl's hair when she said she could handle a grumpy partner. That he was sure of, but he was hoping that she got something that was more like her - full of life and an eye for adventure. "I'm sure you could, I'm sure you could," he murmured in agreement, adding his verbal thoughts to his silent ones. She definitely had a chance, but who was she competing with? Jafari felt ashamed for a moment. He was wanting a partner merely to keep up with his friends, instead of simply wanting it for his own. Maybe that was the reason why he hadn't been chosen yet?

His eye strayed over her again when she pointed out how great Beastcraft was. Honestly, he didn't care. Jafari was heartened to hear that she believed that he would Impress. And since she had been Holdless... "Well, that settles it, then! I'm for sure going to Impress and am going to stop worrying about it!" Old habits died hard, and this one was no different. He would believe her blindly. Forcefully shutting away the doubts that nagged at the corners of his mind, Jafari grinned at his newfound friend. "No need to take other people's marks on what is going to be a sure bet! That isn't very fair of you, is it?" He gave Nori an exaggerated wink, then gave another glance out at the eggs. One of them was for him.

This time around, he was going to get a wher, and they were going to be magnificent together. He chuckled a bit. "Ya know, I think that yellow egg right there is a queen egg! And ya know what else? I'm going to Impress her, too! And she will be the best of the lot, happy and spunky and loves everyone because she knows how great they are. There might not be a queen over for the dragons, but I bet that you will be right there with me, Impressing a Bronze or and Iron! Because they know how amazing we are, and will want everyone to know it!" Every word had his heart lightening just a little bit more, and by the end he could finally feel that things were looking up. The previous hatchings had simply thinned the herd of candidates. After all... Lirmox had gotten a nasty little thing, and the rest of the ones from that clutch were definitely ones he wouldn't have wanted. So there!

At Nori's next joke, Jafari nearly choked on his laughter. He held a hand to his mouth to stifle the noise. Yep! It was time to go! He grabbed Nori's hand and pulled her after him, collapsing with laughter at the entrance to the sands. He was glad that he had skedaddled, the hooting and hollering sure to have banned the rest of the candidates if he had let loose where they had been. "Oh, oh Nori! That one was great! I can't... I can't..." He gasped out. "Can't beat that one, you win!"

[Rii]

To be fair, Nori thought that a lot of things were great. And she liked to look for wonderful things in even bad situations, so she probably would have even pointed out nice things about being a drudge, if given a moment or two to think about it. It would just be harder. Instead, she didn’t have to, because it seemed she’d succeeded in inspiring a bit of confidence in her new friend. That, she decided, was a complete victory for her. She grinned. “No, it wouldn’t be fair. Aren’t you glad we’re not going to bet?”

The thought of Impressing a kingdragon made her laugh, rocking a little in her seat. “An iron or bronze? Can you imagine the fits people would have if a thirteen-Turn-old Holdless girl Impressed to a king?” Ohhh, there would be so much trouble from that. She couldn’t decide if it would be horrible or hilarious. Possibly both. “I’d have to fly away and hide down south, or something!”

Or something. That would be silly, right?

No, silly was them trading jokes in the stands until they had to flee. Nori scrambled down from the stands and ran out with Jafari, flopping down on the ground and giving herself up to unrestrained laughter. “I know, I know…” She’d been laughing so hard her eyes watered. Trying to catch her breath, she wiped her eyes. “I love jokes. All of them.” Alright, now she was calm. Sort of. She was still wearing a huge smile from enjoying herself so much.

Toying with one of her braids, she looked at him. “So that’s it. We’ll find our bondeds out there. Soon, too.” And it was a little scary, and a lot exciting, and oh, she just couldn’t wait! She would move fast, and try to get a spot to stand that was right up front where she could see everything. “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “I was kind of worried about what would happen if a wher found me instead of a dragon, but I’m not so much anymore. Because I know you, now. So I’ve got at least one friend among the people for whers!”

[Kiran]

Jafari couldn't help but grin widely when Nori said she wasn't afraid of wher anymore. He clasped a hand on her shoulder. "You know me, and I'll introduce ya to my friends Saowyn and her wher Saosk sometime. They're the best pair! Saosk is loud! but he is a good introduction to whers, he's hilarious and loud and really a sweetheart. And if that doesn't help make it all better, then I don't know what would!" His hand moved to ruffle her hair as he stood up straight again.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm feeling better, too. I gotta admit, I was worried for a second that I would get a dragon. Can you imagine, me on a dragon! I didn't want that because of my friends, but now I'm thinking thati won't mind so much if I do, 'cause I know you, too." Jafari gave her a wink. "I think we both did each other some good. You're good people, Nori, and I'm sure that your brothers are too. And I hope that you all Impress at this hatching, so you all can have adventures together."

He gave a soft sigh and looked towards the cave. His wher was in there, sitting on the sands. "I'm sure that this will be an adventure. A big old exciting time, what with dragons and whers and all that. And in the end, we will have the best of the bunch." Glancing back at her, Jafari couldn't help but smile. She was a cutie! "So. How about we go get ourselves something to eat? I'm feeling a bit peckish and think I saw some sweetbreads being taken out of the ovens on my way here..." He motioned towards the kitchens. They needed a distraction, and sweets tended to be a good one!