How It Works
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Devin, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 8th January 2015
Characters: A'dryn, Lokkun
Description: Being different isn't so bad when you can be different together.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 11 of Turn 7
It seemed as though the entire population of River Bluff had decided to hit the dining cavern at the same time. Lokkun wanted to come back later, but he was honestly too hungry to do that. So he gathered his courage, called Pegas to his shoulder for emotional support, and got a tray of food. After several minutes of walking about to find a place to sit (and being too shy to ask that handsome bluerider over there if he could sit in the open space across from him), Lokkun found another empty place across from a young man with beautiful dark skin and Candidate's knots. Trying not to feel so shy, the apprentice approached and spoke over the noise. "Excuse me, are you saving this space for someone?"
Aldryn looked up. "Oh, no. Feel free to sit, Senior Apprentice."
"Thank you." Lokkun sat, sighing in relief. Even with comfortable boots, one's feet could really take a pounding if you were almost constantly on them. "That's better. I really appreciate this." He tucked into the meal with a will, but without atrocious manners.
"My name is Aldryn." He said, watching the apprentice eat like a field worker.
Lokkun had a gulp of wine and spoke once his throat was clear. "I'm Lokkun, and this is Pegas. Welcome to the Weyr." He assumed the young man was new, anyway. He didn't seek out Candidates; normally they only met if said Candidates came to the healers' caverns to help out or get treatment. He wondered where Aldryn had come from to get such a lovely complexion.
"A pleasure to meet you." Aldryn looked at the firelizard. "A few people at the hold had them, but there are so many firelizards here." There was a lot of everything at the Weyr.
"Fire-lizards like dragons," Lokkun said. "And they like people who feed them." Pegas chirped as if he agreed. "There's plenty of both at a Weyr." The handsome bluerider walked by with an empty tray as he spoke, probably to get seconds. Lokkun watched him a little wistfully.
Aldryn saw the look and frowned. Was he...? "Would you mind if I fed your firelizard? Or will it spoil him? My father told us not to feed canines from the table or they'd start to expect it."
"Huh?" Lokkun came back to himself. "Oh, it's fine. A fire-lizard's not a canine." He mentally nudged Pegas onto the table, and the little blue strutted up to Aldryn, twisting his head from side to side as he sized the Candidate up. "Are you thinking you might want one of your own?"
"I admit I think about it sometimes." He took a small piece of meat and offered it to the firelizard. "But for now I need to focus on Impressing." And his chores and classes and trying to get used to life here.
Pegas pounced on the offering, snatching it away and proceeding to enjoy it. "Such manners," Lokkun sighed. "I know I taught you better." His pet just chirped happily, and the apprentice rolled his eyes. "Well, if you Impress, you won't want a fire-lizard any more," he noted to Aldryn, and would have said more, but he could see the handsome bluerider over the Candidate's shoulder. Said bluerider was greeting a male greenrider particularly warmly, which didn't make Lokkun feel any better.
Aldryn tilted his head. "Is that what riders say? Do they all get their firelizards before they Impress?"
"What?" Lokkun blinked at him before realizing he was being rude, letting his attention drift so much. "Oh, no. Some dragonriders don't have fire-lizards at all. Some do have them before Impression. Some get them after. But the dragon becomes your life, your greatest source of love, to the point love from a fire-lizard or human just can't compare. I knew two Candidates who Impressed, and they told me such."
"Oh. I've heard about the bond, how strong it can be." What would it be like, to have a being know everything about him and love him anyway?
"My friends told me it was the best thing to ever happen to them; the best thing on Pern." And honestly, that statement was probably one very good reason why he had never said he loved them. He couldn't compete with two dragons. "I was a little jealous sometimes, really. Their dragons never once let up with their love and support, and unconditional acceptance. M'yan and Azeali could do no wrong in their eyes."
Unconditional acceptance... What would that be like? "That sounds wonderful. Were you ever a Candidate?" Aldryn asked.
"No," Lokkun said with a small laugh. "I was never interested. My boots are meant to stay on the ground. But if I had, I'm sure I would've Impressed blue, like M'yan." Oh, maybe that was too much information?
Aldryn shifted in his seat. He had to get used to this. He _had_ to. "Oh."
Judging by that reaction, the Candidate was holdbred. Oh dear. Lokkun gave him a reassuring smile. "It gets easier. Everything falls into place soon enough," he said simply, and returned to his meal. Pegas trilled happily, as if agreeing, though of course he didn't understand.
**Everything falls into place.** Faranth, he wished that were true. An ache clenched Aldryn's chest as he wondered if he'd really belong anywhere. "I am... struggling with adjustment, but I have to make this work."
Lokkun shrugged. "Then you will," he said, and as far as he was concerned, this was true. He didn't know Aldryn in depth, of course, but in general, those who had to ended up succeeding. So as far as he knew, Aldryn would be okay. Maybe he'd even wind up making some little hatchling more than happy to choose him. Sometimes the best dragonpairs came from unexpected places.
Last updated on the January 10th 2015