There's a place if you want it

Writers: Danielle, Emma
Date Posted: 15th June 2006

Characters: X'riel, Oria
Description: Xariel comes home to realize just how much he doesn't fit in
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 14 of Turn 3

Oria

Home. For most, the word brought pleasant images of family and friends gathered together in comfortable and cheerful setting. For Xariel, it conjured images of herdbeasts being chased through the mud and rain of the frequent thunderstorms that graced the region, and aching wrists and backs from long hours spent combing and spinning wool into thread, and weaving thread into the bolts of cloth his family produced.

Home. Where his family spent their days in and endless routine, spinning and weaving and spinning some more, the schedule broken up by short trips into the Hold to sell the fruits of their labors.

Home. Where nothing exciting ever seemed to happen other than some wayward ovine offspring wandering away and all the children who had nothing better to do were sent out after it.

Xariel hated it. And here he was, sitting in a wagon as his father drove him back home for his brother's wedding. Why hadn't his craftmaster refused to let him go...because his teacher had thought Xariel actually wanted to go back to visit his family and see Arien get married to some neighbor's daughter so they could combine their herds of caprines or some such nonsense.

"So, how are your studies going, son?" Variel asked in his kind, fatherly way. He was kind, truly, but sometimes it got on Xariel's nerves. The man never got angry, never showed much emotion at all.

"Well enough. I'm surprised they let me come home for so long, what with Turn's End on its way- the orders for custom garb are just pouring in." A slight exaggeration, that. But Xariel would have been needed to sew at least. Clothing, special table linnens, banners.
Every set of hands helped.

"Well, we're all glad you could come home to see Arien get married,"
his father said in his monotone voice.

*Really?* Xariel thought. *Could have fooled me...*

"The ovines that Arien's father-in-law will be gifting them with are particularly fine. Why, we'll hardly need to bleach their wool, so white it is already...."

Xariel turned his face away so his father wouldn't see him roll his eyes, look up at the sky and wonder: *Why me?*

~*~

The afternoon of the ceremony dragged on and on...and on....and on.
Xariel's only consolation was that it had to be over soon. It had to.
How long did these things drag on?

The talk was all about the new ovines. No one seemed to care about the fact that there had been actually people involved in the venture. But Arien and his new wife were totally oblivious that everyone talked more about the future of their beasts than their life together.

Xariel sighed, and drank his klah. It was the only thing keeping him awake at the party. Well, that and his little sister chattering on and on about how different it would be when _she_ gets married. Because she was going to find a nice boy from the Hold proper, who didn't smell like caprines.

"And you'll design my dress, won't you, Xariel?" Veria asked as solemnly as a fourteen turn old girl could ask.

"What?" Xar shook himself awake. "Of course I will."

"Good, because I don't want to wear the same old dress that Verea wore! It's not nearly as pretty and some of the stuff you've drawn."
Veria smiled at her older brother.

"Thanks." At least someone appreciated his talents.

Other than that, he was virtually ignored. He hated it. Hated feeling like he didn't exist here. Because he had _ideas_. Because they weren't purely practical in nature. Not eveything had to be practical.

"So you decided to some home for a visit? Not too good for us are you, Xar?" Arien said as he sat down heavily on the bench next to him. He smelled of too much wine. Xar wrinkled his nose.

"I did. And I'm not..." Xar said.

"Riiiight. Had to go run off to the Hold for another craft. What's wrong with the crafts the family has been practicing for generations, hmm?"

"Nothing, Arien, it's just not what I want to do."

"And what _do_ you want to do?" He wasn't asking out of curiosity, Xariel knew. It was an old argument between himself and his older brothers. His father, impossibly, had encouraged his dreams. And his brothers resented that fact.

"Leave Xar alone, Arien. You're drunk. And you're _wife_ is looking for you," Veria said defiantly.

Arien ignored her. "Or what else is it, Xar? What's so wrong with our lifestyle that you have to run away and think you're too good for us?"

"Nothing. I just don't want to be a beastcrafter or a weaver. What's so wrong with that?"

"You don't want to be like us. Because you're not like us. You're _different_ Xariel," there was something malicious in his voice that made Xar's blood run cold. What did he mean?

He didn't get the chance to find out. Eniel, his youngest brother, came running towards them, cutting off Veria in mid-tirade as she started yelling at Arien, who was laughing drunkenly at her.

"Dragons! Dragons in the sky! Look!" Eniel shouted, getting the attention of most of the guests, who looked up then back at one another, confused. What were dragons doing here?

}:Saryeth's says here,:{ Degrorth told her rider. }:She wants to know if I feel it too.:{
**Do you?** queried her rider as the two greens began to lose height before landing.

}:I think so,:{ replied the green.

Everyone was looking up, all eyes riveted to the pair of greens that just seemed to be coming closer and closer.

Xariel felt his heart skip a beat.

As Degrorth came into a smooth landing, both dragon and rider were aware of the eyes on them. She unfastened her straps and slipped down, aware of A'rie next to her doing the same thing.

"Someone here," she whispered to the older man.

"Yes," said A'rie simply. "Sary is convinced."

**Degrorth?**

}:A boy.:{ "She says one of the boys."

But before she could say anything else, they stopped talking as someone approached them.

Xariel watched as his father, being the host of the event, walked towards the dragonriders. Variel looked at them, a little bewildered.
"Greetings, Dragonriders.... What brings you to our humble cothold?"

"We ride on search for Dolphin Cove," began Oria. "Might we proceed here?"

Whispers broke out among the crowd. A Search? Here? "Why...of course....and feel free to join us in the festivities- one of my sons was just married today. You are welcome to our hospitality..." Variel said, recovering from the shock of it all.

"If your young people would step forward," began A'rie. "Degrorth and Saryeth are sure that at least one of them has the potential."

"Of course..." Variel waved at the cluster of parents trying to shield their children from the Searching dragons. It was't that they didn't _want_ them to be Searched...it was just that the whole idea was new and unfamiliar. There hadn't been a Search out here for many Turns.

Reluctantly, the parents seemed to let their children come forward to stand in a ragged line. Veria grabbed Xariel's hand and dragged him forward into line. His heart ws beating very fast with the excitement of it all. Dragons here! A little piece of the outside world had just come crashing down upon them and disrupted the monotony. It was...in a word...wonderful.

}:Him,:{ Degrorth's mindvoice was steady and sure.

**You're sure?**

}:Yes, Saryeth and hers agree with me.:{ "Degrorth says that this young man here may make a good rider," began Oria, before the dragon herself interrupted her.

}:The one next to him too,:{ Degrorth was quite insistent.

"And the young lady next to him."

Xariel stared, shocked. Veria laughed aloud with delight. "Oh, father!
Can we go?"

Variel looked at his two wayward children, expressionless- which meant that he was shocked. Neither of them were suited for their simple hold life. Veria always spoke of getting out of here and making a life someplace else. Xariel...well. None of them were entirely sure of what Xariel would end up doing- but it wasn't this. He had dreams and ambitions- rare enough traits out here.

He nodded, once. "If that's what you want. Gather your things," he said gruffly. He was proud though. They could hear it in his voice.

"You can either come with us now, or if you have things to sort out first, we can come back nearer the time."

"We'll go now, if it's all the same with you," Xariel's heart was beating very fast. Somehow, he was afraid all this wouldn't be real if they waited. "We'll only take but a moment." They didn't have much to bring with them.

"Take all the time you need lad," said A'rie. "Saryeth and Degrorth here can wait."

"Yes, sir..." Xariel sketched a bow- or what he _hoped_ passed for a bow, and made himself walk in the direction Veria had gone. He didn't run. It took a good bit of effort not to run. But there was a spring in his step that hadn't been there before.

As predicted,it wasn't long before they returned, each carrying a modest bundle of belongings. Veria ran and kissed each of the family good-bye, grinning the whole while. Their mother was crying. Arien just sneered at him. Eniel was complaining loudly about _not_ getting Searched and how nothing exciting ever happens for him.

Variel. His father. Xar looked at his father, swallowed, feeling suddenly very awkward. Variel reached out, and laid a hand on his son's thin shoulder. "You can always come back, Xar. There's a place if you want it..." So much that had to be conveyed in such a simple gesture and a handful of words. Xar nodded- not trusting his voice enough to speak and turned to the dragonriders. "We're ready."

"Then we can take you now," Oria smiled. "Hopefully your family will be able to come and see you impress."

Xariel swallowed. "Maybe. Depends on the season, I suppose- what with the work to be done here and all. Will there be a Hatching soon?"

"Next month lad," replied A'rie. "That soon enough for you?"

All he could do was nod. A month- the family might be able to come.
Already the onlookers were going back to the party, the main spectacle was over.

"Are you both ready?" asked Oria gently. The leave taking could be so hard.

"Yes." Xariel didn't even look back- would not even allow himself to.
"Let's go."

Last updated on the June 15th 2006

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There's a place if you want it