The Search

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 19th August 2013

Characters: Halah, Zelanka, S'vin, Sh'lua
Description: Searchriders come to AHH, and Halah hears what she has always dreamed of
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Yanley

Halah shuddered when the clap of thunder rumbled through the storage room.
While she normally enjoyed the storms, she hated the way they made the
inner rooms almost shake. Pushing her long hair out of her eyes, she turned
to Zelanka. "I think that's most of them." In her arms were the last of the
under two turn old's wintergear.

"Mmh-ha," Zelanka murmured and crossed an item from her hide. "How about
pickles? We need to start preparing for the winter."

"Oh, I just saw them!" Halah put the clothes down and scratched her head.
Where had she seen the pickles?

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a young holdbrat raced in. "I need a
hiding place! Dragons! Riders! All over the place!" The silly girl dove
headfirst into the pile that Halah had put so much hard work into, spilling
winter hides and knitted wear all over the flagstones.

"Oh, well, we better go to see what they want," Zelanka said with a little
snort. "Come along, Halah," she asked, "I might need someone to take
messages." She scowled the girl. "And you're cleaning up this mess you've
made," she commanded, pointing the spilled items. "I can't have people
running around and knocking things to the ground."

Halah glanced once at the bleating girl before following at Zelanka's
heels. "I wonder what they want?" Already she was mentally going over their
winter supplies. They didn't have a lot, what if the dragonriders needed
any of it? She glanced up at the Headwoman, her brow wrinkled in worry.

"Well, it isn't Threadfall day, so they aren't sweepriders. That leaves
Search riders, passenger transports or some sort of message," Zelanka
listed out while she walked briskly out to the yard. Spotting two blues she
sighed, probably it was Search. "How can I help you, sirs?" she called out.

****

Even though he had been here on countless training runs, today felt
different for Kadeth. The little blue couldn't put a talon on it, but the
air just somehow smelled different. Perhaps it was the way the breeze was
blowing up his back, slightly ruffling the loose folds of his wings.Or
maybe it was the flash of lighting and the rumble of thunder that said the
storm was getting closer. He glanced at Galerith, and sighed.

Beside him, S'vin echoed the sigh. His blue's agitation was affecting him.
He shuffled from foot to foot, glancing once at Sh'lua before the flapping
skirts of two women caught his attention. One he instantly recognized as
the Headwoman, but the other he had never seen before. She was dumpy and
plain, what he could see of her face not obscured by thick, almost tangled
hair the same colour as his.

He opened his mouth to say something to Sh'lua when Kadeth interrupted his
line of thought.

}:HER!! It's her!:{ The blue nudged his rider before looking up at Galerith.

"We are doing Searches today, ma'am," Sh'lua replied, touching his helmet
with respectable gesture. Behind his back, Galerith was craning his neck.
Sh'lua could feel his excitement vibrating thru their bond.

** Take it easy, this is Kadeth's Search. You can pick up those he missed.
Let me know if you disagree with his choices,** Sh'lua reminded his
lifemate. He was replied by disappointed, draconic snort.

"Dragonriders are always welcome to Amber Hills hold," Zelanka replied but
the welcome in words didn't reach her eyes. "Shall I rout the youngsters?"

"If you please, ma'am," Sh'lua replied.

}:Oh no, she's leaving!:{ Kadeth turned frantic eyes to S'vin and then to
Galerith as the young girl turned and all but ran back into the hold.

}: She'll be back, with others, :{ Galerith said to him with confidence.

"If you excuse me, I'll go to inform the Steward and the Lord Holder,"
Zelanka said and turned to leave too.

"Of course," Sh'lua replied.

"What do you think?" S'vin nodded in the direction of where the girl had
gone. "Kadeth says she's very strong. He can't function now, he's so
focused on her." Indeed, the delicate little blue was dancing from foot to
foot, barely able to wait for the drudge to come back.

** Galerith?** Sh'lua asked his dragon.

}; Oh, yes. But she isn't the only one :{ Galerith replied and his head
turned towards approaching boy who was wearing beastcrafter apprentices
knots.

"He agrees, he's just more calm about it, and keeping his sense open to
other candidates," Sh'lua replied to S'vin. "Tell Kadeth to calm down or
he'll miss somebody."

When S'vin relayed the message to Kadeth, the little blue moaned to himself
as he impatiently waited for the girl to come back.

****

"I think that's all the eligible boys," Halah said to Zelanka, looking up
from her head counting of over-excited young lads. They were the lucky
ones, she thought, they might get a chance at a different life. All she
could hope to look forward to was pleasing Zelanka and perhaps being
Headwoman, in time. And that would only be if she was lucky.

"Good," Zelanka said, back from Steward's office. "Why don't you take them
some klah. Let's not forget common hospitality."

Halah nodded and ran off to the kitchens to claim a pot for the two riders.
Both of them were tall and handsome, as all riders were. She found her
heart beating just that bit faster, thinking about them. And the dragons!
The larger, scarred one was a beautiful dark blue that adsorbed the colour
of the darkening sky whilst the other was as delicate a creature as Halah
had ever seen. Under the threatening skies, and next to his companion, his
cornflower blue hide popped, causing every eye to be drawn towards him. She
rushed to get two cups--the finest cups the Hold had to offer--and
balancing the jug of klah and a tray of sweets, she rushed back as quick as
she could.

Sh'lua was leaning against Galerith's foreleg while the dragon was looking
over the people gathered around.

He noticed the girl coming back with refreshments and nudged S'vin. "Now's
your change to Search her," he whispered.

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Kadeth shoved his nose into
her chest. He may have been tiny as far as dragons went but his head was
still large enough to overturn all Halah's hard work. Sweets and cups went
flying, as Halah stared down at the mess, her dress stained with klah.

"Kadeth!" Mortified, S'vin could only stare at the poor girl.

Sh'lua stifled a laughter and gave S'vin another nudge "It's your Search,
do something, be gentleman," he murmured.

Facing blushing red, the young boy scuttled up to Halah. Brushing at her
dress, he said, "I'm so so sorry. Kadeth, that was very bad of you!" At
least the blue had the decency of looking contrite.

There wasn't much Halah could do. They were dragonriders and she was only a
drudge. Brushing at her wet dress, she sighed. "It's okay, I'll be right
back with more, sir."

Before she could run away, S'vin took her by the hand. "Please stay, if you
don't mind. We need to tell you something." He looked to Sh'lua for help.

"Just tell her," Sh'lua said and leaned down to pick up the tray and it's
scattered content.

"Tell me? What, tell me what?" Already her heart was pounding, imagining a
million ills she had done to the riders. What would they do?

S'vin squeezed her hand. "My Kadeth here, he says that you are dragon
material. Would you like to Stand?"

"Are you mad?" Was he mad? Was this really happening? Was he actually
saying the words she dreamed of for years? The vision of the two riders and
the small blue swam and wavered.

"Oh! Don't faint! Please don't faint!" S'vin looked to Sh'lua for help.
True, they almost never got to Search girls at this Hold but even so, was
it something to faint away at?

"Maybe a bit but not in this matter," Sh'lua grinned. Seeing her swan, he
stepped to support her, placing his hands on her back.

Just then Zelanka stepped out. "What are you doing to her?! Hands off her!"
she yelled, misinterpreting what she saw. Wasn't bad enough a dragonrider
had knocked up their Lady Yanley? Now they were molesting innocent drudges
too.

At the noise from the woman, S'vin yipped and let go of Halah. Thankfully
Kadeth saw what was about to happen and stopped her fall with his nose
under her rear. Halah grasped the dragon's hide to stop her fall and gasped
at the softness of his skin. His eyes whirled at her, so full of concern
that she could feel tears welling up in hers.

"This is not what it seems to be," Sh'lua said, trying placate the
Headwoman and took few steps backwards.

Zelanka marched to them, her eyes flashing with anger and curls escaping
her bun. She looked very attractive, Sh'lua thought, too bad she had such a
prejudiced attitude towards dragon riders. Of course incidents like didn't
exactly help.

"Oh?" her tone was frosty. Galerith sensed her hostility and growled.
"Don't you growl at me you big oaf!" she snapped at the blue. She obviously
wasn't _afraid_ of dragons. Galerith was so surprised he almost sat on his
tail.

"Halah dear, are you all right?" Zelanka's voice turned gentle when she
addressed the girl.

"He..." Halah waved towards S'vin and to Kadeth still supporting her. "He
said I can Stand..." Kadeth crooned encouragement.

"Hah!" Zelanka said with derisive tone. "Always trying to steal our best
ones away from us. Trust me, he just tries to get under your skirts, and
then you end up like Lady Yanley. Don't trust them, they'll say anything
and then they leave you to deal with the consequences," she was truly
furious and speaking out her mind.

S'vin looked completely mortified at that. Turning to Zelanka, he blurted
out, "no, not me! It's true! My blue says so! Trust me, I'm as gay as a gay
thing. I'd only ever reach under a skirt if you put an arrow to my head,
and even then I'd hate every minute of it."

Halah's mouth dropped open at his words. No one here ever admitted to such
a thing!

"So you just steal husbands and sons?" Zelanka snapped.

Sh'lua had to admit he would had liked to get under the Headwoman's skirts.
She was gorgeus when angry.

S'vin would have liked to get under her skirts only if he meant he could
hide there. Trying to fold his over tall body into himself--and wishing he
were as tiny as G'wen or D'ret--he sputtered, "I--I...no! I'm just trying
to do my job--" His eyes pleaded with Sh'lua to step in and save him.

Sh'lua glanced Galerith, who looked like he been scolded by senior Gold. }:
Too bad there's no gold egg. And she's too old, :{ the blue sounded
remorseful. Sh'lua suppressed a chuckle.

"Sometimes the only way is to retreat gracefully and salvage your arse,
before she hands them over to us," he murmured to S'vin. "We can come back
later to those who we Searched."

Bowing to Zelanka, he said: "What a mighty Weyrwoman you would have made.
We'll leave you in peace. My duty to you, Headwoman."

That left even Zelanka speechless.

"Those of you who got tokens, we'll be back for you later!" he called out
for the crowd.

Kadeth crooned as he realised he had to leave without the girl. Feeling his
distress--and his own--S'vin took one stolen moment to press a token into
Halah's hand. "Come, please come," he whispered into her ear.

The dragons took to the sky and, just before a loud clap of thunder, they
were gone. Struggling to her feet, Halah blinked away the tears of hope and
of disappointment. It would never do to be caught out in the rain. As a
drudge, it would just mean she had to spend the rest of the day in wet
clothes, for no one really cared about the hopes and dreams of a drudge.

Except dragonmen.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2013

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The Search