I Got Five On It

Writers: Halyonix
Date Posted: 13th November 2025

Characters: Sareya, D'ltero, Felorin, Soroven, Kheheral
Description: A few Candidates talk about the latest clutch
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 12, day 21 of Turn 12

Sareya

Felorin

"Forty eggs means a lot of chances," Soroven said with an excited grin as he looked across the table at his friend Daltero. "I mean, probably half will be green, but twenty is still not bad."

"You are really set on not Impressing a green, aren't you?" Daltero remarked with a matching grin and a soft chuckle. "You've been here for how long? Still haven't caught on."

With his mouth full, Soroven waved off Daltero's remarks. "I know, I know, don't go all Weyrlingmaster on me, okay? I'm just dreaming!"

"We all are," replied the softer-spoken Kheheral. "Forty eggs means a lot of chances, yes, but it also means more Candidates. More competition."

Soroven waved his hands again. "Yeah, yeah, it'll be fine. We veterans have the leg up on that one. No picking babies in this clutch, I bet my marks. Or from the Stands!"

With an eyebrow cocked and that grin splitting his face more, Daltero reached into his pocket and pulled out an eighth mark. He twiddled it between his fingers teasingly. "Ready to bet on that?"

"Aw, come on, Dal, why are you upping the ante?" Soroven complained.

Daltero flipped the mark lazily. "It's not my fault that you went to that card game last sevenday and got swept. You're the one talking about betting marks that you don't have right now."

"But I will," Soroven muttered as he took another bite. "Look, you get the idea. Forty eggs is good odds. I think this is the clutch, boys."

A new, feminine voice entered, but only in passing. "You always say that, Soroven, and you're always so deliciously disappointed." And then, her dark hair flowing like a banner behind her lovely form, Felorin was gone, off to sit with a seemingly better choice of people.

"Good to see you too, Fel!" Soroven called after her. "Shells, can you imagine if she Impresses?"

"Luckily," Daltero noted as he watched Felorin depart, "there's not a gold egg in this clutch. I couldn't imagine her ego if she Impressed that."

Another new, feminine voice entered the conversation, accompanied by a long sigh. "Neither can I. She'd be insufferable. But I was really thinking there'd be a gold egg with forty eggs. That's a lot of eggs!" Sareya said as she sat next to Kheheral.

"Hey Sareya," a suddenly nervous Kheheral greeted. Daltero nudged him teasingly, which only made it worse, but he couldn't help it. It was absolutely hilarious how flustered Kheheral got around the girl! Truth be told, she was cute. But she wasn't Daltero's type.

"Hey, Khe," she answered without looking his way as she bit into her food. "Did you still need help with your homework this evening?"

Daltero and Soroven bit the inside of their cheeks to keep from laughing. Poor Sareya had no idea that Kheheral was using that excuse as a way to spend time with her!

"Um...please," Kheheral answered, turning pink. He shot a sharp look at his friends, who were turning pink from holding in the laughter. When they had cooked up the idea a few sevendays ago, they really thought that Sareya was going to see through the excuse pretty quickly. All three boys had been Candidates for Turns so it wasn't like any of the lessons were new to them. Maybe she was humoring Kheheral. Or thought he was cute.

Eventually, Daltero snickered and said, "Sareya, you want in on the bet?"

Over Soroven's sudden protests, Sareya asked, "Bet?"

"Eighth mark says that Soroven Impresses a green," Daltero quipped.

Soroven threw a bread roll at his friend. "You wherfuc-"

"Hey!" Kheheral snapped sharply. "Ladies present! Watch your cursing!"

Sareya dabbed her mouth as she said, "I've heard worse in the Infirmary, don't worry. Riders say all sorts of things while you're poking their dragons."

"You know, it's a good thing that dragons don't eat people," Soroven said with a comically scathing look at Daltero, who was still grinning idiotically.

"It is," Sareya agreed, "but I'll need one if I'm going to be a journeywoman. And I _plan_ to be one." So that meant she needed to Impress. Her fingers tapped on the table in thought. "Fine. I'll take that bet. Eighth mark it is," she agreed, as she fished out her own coin.

"I hate you all," Soroven muttered.

"No, you don't," Daltero answered as he took Sareya's mark. "You love us and choose us, you stupid, adorable man. Think about it." His head tilted towards the table where Felorin was sitting prettily with a group of tittering girls, a Lady Holder with her maids in waiting. "You could be sitting with Felorin instead." To illustrate his point, he made a terrible mimicry of her posture in that moment.

Sareya snorted. "I'd _definitely_ take the bet _and_ this, over that," she said.

Soroven scowled but it dissolved into a jovial grin after a moment. "You're on," he said to Daltero. "Eighth mark, when I get it, says you _both_ get a green."

Sareya leaned over to a suddenly more nervous Kheheral so that she could whisper, "And why does he think that's an insult?"

"I...uh...no idea," Kheheral stammered out. "I'd be happy with _any_ dragon!"

"Me too," Sareya agreed as she went back to eating. "Let's hope this clutch has our dragons in it."

"I'm telling you," Soroven said, "This is the one."

Last updated on the December 21st 2025

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I Got Five On It