Family Ties

Writers: Stasha
Date Posted: 16th April 2008

Characters: Alasha
Description: Alasha is sized up by some of the candidates while Anala shows Alasha the ropes and who's who in the candidate class
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 4

The class swarmed with candidates that rushed to find a spot right before the class began. Alasha was lucky to come as early as she did and found a spot next to her cousin, Anala. It was the first time she truly got a glimpse at how many candidates there truly were. She had heard of the numbers, but seeing the mass was a told a different tale.
Still, regardless of the numbers that she had joined, she kept her focus on T'mahl as he lectured the group. The class proved rather intriguing in the end, but she was glad when it finally finished.

"So what did you think?" Anala queried as they left the class room.

"There are a lot of candidates," she replied in dismay.

Her cousin only chuckled. "If you think that's bad, wait until we get a clutch."

Did the numbers get bigger? But there were not nearly as many eggs.
Alasha already knew this, but she could not grasp why they needed so many.

"T'mahl says it has to do with 'giving the dragons a choice,' what ever that means," she scoffed. "Some of the candidates have been around forever, like Birigundi over there," she motioned to the candidate as he walked away with several others. "He's been standing for four turns now," though that was not nearly as long as herself.
She had been standing sense she was twelve and now she was coming to the age where the next hatching could very well be her last, whether or not she Impressed. "A lot of candidates don't Impress for their first few hatchings, so don't be surprised if you're left standing the first time."

"I know," she replied in a soft voice. Again, Alasha began to question whether or not a dragon would find her when she stood for the first time. Although she knew there would be other hatchings, that realization did not settle well with her, and for her failure was not an option.

"The first rejection is always the worst," Anala admitted. The memory of when she was first turned down carved itself on her heart. She could not forget or forgive all those dragons that had passed her without so much as a glance. Why was she not good enough? She was a rider's daughter in a long line of riders, so why not her? She pushed the bitterness aside. This time, she reassured herself. She would Impress this time. "After a few times the pain does not hurt as much, and then one day when you least expect it a dragon tumbles at your feet proclaiming their name." Or least that was the theory behind it.

Anala could not hide her emotions from her cousin. Alasha could see the pain that the rejection had caused, and could even feel the tension it that resulted from it, but she refused to say anything.

"But don't worry, Ash, you have a few turns on you, so you'll be fine I'm sure." Anala looped her arm through Alasha's and led the girl like a doll. "Anyway, there's a few things you'll need to know about being a candidate. First of all," her eyes fell on a particular group of girls. "Stay away from them," she motioned with her head. "They're stuck up wherries, who pretty themselves all day. Though I don't know why. It's not like it's helping them much," she snubbed the group before she continued on. "Some of the boys can be a real nuisance too.
Especially the younger ones," she rolled her eyes. "It's best to just ignore them. Stick with the real men. Oh, and over there is Numi and Caya. They're fine to be around, or else obviously _I_ would not associate with them," she remarked as the two girls approached.

"Hey Nala," the blond head called out before she cast a challenging glance at Alasha. "Who's this?"

"Caya, Numi," Anala nodded to both of them. "This is my cousin, Alasha".

Alasha gave a respectable bow, though she kept herself at a good distance from them as she remained behind Anala.

"So you're the new candidate that came in the other day?" Numi piped up curiously. "The one in the feline attack?"

"You know about that?" she nearly stuttered to her dismay.

Anala only laughed. "Everyone knows about that. Mouths move and words travel fast here in the weyr, so everyone knows everyone else's business. Especially in the candidate barracks."

"Yeah, we like to know about our competition," Caya added with just as much animosity in her tone as her words intended. "So you're a rider's daughter?"

She nodded her head in response. Where was Zephyr? Alasha pondered. She could use that flit, she thought as Caya continued to eye her, but Anala stepped to Alasha's defense instead.

"Lay off, Caya," Anala scolded her friend's behavior before she turned a glance to her cowering cousin. Cowering? Anala almost wanted to shake her head in disgust but she bottled the temptation. Alasha was family, and that must have stood ground for something. Yet in the back of Anala's mind she saw Alasha as another candidate to take her dragon away, leaving Anala standing once again, just like her sister did to her, the traitorous Nikala and her precious green, Shilth. Another candidate, another weak girl barely able to stand up to a challenge from Caya, and for a moment Anala agreed with her friend. What a waste, and if Alasha Impressed while she, Anala, was left standing again... But that would not happen again. Not this time. She sent an eased smile to her younger cousin before she turned back to her friends.

"We should probably go, but I'll see you later," Anala waved her friends off and turned to the task at hand as she buried her resenting thoughts.

"We'll see you at dinner, Nala, and Alasha, you should come too."

The moment Numi passed the invitation to Alasha, Caya gave her friend a deep scowl. "Ignore her," Caya waved off the comment regarding Alasha. "It would bore, you being holdbred and all."

"I'll come," Alasha stepped up to the challenge with uncertainty as she gave a gracious nod to Numi, though she hesitated to glance at Caya.

**Hmmm...** Anala ponder when she saw the young girl step out of her protective box. She was not confident, but she stood for herself none the less. Anala would hold her reservations of Alasha for now. "Come on Ash," she pulled her away from the other girls. "I'll show you where you need to report for the creche work."

Last updated on the April 17th 2008

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Family Ties