All The Noise

Writers: Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 13th December 2007

Characters: O'rian, Sorsha
Description: The two candidates talk about Sorsha's home.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 4 of Turn 4

Sorsha sat on the rocks at the beach, just out of splash range of the waves as they hit. This was her safe place, away from the hustle and bustle of the Weyr, away from all the strange people that seemed to overwhelm her. Out on the rocks she could almost convince herself she was home at her sea hold and that her life was normal again.

"Looks normal now, doesn't it?" Odarian commented as he paused beside the young woman. "Hard to believe that this water was everywhere a couple of months ago."

She had jumped slightly when he had come up next to her, her solitude interrupted. She recognized him, maybe from one of the lectures?
"It's different now. Little things, but still different."

"You're Sorsha, aren't you? One of the Candidates from -" he waved a hand to indicate beyond the confines of the Weyr, "somewhere else?"

"Green Bend Sea Hold," she piped up. He knew her name...

Odarian wasn't sure he knew where the SeaHold was but supposed it didn't matter. She was here now. "I've seen you in Candidate classes and probably when we Stood - but that was too much confusion to recall anybody well. I'm Odarian."

"Nice to meet you." she replied with a head bow. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from here," he said, both proud of the fact and glad that here was somebody who didn't automatically know whose son he was. "Well, I was born at the Weyr we lived at before this one. Thayan Peak. Everybody moved here Turns ago."

She knew her Weyr history so she just nodded and looked out at the sea again. "Do you ever get used to all the noise?"

"The sea?" He looked at the small waves and wondered whether they were any noisier than usual. He didn't think so.

Sorsha couldn't help the giggle that escaped, "No... the Weyr noise.
The sea noise is comforting, like a lullaby."

"The _Weyr_ makes a noise?" he asked, more surprised than at the suggestion that the small sea noise might take some getting used to.

"Of course it does," she said a bit more chastisingly than she had intended and continued more softly, "The dragons and their scrapings on stone when they walk or land or take off; the rider's voices coming out of the weyrs that you can't understand but have echoed slightly from the openings; the animals in the pens huffing; the crafters clanging and whooshing as they rebuild and repair. All of it, even at night when I'm trying to sleep. It's not _bad_ really, it's just _different_."

"I've never noticed it," Odarian admitted, rather surprised that he hadn't. "Perhaps because it's always been there for me. What were the sounds like at - Green ... Where you come from?"

"Quieter." Sorsha breathed with a contented smile as she thought of home again. "It's a small hold, my father looks after about a dozen families plus crafters. During the day when the men are out to sea, except for the odd patchwork hammering or children playing, not much happens on the main grounds. When the boats come back in it gets loud, but after dinner it gets quiet again when everyone goes to bed. We don't stay up all night like you weyrfolk do, we have to be up before dawn to get ready for the next days sail. When I lay down at night, I go to sleep to the sounds of my father's voice discussing hold matters, or to the lap of the sea hitting the boats and the beach. I'll be glad to get back there," she added before looking up at him briefly, her cheeks reddening slightly as she realized she had been rambling on.

"It sounds lovely but you won't be going back there if you Impress.
Or, only to visit."

"Oh I'm not staying here." Sorsha explained, unable to keep the smile off her face, "Father said I could come back since I did my duty to the dragons. He's sending a ship soon for trade and I'll be leaving on it."

"Oh. You don't want to try again? That's what they always say - your dragon might be in the next clutch."

Sorsha shrugged, "I miss home. I might come back, but I don't think the dragonrider life is for me. Besides, it's too noisy here." she added with a sardonic smile.

"You could get used to it," Odarian said with a shrug. "But if you really want to go home, I'm sure somebody will take you without waiting for your father's ship. That's what dragonriders _do_."

"I don't want to impose on anyone any more than I already have," the girl said humbly, "but if there wasn't a ship coming already, it would be a good idea."

"Just ask the Headwoman. She's in charge of us as Candidates. Even the ones who want to go home," he finished teasingly.

Last updated on the December 16th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

All The Noise