She'll Bite Your Head Off

Writers: Jane, Paula
Date Posted: 16th December 2009

Characters: Im're, Zharesti
Description: Imarre arrives to River Bluff Weyr and meets Zharesti.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 6 of Turn 5

What really amazed Imarre when he arrived to River Bluff Weyr, was how different it was compared to Dragonsfall. One was plateau, this was river bluff that stretched along the river bank and the beach. And ocean, Imarre had never seen _it_ before. Sea of Azov was nothing compared to those mighty waters. It was scary, actually. When he heard that they called the stretch of land between the river and the cliff a weyrbowl, he nearly laughed. It was so silly, there was nothing bowlish in it. But the dragons and the people looked same. Perhaps they were bit more tanned and certainly wore less clothes in this climate. Imarre realized he was gawking and blushed. Someone pointed him towards the Weyrwoman's weyr. It was on ground level, right next to the large opening to the Hatching grounds. Imarre couldn't resist the temptation to peek in and take a look at the eggs.

"She'll bite your head off if you go any closer," Zharesti commented as she appeared out of the comparative darkness of the Hatching Grounds to where the young man was looking in. "Or I will."

"So sorry, Ma'am," Imarre replied with alarmed tone and took few quick steps backwards.

"Oh, not actual biting," Zharesti offered, quite pleased with the young man's reaction. "Have you just been Searched?"

"Well, no. I've already Stood once, in Dragonsfall Weyr," Imarre replied.

"Ahh, that's where you've come from." Zharesti nodded, pleased with this evidence of the other Weyrs' willingness to share. She supposed she would have to in turn, which was not much to her liking, but that wouldn't be until after Veyeth's clutch had safely Impressed. "What's your name?"

"I'm Imarre, ma'am, an apprentice woodsmith," the lad replied.

"Excellent." People arriving with some level of craft training was always a good thing for the Weyr. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Imarre. I'm Zharesti." She held out her hand to the new Candidate.

"The Weyrwoman? It's my pleasure," Imarre replied and took the hand.

"Would you like to come in and look at the eggs, Imarre?" she offered. "Veyeth's not particularly inclined to let people near them and doesn't care for visitors in general, but I'm sure she won't mind somebody who's come so far to Stand looking them over from the entrance here."

"It would be a great, ma'am," Imarre replied.

Zharesti stood back to allow the young man to step into the entrance and peer into the enormous cavern. "Forty-four eggs," she said with some pride in her lifemate's achievement.

"That's lot of eggs," said Imarre with awed voice. He bowed towards the Gold's direction before letting his gaze lap up the sight of the eggs resting on the hot sand. Maybe one of them was for him!

"I have a lot of Candidates organised," Zharesti said with some smugness in her tone. "Even you, all the way from Dragonsfall. Are you weyrbred?"

"No, ma'am. I was Searched from woodcraft hall," Imarre replied.

"Were you pleased?" Presumably he was if he had gone to Dragonsfall and then come on to River Bluff, but Zharesti was getting rather exasperated with the number of people who weren't happy about Standing.

"It is an honour," Imarre replied. He had been delighted to go to weyr. He still liked the weyr, despite the mess he had made in his relationship with Maret. It wasn't weyr's fault after all, just his own issue.

Zharesti beamed. "Wonderful." She glanced over her shoulder at Veyeth. "I think she's satisfied with what she's seen." It went both ways, of course, the Candidate looked at the eggs, the queen looked over the prospective lifemates for her off-spring.

Imarre looked the eggs. His hand reached out on his own. ** Are you there?** he wondered.

"They'll be here waiting on Hatching day," Zharesti assured him.

"And I'll be here, waiting for them to break their shells," the boy said and gave the eggs one last look before turning his back to them.

"That's what I want to hear. Were you looking for me?" Zharesti asked as she walked away from the huge entrance to the cavern.

Imarre nodded. "I was told to report to you and then to the headwoman."

"And you have. I shall remember; Imarre from the woodcraft hall and Dragonsfall Weyr," she assured him, though she knew she would only remember if she paused to make a sketch of the young man as soon as she had a moment. That was the way her mind seemed to work best. "So you've done what's required. Do you know where the Headwoman's office is?"

"No," Imarre replied with little laugh. "But they pointed me dining cavern and told me it was the best place to seek for her."

"That's the story. Away you go then. And good luck with the Hatching!"

Imarre gave her the final, polite bow before heading out to find the Headwoman.

Last updated on the December 20th 2009

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She'll Bite Your Head Off