Ikara Impressed Gold Rikceth!!!!!!
In this story, you are a 16 turn old Journeywoman Healer named Ikara.
The southern sun blazes down over head the insects are buzzing around your head. Your long blonde hair is pulled up and the sweat has plastered it to your head. Your poor runner, Nightwind, needs a break, but you are almost to Aneris Hold.
"Just a few more minutes, girl," you comfort the runner as it trudges up a hill. When you finally crest the hill, you can see the hold down below. "See, I told you. Here we are at last," you say as you pat the runner's neck then urge it to continue down the hill.
It takes just a few moments. Then you and Nightwind are in the hold proper. Several people nearby come to greet you. One of them is a red-haired girl followed by a dark- haired boy. They look to be slightly older than you.
"Hello," the girl says. "I am Laris, and this is my friend Naron."
"Hello," Naron says.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Ikara, Journeywoman Healer. I am here on assignment from the Healer Hall."
"On behalf of Aneris Hold, I welcome you. Won't you please come inside? I would like to get to know you better."
"Thank you. Do you have somewhere that I can care for Nightwind first. My poor runner and I have had a long trip."
"You certainly must have. Here Naron, you know where the stable is why don't you take Nightwind there. Ralkin should be down there. He'll take care of her."
"Sure," the young man replies as he takes the runner's lead rope.
"Ikara, will you please join me inside. I am sure you must be famished."
"Thank you for the hospitality, Laris. I could use something to eat."
"Then follow me," Laris replies as she motions you toward the tall metal doors of Aneris Hold. You follow her into the cool stone building greatful to be out of the heat and back among friends. Laris leads you to a small dining room and motions for you to sit down on one of the benches.
"I'll be back in a minute with some meatrolls and red fruit juice," Laris says with a smile then disappears from the room.
You take this opportunity to look around the hold. The walls are mostly bare gray stone, but on the one toward the front of the hall you see one with a gold and bronze dragon on it. It must be a mating flight. You sigh inwardly. Then your thoughts begin to wander.
"Man it was a long hard journey. Here I am finally at Aneris Hold. The Masterhealer sent me here to look for new healing plants. I doubt I'll even get a chance to visit Aneris Weyr." you think and then sigh again.
"Did I interrupt something," Laris asks with her same bright smile.
"I was just thinking to myself. That's all."
Then the young woman follows your gaze. "Oh, so that's what you're thinking about."
You're embarrassed and blush deeply.
"Don't be upset. It's perfectly natural to want to be a dragonrider. Every person on Pern wants to at one time or another. Why don't you tell me about it?"
"I've always had to keep that desire hidden. My parents especially my father never approved. They were both healers and really wanted me to go into the craft especially since I had the talent. Whenever I would talk about dragons or my desire to be a dragonrider, my father, Treond, would get very angry. One time we had a huge fight about it, and he even took the strap to me. That was the worst. To keep things calm, I went into the healing craft , and I just recently walked the tables. I don't have any siblings, so life has been really lonely for me. That just fueled my desire to be a dragonrider even more. When I did get to the healer hall, I studied everything I could about dragons. I was hoping that even if I was never Searched that I at least could be a Weyrhealer. I couldn't even voice that to my parents," your brown eyes mist with tears remember the harsh things they had said to you.
"Shards! Don't they know that it's an honor to be Searched and even a greater honor to Impress. Both Naron and I are candidates at Aden Weyr. I know of another weyr that needs candidates. It's called Istabitha's Weyr. They are sending a Search dragon here today. No one here seemed appropriate for the Aneris clutch, so we've been sent elsewhere."
Just then, your conversation is interrupted by a large thud outside. You can hear the cheers of the rest of the hold. Naron runs in to talk to you.
"Hey you two the Search dragon is here. Well just don't sit there let's go see them."
You walk outside to find a white dragon in the hold proper where you and Sunshine had been just moments before. His rider slides down his flank.
"Hello, everyone. I am B'nir rider of White Pikceth. We are here on Search. Anyone 30 to 13 turns who has not been Searched please step forward."
"Go on, Ikara. This is your chance," Laris chides then gives you a push to join the other prospects. You stumble out into the crowd then get your bearings. Holding yourself up high, you walk up into the line.
"What do you think Pikceth? Do any of these seem acceptable candidates," B'nir says out loud. Then his eyes go unfocused as his dragon answers back. Then amazingly he turns to you. "You! What's your name?"
"Ikara, sir. I am a Journeywoman Healer, and I just arrived here at this hold."
"That's more information than I needed," he says with a smile. "How would you like to be a candidate?"
"I would love to be a candidate," you say with a big smile on your face. Your whole body is infused with happiness.
"Then finish you're assignment here for your Hall. Then I'll come back to collect you." With that, B'nir remounts Pikceth and flies off. After a short takeoff, the white blinks between.
"I can't believe this," you scream. "I am going to be a candidate."
"Congratulations, Ikara," Laris and Naron intone together.
The hatching has been long ago. It was quite eventful and memorable. Sasiath had laid a huge clutch that hatched at different times. Ikara couldn't believe that there were two rares and a queen in the clutch. It must have been a good flight.
Ikara was thrilled with her new life. She loved the weyr and the people, but more importantly there was Rikceth. Ikara couldn't believe that the little queen had wanted her that day so long ago. She glanced over at the now adult queen who was sleeping on her dragoncouch. Ikara looked more closely. Something about Rikceth was different. Her color seemed somehow brighter. Then the impact hit Ikara. Rikceth was ready to fly and would when she awoke. Ikara willed her dragon to stay asleep knowing that the outcome today would be beyond her control.
Nightwind was adopted from Gallimim Weyr
Background from Clipart Castle
