First Search

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 31st May 2012

Characters: S'vin, Sh'lua
Description: First day of training to become a Searchdragon for S'vin and Kadeth!
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 8, day 2 of Turn 6
Notes: Neath (npc)

So what did he miss? S'vin glanced about Kadeth, making sure the
straps were on fine, his helmet was in hand, that tear in his flight
jacket was fixed up nicely. What else? Beside him, Kadeth did a
dragon equivalent of shaking his head. S'vin's nerves weren't
transferring to the serene little blue, they never did.

}:What's his problem?:{ Neath asked from her ledge besides Kaeth's.

}:Our first day training as a Search pair. Galerith and his should be
here anytime now.:{

Galerith arrived with flurry of dark blue wings. Sh'lua was already
sitting on his neck.
}: Ready to go? :{ Galerith inquired from the younger blue.

}:I am.:{ Kadeth looked pointily at his lifemate.

"Oh!" And with that S'vin scrambled onto his neck and nodded to
Sh'lua that he was ready.

"We are going to Opal Cove hold today," Sh'lua told them. "You have
your visualizations?" he asked just to be certain. The boy better had,
if he was worth of his wingrider's knots!

"I do..." **Do we?** he asked Kadeth frantically.

}:We do.:{ The blue almost shook his head at Galerith. }:Ready?:{ he
asked the older blue.

Galerith took to the air first. ** Land outside the main first. I need
to advice the boy first before we start the actual Search,** Sh'lua
instructed Galerith.

The blue forward the message to the younger dragon.

Like everything else he did, Kadeth executed the maneuver neatly with
no wasted movements. Popping out of /between/ he waited for the older
blue to meet them.

The two blues landed and they were already attracting attention from
the hold. Sh'lua pulled off his helmet. "Now, let's get through some
rules and advises first. Number one, it's the dragon who does the
Search.. so don't interfere."

"Oh...okay.". He knew that...when he was relaxed and didn't feel like
he was about to be sick.

}:We'll be fine,:{ Kadeth assured his life mate as he eagerly began
looking over the young people clustered around.

"Two, to avoid confusion, ask the people to form a line. Three, inform
of the Search officially, to the Headwoman, Steward, Lord holder or
Hallmaster, whoever who holds position and happens to be around.
Remember act polite, you're weyr's official representative in a hold."
Sh'lua was ticking off the points with his fingers.

S'vin nodded, his face going blanker and blanker. He was so nervous
he just couldn't take it all in.

}:Don't worry, I have. Just relax and_watch_.:{ Kadeth eyed his
lifemate and waited for instructions from Galerith.

"Breath, S'vin, don't pass out on me," Sh'lua said with amused tone.

That seemed like the hardest thing to do, at the moment. S'vin
watched the eager kids run out and felt dizzy. Kadeth just let out an
amused snort.

Sh'lua chuckled and continued his lesson. "A candidate has right to
decline, so you have to always ask if he or she accepts to come to the
Weyr. And don't forget to give them the token. If you run out, you can
get more from Headwoman. And sometimes, if the potential candidate is
very young, it might be best not to Search him or her this time, but
let him or her grow up few Turns. After all, they don't know if they
are Searched or not unless we tell them. Galerith and I usually
consult each other if the child seems to be around twelve."

:}Wonder if his head'll fall off if he keeps doing that,:{ Kadeth
noted dryly to Galerith about the vigorous nodding of S'vin's head.

}: Maybe if we attached one of those jingling things that some
herdbeasts have on their neck to his head? :{ Galerith suggested with
draconic laughter. }: He could make music for us. :{

S'vin heard Kadeth's part of the conversation. **Hey, be nice!**

Even Sh'lua has gotten it. "Be serious," he chided Galerith.

:}They're no fun.{: Kadeth nudged S'vin with his delicate muzzle, as
he waited to get to work. Already he could 'feel' several promising
children
.
"Let's go to the hold then, and begin the Search, before they lose
their patience," Sh'lua said with nodding gesture towards the people
already gathered to watch the dragons.

S'vin and Kadeth followed the older pair over to the boys already
lined up. Something was odd though, why so many more boys than girls?
He questioned Sh'lua about it.

"Some people don't want their daughters Searched, so they keep them
away from us," Sh'lua replied.

"Why?". S'vin was a Weyr boy, through and through. It never would
have occurred to him to keep the girls off the Sands.

"Beats me," Sh'lua shrugged. He was pure-bred weyrbrat too. "Some
silly notion that we would taint them. You know, get them married when
they've still untouched." It sounded like begging trouble to him.

Just then Kadeth informed him, }:there is one but I can't reach her!:{

In an undertone, S'vin told Sh'lua what his blue had just said. "What
do we do now?"

"Try to find out who he means and where she is. Sometimes you just
have to be little sneaky," Sh'lua replied.

"Well, ask Kadeth first where she is. Then you can decide what to do.
For instance, if she's in kitchen, go for her to ask for klah and
something and start talking with her. Try to get her outside and she's
been Searched before anybody realizes what's going on," Sh'lua replied
and adviced as well as he could. It usually required some smooth
talking, but the big bluerider knew how to be charming. You couldn't
believe it when you saw him, but Sh'lua could talk avians out of the
tree if he wanted. Perhaps it was the conflict with his appearance
that made him so effective. You didn't expect big, brawny mason to be
so eloquent.

"Okay..." *Kadeth, did you get that?*

}:She's in one of the windows, looking at us.:{. S'vin relayed the
message to Sh'lua as he scanned the windows overlooking the courtyard.
There were several girls watching, which one could she be?

"Good luck," Sh'lua said. He was not going to help, this was S'vin's
Search after all.

"Okay." S'vin was dismayed to note his voice shaking slightly. What now?

Last updated on the June 1st 2012

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

First Search