We Go A Searching

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 15th November 2017

Characters: K'lvin, L'pin, Orellis, Heryllia
Description: K'lvin and L'pin go on Search.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 24 of Turn 9

L'pin was looking forward to going on Search for once. Chaneth had the
talent, but his duties as a Weyrlingmaster's Third usually kept them
at the weyr rather than out Searching. But with the gold egg on the
Sands, he'd been able to shift his schedule and workload and make time
to go out.

He smiled at K'lvin when he saw the bronzerider waiting in the
Weyrbowl. "I hope I didn't keep you too long," he said.

"Not at all," K'lvin said with a wave of his hand. "Me and Xmrenth are
probably just over eager to actually be doing something." He'd been
cleared to fly and Search with his bronze, which had brought back a
little life to the bronzerider's eyes.

"I'm certainly excited to go looking for Candidates for this egg. I
thought I'd let you direct where we go. Do you have thoughts on where
you'd like to see first?"

"This is the first time I've lived this far east, so you probably have
a better idea about where to go than I," K'lvin said honestly. He knew
the names of those Holds beholden to Dolphin Cove, as was a
dragonrider's duty, but that was as far as his knowledge of the area
went.

"Why not visit the Topaz Seahold area? There's hearty people there,
who stayed after the disaster, and they might have a good selection of
tough and independent folks," L'pin suggested. Maybe that would harbor
the kind of girl to appeal to the gold egg.

"Sounds like a plan." K'lvin mounted up to Xmrenth's neckridge while
the blue and bronze exchanged coordinates. It felt so good to be going
somewhere and doing something.

Rain was drizzling when they appeared from /between/ above the
territory of Topaz Seahold. Chaneth grumbled as he floated downwards
to perch in a large square with a watchtower, a good site for dragons
to rest while their riders did whatever they had come to do at the
hold.

A guard came out of the watchtower and stared at them with interest.
"Personal business?" he inquired.

"Riders on Search," K'lvin answered with a polite nod of his head to
the guard. It was custom to be treated to refreshment if desired,
although K'lvin was sure he and L'pin would refuse since they had just
set out on Search. "There is a gold on the Sands at Dolphin Cove. We
would like to see some of your eligible women."

"Oh," the guard said with some surprise. He'd assumed they were
stopping in to visit someone. He reached up and rang a bell. "Just
hold one moment and we'll get the news out. Uh, do you need anything?"

A runner showed up within a minute or two. "Yes?"

"Dragonriders on Search. Bring out all the young women. And any of the
men too?" he asked the riders.

L'pin looked at K'lvin to answer, content to let him take the lead. It
wouldn't hurt to bring home a likely young man if Chaneth saw him, but
maybe K'lvin wanted to stay focused.

"Men as well," K'lvin said, because he'd never turn down an eligible
Candidate, even if they were looking specifically for females to put
on the Sands for the golden egg. He figured they would get a fair
amount of females today. While holders rarely wanted to show their
daughters when it was just a normal Search, say the word 'gold' and
the men would be throwing their children at the Searchriders.

"Okay, sirs," the runner said, bolting back towards the main Hold at top
speed.

"Haven't seen a Search here in a bit. Or maybe I just wasn' on duty.
Always hoped t'be Searched myself but it never happened," the guard
said. "How old d'ya gotta be for the gold egg?"

"Candidates are 12 to 20, usually," L'pin said. "Though golds often
prefer towards the older end."

"My daughter's 15 Turns. Could you make sure to give her a careful
look?" he asked.

"Our dragons will consider everyone offered to us," L'pin said
diplomatically.

After a few minutes, a number of young people poured out into the
square. It was clear most of them had been rounded up from other
tasks. There were sweaty young men in the rough clothes of laborers,
girls in hiked up or dirty wear as if they'd been scrubbing or doing
laundry, and a few well-dressed people of both genders. They all filed
up into a reasonable semblance of a line.

Chaneth immediately started turning his head to scan the Candidates.

Xmrenth's head appeared over his rider, startling a couple of the
youngsters who had never been around a dragon before. The bronze
exhaled a "whuff" of air that pulled at the youths' clothes.

**You trying to scare them?** K'lvin asked.

}:I just want to see who is strong. A queen's rider should be brave.:{
Xmrenth said with conviction. }:She's good.:{ Xmrenth indicated a
stout brunette, who was a little taller and looked a little older than
the rest of her peers.

"You," K'lvin pointed and crooked his finger at the girl.

She lifted her chin, amusing K'lvin with the stubborn look in her
green eyes, and walked over to the bronzerider. "My name is Heryllia."

"Heryllia," he inclined his head, "Xmrenth thinks you should be a
Candidate at the Weyr. What do you think?"

A light came into her eyes, "Yes, sir. I'll go tell my parents."

"Quickly," K'lvin told her, and watched as she turned and ran back
towards the entrance of the main building.

One already. A good sign. **Chaneth, what do you think?**

}:That girl,:{ the blue said, turning his head to nose at a slender
girl with dark skin and hair.

L'pin gestured at her. "Come here," he invited.

She scurried over. "Bluerider. I'm Orellis."

"Chaneth says you have the likelihood to Impress. What say you?"

Her eyes widened and she bobbed a quick curtsey. "Let me go ask my
family," she said, and scurried in the wake of the other girl.

}:And that one!:{ Chaneth interjected, interested in a short man who
was standing off to the side of the crowd.

L'pin indicated him. "Chaneth says - "

"No thank you," the boy said, folding his arms. "I don't want to ride a
dragon."

Well, that was unexpected.

K'lvin made a face, "Then why are you wasting our time?" He waved a
hand dismissively at the boy, while the two females from earlier
returned, each carrying a sack of thier shoulder, eyes shining with
excitement and nerves.

L'pin offered the boy a Search token anyway. "In case you change your
mind," he said. He expected him to refuse and was surprised when he
took it.

}:I see no others,:{ Chaneth said to Xmrenth.

}:Nor I. Let's ferry these two back and we can move on to a different
location.:{ Xmrenth said, crouching as his rider helped one of the
girl's up onto his neckridge.

L'pin aided the other girl into climbing onto Chaneth. }:Ready to
follow you back,:{ the blue said.

He was puzzled by the case of the disgruntled boy, but at least they'd
gotten two girls out of this Search.

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

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We Go A Searching