A Well-known Face

Writers: Amilianna, Estelle
Date Posted: 8th August 2005

Characters: Kandris, Halli
Description: Kandris and Halli meet up in the dining hall and discuss their family members
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 13 of Turn 3
Notes: PCs mentioned: Headwoman Shenae
NPCs mentioned: Welsin, Nyla, Tyrian, Gerran, Perril, Felan, Lyra, Belan, Carran, Harra, Jessila
Notes: Mentor Approved

Halli stared at the back of the girl two places ahead of her in the queue for lunch, frowning in concentration. Although she'd had never seen the Candidate before at the Weyr, she had the oddest feeling that she knew her from somewhere. Since she'd been all over the Southern Continent with Jaquiath, delivering messages, it was hard to place one person.

She worked it out just as she was leaving the buffet with a tray and nearly dropped her lunch in surprise. If she wasn't much mistaken, that girl was from a hold not very far from the one where Halli had been born, and they had played together as children. Not only that, but she thought the girl's mother was her Aunt Nyla!

It took a moment or two longer before she remembered the name. "Kandris - is that you?"

Kandris turned around and squealed with delight, hastily setting her tray down and grabbing her cousin's tray as well, setting it down next to hers and grabbing the other girl in an enthusiastic hug. "Halli! Oh, I've been hoping to see you! You haven't been around since I got here..." She let go and hastily gestured for Halli to sit with her at the table that now held their trays.

"I've been stuck in the Infirmary for sevendays - I only just got out." Halli sat down opposite her tray, though she'd all but forgotten lunch in her surprise and delight at seeing a face from her home again. "But how did _you_ get here? Were you Searched?"

Kandris nodded. "Yes, and father wasn't too sad to see me go. He was going to have to start looking for suitors for me, and well..." She blushed, "He didn't think that it would be an easy task." she finished lamely. "But, the Infirmary? Are you alright?" Kandris began scanning over her cousin, trying to discern by sight anything wrong with the other girl.

"I'm fine now - it wasn't Threadscore. Apparently I accidentally poisoned myself while gathering herbs." Halli grinned, laughing it off - though it had not been a laughing matter at the time. "Only I could manage to do something like that! So, how long have you been at the Weyr?"

"I've only been here a couple sevendays. I'm still trying to get use to everything. It's much different than at the Hold. I got to see the Weyrwoman just the other day. She came in to talk to the Candidates. I was surprised at how small she is! I'm glad that your better now, Halli. Do you think, I mean, if you're not too terribly busy, " she blushed again, "do you think I could meet your dragon?" Kandris's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Of course! After lunch, though." Halli grinned - she'd just remembered that she was starving and began tucking into her meal in earnest. "Jaquiath says she'd be pleased to meet you."

Kandris's awe was written plainly on her face. "Oh, of couse! Yes, you must be famished, having just gotten better..." She smiled across to her cousin and took bites between chattering away as she began to talk about everything that had happened back at home and since she had been Searched since the last time Halli had been there. "So, Carran was married this year. Gerran has apparently been given the job of keeping an eye on the younger ones until he's old enough to Apprentice - although he's apparently infatuated with the idea of being Searched, now that they've taken two of us! He's still got a couple of years to settle to something though. I have another little sister, Jessila who's just turned 1 now. Lyra says she's happy and has a whole herd of children of her own, her youngest was only born a few months ago.
Tyrian is hoping that he will be made a Master Smith any day now and says what he really wants to do is teach the Apprentices - and that if one more runner beast kicks him in some far off minor Hold he might just go insane, but he's been saying things like that for years. Mother and Father want to come and see me for my Birthingday this month - late, obviously, as it was yesterday, and they said they might go ahead and bring Gerran so he can see the Weyr. Harra, Perril, and Felan will have to stay at home, though, as will the baby. I think that Mother will have one of the other women watching out for them while she's gone. I really think Father just wants to come and show how proud he is to have a potential Rider as a child, and to show how much he supports the Weyr, you know Father. But it will be nice to see them all the same. I'm going to go show the Headwoman the letter they sent this evening, and see if it's alright for them to visit. If they come, you'll have to see them! They'll be thrilled to see you again, Halli." Kandris finshed off her long ramble just as her spoon scrapped the last of her food off of her plate.

Halli grinned. "You know, we're definitely related to one another, Kandris. I've never met _anyone_ who could talk just as much as I do...no offense, of course!" Her head was spinning with all the news of different relations - she really ought to have paid more attention to her mother's letters from home. "I'd love to see Uncle Welsin and Aunt Nyla again if they do visit. In fact, they're welcome to stay in my weyr if they like - as long as they don't mind sharing quarters with a dragon!"

Kandris giggled. "Father always said I had more energy than was good for me. I think that's one of the reasons he's happy he doesn't have to find a husband for me now. Well, if I Impress, that is. I'm sure they'd love to stay with you, and if they bring Gerran he'd be in total awe of being that close to a dragon!" Kandris smiled at the thought of her little brother.

"I can imagine," Halli replied, thinking of how thrilled she'd have been to stay in the weyr of a dragonrider at that age. "If your father's not careful, he's going to find that all of you Impress and he'll be left with none of you left at home!"

Kandris laughed lightly. "Well, with his oldest children out in the world, I don't know that that would bother him all that much!" Kandris picked up her empty tray and began to stand.

"Are you off back to Candidate classes - or duties?" Halli was certainly glad she wasn't subjected to _those_ any more!

Kandris sighed and pulled a face. "Duties, unfortunately. Classes later today, and then this evening I'll go and ask the Headwoman about mother and father. I know that there's Thread tomorrow, but how about the day after that I'll come and see you? That way I can tell you if mother and father are coming, and maybe meet your dragon?" Kandris smiled excitedly.

"Of course - Jaquiath and I will look forward to it." Halli waved goodbye to her cousin as she left, well pleased by the meeting. At times she missed her family, and it was good to see a face from her childhood again!

~*~

Estelle (estelle@triadweyrs.org)
Halli, green Jaquiath's rider, DFW

Amilianna (amilianna@gmail.com)
Kandris, Candidate, DFW

Last updated on the August 16th 2005

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A Well-known Face