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Writers: April, Gino Holland
Date Posted: 7th July 2006

Characters: B'drin, V'kor
Description: B'drin returns to Vykor's hiding place
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 14 of Turn 3

B'drin had finally gotten away again. It had been a couple sevendays since he had met that young man up the river. He had gotten in trouble for being gone to long. this time he had a few things from before he became a brownrider. It wasn't much but he thought it would help the young man. He flew the short distance to the area he remembered finding the man in. He carefully unstrapped the things he had brought and went in search of Vykor.

Vykor was gathering wild fruits and vegetables in the area with Wavebird grabbing the ones a bit too high for him to reach when all of a sudden he just winked out. He was getting feelings of familiarity and excitement, but he wasn't sure why. He hefted his only half full basket and started back to his makeshift home.

B'drin was waiting there with a smile as he saw Vykor round a corner. "Thought you could use another visit."

Vykor dropped his basket. Fortunately, it landed without anything spilling. Upon recognizing his friend, he smiled and put his basket away. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me. You forgot a couple things when you left. I cleaned them up for you." Then he started looking around aimlessly. "Now where did I put them..."

"No I didn't." He smile. He brandished his newest offerings. "I thought you could use these."

When Vykor saw the small haul that was being offered to him, his eyes widened. "I... I couldn't. I don't have any way to pay you for them." The hint of a tear formed at the corner of an eye.

"Did I ask for anything?" He said with a genuine smile. "Look they are just sitting in a box getting no use.
I'd rather they get a little use. Plus you could use them more than I."

Vykor couldn't believe his ears. "I... thanks." He said. His voice cracked a little bit and he hoped that the rider didn't notice.

B'drin noticed, but chose not to comment. "So, shall we continue where we left off?" He took out a few things and turned to build up the fire. He then began a small meal cooking for them of a few things he had managed to pilfer.

Vykor helped as best he could, but more often than not, he was in the way. More than once, he also had to stop a bit and get a grip on his emotions.

"So it's your turn to tell me a bit about yourself." He handed Vykor a plate and then picked up his own.
"Where do you come from originally?"

After taking a few deep breaths, he began. "I grew up in Jade Harbor. I have older and younger brothers as well as some younger sisters. It seemed like, for as much of my life as I can remember, nothing I ever did seemed to work out. I tried following in my dad's footsteps like he wanted me to, and I messed everything up.
Look at me. I'm seventeen turns old and I'm still only a junior apprentice harper. Anyone else my age is either a rider or a senior apprentice." He then got silent for a while, as if in deep thought or memory.

B'drin watched his friend closely. He noticed the moods that flashed across his face. "Did you ever think about being what you wanted? Do you want to be a harper? What would make you happy?"

"I... no one's ever asked me that before. My family has always been either harpers or beastcrafters, but the animals kept trying to bite me, so it was decided that I would be a harper. Personally, I always thought smithing might be fun, but I never got the chance to see how good I'd be. Maybe I'm just best suited to being a wilderness survivor."

"You know, you can still try it. No one is stopping you. The only person standing in your way right now is you." He handed him a plate with some of the food he brought on it.

"Don't you need someone else to get you in, though? My father was the one that got me into the harper hall."

"I've never heard of such a thing. All you do is request apprenticeship." He thought a moment. "At least that is what I've been told."

"Okay, but who would I ask? I don't know any smithcrafters to begin with."

"You know me and I know several. But, then what about being a rider? Do you still want to be that?" He asked "I'd give anything to be a rider, and I was found on a search, but I'm starting to think that maybe the searchrider made a mistake or I ended up in the wrong Weyr or something. Don't people that get found on search end up Impressing pretty fast?"

"Not always. I've talked to people that stood for turns and didn't impress. This one guy stood since he was thirteen turns. He was twenty when he finally impressed. And he impressed a bronze. He told me he just had to wait for his lifemate to be clutched. You do too. When he or she does you should be there. You'll know in your heart when it's time." He smiled.

"Have you ever heard of anyone that is found on search but doesn't Impress? That's actually my biggest fear, that I was a mistake."

"How will you know if you don't try. You can't say your a failure if you don't stand in the first place.
Standing a few times isn't really trying. You also have to have some confidence in yourself. Look at you, you made it out here. You've survived. You just have to tell yourself it is one more adventure." He swept his arm around. "You also have Wavebird. He doesn't think badly of you. He loves you and you take good care of him."

}:I like him. He shouldn't worry so much.:{ Lumyth said.

"Lumyth says you shouldn't worry." B'drin said with a chuckle.

"I've heard a rumor that dragons can tell if there really is a dragon for someone and they just haven't been clutched yet. Is it true and can Lumyth tell if that's the case with me?"

"I don't know. Usually it's a green that can tell. Sometimes a blue can. Lumyth is still a young brown. But, he likes you and says that he can't see why another dragon wouldn't. I would think of it as a compliment. How will you know if he is right if you don't try again?"

"Well, I'm not sure I can go back. Ever since... never mind." His eyes shifted quickly back and forth. He wanted to avoid this subject as much as humanly possible, mostly because it wouldn't take much prodding to get him to talk about it.

"You mean Nocte?"

His face turned as pale as a linen sheet. "H... how..." he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Your drawings. Plus I've seen a small drawing she keeps with her always. It's a drawing of a young man she once knew. I've talked to her about him. She says she still holds out hope he may return. There is a lot she wants to tell him." He looked down. It had been an interesting conversation. He had been caught in one of his rare moments of inattention. Pan had found Wavebird to fly with. At the end of class she had called him on it.
He had listened to her small lecture and had given no excuse. Next thing he knew he was sitting down talking to her and getting to know her. "She had a really hard time after he left. She said she would have nightmares about not being able to stop him from leaving." He stood dusting his hands on his knees. "She is trying to move on, but it's hard. she thinks she sees him everywhere she turns. She is still slightly at a loss. Even this long after the fact."

He shook his head. "I gotta get back. think on what I said okay." He nodded as yet again he left no room for complaint as he went to his dragon and took off for the Weyr.

Last updated on the July 9th 2006

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