A Taste of Freedom

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 6th May 2011

Characters: Sh'lua, G'wen, S'vin, L'mur
Description: Sh'lua takes the Weyrlings on ssignment with him to a local Hold to see if any of the blues and green possess the ability to 'search' for Candidates
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 2, day 17 of Turn 6

The three blue dragons and one green circled the Weyr one last time
and headed out over the forest, to the east. G'wen tried to push down
the thrill he felt in_finally_seeing what the world looked like, away
from Dragonsfall. Neath whistled happily to him and sent along to
Kadeth what he was feeling. On the tiny blue's neck, S'vin grinned
and gave him the thumbs up. He had been to gathers among the other
Weyrs and some of the Holds, but knew the tight leash G'wen had been
held under for so many turns and was happy for his best mate. He had
even been to the small Hold they were going to before, twice in fact,
to gather herbs with the kitchen women. There was a marsh close to
the Hold that were the perfect growing conditions for many rare herbs
and greens.

The three boys had been assigned to watch Sh'lua conduct a Search.
All the green Search riders had the other green Weyrlings so it had
fallen to Shlua to take on the overlarge green and her undersized
rider. As with everything, Neath conducted herself with up most
confidence. }:We'll be the best!:{ she had bragged to G'wen last
night. He wasn't so sure, but had learned to keep this to himself,
like he kept so much of his life.

For almost a candlemark the four flew over the forest. The Weyrlings
were still learning to go /between/. And besides, it
was a good run up to going on sweep rides, which would occur in only
two sevendays. Just ahead the ground cleared of trees and turned to
fields with tubers growing and beyond was the cluster of small
buildings that made up the Hold.

** Are the young ones still hanging on, not getting tired?** Sh'lua
checked from Galerith, worried that the young dragons would find this
flight straight too long for them.

}: They are fine, very excited :{ the big, dark blue searchdragon
replied. }: We are landing. Wait until I'm on the ground before you
start landing. No colliding, please :{ he warned the weyrling dragons
and started to circle. He and Sh'lua weren't doing this of the first
time. Galerith had once had an overeager green land on him, and wanted
to avoid the same incident. That kind of things did stick to his
memory.

L'mur's lanky blue settled just after the older dragon. Neath idly
circled as the blues went to ground one by one. She could feel her
lifemate's trepidation of being the only male greenrider of the group,
and knowing--or thinking he knew--what the Holders would make of that.
With the blues, where was always the chance they liked girls too, but
his being on a green only pointed to one thing. }:You'll be
fine..we'll be fine,:{ she reassured her rider, }:I love you, that's
all that counts.:{

Galerith moved aside to make room for the last one. Sh'lua dismounted
and went to greet the holder. This hold was so close to Weyr, that the
residents were almost like weyrfolk, and quite used to be used as
practise-case.

"My duty to you, holder. I brought few weyling green and blues on
Search, to see if they had any potential."

G'wen dropped his eyes as the Holder nodded to Sh'lua and looked over
the boys. L'mur was a handsome boy that anyone would have been
surprised to have found out he rode blue, and S'vin could only have
been a Weyrboy, with his effeminate manners and cheeky grin. And
G'wen? He didn't dare look at the burly Holder, and ducked close to
Sh'lua's shoulder, brushing up against him as he did so, afraid of
what the man was thinking of him

"You're welcome. I'll just gather the youngsters," the holder replied
with a curt nod.

Kadeth pushed forward, excited by the whole thing. }:So what do we
do?:{ he asked Galerith.

}: We wait until all the young humans are standing on the yard and then
we pick out those who belong to dragons, :{ Galerith replied. }:Don't
crowd them, they are small and fragile. :{

}:So's hers,:{ Kadeth said. }:He's looking pale, Neath:{

}:He's fine! We're fine!:{ She honestly couldn't see why G'wen was so
nervous. After all, who cared what some old man thought of them? She
was Neath, the biggest, prettiest green on Pern, and G'wen was_hers_!
Who cared what some fat Holder thought of him?

The holder got the hold's teen into an order, he didn't have to ask them twice.
"Your turn, don't try to guide your dragons," Sh'lua said to the
weyrlings and stepped back. He glanced G'wen. "You okay?" he asked
gently.

The lad nodded and tapped Sh'lua's chest for a moment. "I've just
never been away from the Weyr before and around so many Holders."
When he realised what he was doing, with a man he had more than a mild
crush on, he flushed and dropped his hand. He really had to watch his
affectionate tendencies. Being around just the fellow Weyrlings over
the past months had really brought it out, since they were 'safe.'
But this was a man, certainly someone who was not 'safe.'

S'vin watched the two out of the corner of his eye, thinking that the
ban on the Weyrlings wasn't being lifted a moment too soon. Shards
knew he was going to have fun soon.

"You haven't?" Sh'lua was surprised. "Didn't your father take you
anywhere?" he asked. Shards, he had been lunging his children around
Pern as soon as they were old enough to sat on Galerith's back. Mostly
he had taken them to visit relatives, which he had in two weyrs and
few in holds too.

The lad flushed and shook his head no. His father had been too
interested in keeping him sheltered and safe. But his da was like
that, holding family secrets close to his chest and not confiding in
anyone, bar T'bel. And G'wen wondered how much even T'bel knew.

"I should exchange few words with you father about over protecting a
child," Sh'lua murmured. "How would Neanth react if you rode on
someone else's dragon and took a little trip out of the weyr?" he
asked, getting an idea.

}:Would you be careful and take care of my rider?:{ Neath asked
Galerith, listen in on the conversation. It was better than looking
at some silly children. Unlike Kadeth, who seemed interested in two
of the Holders, she couldn't see how any of them were for dragons.

G'wen watched her and said to Sh'lua, "I think she'd be okay..she's
asking Galerith if he'll take good care of me!"

"Good," Sh'lua grinned. He started to go through the family tree
inside his mind to see if he had any male greenrider relatives who
would work as good example for the boy.

}: I'm always careful and I never let any one take harm, :{ Galerith
answered the young green.

"Next restday, I'm taking you somewhere," Sh'lua declared. "And no is
not acceptable answer."

The lad nodded and grinned shyly before S'vin came over. "Sir?
Kadeth thinks the boy on the end and the girl four from the left might
be good candidates." L'mur looked perplexed at him, as his blue had
been like Neath and had found no likely child amounst the group.

"Let's see...Galerith?" Sh'lua checked from the blue.

}: He missed one, :{ the older blue said smugly.

Sh'lua grinned. "Looks like Kadeth may have search potential."

S'vin beamed whilst L'mur and G'wen glanced at one another and
shrugged their shoulders. Neath looked distinctly out of sorts, but
then again, G'wen mused, he_had_been distracting her a bit.

"Not everyone can be Searchriders, " Sh'lua said comfortingly to the
two riders. "And there will be more practises to find if they have
potential. Some dragons grow into it later. Now, let's head back home.
I shall send riders for those want to Stand." The last sentence was
directed to the Holder.

"Right, see you then, Sh'lua. Clear skies," the holder replied.

Last updated on the May 8th 2011

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A Taste of Freedom