A New Life (part 1 of 8)

Writers: Heather, Len, Paula
Date Posted: 15th March 2019

Characters: L'fael, Saibra, Jaylene, Uetia
Description: Lafael looks back to the first days he was brought to the Weyr
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Lanniya

Saibra

Jaylene

Lafael watched the wing of golden queens gliding across the Weyr bowl.
Even with an entire Weyr full of dragons returning from a Fall they
still stood out with their beauty and sheer size. He snorted to
himself, remembering the first time he had seen Chioneth close up. And
he had thought the two greens who had brought him to the Weyr were
huge!

Forgetting the firesack in his hands, his mind cast back to that day

***

"So, here we are!" The wingthird with the curly hair said, sweeping
her arm out to indicate the Weyr below her dragon's wings.

Lafael tried to loosen his death grip from around her waist, but then
the sea green dragon dipped her wings and his stomach ended up
somewhere in his throat.

}:Sorry about that:{

"It's okay."

A little more carefully, she landed along the edge of the bowl. It
seemed to be quiet, the dragons Lafael could see were sleeping on
their ledges.

Jaylene caught him looking about. "Most everyone is on their sweeps,
or resting," she said as she unstrapped the lines about them. "Down
you get!"

Before he was completely ready she had hooked him by the elbow and
swung him down with a lot more strength than he would have thought
possible for a woman. Not that he was a particularly large man. In
fact next to her and the other greenrider he felt positively tiny.

}:Reanth says she has someone here that you need to me. A person who
can hear dragons.:{ Chioneth reported to Saibra. The incredibly
pregnant Weyrwoman was perched in her office chair, a pillow beneath
the small of her back to try and make sitting there a bit more
comfortable.

**Well, tell them to bring him up.** Saibra instructed Chioneth,
hoping that the meeting would be a quick one, the baby had just
decided to sit on her bladder.

Uetia's eyes glazed for a moment. "Saibra wants to see us," she
relayed Chioneth's message to both Reanth and Sirjath.

"It's a bit of a walk," Jaylene said to Lafael, with a kind smile.

"It's okay...I'm used to walking." What he wasn't used to was the
kindness of both dragonriders. Their rank was so much higher than a
lowly drudge, but yet they were treating him better than even other
drudges from his Hold had.

As they walked into the imposing cliff face, Lafael saw more people. A
lot of people, in fact. Kitchen staff bustling about, children under
their feet, a group of helpers carrying what looked like bandages,
only these were huge. They disappeared up a flight of stairs. With
another smile, the rider of Reanth led the little party up those
stairs. With each step Lafael felt like one foot was heavy, the other
light. Or perhaps it was just his anxiety over what was going to
happen next. Or just meeting the Weyrwoman. He knew his harper ballads
well enough to have recognized her name right away, though he had no
idea what she looked like.

"We're almost there," Jaylene said, with a heave. She really needed to
exercise a bit more. They came to a door after turning right from the
long hallway, and she knocked.

"Come in," Saibra called, remaining seated as the trio entered. She
wondered briefly how the two Wingthirds had both came across the same
young man. The Weyrwoman's eyes took in the drudge's appearance in a
single sweep of her eyes. "Please, everyone, have a seat. Introduce me
to our newest arrival."

Lafael's eyes were as round as saucers. The weyrwoman was huge! He
almost missed his chair, he was so surprised by her size. Surely she
must be pregnant.

}:She is,:{ said a gentle voice he knew as Reanth's. He blushed and
tore his eyes away. Staring at the floor was much safer.

Jaylene remained standing as she introduced him. "This is Lafael, from
Sunstone Seahold. It had come to our attention, via a brother of
Uetia's, that he could hear dragons. Uetia and I went to the Hold and
confirmed it and brought him to you as quick as we could." She glanced
down at the boy, sad for the shabby state he was in. Maybe she should
have had Yanley give him a make-over first, but she was just so proud
of the boy as he was that she had forgotten that he was presenting as
what he had been in the Hold, a lowly drudge of no real worth. Almost
unconsciously she smoothed his tangle of hair and gave him an
affectionate squeeze on the back of the neck before sitting down
beside Uetia.

"Welcome to Dragonsfall, Lafael," Saibra said. "You are going to be
around many more voices now. Do you think you are prepared for that?"

"I...uh...never thought about it...ma'am."

Reanth leaned against his mind before relaying to Chioneth }:He does
seem to have some sort of blocking ability already in place. Or at
least he doesn't seem overwhelmed like some others are:{

"We have a junior goldrider, Lanniya, who also hears dragons. I am
sure she would enjoy meeting with you to discuss the depths of your
ability." Saibra said to Lafael. "Do you have plans for what you want
to do while you're here at the Weyr? Harper classes? Candidate
lessons? Do you plan on working as a drudge?"

"I...uh..." He blinked, trying to take in what she had offered him.
Plan on working as a drudge? Did she mean he didn't have to be one any
longer? Harper classes? He could learn?? He eyes welled up just at the
thought of learning, real learning not just some hasty reading lesson
over a kitchen table. And did she really say... "Candidate
lessons...?" He looked at her, shock written plainly in his eyes.

"Yes, Candidate lessons," she looked up at Uetia and Jaylene. "Ladies,
what do your greens think of his potential?"

Jaylene reached out to Reanth. The response was affirmative. From the
jolt from the boy, she knew he had heard Reanth as well. "Reanth says
he will make a fine rider." She glanced over to Uetia. "But Reanth
also isn't a great searchdragon."

"Don't look at me, Sirjath can't tell a candidate from a wood block,"
Uetia replied.

"We'll get a Searchrider to confirm your eligibility then," Saibra
said. "Until then, you can meet with our Headwoman, Yanley, and she'll
see to it that you have a place to stay and supplies."

"I can take you there," Jaylene said with a smile. Aware of how tired
the Weyrwoman must be feeling, she stood and motioned for the lad to
stand as well. "Thank you for your time, Saibra."

"Of course, thank you ladies for bringing Lafael in. And Lafael, it
was nice to meet you." Saibra said, readjusting in her chair.

Last updated on the March 22nd 2019

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A New Life (part 1 of 8)