Upended Thoughts
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Patrick
Date Posted: 17th November 2006
Characters: I'poro
Description: Ioporol wakes up alone one night in the Barracks and wonders what life will be like if he Impresses.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 4
He was standing on the hot sands before a multitude of mottled eggs. He watched as they cracked and hatched, tiny crying dragonets making their way across the sands, picking out life partners. He saw one tiny blue crack his shell and waddle about aimlessly, lost and confused. He tried to go comfort the little blue, but his feet were looked to the sands. He tried to call out, but it was like he had just eaten something sticky and his mouth was glued shut. He watched as the little blue creeled in pain at the lack of a partner. He tried to scream "I'm right here! It's me you want!" But his mouth wouldn't work. The little blue began to move further away, still calling for his life partner. **No.** he cried **NO!**
Ioporol woke with a start, his face covered in a cold sweat. His feline Blackie mewed at her owner for disturbing her sleep. He stroked her bushy fur.
"It was just a dream." He whispered to the feline, "only a nightmare." He lay back down, continuing to pet Blackie's smooth fur. She purred her agreement from her sleeping spot. He closed his eyes but sleep refused to come. He turned on his side, still petting the feline, and tried again. After ten minutes with no success, he gave up and opened his eyes to the dark Barracks. The dark shadows were reassuring to him, a bunch of guys just as nervous as he was, that they wouldn't Impress. He thought back to his dream, it had seemed so real. A single tear ran down his cheek for the doomed blue of his thoughts. He couldn't let that happen this time. He would be there, and that was all.
Blackie stretched herself and rearranged her big body to receive the most pets. Ioporol smiled slightly at her. She was a very good companion. But what kind of companion would a dragon be? He'd had classes on the dragon human bond, but how special was it really. He would just have to wait. He would find out for himself.
But what if he wasn't good enough? What if, he was left on the sands forever? No, he couldn't think that way, he would find his lifemate on the Sands, he was sure of it. But what if he didn't? What if heed come to the wrong weyr and his lifemate died on someone else's Sands? He'd heard the stories of dragonets dying on the Sands because their lifemate wasn't there. It came up in the Barracks a lot. But what if they were true? What if the stories were right?
He couldn't let himself believe that. And if he didn't Impress here, there would be other Hatchings. He would stand at every one of them if he had to. He wasn't going to be too old for a while yet. His dragon was out there somewhere, he was sure of it. He would find him, as long as it took.
With that resolve, Ioporol closed his eyes once more and tried to sleep. It only took five minutes this time for him to realize he wasn't ready to sleep yet. He opened his eyes again, wondering why he still couldn't sleep. He sat there, wondering, before it hit him. It was almost morning. He couldn't sleep because his internal clock was saying its time to wake. He got up quietly, trying not to wake anyone. He slipped into his work clothes, ready for another day of Candidate training. He sat down on his cot, waiting for the morning bell. He pet Blackie on the head. He looked down at her, grinning. "Well if I never Impress at least I'll have you, eh Blackie?"
The feline just purred.
Last updated on the November 19th 2006