Like A Fish Out of Water

Writers: Paula
Date Posted: 30th September 2016

Characters: A'be, G'dori, C'niv, Betrina
Description: It's a Search and it's a revelation for Ailbe.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 16 of Turn 8

G'dori was quite excited: he had been paired with a Search rider going to Search. Not only that, it was C'niv, who just gorgeous, beautiful blond (if you could call a man beautiful). He also knew that C'niv was going evaluate if Naryath had any Search potential. So far she had not showed much interest towards candidates.

"Ready to go?" C'niv asked and mounted his own green. .

"Yes, where are we going to go?" G'dori asked and jumped on Naryath.

"I planned to check out some minor holds along the coast, they have not been visited in awhile. Aluaath will send visual for Naryath," C'niv replied.

"Sounds great," G'dori said with enthusiasm.
"Don't get too excited. Some of those places don't welcome dragonriders. Dimglowed, hidebound holders," C'niv warned and snorted. He signaled them to take air. Both greens soon gained the altitude to go /between/.

~*~
Ailbe helped to secure the fishing skiffs and then to carry this morning's catch to the cold storage. The fish were so fresh that they were still floundering and flapping their tails in the baskets.
Loud trumpeting sound made him stop, shield his eyes and look up the skies.

"Dragons!" one of the hold-brats cried. Indeed, two greens were circling to land at the Hold's courtyard.

Like everyone else, Ailbe abandoned his work and gathered to gawk at them.

"We're doing a Search!" C'niv declared when they were dismounted. While the greenriders were dealing with the formalities with the Holder, Ailbe started to pull away from the crowd.

"You should try your luck, boy, you're in right age," one of the older fishcrafters told him and pushed him, with enough force to send Ailbe stumbling into the front row. He found himself face to face with a green dragon's muzzle. He couldn't help but admire her, she was so big and beautiful. An old dream flashed thru his mind. Oh, to ride with one of them! He pushed it away. He was just shunned bastard who worked as a fisher, nothing special. Certainly nothing as grand as dragonriders. The other fishers only accepted him because he worked hard without complaining and had natural talent for sailing.

}: We're taking him with us, :{ Aluaath declared and crooned at the young man with short cropped chestnut-coloured hair.

"Congratulations, you've been Searched! Don't disappear, I'll deal with the formalities later," C'niv told him.

"Me?" Ailbe said incredulously. He just couldn't believe it.

"Yes, you," G'dori affirmed with a dimpled smile even if his Naryath showed no interest towards him...or anybody else. Not every green was a search dragon.

Aluaath Seached two more youngsters, one girl, age thirteen and the Holder's fifteen Turns old son, while Naryath was getting bored and yawned.

The crowd thinned, people returning back to their works with the excitement being over.

"So, do you want to come with us right away or shall we return for you closer to the Hatching? C'niv inquired when he handed Ailbe his search token.

"Umhph," still stupefied, Ailbe couldn't get a word out of his mouth.
A woman wearing drudge's dull grey dress ran out and pretty much jumped to hug Ailbe. She was obviously his mother: the same chestnut coloured hair, the same klah-brown eyes.
"Of course he's going with you. Oh, my little baby! I always knew you were meant for something better," she cried happy tears.

"Uuuh, Mom!" Did she always had to embarrass him? Ailbe loved his mother like any boy should but wished she could show little more restraint. He was almost legally adult, not a little boy any longer. But he did hug her back. "Will you be alright I go away?" he whispered.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You have a chance of a lifetime, to become a dragonrider, don't miss it," Betrina replied.

C'niv was however, looking from mother to son and then he glanced G'dori. His gaze kept going from her to Ged with growing suspicion. "Ma'am, you two aren't related to him, are you?" he asked her and pointed Ged. Now it was Ged's turn to get confused. C'niv had met enough of Ged's family (even slept with some of them) to see the likeness between the mother, the candidate and the young greenrider.

"Not that I know of," Betrina replied and studied Ged's face. "My father is a woodsmith in Topaz Sea Hold," Betrina said, equally puzzled. "I have brothers and sisters but no relatives in Weyr."

As far as G'dori knew, his father had no daughters in any of the Holds and only one son, who he fostered with his sister in Amber Hills Hold. "I think I have some questions for dad," he muttered. This was going to get interesting.

Last updated on the June 22nd 2017

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Like A Fish Out of Water