Aicha gets Searched

Writers: LadyRose, Sia
Date Posted: 29th March 2025

Characters: E'tariax, Aicha
Description: Aicha gets Searched
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 5, day 13 of Turn 12

E'tariax

Aicha

The morning had gone well for Aicha and Cade, and as they made their
way back to the main Hold at a canter, Aicha was in high spirits,
despite an all too apparent lack of civility from some of those whom
she'd spoken to this day.

She pulled Cade to a walk as they approached the stables, and wondered
if she would have time to grab a bit of bread and cheese for a light
lunch before she had to report to her brother.

“…so, you’re saying you’re only here because the Weyr told you to be?”
Etarvin’s voice was dry as he reappeared from the tavern with two
mugs, sliding one across the table to E'tariax.

The greenrider rolled his eyes. "I am a busy man. I can do two things
at once. Besides, Aphirith hardly needs me for Search. I'm just the
man with the token. I'd be remiss if I didn't visit family while I'm
here."

“You always say that.” Etarven said. He looked across the square,
where Aphirith's green bulk was easily visible despite the cluster of
teenagers, shadowed by a much larger brown dragon. "Did you abandon
your gentleman escort, or did he decide to stay over there?"

"I told him to try and stop me. An escort at Emerald Falls, like I'm
going to get stabbed in the middle of the day." E'tariax huffed.

"A watchrider _was_ murdered."

"In the middle of the night. The killer picked a retired rider that
was too injured to do much else. That doesn't sound like someone that
would strike in the middle of the day, does it?"

Etarven glanced downwards at E'tariax's cane.

"Stop it. I'm _fine_. I won't ask you to complain to N'vanik on my
behalf." The greenrider groused. "I'm not in danger of injury, unless
you or one of those children come at me or Aphirith. I don't know what
that brown would do differently than Aphirith. I think she's more
likely to bite back."

Etarven looked back over to Aphirith. “She’s really soaking up the
attention, isn’t she? Not the feral beast you claim she is.”

“I've socialized her well,” E’tariax said, equally dry. “She acts like
she's never experienced love."

}: They're polite, Aphirith said, though her tone was distracted.
Someone was brave enough to scratch an itch. }: One of them smells
like sweetcakes.:{

E'tariax snorted. **Don't beg.**

}: I'm not begging,:{ she replied, }: but if they offer…:{

It didn't take Aicha long to care for Cade, and after making sure he
was brushed and watered, she left the stables and headed around the
barracks toward the cluster of houses just up the way.

As Aicha passed the open square area in between the Hold and the
tavern, however, she had to skirt past a group of her age mates, who
were all clustered around a dark green dragon. She gave one or two of
them a wave and a smile, and paused for just a second to have a word
with a couple of the girls, then took a closer look, admiring the
dragon's coloring.

Aphirith was enjoying the touch of little hands on her, especially the
couple that found the itchy spot at the base of a headknob and
underneath a worn patch of straps. They were all good little people,
even if plain. Not the spark she was looking for. Except…

She whuffed into into one hopeful's face, lifting her head just so she
could look out over the heads, trying to pinpoint what she was
feeling. She made a low warning noise as she rose and carefully
shuffled over to Aicha, lowering her nose again to blow hot air into
her face.

"Well, sir, I wish I could say it was a pleasure." E'tariax said, "But
Aphirith finally found someone. I have a job to do."

"Your chaperone will be pleased." Etarven said dryly.

Aicha mostly tried to stay away from dragons unless it was absolutely
necessary, since the runners tended not to like the scent, and had
been known to panic. So she stepped back, startled, when the Green
approached her and blew a hot breath in her face. She gave her friends
a shocked look, then backed up, uncertain.

}: She smells good, like dinner. :{ Aphirith reported, as if that
would help E'tariax detect exactly which youth she was looking at.
Luckily it was hard to miss her nudging the girl like an errant
runner.

"Aphirith likes you, miss." E'tariax said to Aicha as he got closer.
"And not just because she smells the runnerbeast on you. Dolphin Cove
has a clutch on the Sands, if you'd like to try your hand at becoming
a dragonrider."

Aicha backed up another step at the urging of her friend, who's hand
tugged at her sleeve, and gave the older man who approached a wide
eyed look. Clearly, he was a Dragonrider, and so deserved her respect,
but the mention of his Dragon liking her partly because she smelled
like a runnerbeast made her wary. And glad that Cade was in the
paddock.

Aicha's jaw dropped open, though, at the thought of the Clutch at
Dolphin Cove. It had never crossed her mind that she might be
considered a Candidate to Stand for a Hatching. She stared at
E'tariax, a bit dumbfounded, and did the whole look behind her, “Who,
me?” thing.

"You can close your mouth, dear." E'tariax said, this time his voice
was a little gentler. "What's your name?"

Aicha snapped her mouth closed and shot a frown at her friend, who had
let go of her sleeve and backed away. When her eyes went back to the
dragonrider, she swallowed, then stiffened her spine, so to speak, and
answered in an even voice. “I'm Aicha, sir. From here at Emerald Falls
Hold.”

"It's nice to meet you, Aicha. I'm E'tariax, and this is my Aphirith
here. I'm not in the habit of absconding with holder girls, so why
don't you just take this token for now and think about it." He pulled
out one of his search tokens from his jacket pocket and handed it to
her. "If you decide you want to present as a candidate, you show that
token to any dragonrider and ask for a ride to the Weyr. They'll get
you situated."

Aicha glanced at her friend, who seemed a bit worried, then looked
back at E'tariax and slowly took the token he offered. His approach,
and the way Aphirith had breathed on her, were disconcerting. And
secretly, deep down, exciting. She nodded and closed her fingers over
the Token. “Thank you, sir.”

"Now you need to really think hard about it." E'tariax continued, "The
Weyr is very different from Emerald Falls, and while Aphirith is well
behaved now, they aren't always like that," Aphirith huffed her
disagreement, "And flying Threadfall is deadly. You have to be sure
you want to be a rider for the rest of your life."

Aicha looked up at E'tariax, a bit uncertain, but she nodded. The idea
of being a Candidate had never even crossed her mind, and she
understood it would take some serious thought and consideration. Not
to mention a talk with her parents. “I understand.”

"Good, good. Hopefully we'll see you soon." He said, then his elbow
connected with Aphirith's big head. "Now, old girl, is there anyone
else you like here?"

Last updated on the April 3rd 2025

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Aicha gets Searched