We Live to Serve Them

Writers: Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 15th February 2018

Characters: R'fal, Dessa
Description: R'fal and Dessa talk about their backgrounds and dragons
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 4 of Turn 9

Dessa was trying to learn to know all her new clutchmates, so when she found
herself feeding Santhiath right next to the brownrider, she struck up a
conversation. "Morning, you're R'fal, right?" All she know of him that he had
been Searched after her and from Emerald Falls' area too.

"Yes..." R'fal knew who she was, of course, but he'd been a little intimidated
about speaking to her. He wasn't even sure how to address her - goldrider?
Journeywoman? My lady? "And this is Marlath, ma'am."

"Ma'am? What am I? Some old auntie?" Dessa snorted. "Well met, Marlath. You're a
very handsome brown."

Aware that he was being complimented, Marlath paused in his chewing for a moment
and turned his head to look up at Dessa. }: I like her. :{

"He says thank you, ma...um, goldrider Dessa. Sorry!" He reached for another
handful of chopped meat, hoping he didn't look as foolish as he felt. "How is
Santhiath today?"

}: Why are you complimenting _him_? :{ Santhiath asked between mouthfuls.

**Because it's nice and polite thing to do. Besides, I do like his shade of
brown, * Dessa replied her before replying to R'fal. "The usual, demanding,
imperious, still learning her manners."

}: Don't you like my colour? :{ Santhiath wanted to know, sounding tad
bit jealous.

** Of course I do, I love it! That doesn't mean I can't admire someone else's
colour,** Dessa assured her and gave the hatchling a quick scratch.

"She sounds exactly as a queen should be." R'fal couldn't help smiling at the
thought of trying to teach a gold dragon manners. He was glad to leave that task
to Dessa. "If I was her, I'd probably be a bit imperious too. She's lovely. I
wish I'd seen her hatch, but I was too busy with Marlath and missed it."

"There was so much going on that day," Dessa said. "I was trying to follow
several people and still missed seeing them Impress," she continued. "You're
from Emerald Falls too, right?"

"Yes. Well, not the Hold itself, I've never been there. I'm from a cothold. But
you're from the Harper Hall, aren't you? It must have been exciting, living
there." His home had only had infrequent visits from travelling harpers and
while he hadn't been too keen on the lessons, he had liked the stories and
gossip they brought.

"Yes, I'm from the Hall. Was it exciting? I don't know, I was just studying so
hard," Dessa replied. "Besides, my parents have a cothold too," she added.

"Really?" He'd assumed she'd always lived at the Hall and it was reassuring to
know that someone else in their weyrling group was from the same background as
him. "What did they do there? My family are herders, ovines mostly."

"Farming," Dessa replied. "We have some herdbeasts but they've mostly for own
use. Dad makes nifty profit by growing flax and cotton to the Weaver Hall," she
continued.

"We send them our wool. I never got to go there, though."

}: When I am bigger, we will go there together, :{ Marlath reminded him. }: I
will take you anywhere you like. :{

** You're right! We just have to wait. ** R'fal scratched the little brown's
head, and was was rewarded with a happy croon of pleasure. He thought back,
counting the Turns. "Were you at the Hall when it burned down? Even out at the
cothold, we heard about that."

"I had just started, as a paying student," Dessa replied. "It was a scary
moment, we were evacuated outside, wearing nothing but our night clothes."

"Wow." He thought that sounded incredibly exciting, but perhaps it hadn't been
that way for those who'd lost all of their belongings. "Then what happened? Did
you go to the Weyr, or stay at the Hold?"

Dessa remembered being more concerned that her father would call her back home
than over her lost things. But being youngest daughter, she did have more
leeway. "When the Hall moved to Weyr, I did too, and became an apprentice. When
the Hall returned to Emerald Falls Hold, I was already senior apprentice," Dessa
told him.

"So you must know this place really well." He gestured at the Weyr around them.
"What was it like, coming back as a Candidate? Did you know any of the other
people here from before?"

"Well, I could go around without getting lost," Dessa replied. "When Hall was
here, I didn't really associate with the dragonriders, so I didn't know that
many people from before. But there were some familiar faces," she continued.
"Part of the Weyr had been set aside for the Hall and we were encouraged to
stick just to that part."

"I see. But you weren't a Candidate the first time you were here, were you? You
were Searched from the Hall?" He thought he'd heard that, although he wasn't sure.

"No, I weren't," Dessa replied. "Actually, I was Searched from my home Hold,
while visiting my folks. I had some time to kill while the Hall was trying to
figure out an assignment for me," she continued.

"Lucky you were there when the Search riders came," R'fal said, although he
supposed they must visit the Hall as well. "Who was it that Searched you?"

"L'cor and Oria," Dessa replied. "I understand that they do much of the Searches
in Emerald Falls Hold-area."

"Oh!" He smiled. "They Searched me, too. It was a surprise, I can tell you. We'd
hardly even seen a dragon up close until that day, let alone a bronze. They're
probably still talking about it back home."

"Not an everyday occurrence," Dessa agreed.

"No! I can't wait to go back with Marlath, and stir things up all over again.
Then my little brother and sister and my cousins will get to meet him." Not to
mention the holder girls. R'fal couldn't help but think that showing up on the
back of a dragon would raise his status in their eyes. "He'll have to grow a bit
before that can happen, though."

"Yes," Dessa nodded. "It will be fun. I can see my father bragging about my
daughter the goldrider," she continued with amusement.

He laughed. "Imagine if you were Weyrwoman one day. Then he could talk about my
daughter the Weyrwoman!"

"He would burst from seams," Dessa grinned slightly and shifted her attention
back to her dragonet. Santhiath was finally finished eating.

}: I want a bath now, :{ She declared imperiously. Looking the brown next to
her, she added regally: }You may join me if you wish. :{

Dessa suppressed a laugh at her tone.

}: We must go for my bath. :{ The young brown quickly swallowed his last
mouthful of meat. }: Santhiath says so. :{

R'fal's eyes widened. "That's amazing. I've never got Marlath to finish his meal
and be bathed so easily before! I don't suppose she could tell him to settle
down and rest while I'm in class, too?"

"That's what the golds do, make other dragons do things," Dessa smiled. "Alas,
if only she could sit still and pay attention during the classes," Dessa sighed.
Santhiath was still a baby dragon and the temptation to start playing with her
clutchmates was sometimes too great.

"Ah, well. Maybe they'll grow out of it." R'fal remembered, guiltily, that _he_
hadn't grown out of messing around in class until he was old enough to finish
with classes altogether. Hopefully it would be different for dragons.

}: We must go, :{ Marlath reminded him urgently, nudging his side with his nose.
}: Santhiath is waiting! :{

** All right. Don't get your tail in a twist, ** R'fal teased. "Looks like we'd
better go and get them cleaned up."

"I agree. We live to serve them," Dessa put the meat knife away.

Last updated on the March 2nd 2018

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

We Live to Serve Them