Differences

Writers: Jane, Rochelle
Date Posted: 27th September 2007

Characters: Tey, Ariau, Lhara
Description: Tey and Lhara introduce themselves to the new candidate, Ariau.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 5 of Turn 4

"Are you new to the Weyr," Tey asked almost absently as she found herself walked alongside an unfamiliar face as the Candidates left the classroom, "or just new to Candidacy?"

"The weyr." Ariau answered promptly, looking up at the older girl. "I've been standing at Fort for the last two turns." She studied the other girl for a moment. "How long have you been here?"

"Forever," Lhara said with a smile. "We were born here. Weyrbred."

"Really?" Ariau studied the girls. "I'm holdborn, crafthall bred, traveler raised." She smiled airily, waiting for the expected confusion.
She was used to it by now, and was never sure whether she wanted the other person to understand what she was saying or if she just liked explaining.

"What craft?" Tey asked. "Our sister is a smith."

Ariau blinked. They were related? "Harper. My grandmother is a Master Composer." She said proudly. "She raised my brothers and I."

"Wow. She sounds like a very important person," Lhara said. "Is she nice, though?"

Ariau paused a moment, feeling a pang as memories of her grandmother crossed her mind. "She's... always been nice to me. She can be a real nightmare if you make her angry though." She admitted, remembering a few occasions when someone had crossed her grandmother for various reasons.

"If you Stood at Fort ..." Lhara began, "Is that where you come from?
Up North?" She had only the vaguest knowledge about the Northern Continent and usually even less interest but now she wondered about the life the other Candidate must have had.

"Yes. But I'm only recently from Fort." She admitted. "I've spent a lot of time traveling."

"Getting here? Or with traders? You said something about being traveler raised."

Ariau smiled. "Holdborn, crafthall bred, and traveler raised." She repeated. "My parents were at a hold when I was born, but my whole family were in the crafthalls except for my parents. My grandmother is a master Composer, but she spends all her time on the road traveling. I spent five turns on the road before I apprenticed, and then got Searched." She explained cheerfully.

"Huh," Lhara said, impressed in spite of herself. "I've only lived here. Moved rooms once, though," she offered with a grin, laughing at herself.

Ariau grinned. "I've done that too. A lot."

"Yes, well you would have. And are you now stuck in the Candidate Barracks?"

"Yep." Ariau said cheerfully. "At least until I either Impress, or walk the tables."

"I have my own room," Tey said happily, almost smugly, earning a frown from her sister. "Of course, some people say it's so small that it's nothing more than a fault in the cliff."

"But if it's your room, it doesn't really matter how big it is, does it?" Ariau asked.

"Exactly!" Tey said, delighted to have some support.

"I know what you mean." Ariau said with a laugh. "I've never really had my own room. I've spent my whole life rooming with my brothers or grandparents or a cousin or even in a barracks, so I'm used to it. But sometimes when we were traveling, the holds would give me my own room because they thought it was improper for a girl to share with boys. I _loved_ it when that happened!"

"I've never been to a Hold," Lhara admitted. "Except to the tavern, that time."

Ariau frowned in confusion. "You've been to a tavern, but not a hold?
That seems a bit odd. Was there something special going on?"

"There a new Tavern at ..." Lhara looked at her sister, hoping Tey would remember the name of the place.

"Amber Hills Hold. At the Vintner Hall there," Tey obligingly supplied.

"Yes. So our father and sister and R'harne took us one evening. Just to the Tavern. We didn't stop and look around at the Hold or anything."

"Oh." Huh. Sure, dragonriders weren't exactly welcome everywhere unless they were fighting Thread, but before the Pass they hadn't been uncommon in the taverns at the main Holds. "Does this tavern only serve dragonriders of something?"

"No, there were all sorts of people there. We just went for a visit.
It was our father's idea."

"Did you have fun?" Ariau asked, wanting to ask them what the hold had looked like but knowing it was futile since they'd already admitted they hadn't seen it.

The two girls glanced at each other and grinned, looking remarkably alike despite their different colourings.

"We did, rather," Lhara admitted. "Perhaps we'll go back there some time."

"Not if we Impress," Tey said with a chuckle. "We'll be weyrlings and stuck here for ages."

"I certainly hope so." Ariau grinned at the pair. "If we Impress though, we could always go back _after_ we graduate. And since it's a tavern, what better place to celebrate?"

"We'll hold you to that _if_ we all Impress," Tey promised.

Ariau laughed. "Deal. But you can pay for your own drinks -I don't have that many marks!"

"Neither do we," Lhara said. "Perhaps we won't stay long!"

Last updated on the October 1st 2007

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Differences