New Arrival, Searching Hope

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 9th December 2020

Characters: Saibra, Ki'ben, Orifa
Description: Orifa comes to Dragonsfall Weyr as a Candidate
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: N'call (not by name), Ninaine

Saibra

Ki'ben

The young woman with dark hair, eyes and skin looked around the Weyr
with wide eyes, clutching her small satchel of belongings. She had no
idea where to go or what to do. Where could she find Ninaine? The
Searchrider had directed her to some big doors, but there had been so
much bustle and activity around her, that she'd gotten completely
turned around. Everyone seemed so busy and she didn't know who to ask
where should go or what to do next. Standing in the middle of the cold
Weyrbowl, she looked around. Maybe...in that big set of doors? Or was
it the other set?

Orifa looked up at the dark holes that were the weyrs in the cliff.
One of those maybe? Was her sister in her weyr? She was a rider. But
there were so many! How was she to know which one to go to? Didn't her
mother say she'd been snatched up and ruined by a bronzerider? But
which one?

"Are you okay?" The voice belonged to a young man, similar in age to Orifa.

Orifa whirled at the voice, clutching her little satchel to her chest;
she looked close to tears. "I don't know where to go. I was Searched
and my sister is supposed to be here. The Searchrider said to go
through some doors, but there's so many of them and I was going to try
looking for her, but I don't know what to do first! Do you know
Ninaine? She rides a green dragon?"

Kaibren knew Ninaine's name, of course, but no more details than that.
"Well, I'm not sure where your sister is, but I can show you inside
the Weyr, where you can put your things down. My mother is the
Weyrwoman, so I'm sure if we ask her she could help you find Ninaine."

Orifa's eyes widened in surprise. "Your mother is the Weyrwoman? Oh my
goodness. Oh. I'm so sorry..." She hurriedly curtsied. "Any help would
be very appreciated. I haven't seen my sister since she left home. I'm
Orifa. I'm so sorry. I didn't know who you were."

"No, really, don't," Kaibren tried to keep her from curtsying but she
was already mid-curtsy. "It's fine, I mean, I'm nobody, just a
Candidate, like you, apparently. My name is Kaibren."

"But if she's your mother, then surely you're important." Orifa looked
at him with wide guileless eyes. "I don't want to make a bad
impression on anyone, certainly not the Weyrwoman. It's very nice to
meet you." She fingered the satchel in her hands. "I would really like
to know where to go, please. If you could take me?"

"Come on, I'll show you to the barracks, you can at least put your
things there and they'll be safe." Kaibren assured her.

"Thank you." She followed him, but her eyes kept wandering, gaping at
the sights around her with obvious awe. Her eyes found a bronzedragon
flying overhead and she squeaked with excitement stopping and craning
her neck back to watch it. Realizing that Kaibren was walking away
from her, she hurried to follow him, but kept looking over her
shoulder at the large dragons that seemed to be everywhere.

Kaibren glanced over his shoulder and realized that Orifa was busy
looking at the sights, not that he blamed her, the three-cliffed Weyr
with its impressive dragons was a sight to behold. He'd just gotten
used to it after living there for so long. "Amazing, huh?" He said as
they walked. "How things so large can fly and navigate around one
another in a small space without bumping into each other?"

"Yeah..." her voice trailed off. She really didn't know exactly what
he was talking about, but she agreed with how amazing it was. "They're
so big. I've never seen so many up close." She followed him through a
pair of large doors and the sudden change in brightness pulled her
attention away. She hadn't been paying attention where they were or
how close they'd been getting to going inside. "I don't know if I'll
ever get used to this. It's all so busy."

"Don't worry, that's what everyone says. I mean, your sister got used
to it, didn't she?" he pointed out.

"I really don't know. Mama didn't let me talk to her after she
Impressed. I haven't seen her and I've really missed her. She'll be so
surprised that I'm here!"

After they had dropped Orifa's things off in the girl's barracks,
Kaibren walked her to the Weyrwoman's office, pointing out things of
significance on the way such as the Dining Cavern. "My mom will know
about your sister," Kaibren assured Orifa as he knocked on the
Weyrwoman's door and then pushed the portal open.

She could barely take it all in, even as Kaibren pointed things out to
her. Everything seemed to fill in her brain, then rush right out as
soon as it almost settled. But she followed him, nodding whenever his
hand pointed to something else. The moment that they came to the
Weyrwoman's door, however, she went still, eyes nearly popping from
her head. It was like meeting a Lord Holder or his Lady! Ninaine had
known Lady Benani, but she'd never been sent the Hold proper like her
sister had.

She wondered if the Weyrwoman was tall, beautiful, and courageous.
All the Harper tales described Weyrwomaen like that. The moment Orifa
saw the dark haired woman at the desk, she peeped and sank into a deep
curtsey, holding herself there.

"Mom," Kaibren said, gesturing toward's the curtsying girl. "This is
Orifa, she was Searched and brought here. Orifa, this is Weyrwoman
Saibra. She's looking for her sister, Ninaine. I told her you would
know more about that."

Saibra's eyebrows raised marginally. **Uh oh,** she thought as she
looked at the girl. "Thank you, Kaibren. Will you wait outside while I
talk with Orifa?"

Kaibren nodded and ducked out of the room.

"Please, Orifa, have a seat," Saibra gestured.

Quickly rising from get curtsey, Orifa hurried to the offered chair
and sat. "Thank you Weyrwoman. It's an honor to be here. I was
Searched today and Kaibren helped me. He's very nice. My sister's a
greenrider here. She Impressed a few years ago and I would really
like to see her. "

Saibra's blue eyes warmed with sympathy. "I see. When was the last
time you heard from Ninaine?"

"Oh, I've not heard from her since she was Searched. I know she
Impressed a green because our mother was horrified and I know that a
bronzerider just swept her right off her feet and now she has
children, even though my mother thinks she's absolutely ruined now. My
mother wouldn't let us write to her. But I do miss her very much." She
brightened a little. "I know she'll be happy to see me."

"Well, Orifa," Saibra sighed a little, giving the girl a supportive
smile, "I have some bad news. Ninaine transferred, not long ago, to
Barrier Lake. She's not here anymore."

Orifa's smile faltered, then fell. "She's not? And she transferred?
Well...I was hoping to see her. Can she come back? I don't know
anybody here and I thought maybe I could stay with her or
something..." Her voice trailed off.

"I can send a message to her at Barrier Lake, that you are here, but
know that since you were Searched, you do have a place here. There are
other Candidates, such as yourself, that left their homes to come here
and live." Saibra told her.

"I don't know what to do now." Orifa admitted. "My mama and
papa...they don't know I'm here."

"I see. How old are you, Orifa?" Saibra asked.

"Oh, I'm fifteen turns, Weyrwoman. Ninaine was fifteen when she came
to the Weyr too."

"Why don't your parents know that you are here?" she asked.

That brought a blush to her cheeks and Orifa looked down at her hands.
"Well...I kind of hurried and didn't tell them I'd been Searched. I
was supposed to marry a man named Weidig next month, but he's very old
and he's sickly. My papa was supposed to get a regular supply of
special wood for making his instruments. They tried to get Ninaine to
uhm...what is it...weyrmate him? But she didn't want to. So, he asked
for me instead and I was going to, I promise, but then the Searchrider
came and I just sorta left."

It was a common enough story among girls that showed up at the Weyr.
"I understand, Orifa. I wouldn't want someone telling me who to marry
either. You can stay at the Weyr, Orifa, if that is what you decide. I
would like to send a message to your parents, though, and let them
know that you are safe."

"I do want to stay. I just wish Ninaine was here." Orifa sighed. "I
was looking forward to spending time with her." She took a long
breath. "If you say so, Weyrwoman. My mother will be so angry with me.
I've never disobeyed her before."

"She might be," Saibra reasoned. "But she's probably already angry
with your absence. At least this way she's not looking for you."

"I suppose you're right."

Last updated on the January 13th 2021

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New Arrival, Searching Hope