A Happy Coincidence

Writers: AmajoS, Paula
Date Posted: 22nd March 2019

Characters: T'min, Sh'lua
Description: Temmin runs across the dragonrider who Searched him.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 20 of Turn 9

Temmin was pulling on his work-gloves as he made his way past other
apprentices and a few journeymen toward where he'd been told he'd be
working today. He was a little late, the candidate class he'd just
left had run over a bit, and he hoped he wouldn't be in too much
trouble over it. Generally speaking, he got a bit of leeway for things
like that because of his status as a candidate, but he certainly
didn't want to push his luck. As he turned the corner, he stopped
abruptly, noticing a familiar face.

If Sh'lua had nothing better to do, he pitched in to help or just chat
with the minecrafters. He had a senior jourmeyman's knots in masonry
after all, although those had been earned pre-Fall.

For a moment, Temmin's nerves got the better of him and he just stood.
He didn't want to bother the bluerider if he was busy, there had to be
a reason he was here after all. But, Temmin had been hoping to run
into him for a while now. He could have gone looking, but again, he
didn't want to be a bother and, he figured, even as crowded as the
Weyr was, eventually they'd bump into each other.

So? What was he waiting for? With that, the boy forced his feet to
move in Sh'lua's direction.

Sh'lua spotted him and gave a friendly wave, recognizing him as one of
those he had brought to Weyr. "Hi there. How have settled in to this
place? Pretty different, eh?"

"You can say that again," the boy replied. He felt a bit more at ease
knowing that Sh'lua remembered him. "I still haven't gotten used to it
all."

"I'm a weyrbrat so I can't really relate," Sh'lua grinned. "But
eventually, this place starts to feel like home to you."

"I'm sure it will," Temmin replied in a tone that said he wasn't sure
of any such thing. Then, to change the subject - he didn't want the
Searchrider who'd found him to think he regretted coming, he asked,
"What are you here for?"

"Freshing up my craft skills," Sh'lua replied.

"Or just trying to seduce us," one of the miners quipped. Sh'lua
flashed him a shamless grin.

Temmin blushed at the comment, he was often caught off guard by
comments like that. He wouldn't have heard such forward comments
between men and women back home, much less between two men. Yet
another thing to get used to, and he was trying. With varying degrees
of success some days.

"You're a miner?" He asked, sticking to the safe, more familiar topic.

"Yes, a mason by specialty. I made it to seniour journeyman before
Thread returned," Sh'lua replied.

"Huh. What are the odds that the rider who Searched me would be a
miner too, I wonder?" Temmin was impressed by the coincidence. He also
wondered if it actually was a coincidence. He didn't know anything
about Searching. Maybe a Search dragon would be drawn to someone
similar to their rider? Or with similar interests or skills? Or maybe
it really was a coincidence. He just didn't know.

"Why do you think _I_ go to Search those distant mountain Holds?
Because of my craft, I have common language with miners," Sh'lua
replied. "There are other Searchriders, but I do the mineholds."

Temmin grinned a bit at his own foolishness, "That makes sense."

Sh'lua just nodded. "Of course, I do other areas too. Those mountain
Holds don't get Searched very often," he told the boy, "There's not
much people living there and they start complaining we keep stealing
their children. So, we wait few Turns untill next Search."

That also made sense. He knew the sorts of places and people that
Sh'lua meant, because he was from one of them. "My parents probably
would have said the same if they hadn't heard I could be trained here
as well. They were all set for me to go to the crafthall."

"So, are you getting training?" Sh'lua asked.

"Oh, yes. On the job training, the Master calls it," Temmin made air
quotes with his fingers when he said it. "My da would approve," he
added with a grin.

"I'm glad to hear it," Sh'lua said sincerely. He was always interested
in well being of those candidates he had brought in.

"Course, I only get to spend a candlemark or so a day on it," he added
with a shrug. "Cause there's eggs, they said. We have extra candidate
classes when there's eggs and less time for crafting."

"Yes, it's a busy period," Sh'lua agreed.

Temmin nodded then quickly added, "Of course it's not like there's a
time limit on training, right?" He didn't want the bluerider to think
he regretted coming or that he was complaining or ungrateful or
anything like that.

"Right," Sh'lua nodded. "Of course, if and when you Impress, you have
to reconsider things. It's possible to be a dragonrider and crafter
but it's not easy, especially now during the Pass."

"It wouldn't matter then though, I'd be a dragonrider," the boy
replied with a mix of enthusiasm and wistfulness. After all, if he'd
cared more about craft training than dragonriding, he'd have gone to
the crafthall like was supposed to. That didn't mean he didn't want
the training until then though. After all, he might never Impress and
if he didn't have a craft, where would he be? But he wanted to be a
dragonrider. Very much.

"Hey now, lad!" One of the older Journeymen called out, "You gonna
work today or stand about gabbing?"

Temmin blushed and said to the bluerider, "I better get to it before I
get in trouble. It was really good seeing you!"

"Likewise," Sh'lua replied.

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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A Happy Coincidence