A Successful Search

Writers: Emma, Suzee
Date Posted: 31st January 2015

Characters: L'cor, Oria, Kentin, Lieta
Description: Search for candidates for Riyanth's clutch.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 23 of Turn 7

L'cor

Oria

Rukbat shone brightly, and the greenrider could feel the warmth of the sun's
rays on her face as she emerged from the sheer black and cold that was
/between/. Looking back over her shoulder, she could see Tonuth and L'cor
following her, and she gestured down to the small hold beneath them.

}:We need to land down there,:{ Degrorth reminded the bronze. }:I am sure
we will find candidates there today.:{

}:Follow me,:{ Tonuth bugaled their arrival and circled the small
square to allow any people to scatter before landing to one side of
it. He left plenty of room for Degrorth beside him on the stones.
L'cor smiled at Oria before sliding down and walking toward the steps
of the main hold.

"Ready?" asked Oria as she unfastened her riding jacket. "The really young
kids may pester you a little to see if they can ride on Tonuth and
Degrorth."

"Yep," he grinned at her. He'd been a steward at Green Valley when
dragons came on search and knew exactly how the crowd could be. "Any
ideas which way you want to start?"

"I think..." she began. "Aah there he is, that has to be the steward here,
he was told to expect us, and have things organised."

It turned out the greenrider was right. The middle aged man, whose knots did
indeed show him to be the steward. "Greetings!" he called out. "My duty to
you and your dragons. Welcome, we'll be ready for you in about half a
candlemark, some of our youngsters are in the fields and will take that time
to get back. In the mean time, may I offer you some refreshments?"

"That would be welcome," L'cor smiled at the steward. "Our dragons
have recently fed," **so you don't need to worry about your stock** It
had always been a common question in the back of his mind so he'd
added the reassurance to his response to holders. "Lovely Hold you
have here."

"We're proud of it," the man beamed with the praise. "If you'd care to
follow me inside, I'll have some klah and pastries sent to you."

The riders were lead to what was clearly a small room used for welcoming
visitors, refreshments arriving in the promised few moments.

"Oh this is nice," he smiled when the were shown into the room "Just
what I need," he said stripping off his gloves and heading for the hot
Klah. "Want some?"

"I'd love some," she said as her gloves were taken out of the pocket they'd
been hastily thrust into and smoothed before they were replaced and her
jacket removed. "This really is nice, some places, they don't like to see
me, they think I'm going to steal their best workers for a faint promise of
a dragon."

He poured them each a cup and brought the mugs to the table before he
too removed his jacket. "How long do you suppose it will take? The
steward seemed friendly enough."

"He did, and I think he probably will be around the time he said. Unless
he's sneaking some of them away from me and Degorth,. but I don't think he
will."

"Good," he said as a drudge brought in a tray of fresh pastries. "Very
nice, thank you," he said politely.

"Much appreciated," Oria told the girl with a smile. "If only we got service
like this at home."

"Really," L'cor grinned. "Mmmm," he said as he bit into a fresh
bubbly. "Almost as good as my ma's."

"They do look good," said Oria, eyeing an iced pastry, "I think I'm going to
try one of these."

L'cor ate his way through the first one rather quickly and was onto
the second when the door opened and the steward reappeared. "Are you
ready for us Sir," he asked.

Oria gently nodded to L'cor, getting the impression that the steward would
defer to him because of his knots.

L'cor stood and nodded to the Steward. "Ready if you are," he smiled
and then put his arm out to usher Oria out before him just like any
Lady would have been. "Thank you for the refreshments. Please convey
my compliments to your baker."

"Mine too," Oria said as she rose to her feet. "Please tell them that it was
much appreciated." Pausing for a moment, she then continued, "Degorth says
that she is ready, if your youngsters are."

The steward nodded and led them back into the courtyard. Seven or
eight youths stood around, eyes darting back and forth between the
riders and the dragons.

L'cor gave a welcoming smile. "Hello everyone. This is Oria and I'm
L'cor. We're here on Search. If you would like to present yourselves
to the dragons we're happy to offer tokens to those who are selected."
Now that he'd gotten their attention, he turned and stepped back to
let Oria do the hard work.

Degrorth cast her expert eye up and down the youngsters, before stopping.
"She says this one," and then she turned to the steward. "she thinks that he
will do well," then she paused. "She also thinks that someone in the crowd
may be suitable. The girl with the blonde hair over at the right."

"Come forward child," the steward motioned the girl out from the crowd.

Slowly, she came forwards, trembling a little.

"It's okay," Oria told her. "What's your name?"

"L... L... Lieta, Ma'am," she said, eyes shyly cast down.

"Well Lieta, Degorth here thinks you could ride a dragon, and she's almost
always right about these things," Oria said carefully "You'll neeed to ask
your parents, and you don't have to come with us straight away, when you're
ready, if you choose to accept search."

It was clear the girl didn't know what to say, as she looked back to her
parents, and then at the steward.

The man nodded kindly at the girl. "You and your parents can choose gel."

L'cor clapped the man on his shoulder and stood beside him. "I was
once a Stewards Apprentice at Green Valley when Degrorth found me.
Then..." he looked up at the big bronze. "Tonuth found me on the
Sands." Tonuth bugled triumph at the skies.

"I.. Ma'am, may I take some time to think on this, I need to be sure." The
girl looked up at them. "I'm the youngest and my parents would miss me."

"You take your time," Oria told her. "Talk to your parents and when you are
ready, you can ask the for the signal flags to be raised and when the rider
comes, show them this," she handed over a search token. "The rider won't be
angry, don't worry about that, they'll ask you for your decision, and if you
want to be taken to the Weyr, they'll organise that for you."

"Of course," L'cor murmured next to Oria. He smiled at the Steward.
"Thank you for your hospitality and just let us know soon," he pointed
toward the girl. "There are eggs hardening on the sands."

"Of course sir." the man said and bowed.

"Then I think we're done here, right?" He looked to Oria for confirmation.

"Yes." she glanced to the other lad. "You also have the same choice, you
don't have to come with us today, you can take your time, or decide now."

"I'll go with Lieta," he said, earning him a nod of approval from the girl's
parents. "So she has a proper escort."

"Well then," the bronzerider smiled at everyone. "Then we'll be back
after the next 'fall unless you send for us sooner."

Then he held out a hand to Oria to 'escort' her back to Degrorth.

"Thank you all," Oria said as she took L'cor's hand. "Remember that just
because you weren't searched, doesn't mean that you've failed in anyway, it
simply means that you'll find your own places on Pern in your own time."

Last updated on the February 11th 2015

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A Successful Search