Searching for a Chance

Writers: Emma, Nicole Bonvisuto
Date Posted: 12th January 2014

Characters: A'rie, Oria, X'dris, Alina, Flita, Dayf, Vanis, Larus, Sirix, Maja, Elena
Description: Oria and A'rie Search Xandris and several other residents
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 2, day 27 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentor Approved

Oria

Alina

Rukbat had only been up for an hour over the horizon. It peered around
the eastern wall, sending streams of amber light over Nadol cothold.
The dew lit up like a thousand flecks of gold.

Xandris was just one of many bodies in the field, cutting down wheat
before it could rain again.

It wasn't the best job for him today; it gave him time to think. He'd
felt angry at the world for the last couple days, and his mind
wandered over and over again to Flita. She hadn't spoken with him
since he'd suggested she go to the Weyr. But then, she hadn't spoken
to much of anyone since Elena had thrown a rotten redfruit at her
along with a series of disgraceful names. A few "suitors" had even
stepped forward, bragging that they were the cause for Flita's
disgrace. Xandris knew these boys; she didn't even talk to these boys.
They all reappeared a little worse-for-wear, with their story quickly
changed. He felt ashamed that he sometimes wished they could treat
Elena and her awful sister the same.

The more he heard about the rumors, the less he believed them. He
wondered if what the healer had even said was true. Perhaps Nadol had
just slipped a few marks in his hand to say Flita had been with
another man, just so his son could have a wealthier wife. He wondered
how much it cost to ruin a girl's life.

He rested the scythe for a moment and glanced up.

Against the dark morning sky, a lone avian was flying. He watched it
come towards the cothold, until he thought it was a very big avian,
and then not an avian at all. DRAGON!

He laid the scythe flat along the ground and glanced back at Dayf.

"Cover for me," Xandris said. "I have something to do."

He didn't think dragons could be convinced to Search someone. But, if
he could at least convince the rider to take her back with them,
something good was going to happen today.

Degrorth circled the hold once, allowing the residents to see her, and
Saryeth in the air.

}:Can you tell A'rie this is the place,:{ Oria asked her dragon. }:I
heard there are a few people the right age here.:{

The other greenrider waved in acknowledgement as he asked his green to
settle herself into the area in front of some small cots.

It was Vanis who greeted them: a thick burly man in his late fifties.
His long brown hair wove into the length of his beard like a great
mane about his head, all laced with silver.
"Morning, 'riders," he called. "Come to seek some new bodies?"

"We're on Search, yes," confirmed A'rie. "If all your young people
between the ages of 12 turns and 22 turns would like to come where
Saryeth and Degrorth could see them, with your permission of course."

"Our grateful duty to the Weyr," Vanis replied, in a tone that said
the opposite. "Most of our youths are at work in the fields this
morning, but if you have some patience, I'm certain we can gather
them."

In truth, many of those of age had gathered themselves. Young faces
peered out of doorways and most were brave enough to shuffle outside.

Xandris had already made it to Vanis' side as Dayf walked across the
field, not far behind.

"There's a girl inside you should see," Xandris told the riders,
glancing around again for Flita. "She'd be very good."

"We're here to see everyone," Oria told him. "They just have to come
outside."

Xandris spun to the right, trying to see across the group of youths
lead out to see the dragons. There at the back of the crowd was Maja,
leading Flita out by her arm, with Flita's mother close behind. The
girl's jaw was tense and her face expressionless, but her eyes
remained fixed on the dragon's ahead. Xandris sighed in relief, just
as a fist slammed into his left shoulder.

"Wherry!" He exclaimed, wheeling around to face Dayf.

"Got somethin' to do, huh? If I get Searched and you don't, you peel
every tuber 'til the day I leave."

"You're just in a hurry to Impress that green," Xandris said, before
considering the weight of his words.

"No offense," he muttered quietly in case either riders or dragons
could hear him.

Dayf snorted.

Slowly the youngsters had lined up. A'rie nudged Oria, "There's
something not quite right here, I suspect someone might 'have' to be
searched," he said very quietly.

"A potential green or bluerider you mean?" she whispered back.

"Maybe," A'rie took in the line. "Or a girl who's fleeing a suitor, I
don't know, but we need to be careful."

Xandris glanced down the line at Flita, who, much to his chagrin,
stood beside Alina and Elena. Her stark blonde hair and willowy figure
was nearly lost behind the older twins, who had come into womanhood
early. As much as the vile pair was alike, they looked remarkably
different. Alina was black-haired with a sharp face, and Elena's
features were soft, framed in red hair. They looked upon the dragons
with the same mark of disdain they gave everything else at the
cothold.

The line of children waited with mix of eagerness and fret, for the
dragonriders to present them with a future.

Degrorth looked up and down the line, then conferred briefly with Saryeth.
Nobody knew exactly how the dragons searched potential riders. Some
said that they 'saw' something, others that they could 'smell'
something. Oria had discussed it with Degrorth many times, and she
just said that she knew who was likely to be a good rider, and who
needed the help of the Weyr and dragons. The green couldn't explain
it, she said it just happened that way.

Two boys down from Xandris, Larus smoothed chestnut brown hair away
from his eyes and Xandris gave a slight grin in response to his
excited smile. The entire time, Dayf hadn't removed his eyes from the
dragons, fully expecting what he felt what his lifelong destiny.

A'rie nodded to Oria as she walked up and down the line. "The dragons
say that there are five potential riders here, if they accept search,"
she began.

A'rie took over, "These two boys," he said, pointing to two stood close by.
"This girl here with the blonde hair, and the dark haired one next to
her. and lastly, the young man in front of me," he finished as he
walked along the line. The blonde haired young woman looked as though
she might be about to snatch the offer before it was made. perhaps she
was the one that was fleeing a marriage, he thought.

Both Xandris and Dayf lit up as A'rie declared them Searched. But,
Xandris was even more excited as he craned his neck to ensure the
blonde girl mentioned was indeed Flita. Maja shook her arm excitedly
and smiled. Therewas an air of relief, if not exactly happiness,
around the girl.

"I accept!" Dayf announced, and Larus echoed him not long after.

"Only me?" Alina squeaked. "My sister and I are twins, born at the
same time. If I'm Searched, she _must_ be too!"

"Alina..." Her mother chided, shaking her head.

"She'll go, regardless," their father said. "You've had enough time
together to cause trouble. Perhaps some separation would do you some
good."

Alina looked at him as though he'd just slapped her.

Dayf elbowed Xandris, who stared at the ground for a moment, letting the
shock sink in.

"My family... really needs me," he told the riders in an apologetic tone.

"Your family has plenty of young boys, not Searched, who can work in
your stead." It was his father's voice. As Xandris turned around, he
winced. You could tell it was due to rain soon. The way his father
shuffled across the yard, you could tell it hurt to move, and the
strain was in his voice.

"Tell us when you'll come to collect them. We'll have his things packed."

Xandris let out a long breath, and turned back to face the riders.
Here and now was no place to talk sense into the old man.

"Whenever you're ready lad, or we can go now," A'rie told them.

"There are sheaves of wheat waiting to rot in those fields, riders,"
Vanis cut in. "Could you give them another three days, at least?"

"Perhaps they could take the girls?" Maja spoke up. "It would the boys some
good if they had less... distraction."
She stared at Xandris, who pointedly stared elsewhere.

Alina and Flita exchanged a look that, under the right conditions,
might set the other on fire.

"I'm sure we can organise something," Oria said. "Can the young ladies
pack their things quickly?"

The young ladies did pack quickly and exchanged a tearful goodbye with
their families.

Xandris watched as Flita handed her things to one of the dragonriders.
She gave him a long look, that was all, and mounted up on the saddle.
He felt like some part of him was leaving with her as they disappeared
and let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

He caught sight of Maja as the crowd dispersed, she winked at him with
a smile. He flashed a quick grin back. His hoping had come through, so
why did he have this feeling of mixed anxiety and relief all at the
same time?

Xandris did the only thing he could do, and joined the stream of
bodies headed back to the fields.

Last updated on the January 15th 2014

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Searching for a Chance