Big World, Little Girl

Writers: Estelle, Halyonix
Date Posted: 5th October 2025

Characters: Alyena, Tindral, Evalya
Description: Tindral meets the Headwoman
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 3 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Jossenth, Panitath

Notes:

~*~

Evalya pulled up in the doorway of the barracks, catching her breath and
letting her eyes adjust from the bright sunlight outdoors. If she'd
thought that becoming a Candidate would mean an end to running errands
for her mother, she'd been mistaken, but at least this was better than
scrubbing pots or hanging out sheets in the sweltering heat of the laundry.

Most of the other girls were out at their chores, or craft studies, so
it wasn't hard to find the one she was looking for. "Hi! Are you Tindral?"

The girl in question shrunk away an inch before answering, "Yes...?"

"Good! My mam - I mean, the Headwoman would like to see you. She likes
to meet all the new Candidates," Evalya explained, "so she can find out
if you have any skills, or need help with anything. Come on, I'll show
you where her office is. I'm Evalya, by the way."

Tindral was still acting as small as possible, even though she had been
assured that she wasn't in trouble, but she did answer with a shy, "Hi.
I'm... I'm Tindral." Evalya looked to be close to Tindral's age.
"How...how old are you?" she asked curiously.

"I'm twelve and a half. I've been a Candidate ever since my birthday,
and I've already stood for one clutch, but my dragon wasn't there. Maybe
next time! Jossenth's clutch is going to hatch very soon, and there are
thirty-six eggs, so there's a good chance for everyone." Evalya
chattered away as they left the barracks. "Are you from a Hold? Or a Hall?"

The other girl stopped dead in her tracks. Evalya was _younger_ than her and had already stood at a clutch? "Y-You...you've b-been a Candidate _already_?" The most pressing of questions bubbled up. "What was it like?" Tindral asked in a nearly terrified voice.

"The Hatching? It was incredible! So _hot_, and noisy with all the dragons humming and the Stands packed with people cheering and clapping and welcoming the hatchlings, and Panitath was there, all huge and glowing, and then there was this _snap_ and out came this tiny bronze. He was so cute!" The girl sighed, lost in her memories of the Hatching day. "Of course, you get to go and see the eggs before and touch them if the queen lets you, so it wasn't my first time on the Sands, but this was different. You're looking around all the time for the color you'd like - I want a green - and trying not to get knocked down or burn your feet. And then after, there's a big party and everyone feasts and dances and the harpers play, and they don't make you go to bed until ever so late, and if you're sneaky you can snag a half-finished glass of wine. Don't tell my Mama I said that," she added quickly.

Hot? Noisy? Packed with people? Huge dragons? Burning your feet? A Hatching sounded _awful_.

"I won't," Tindral promised. With Evalya so excited about the Hatching, Tindral wasn't going to tell her that she thought such an event sounded like a terrible idea either. She kept it all to herself. "I'm...I'm from a H-Hold," she answered. "We...we didn't have a watchdragon or...or anything. It's small." But it was her home. And if hadn't been for her parents pushing her to being a Candidate, she'd still be there.

"Me, too. We used to live in a cothold, just me and my Mama, after my brothers left. Then it burnt down and we came here, and it's much better! The others moan about chores, but it's nothing to working all day long at a hold, plus there's always plenty of food, and there are dragons everywhere. You're going to love it. This way - we go in here for the dining cavern," she explained as they passed under an arched entrance in the cliff face. "You can't miss it, it's the biggest one except for that one over there which is where the Hatchings are. The eggs are hardening in there right now."

Tindral cast an uncertain look at the Hatching Grounds. She did not want to think about the Hatching. She followed Evalya into the vaulted Dining Hall, which was, at least, dragon-free, even if people-crowded. "Your...your home b-burned down?" she asked. That sounded awful! Tindral couldn't imagine losing her home!

"Yes, but it wasn't much. This is better." Evalya gestured expansively around the cavern. "Over there are the serving tables where you collect your food, and that's where the high rankers like the Weyrwoman and the Wingleaders sit - and the kitchens are through that archway in the back. See those two boys cleaning tables? They're Candidates too, we all have chores around this time. And this way is to the stores and the Headwoman's office." She turned down a side passageway across from the kitchen entrance and stopped outside a half-open door to tap on it.

"Come in!" The Headwoman's office was cosily furnished and lamp-lit, with a desk in front of shelves stacked with hide-bound Records, a sea-blue and white rug on the floor and a pair of faded but comfortable chairs by the hearth. Behind the desk, Alyena stood to greet the girls with a warm smile. "You must be Tindral. Why don't you come in and have a seat - would you like anything to drink? Juice, or klah?"

Tindral shied at the question for a moment, obvious in the way she seemed to shrink in on herself, before she answered quietly, "Juice please." While juice was prepared, the small Candidate looked around at the office. She liked the rug. It was a pretty color. And the Headwoman seemed nice. So far.

Alyena brought over the glasses and handed one to Tindral, then glanced at her daughter, who was trying to make herself inconspicuous. "Thank you, Evalya. You can go and help Rusom and Torraif with the cleaning, and I'll call you when Tindral's finished here."

The girl sighed, but didn't argue and left, closing the door behind her while Alyena sat down opposite Tindral. "First of all, welcome to the Weyr, and congratulations on being Searched. It's all a little overwhelming at first, isn't it? I was a holder, too, so I remember what it was like."

Tindral nodded at the mention of overwhelming. It definitely felt that way! "W-What Hold?" she asked shyly.

"Emerald Falls. We had a farming cothold." Alyena didn't say more - she suspected if Evalya hadn't already told the story of the fire, she soon would. She recalled what the Searchrider had told her. "You're from that territory too, aren't you?"

The young girl nodded again. "But...but...on the out...outskirts. Not the main Hold."

"Well, you won't be alone. We have candidates from all over Dolphin Cove's territory, from the big holds, the cotholds, crafthalls and even a few traders." And the odd holdless, though she didn't mention that, not wanting to scare a nervous candidate. "B'jarlin told me he showed you to the barracks, so you'll have seen where you'll be staying, but perhaps we should talk about what you'll be doing while you wait for the eggs to harden?"

Tindral looked down at her feet. "I...I....w-wanted to be a...a harper. But...." She didn't think she should tell the Headwoman that her parents hadn't wanted her to go into a craft. It seemed...bad. Even if it was true.

"That's wonderful, and you can certainly take up the craft here. All Candidates have that option." Alyena hadn't missed the hesitation, and she could guess at the reason. Back at Emerald Falls, some holds simply couldn't afford to lose a worker, and even if they could, not all would support a girl into an apprenticeship, even if the crafthall would accept them. "Most of the crafts here offer an introduction for new arrivals, so you can try several and see what appeals to you. Then there'll be classes with the Weyrlingmaster or one of his assistants; you'll learn more about life here, how to behave at the Hatching and what it means to be a dragonrider, to make certain that it's what you really want. And then there's chores, of course! You can't get out of those entirely, though having a craft can help." She smiled. "If you like, once we're done here we could go and find the Weyrharper, and you can talk it over?"

It was a lot to process at once but it _sounded_ all good so Tindral nodded.

"I know it must seem very different," Alyena said, recognizing the expression she'd seen on the faces of many a new arrival. "It was the same for me, and for my daughter. But if you're ever lost, or not sure where you're supposed to be, you can always ask one of the others, or the staff, and they'll be happy to help. It may not seem like it, with all the chores and the ranks and hierarchies, but our Candidates are very important to us. You're the future dragonriders of Dolphin Cove and we want you to feel welcome here. If you have any troubles - anything at all - you can always come to me. All right?"

Tindral nodded a third time to indicate that she understood, even as her little mind added more pieces to the Weyr puzzle together. It was scary but welcoming. It was big but it was trying to be home to a lot of people (and dragons). It offered hope but it also had danger. Tindral wasn't sure she was ever going to fit at the Weyr but at least the adults had been nice to her so far so she held on to that little thread of trust. "Th-thank you," she said to the Headwoman.

"You're very welcome." She set her glass aside. "How about we go and look for the Weyrharper now? Classes should be finishing shortly, but we can stop by the storerooms on the way and get you a Candidate robe and anything else you need - and you can tell me a bit about your home and your family, if you like."

The prospect of talking to the Weyrharper, which sounded very important, was both exciting and scary. Tindral hoped that they didn't find fault with her but the Headwoman sounded like it would be a good thing so Tindral's next nod showed her excitement over the idea. "I'd...I'd...like that."

"Good!" The Headwoman's smile was all encouragement, and if she was concerned about another small hold girl coming to the Weyr, alone and so young, she didn't show it. But she did resolve to have a word with the older girls, and make sure there was someone to look out for them while they were here. "This way. The lower caverns can seem like a maze at first, but you'll soon learn your way around - and if you follow the crowds and the noise and the cooler air, you'll always find your way to the dining cavern..."

Last updated on the October 12th 2025

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Big World, Little Girl