As everyone ate and chatted she considered going and talk to him. Before she could do so he stuck up a conversation with one of the girls she'd seen arrive on T'lina's blue dragon, and another girl she hadn't seen before. She must have been searched too. Kira remembered belatedly that the newly searched candidates would have reported to Jessany, so she should have checked with her to find them. Still, she supposed that she'd get to know them soon enough. They were probably all candidates at that table. In fact that would give her the ideal excuse to go over.
She grabbed her cup of klah, and walked over in time to hear the other girl say to him, "Are you to stand on the grounds?"
The answer to her question! She smiled hesitantly, waiting for his reply before she introduced herself to the group.
"Yes, I am going to stand for the hatching, again."
So he had been a candidate previously then. She'd never considered that a candidate might not impress. She felt a frisson of anxiety as she contemplated what might make a person undesirable to a newly hatched dragon - did she have anything wrong with her that might mean that no hatchling would want her? Or perhaps there were just more candidates than dragons. She made a note to find out, but not necessarily to ask directly, as it might be a tender point with him, though he *had* volunteered that he was standing 'again'.
"Hi, I'm Kira. I work in the creche, and I'm a new candidate. Are you all candidates too?"
"Uh, I am." said the tall boy. "Do I know you from somewhere? Other than the Weyr, I mean. You look familiar."
"Well I was thinking that I knew you from the Harper Hall. That was a turn or so ago I think, though."
"Ah," said Shadon as her words jogged his memory. "I think I remember now. You looked after the harperbrats at the Hall" He smiled, glad that he had remembered, and to see a face from his life at the Hall.
That's nice, she thought. I'm glad he remembered me. She cast her eyes over the rest of the group. This should be interesting. If they were all candidates, then they'd all have something to bond them together. That would make it heaps easier for the ones just arrived to settle in. When she had got to the Weyr, everyone had been nice to her, but it had taken ages to feel as if she belonged here even a little, and even now she still often felt like a stranger, except in the creche. And that debacle with K'dan hadn't exactly helped boost her confidence. What was she thinking about him for? Never mind. She sat down as one of the girls made room for her. She was about to speak when a bubbly redheaded girl with gorgeous curls bounced up to the table and first greeted Shadon - so that was his name - in a very familiar fashion, then waved her hand to include all of them.
It was going to be a very interesting evening. Despite herself Kira couldn't help looking around to see if K'dan was in the dining hall. She wondered if he'd look any different to her, with her changed perception, but she couldn't see him anywhere. She refocused her attention to the people she was sitting with.
Cyvarel entered the dining hall, for once without Kaeldra. The girl had been rather distracted all morning, and Pirsoman had kept her in for 'special help'. He was doing that so often these days...
She glanced around, there weren't too many people in the hall at this time- her eyes settled on a large group of girls. Well, not all girls - there was one boy. He looked so familiar- Shadon...and next to him was GreenRider Lyra.
She sauntered up to them, a smile on her face, her large grey-green eyes still sparkling with the news of the morning. "Hi everyone!" She said, glancing around. "Nice to meet you two again Shadon, Lyra." she said, nodding her head quickly. She turned to the other members of the group, tucking a stray strang of wavy black hair behind her ear. "You look new-are you Candidates?" She asked. "I was Searched this morning- have you moved into the Candidate Barracks yet?" She stopped, blushing slightly.
"Once again, I forget to introduce myself. I'm Apprentice Healer Cyvarel- well met." She flashed another quick smile.
Well, Kira'd arrived at the candidate's table in the nick of time - many more people and they'd be very squashed indeed.
The next arrival introduced herself as Cyvarel, and apprentice healer. She was quickly snapped up by Lynn, who turned out to be an apprentice healer also. Small planet, thought Kira, but on reflection there seemed to be a wide range of crafts supported by the candidates, not to mention the Weyr as well. She wondered what K'dan had done before he impressed.
"Hi there," said the bubbly girl. "I'm Lyra, and you - I think I've seen you around the Weyr before ..." she frowned, "Yes, with a few of the weyrbrats..."
"I'm Kira - carer of those brats, and now a candidate." Kira glowed with the compliment of being spoken to by this confident attractive girl. "I don't know why people call them brats - they're all very lovely, and not bratty at all."
A curvy dark woman paused as she walked past the table. She giggled as she said, "You're lucky I don't have Jeran in the Weyr Creche. You'd have found another calling in a heartbeat."
Kira knew she was being teased. Jeran, as she knew, was the apple of his mother's eye, and while he was mischief, well, who wasn't at his age? Certainly all her little charges were ebullient and unsquashable in their pursuit of learning disguised as fun.
"Are you all candidates? I certainly hope Resanth has enough eggs to go around." Kira pricked up her ears. So maybe that's why Shadon didn't impress. Too many candidates and not enough eggs. But a shard of anxiety remained. This was not entirely dispelled by B'ren, who Kira knew was the Weyrlingmaster, welcoming the candidates - hey, that's me! - and reassuring them that if they didn't impress, they could stand again and again. Kira knew she'd be ashamed if she didn't impress now she'd been searched , no matter what others thought.
Cyvarel smiled in greeting at the woman. "Yup, I think we all are, Talena." She glanced around. "And does *anyone* know how many eggs Resanth clutched? Last I heard she wasn't letting anyone near...do you think she'll let us visit the clutches?"
K'dan intruded into Kira's mind again, and she glanced up, almost expecting to see him standing there with that cute crooked grin of his. But ... no, anyway she didn't care what he thought, well actually she did, but she wouldn't admit THAT to anyone. Anyhow. She glanced around again. It was too bad that she was meeting all these new and interesting people at once, very distracting, and she worried that she would inadvertently be discourteous.
Talena had beaten Lyra to responding to Kira, but she waited patiently until the Seamstress was finished. Lyra was more interested in Talena and her life than possibly any other gossip that wafted past her. True, most were caught up in the frenzy over Raid, J'rek and Alea. But that was distant news... and it wasn't her place to criticize or support the actions of the Weyrleaders. However, Talena seemed to have a far larger plight, and Lyra had always sympathized with her from the shadows. Any tidbits she could find out while talking to her were helpful.
"I Ride Aleith, 'n I'm just visiting here. But I know what you mean... seems to be a large Clutch though." She shrugged helplessly. No one knew for sure yet, but there were guesses and the occassional bet on a Gold. Now that _would_ be something indeed. There hadn't been a Gold since Arissa's Caranth.
Her grey eyes shifted back over to Kira and she smiled once again, more comfortable with the Candidates than with the older woman.
"I'm glad to hear they're so well-behaved. And don't listen to Talena," She whispered lightly, sweeping back towards giggles. "Jeran's a wonderful little boy. I think it's a good thing you're doing with them though - It's nice to have someone look after them. Is it hard with your chores from being a Candidate?"
"Well, actually I haven't been assigned any chores yet, so I don't know yet." Kira was flattered to be given the attention of this bouncy redhead, and she was a dragonrider, no less! She wondered if she would ever get used to being around these protectors of Pern.
Lyra lifted a dainty brow. She could remember spending night and day in the Store Rooms as a Candidate. In fact, even as a Weyrling she spent some of her chores duties down there. It had become her escape from the Weyr. For whatever odd reason that made her think of Cyvarel. She was glad that the Candidate had recognized her, as Lyra had almost immediately associated her with being somewhat of a refugee, though the thought was entirely unfounded. Still, at the present moment she, and another girl seemed less inclined to talk. The Greenrider would find Cyvarel later and ask how things were going...
But no, Lyra appeared willing to chat still, as did all the others. Lynn and Cyvarel, having compared backgrounds and notes, were as much a part of the group as anyone, and Kira's fears that she would be left alone whilst others talked were proved groundless.
Dinner had been a pleasant meal. The candidates, although obviously still over-awed at their good fortune and simply at being in the Weyr, were settling in nicely and getting to know one another. B'ren smiled from his place at the head table over at the table full of candidates. It did his old heart good to see the bright, smiling young faces. Now, as Jessany's efficient drudges cleared the dinner plates away and served the dessert course, B'ren scooted his chair back, rose, and cleared his throat.
"May I have everyone's attention, please?"
He paused a moment to let the murmur of voices die down then began.
"We're happy to welcome all the new candidates to the Weyr. Those of you who've stood before should take heart in our own Z'ran, there."
B'ren pointed at the tall thin lad at the weyrling table who ducked his head and blushed.
"Z'ran stood three times before he Impressed brown Ianth." The white-haired old man paused to let that bit of information sink in. "But he *did* Impress. So take heart. All of you are welcome to stand as long as you are less than 21 Turns of age. And even then, you will always have a home in Morlevan Weyr, should you choose to stay.
"Beginning tomorrow, all candidates will have orientation classes on alternate days. We meet in the Weyr Bowl, where the weyrling classes are held. Your lessons will mostly consist of what to expect during the hatching and visits to the clutch. During those visits, we will expect you to be on your best behavior."
B'ren looked over each of the candidates sitting there, listening.
"Weyrlings will meet with Jh'mar on those morning when I have the candidates. And I expect you weyrlings to listen to him every bit as carefully as you do to me. Is that clear?"
Several heads at the weyrling table bobbed up and down. B'ren took that to mean his message had been delivered and sat back down to enjoy a juicy mixed fruit compote. Alea glanced at J'rek and then stood, albeit a bit awkwardly due to her advanced pregnancy.
"As Weyrwoman, I'd like to take this opportunity to officially welcome you all to Morlevan Weyr. If you have any questions or need anything, please see Jessany or B'ren. Anything they can't handle will fall to either the Weyrleader," she nodded toward R'dyn, "or myself. We hope your stay here is everything you hope it will be."
With one of her sweetest smiles, she sat heavily back in her seat and slipped her hand into J'rek's.
Cyvarel twirled a strand of long black hair, slightly anxious. "Have all of you reported to Headwoman Jessany yet? It completely slipped my mind..."
Kira was quick to reassure her. "Well actually, I didn't think of it either. So though I know her, she doesn't know I'm a candidate now. I'll come with you if you like. We need to know where we're sleeping too." She looked around, hoping for some answers.
Cyvarel nodded quickly, glancing at Lynn. "Be back soon - " She grinned, getting up. She headed out of the dining cavern, Kira hot on her heels.
She seemed a nice enough girl, with a cheerful face. Cyvarel especially liked her long brown hair- straight, no less! She thought with regret at her own slightly wavy tresses and then sighed. Can't have everything.
"So do you know where the Headwoman is? I only moved here a while ago- still a bit lost. Morlevan's so big!" She exclaimed, smiling.
"Well, she should be in the kitchens still, let's look there first."
Kira poked her head in the main kitchen door and took in the after dinner hustle and bustle. "I know it looks busy, but Jessany shouldn't mind . . ." Her voice tailed off as she looked around for the headwoman, spotting the long auburn plait over the other side of the kitchen. The candidates wended their way through the hectic kitchen, avoiding those moving about.
"I hope our chores don't include dishes," Kira muttered. This was a far cry from the instructive water play she involved the littlies in from time to time.
Jessany looked up expectantly as they neared. "Kira," she smiled. "Back to do some more stirring?"
"This is Cyvarel. She's one of the new candidates. And I got searched too, by T'lina!" That reminded her - though Jessany looked nothing like her sister T'lina, they both had the knack of instinctive reassurance.
"Well, congratulations, but sooner you than me. I find the kitchen hazardous enough." A shrewd look came over her face. "Hmmmm. What can I find you to do, now that you'll be at my beck and call until the hatching? And I suppose you'll want somewhere to lay your heads tonight?" she teased.
Cyvarel smiled a little uncertainly. Jessany was much nicer than most people had made her out to be...especially Shadon. "That *would* be convenient, Headwoman." Cyvarel said, sniffing some delicious odour wafting on the wind.
"Are there any chores with something to do with dragons, Headwoman? I'm sure we'd both really be *grateful* for that. Maybe some new weyrlings need help washing their dragons?" She offered, trying to be helpful.
She smiled at Kira. "I hate dishes, too." She whispered softly.
Kira had paled as she devoutly hoped if they did end up washing dragons that K'dan's Saith would not be one of them. Which also made her wonder if K'dan was still a weyrling. Hard to tell really - he hadn't told her much about himself. Very secretive, he was. Now, that was what she found the most infuriating about him, but conversely possibly the most attractive, that mysteriousness. She was sick and tired of him intruding on her thoughts, who would have thought that anyone could just get into her head like that? These days she was having to make a special effort to concentrate, which was annoying to say the leaset, especially when she had so much to think about. Perhaps she'd just have to seek him out to resolve her problem, even if it had a negative outcome. Though she desperately hoped that they could work things out. There, now Jessany had said something and she'd missed it.
Cyvarel was looking at her strangely.
"Sorry, I got distracted." she muttered, blushing.
"Well, you candidates will no doubt have a lot on your minds," excused Jessany. "Come and see me after breakfast each day and I'll give you jobs at the time. If you have something constructive to do, let me know. Doesn't mean that you can shirk, either, I'll be watching. And I have long eyes." she warned.
"Watch out for the numbweed kettles," said Kira in an aside to Cyvarel. "I've never seen it made in so much bulk as I have here, not even back at the Harper Hall. It goes on for days!" She grimaced, recalling the pungent and penetrating smell.
"So, go over to the candidates quarters and find yourselves beds. I know you've already got a place, Kira, but I want you to move in with the candidates, OK?"
Kira nodded her assent. "Thank you." She looked at Cyvarel. "Let's go," she said. "before Jess finds us something to do here." she added in a quieter tone.
"And catch up with Talena if you need anything," the Headwoman called after them. "That'll be your Impression outfits already in your rooms. Don't wear it in advance."
The Weyrlingmaster had just come into the kitchens to catch some candidates (smart man!) when he saw several of them talking to Jessany. She'd obviously given them some instructions so he held back until she was through speaking and had dismissed the girls.
"Hold up a moment," B'ren said. "Sorry, Jess, but I'm taking your work crew tomorrow morning. We have a clutch to visit. There are 14 beautiful eggs that are just hard enough for us to gently touch. Interested, ladies?"
He smiled and shrugged at Jessany, knowing that the candidates were his to command in this instance and that none of them would want to miss their first chance to see and touch the clutch.
"So, meet me here after breakfast, all right? And tell the rest of your group. We don't want to leave anyone out."
1582 on needed
