To Too Much Competition

Writers: Eimi, Elaine
Date Posted: 23rd August 2005

Characters: Birigundi, Toriat
Description: Birigundi and Toriat share a brew and conversation
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 6 of Turn 3
Notes: Mentor Approved

Birigundi

Toriat stood up waving goodnight to his dinner companions. He was about to walk out when he had a second thought and instead redirected his footsteps back. **Not quite ready to turn in, lets see if anything interesting is happening.** He grabbed a mug of ale, found a convenient spot and began to observe the activity around him.

Another boy had the same idea as he grabbed a mug and filled it from the tap. It had seemed like forever since he had tasted a good brew. The day had felt exceedingly long, though Birigundi didn't know quite why. It was just like every other day. Perhaps that was it. He was suddenly feeling like the days were blending together into one long day as they waited for the eggs to start rocking. It was times like this when Birigundi craved a good mug of ale. He took his first sip right there at the tap and sighed contentedly.

Turning around to survey the emptying hall, he noticed there was no one there he knew. Ah, but there was that tanner fellow. His curiosity was piqued as he walked towards the young man. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure, seat's not taken," Toriat replied, tipping a chair towards the taller boy. The only thoughts he could recall to mind when he looked at him was runner, quiet. "Just letting my mind idle for a bit, won't mind the company."

"Thanks. I need to let my mind clear out the spinner webs myself." Birigundi took a seat in the chair and studied the other boy out of the corner of his eye. Though he was anything _but_ quiet around the ladies, meeting a man for the first time was a bit more difficult. Men could be competitive, or cowardly, or thoughtful, or quite shallow. Birigundi found he had to tread a bit lighter around strange men than he did
with strange women. He couldn't flirt his way into their good favor. "You're a candidate then?"

Toriat rolled his entire head, giving Birigundi a half smile, "Well, that's what the dragons say anyway." Tilting his head back he continued. "Just continuing my craft at the moment, learning about weyr life, trying to decide if I would continue if I'm passed by during the hatching. What about you, you look on the older side too? Have you been standing for a while?"

Birigundi nodded as he took a sip from his mug. "Two turns. But don't worry. You might not have to wait that long. Some Candidates get it on the first shot."

"Theres a lot of chance to it, isn't there?" Toriat replied, putting down his mug a moment to emphasis his point. "Think about it, we're all searched, but how accurate is a search dragon? Not everyone that is searched impresses, so what is it exactly that a search dragon sees in a person." He picked up his mug again and took a long sip. "An excellent question, for an excellent brew, eh?"

Birigundi knew it was a good question, but he found it rather a depressing thought. He lifted his mug to his mouth thoughtfully. What a waste of a good brew. "Well," he said as he put the mug down, "they have to see _something_ in us. Afterall, it _is_ the Candidates found on search that Impress. Other than the weyrbred ones, of course. But very few are ever searched from the stands."

"Except for the weyrbred ones," Toriat replied catching on to that part of what he said. "Weyrbred candidates weren't necessarily searched, yet, they impress. So we have a possible clue to that quality that search dragons look for. The question is, is it proximety to dragons? Or is it that these candidates are children of dragon riders and what ever that quality is, was passed down from father and mother to son and daughter?" Toriat's hands were now moving quite a bit as he spoke, to emphasize points. A little of the liquid dribbled out of his cup, reminding him to sip before he spilt it all.

Birigundi took another sip of his ale too. This was not exactly the mind clearing cup he was thinking of. "There are many dragonriders who never saw a dragon up close until they were searched, so it cannot be proximity to dragons. And it is thought that it is a trait that can be passed down through generations. Though not all Weyrbred Candidates Impress either."

"Which!" Toriat replied with his index finger pointing upwards, in emphasis, "brings us back to the beginning. Once you're past the search, its luck, or might as well be. There is no direct connection, no fully proven quality. You'd just think, maybe it'd be looked into, just a little more at least, with the dragonet's deaths, those not finding a lifemate."

"Yes, but dragonets rarely die now that they have so many candidates to chose from." Just Birigundi's luck. He was hoping for a nice mindless chat at a brew and he sat next to a philosopher that required him to think. "Since the return of Thread, Holders are less reluctant to send their children as Candidates. And the many Weyrbred children fill out the Candidate ranks nicely, so dragonets have enough of a choice that they no longer have to die without a partner. There are plenty of eligable Candidates to chose from. So obviously the Search dragons did something right in bringing us all here." He took another sip from his mug. It was almost empty. "So perhaps it isn't so much chance as it is that there is too much competition."

Toriat made another thoughtful face. He began rubbing his chin, then nodded and picked up his mug again, lifting it up high. "Yes, the is an excellent point! I'll drink to that. Too much competition!"

"Fantastic!" Birigundi said as he lifted his mug. Finally, something to drink to! "To too much competition! May we be the victors."

Tor frowned when he realized his mug was empty. "Here, I bet you're running low too, let me take that." He motioned to take the Birigundi's mug. After turning to walk away he swivelled his head back. "Oh, and the next round should go down smoother I think."

**Good** thought Birigundi. He was starting to feel the hangover already.

Torait sat down again, careful not to spill the drinks. "So, Birigundi, what do you do here when you're not waiting on the sands?"

"I wait on the cold hard stone," Birigundi replied as he took his mug in hand. "And in the meantime I do whatever chores they ask of me, the odd run here and there, and I make new friends." **Usually the female type,** he thought smuggly, but he didn't want to brag. Besides, the boy was craftbred. He might find such topics taboo.

"Cold stone?" Toriat asked, "Are you meaning the Weyr when you say that? Are are you literarlly climbing around the stone out there?"

"Well, look around. This place isn't made of wood you know," Birigundi said with a wave of his hand before taking a sip of ale. "Good head on that. You pour like a professional. Are you sure you never worked in a tavern before?"

Toriat laughed. "No, but thanks for the compliment. It's just one of those minor skills that it's good to cultivate. Comes from paying attention to some of the more finer details in life. Anything worth doing," he lifted his mug and took a long sip, "is worth doing well." He leaned in conspiratorially. "You never know who's watching. Or what will come in handy."

Birigundi smiled. "Very true. Pouring a good mug of ale can make you many friends."

"Yes, true, true, would like to think so," Torait nodded. He was becoming silent. The initial tongue loosening affects of alcohol were beginning to wear off.

The runner settled back in his chair, sipping at his ale and watching the weyrfolk slip out of the caverns with their chosen companions for the evening. He decided that he would finish off his pint and then go in search of his own evenings entertainment, whatever that might be.

Toriat noticed after a bit Birigundi was quiet also and that many people were leaving. Toriat got up and gave Birigundi a hearty slap to the back. "Good time, good time. I'm heading off for the evening, catch you another night Birigundi."

Birigundi smiled at his fellow Candidate. "You can count on it. Where there is a good mug of ale, you can be sure to find me."

Elaine (thePaperNinja@gmail.com)
Toriat, Jr Journeymen Tanner, Candidate, DFW

Eimi (sea_spray_singer@fastmail.fm)
Birigundi, Candidate, DFW

Last updated on the August 26th 2005

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To Too Much Competition