New Candidate, Who Dis?

Writers: Aaron, Curious, Halyonix
Date Posted: 8th May 2024

Characters: R'vkal, B'lyse, Oriene, Naradis
Description: Ryvankal arrives at DCW and meets the other Candidates
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 1 of Turn 10
Notes: Mention: L'saz

Oriene

Notes:

He was given basic instructions after the dragon had landed. Go here, talk to the Headwoman, then go to the Candidate area and get situated. As the dragon leapt away, Ryvankal let his gaze wander up, up to the dragons perched on their ledges, and further up to more ringing the Rim. Every color of the draconic rainbow represented. His gaze lingered on the bronzes and browns he saw. Was L'saz's dragon up there? Perhaps, or perhaps not yet, but only because Ryvankal had no idea how quickly a dragon grew.

He would have to find his cousin later. Or...did he? Gripping his pack, Ryvankal looked towards the opening to the Lower Caverns, where he had been instructed to go, and decided that his cousin could definitely wait. They weren't...as friendly as they once had been...so what did it matter if Ryv found him?

The Weyr was awfully big, he observed. He could easily hide behind that excuse.

Ryvankal followed his directions and was eventually taken to the Barracks, where the other Candidates were. He stopped at the doorway, abandoned by whatever guide had been so briefly assigned to him, and found himself staring at a room of strangers, some of whom were staring back at him.

He shyly raised one hand. "Hello."

Corland tapped Blue's shoulder and glanced to the doorway. He had not noticed everyone had stopped to look at the newcomer, so he was the last to do so. He was often off in his own world, so Cor had gotten used to tapping him when he did not notice something. When he glanced back, Cor quietly repeated the newcomer, and Blue nodded.

"Come on in," said Corland. "You're in the right place. Let's find you a bunk."

Ryvankal gave a nod and a small smile of appreciation for the kindness. "Good to know I'm in the right place," he said. "Weyr's awful big."

A few bunks down, a girl smiled brightly and said, "Sure is, but you'll get used to it soon enough!" She didn't leave her bunk though, letting Corland take charge on leading the newcomer. But she did add, "I'm Oriene. You are?"

"Ryvankal," he answered, tipping his head politely. "From Green Valley." Would that explain it? Did they know where his Hold was? He had no way to tell since he had no way to gauge how far /between/ he had traveled to get here.

The girl looked at Corland and shrugged. "Pretty sure that's somewhere nearby but I haven't heard of it," she said. Maybe someone else had.

"Aye, I've been there," said Corland. "Blue and I both have." He nodded to Blue, who nodded back. "Out toward the western edge of the Cove's territory, yeah? Almost half-way to Dream's End, if I got my head on straight.

"This your first time farther from home than Emerald Falls?"

Ryv nodded once but that somehow answered both questions. "I..." he started to say and then paused. What _was_ he going to say? What sort of thing should he say? He didn't want to mention his cousin -- yet -- but should he mention any personal details, like his craft and his late fiancee?

The fleeting thought of his dead betrothed brought an involuntary swallow.

"Weyr's awful big," he said. Again. And then, realizing his repetitiveness, he made a face similar to a grimace and added, "Compared to a minor Hold. Got any smiths here?" Maybe he would have more in common with them.

"We've got everything here," a new voice cut in. Naradis approached the new candidate with her arms crossed over her chest, openly assessing. "The Weyr has everything the Holds have and then everyone they don't want. If you can name it, you can probably find it here."

Blue tilted his head curiously and stared at Ryvankal. He was fairly certain he had repeated himself about something he had said before, something about the Weyr being big. He was not entirely sure what Corland had asked him, though, as he could only see him in profile from where he sat. Naradis, he could only see from behind. For all he knew, she could have said anything.

"I'm learning from the smiths who work here," said Corland. "You need an introduction?"

Ryvankal quietly returned the assessment from the woman, eventually giving her a respectful nod. Not sure what to make of her posture but no reason to get into an argument on the first day for sure, he figured. To Corland, he answered, "Would like an introduction, please. If Candidates are allowed. Not sure of the rules on that here. I was just told to get settled. Introduce myself and all that. Not sure what to do after that though. What do Candidates do day-to-day?"

"There are no official rules about introductions, but I guess it's polite," Naradis said. Whether or not the candidate in question cared to be polite was another matter entirely. She pondered it for a moment before adding, "I'm Naradis."

"Ryvankal," he answered. Idly, he shifted the weight on his bag. "Seems like things are a bit...unstructured when it comes to a new Candidate? There's classes and stuff, right? Didn't think the Weyr would just...let us sit around til the eggs were ready."

"There are, but you could make yourself busier, if you want," Naradis said. "There are no rules against candidates taking up a craft or getting a job. It'll be pointless if you end up impressing though."

That seemed like a good idea. He was used to being busy. Ryvankal turned to the one who had said that he could introduce him to the smiths and asked, "You could help me with that?"

"There are, but you could make yourself busier, if you want," Naradis said. "There are no rules against candidates taking up a craft or getting a job. It'll be pointless if you end up impressing though."

"Blue here has been learning with them, too," said Corland. "He's new. But I've been at it for a while." Blue nodded. "So you'll have at least a couple of friends there if you decide to pass your hours that way."

"Blue?" Ryvankal echoed. Was there really a Candidate here named Blue? Seemed awful odd. Who named their kid after a color?

"Aye, Blue." Corland nodded back to Blue and wiggled his fingers, then Blue made a salute-like wave to Ryvankal.

"Hey." He had an unusual accent.

Ryvankal waved awkwardly back. "And you're named Blue? Why?" he asked.

Blue glanced at Corland.

"Because he wants to be," he answered for him. "His friend gave it to him. Or his brother or something. Not quite sure what his deal was. You don't like it?" Corland folded his arms.

Ryvankal sensed he had tripped over a line somewhere. He didn't like the way the other guy folded his arms. There was a moment in him where he wondered if he was supposed to posture back, show that he couldn't be pushed around, or would that just escalate things? Probably.

"Corland, don't give the new kid trouble just yet," Oriene piped up with a disarming grin. "He's just curious! No harm in that, right? We all have questions now and then."

"No harm," Cor agreed and dropped his arms. He was protective of Blue, but he was not out to start any fights. Only finish them.

Ryvankal nodded. "No harm," he echoed. And to show that he meant it, he offered the other guy his hand. "I'm Ryvankal," he said, even though he had introduced himself to some of the others already.

"Corland." He shook Ryvankal's hand and stepped in a little closer. "Sorry to snap at you. Some of the folks in the smithy have given Blue a bit of a hard time, and I guess I've just gotten a little protective since his brother-friend-guy Impressed at the last hatching."

"Fair enough," the other smith said. Brother-friend-guy? That sounded complicated. Ryvankal wasn't about to dive into that, not on his first day. "Anything else I should know for now?" He asked, though his gaze shifted to some of the other Candidates still listening in.

The girl Oriene beamed at him. "Nope! You'll pick it all up pretty quickly. Eat, class, chores, sleep, repeat until Hatching, more or less. Welcome to the Weyr!"

Ryvankal nodded once at her. "Thank you." Seemed like a nice enough place, the Weyr. Maybe he'd like it here.

Last updated on the May 9th 2024

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New Candidate, Who Dis?