Nirana's Search and Impression
Back to the Records Room
Nirana carefully rotated the firelizard egg, as she had been instructed by an impatient Lord Holder. Hmmm. The egg looked and felt ready to hatch. Nirana hoped the little flit wouldn’t be Impressed by that selfish Lord.
As if responding to that thought, the little egg rocked. Nirana grabbed the waiting bowl of meat and yelled that the egg was hatching. The little flit tumbled right out of the egg, squawking, and into Nirana’s hands. A gold! Nirana quickly fed the ravenous firelizard, just as the Lord Holder came puffing into the room. “Here, give me the firelizard!” he grabbed the little gold flit. It screeched and nipped him. The Lord Holder yelped and shook his hand, dislodging the squeaking flit into Nirana’s waiting hands. “How dare you Impress my firelizard!” yelled the irate Lord. Nirana smiled to herself and darted out of the room, still holding the now-sated flit in her two hands. “Don’t worry, Dawnlight, he can’t hurt you now..” she whispered to her new friend.
* * *
“Get moving, you! The dragonriders are coming and the Hall is a mess! Don’t dally!” the Warder yelled, kicking at the drudge. Nirana dodged the kick and swept faster, muttering under her breath. Dawnlight squawked at the Warder's retreating back. Fortunately the Warder hadn’t heard, or she’d have been in for it. Nirana’s dirty, tangled black hair fell in front of her equally dirty face. She automatically pushed the locks behind her ears with shapely, if somewhat filthy , fingers; hazel eyes flashing annoyance. Must have lost that bit of string again. Standing up, Nirana stretched, bending her back and wincing at the stiffness. Dragonriders coming, huh? Well, that was no business of hers, and she didn’t want anybody to see her face, for fear they might recognize her as a half-blood of the Old Line. Who knows what that sharding Warder would do if he knew. The only reason he hadn’t found out was that she’d carefully maneuvered the questioning around to prevent him from obtaining any knowledge of her family when he asked her about it. The thought triggered memories of her mother, her beloved mother, who had died when Nirana was but 9 Turns old. The Warder, of course, had enlisted her as a drudge. That was eight Turns ago now, and Nirana could hardly remember her mother’s face. Well, she’d best be getting along now if she was to hide from the visitors. Nirana scuttled furtively towards the kitchens with her rough, grimy brown-gray skirt rubbing uncomfortably against her legs.
Just then, she heard the sound of voices approaching. She hurried faster, reaching the kitchens just as the dragonriders entered the Hall. Not daring to look back, Nirana shuffled to the spits, where a whole side of herdbeast was roasting, and hid behind the yelping canines.
* * *
I sense a good deal of empathy in this Hold… the dragon informed his rider. The brownrider nodded. I can feel it too, Carenth he replied. The rider looked about for any possible sources. No one, unless the one of the drudges…The rider wrinkled his nose, despite himself. Whoever it is, is not in the Hall itself…wait, has just entered said Carenth, his brown head weaving about. The brownrider looked sharply around, but the only person that just entered was a….drudge. Who had a golden flit on her shoulder. Are you sure? he asked the dragon, receiving an immediate affirmative. Shrugging, the rider took a deep breath and reached out to take the drudge’s arm. He heard a muffled gasp and the drudge struggled with surprising strength. “Shells, I’m not going to hurt you!” he exclaimed. The drudge shot him a piercing glare with her hazel eyes, hissing something under her breath. The firelizard flew in circles around his head.
Turning away from the struggling drudge, the rider faced the very surprised, blustering Warder. “This girl will make a suitable Candidate at the Baeris Kshau's Healing Den” he said firmly. The drudge immediately stopped struggling.
* * *
Nirana stopped, shocked. Her? A dragonrider? She frowned. Now why would she, of all people, be picked out for Candidacy? It must be the Old Blood running through her veins. “Really? Me, a dragonrider?” Nirana burst out before she could stop herself. The dragonrider turned and smiled down at her. “Yes, you. There’s no saying you’ll Impress, but my Carenth is pretty good at picking Candidates.” He told her. Nirana blushed, suddenly aware of her ragged, torn skirt and overtunic. The dragonrider noted the rush of color and patted her on the back. “We’ll get the headwoman to make you some new clothes at the Weyr.” He reassured her. Nirana nodded speechlessly and followed the rider out. “Hey, wait a minute, you can’t just take her!” exclaimed the Warder belligerently. The rider turned and replied coolly, “Oh yes I can. Search has priority, you ought to know that. And I’m sure you can spare just one drudge.” Without another word, the brownrider turned and mounted the waiting Carenth, boosting up Nirana. “I’ve got to stop by at Mytopa Weyr to pick up some supplies before we go to Buenos.” Said the rider when they were in the air. Nirana just nodded. She was much more interested in seeing the land from dragonback. “We’re going between now, don’t be afraid…” the rider shouted an instant before they winked into the void. Nirana had a fleeting sensation of intense cold and blackness before they popped into the air over Mytopa Weyr.
A few hours later they took off again, loaded down with packages. This time the trip between was not so frightening. The Healing Den was even bigger than Mytopa, because they had stunt dragon quarters too. "ohhh..." Nirana sighed in happiness. Maybe her life wasn't so bad after all...
* * *
Nirana awoke to the sound of Dawnlight's urgent chittering. "What is it, girl? You hungry?" she asked sleepily. The golden flit projected an image of eggs rocking. Nirana gasped and practically flew off the bed, quickly donned her white Candidate's robe, and walked calmly down to the Sands. She moved to join the other girls, and watched two of them Impress greens. Nirana was wondering what Impression felt like when another of the eggs cracked. This time, a small but elegant golden dragonet hatched. The little queen seemed almost disinterested in Impressing, looking at each of the three remaining girls, then turning away to scratch at her shoulder. A moment later the gold turned back around as if to say "still here?". "Come on, Lurineth, you must choose between us!" Nirana heard herself saying. One of the other girls looked at her and smiled. "She's yours. You even knew her name!". Nirana's eyes widened. She knelt down by the golden hatchling. "It's true?" she asked. It is true that you are my rider, and that I sensed your strength from the egg. You got my name right the first time. I am Lurineth. Now, feed me! Lurineth replied imperiously. Laughing, Nirana led the new queen out of the hot Sands.
* * *
