Candidate Lesson #1: Introductions and Expectations

Ashrah had pinned her knots to her right shoulder with great care. smoothing them so that the colors were clear, straight and bright against the dark brown of her tunic. Her blonde hair was up, pinned to the back of her skull and off her neck. She had posted up in the Mess Hall after making it well known that the first introductory candidate lesson would be meeting there. Though Ashrah had been named Weyrling Master, it was her responsibility to see that the candidate's were also prepped in the absence of a named Candidate Master. She waited, one leg up on bench and cleared her throat.

"To any of you who are considering Standing for a dragon are present, please make you way to me. The lesson will proceed shortly."

You sound just like our old weyrling master. Hesriath said with a pleased rumble from outside.

((just the one for this moment...the number keeps going up... ))

Abry turned, having made a point to familiarize herself with the voice of the woman who was charged with training the new dragons and their people. The words registered a moment later, and she set her face to a pleasantly inquiring expression.

Which wasn't to say she didn't have a bit of her usual slouching stride, hands in pockets, as she made her way over. But she would approach this with enthusiasm - Avidian deserved no less from her. "Ma'am," she said as she came close enough, dipping her head a bit.

Jemma was rather intrigued by the idea of Candidacy.  She'd never considered it before the dragonriders came to make the canyon their home-- tinkering had always been her first love, traveling, second-- but now that they were here, it was something new and exciting for her to explore.  Especially since there was little enough in the canyon that needed fixing on a regular basis, and she had been asked not to venture too far out from main living caverns-- for her own safety, she'd been told.

Cousin Vid clearly didn't think too much of her climbing skills if he thought she wouldn't be able to handle some cave exploring on her own.  But, he knew the area better than she did, so she would give him the benefit of the doubt for now.  Maybe she could get one of his employees to go along with her some time?  Or maybe even one the dragonriders-- having a dragon along would surely nullify most danger, wouldn't it?  They could catch you if you fell, or help dig you out of a rock slide, or any number of useful things.

Indeed, dragons were certainly fascinating creatures, big as they were.  She'd found several excuses to visit them up close-- when they and their riders weren't busy, of course.  And she wanted to learn more about them, if she could.

So, these Candidate lessons sounded like the perfect way to go about doing so-- the whole point of them would be to learn about dragons, right?  And she wouldn't be in anyone's way, or interrupting their work, since the lessons were being set up specifically for people like her.

That thought in mind, Jemma excitedly hurried over to Ashrah and smiled widely at the scarlet rider.  "Hello, ma'am.  Thank you for offering these lessons."

Teagan moved so quickly she would have knocked anyone smaller than herself down. She still wasn't first in line, though. Still a she held herself as tall and proud as she could. She was painfully aware she was the youngest to come forward to far. But she had permission from Br'son to be up here.

"Ma'am," she said to Ashrah, following the lead of the older candidates. She even managed a version of the salute she'd seen riders give their superiors. She tried to keep a solemn look on her face to show how seriously she took the matter.

Niall was slower to stand up, not wanting to be part of the first rush. He quietly joined the other candidates; this is what he had come to the new Weyr for, after all. To be a candidate, and escape the life he didn't want outside.

He gave a shy smile to Ashrah and the others. He hadn't really made friends yet... his tendency to keep to himself had followed him here. And the next person who approached made him glad he kept to himself, if she was an example of what to expect.

Breklynn had been sober for a sevenday. A full sevenday. And she looked like ash vomit. Her complexion was sallow, her eyes were sunken in, and she moved slowly. Her body yearned for what it was missing, but she'd made a promise. Only if she remained sober could she be a candidate and possibly find her life mate.

At least she was clean and aware when she joined the others. "Ma'am," she murmured, dipping her head to Ashrah. The defiance had leaked out of her over the last sevenday; the spirit would return when her body was ready.

Antonia hesitated. Her son, Noaja, needed her. But this was an opportunity for her to raise both of them. She'd been told so when found, barely conscious and expecting to die. But the dragonrider had seen them from above and saved them.

She owed the Weyr both hers and her son's lives. She stood and joined the rest of them, her still sun burnt skin smarting just slightly. At least she had good company, she thought.

The young, the hopeful, the unsure and the untested. They were all here and Ashrah looked at them without judgement or assumption, her cool green eyes taking in their individual countenances. She nodded and motioned them to the table. She had no reason to expect a score of candidates and this would be but the first of many lessons.

'Steady now,' she told herself as she first ripple of nervous tension crossed her gut. Ashrah thought of her old weyrling master, how the man had stood before them like wind nor fire or Thread could touch him. Had it felt so naked at his first lesson?

'Enough.' Ashrah chided herself. 'Work now, worry later.'

"Welcome and congratulations. You have been offered the chance to Stand for a dragon and truly, there are no greater honors on the face of Pern. My name is Ashrah, acting Candidate Master for the purposes of your education. Should you Impress, you will be seeing me again. Now,"

Ashrah rounded the table and looked the accompaniment of potential candidates.

"I'd like to spent a short moment letting you introduce yourselves, then we will be taking this lesson outside. Who would like to go first?"

Teagan's hand shot straight up, and she stood on her tiptoes. "Can I go?" she asked eagerly. "I'm Teagan. I lived here and then the dragons came, and now I get to Stand."

Simple and succinct. She smiled proudly and looked at the person standing next to her.

Breklynn looked at the child next to her, blinking her blurry eyes. She vaguely remembered her. Was she expecting her to go next? Judging from the earnest look in those huge green eyes, yes.

"Uh, I'm Breklynn," she said, one arm wrapped around herself and the other trying to tame the mess that was her hair. She looked around desperately for someone else to go and get the spot light off her.

Ashrah's smile was soft. conservative but genuine. Teagan was lucky indeed to allowed to Stand so young but if the dragon's thought her good for it, she was good for it. Breklynn was a pallor to Teagan's honest warmth and Ashrah noted it. The girl looked wan, like a fever had its way with her. Ashrah might inquire about as to a Healer and ask some questions if the girl's healthy did not improve in the the next sevenday.

"A pleasure, Breklynn and Teagan. What about the rest of you?" Ashrah said, expectantly.

"Abry," the young woman said, figuring she might as well go after her fellow Canyoners. "Born and bred here. Glad to be here, especially now." She couldn't bring herself to try over the top flattery, no matter what mission she was charged with, not in a convincing way at any rate.

She did manage not to slouch or moodily flip her hair back, so at least working at being the best version of herself.

Antonia stepped forward next, a little smile on her face. "I'm Antonia, and I have a son who is here as well," she said, voice confident. "We were found on the road and brought back... my thanks to the dragonriders for that."

Niall shifted from foot to foot, eyes on the floor. He did not want to take part in this... he had yet to really make any friends, and this was putting him on the spot. Maybe Ashrah would overlook him and they could go straight into the lesson without him needing to make an introduction.

Ashrah's brows lifted a fraction but she made no comment. The girl was lucky to be found on the road, especially carrying a child and so exposed. She would make a note to speaking to Antonia about her child and fostering options.

It was then that the scarlet rider's eyes fell on the boy. Quiet and nervous...not unlike another boy she had known at his first Standing. She turned to hide a fond smile. She knew how to open up the shy ones.

'You have to give them a taste of the life ahead. The possibility given flesh.' she thought.

Hesriath?

I am already in place. Bring the little ones to me. I want to see them.

"Its a pleasure to meet you all," Ashrah said. "During your time in candidacy you will learn what it means to be one of potentials. Your have been chosen for the most important task on all of Pern, her martial defense. "

Ashrah motioned for them to follow her and she began walking out of the mess hall, out of the entire Weyr. She pitched her voice as she walked, continuing.

"As martial defenders your are all soldiers in your right. Your will physical train your bodies, sharpen your mind and form your demeanor to that of a competent, skillful defender of this Weyr and of Pern herself. As you all must know," and Ashrah's voice dropped a little, her face sobering.

"Thread eats through earth, grass, tree and flesh. A plague only fire can cleanse. Without dragonriders, this world would be nothing less than a dried, barren husk. Black and lifeless, growing nothing. " the sunlight fell bright over Ashrah's hair, chasing it golden but did little to take the chill out her words.

"We are the line against that fell death. There is no other. Dragonriders keep the future safe for Weyr, Hold, Craft Hall and Cot. Dragonmen must fly, when Thread is in the sky." she rounded a corner of stone and the rushing sound of the river bloomed up around them.

"This is a hands on lesson." Ashrah said, just as Hesriath dropped from a high ledge over the lagoon. She shone bright red against the blue sky, the color of fresh blood. Her eyes whirled a cerulean blue and she crooned as gently as she would to a hatchling to the group of candidates. She splashed into the water, arching the spray a little and catching some of the young people. The red dragon chortled, happily.

"And this is Hesriath. She is my scarlet dragon, forty five feet long and she is four and a half turns old. Now I know she's big but Hesriath is as gentle as the day is long when it comes to young folks. "

Ashrah reached the buckets of sweet sand and snatching up a sponge, lightly tossed it.

"Teagan! Catch!" and she grinned. Looking at the others she gestured to the washing tools.

"I want you all to get a hands on experience to a dragon. Note how warm her hide is, how healthy the color and the shape of her wings. Get comfortable because you will be required to keep tabs on your dragon's body condition."

Hesriath settled herself down in the shallow surf and lowered her head so she could look at the young people.

"Alright, Candidates. Does anyone have any questions?"

Teagan had hung on every single word Ashrah said, so much so that Hesriath's sudden appearance made her gasp. Standing behind her, Antonia chuckled silently and placed a hand on the younger's shoulder. She reminded her so of Naoja in some ways, despite the age difference. It must have had something to do with the wide eyed wonder, she thought. He was tucked away safely with the rest of the children, but she suddenly ached to have her son in her arms.

Niall yelped and jumped backwards when Hesriath made her entrance, managing to move into the stream of water. His brown hair ended up plastered against his head; somehow he had managed to not get his clothing soaked. He nervously made his way back over to the others, where he was treated to being splashed when Ashrah tossed Teagan the sponge.

Teagan jumped up and down excitedly, clutching the sponge to her chest. She'd seen the riders doing this quite often, and she'd wanted to ask if she could help but had never quite built up the nerve. And now this time it was with Hesriath, one of the beautiful dragons she had entertained that first night.

Breklynn raised a hand hesitantly, the sight of the waves making her feel queasy. "Sh... Hesriath will let us know if we're hurting her right?" she asked, her voice betraying her nausea. The entire scene reminded her of the day she'd promised herself it was time to turn her life around, giving her more strength against the urge inside. No matter how loud the voice was, her desire to change was louder.

Hesriath noted the yelp of the young boy and she turn her head to look at him with bright blue, kind and interested eyes. She would need to know this young folk better before she thought to speak to any but she crooned softly to Niall. Turning her great red head back to Teagan, she nodded. A clear bob of the head that shown an affirmation.

"There you have it." Ashrah said. "A dragon hears and understands as easily as a person does once matured. Hesriath would let you know if you were hurting her but you are unlikely to. A dragon of Hesriath size and color, a scarlet female, is one of the larger female dragon. Scarlets look to both women and men plus are one of the more numerous colors."

When Jemma's turn came to introduce herself, she smiled widely all around.  She didn't know several of the people grouped around the dragonrider yet, since they were too new to the canyon, but she was looking forward to speaking to each of them in the future.  Several of them had some interesting tales to tale, from the sound of it, and she looked forward to hearing their stories.

As she waited for the rest to chime in, she rocked lightly on her feet, hands behind her back, trying to contain her excitement for the situation.  Her movement stopped when Ashrah finally spoke again to the group, her attention caught by the scarlet rider's words.

It was funny, she hadn't really considered dragonriders soldiers before.  But what else were they, when they were supposed to fight Thread when it came?  It was the dragons and their riders who defended all of Pern, kept the rest of the people safe.  Like guardsmen, or some of the men Cousin Vid kept in his employ…

Was a soldier… really what all of the people surrounding her wanted to be?  Even the littlest among them, Teagan?  Did the girl really want to fight Thread, possibly be hurt, or…?

Shaking off the frightening thought, Jemma focused her attention back on Ashrah and found they had apparently reached their destination...  And what a lovely view it was!

Forgetting her earlier concerns, she stood transfixed as Hesriath landed in front of them.  She didn't even notice the splash of water that hit her, so involved was she in admiring every line of the scarlet's hide.  "She's so pretty…" she breathed, not entirely aware that she'd spoken aloud.

Unafraid, she crept closer, and turned to Ashrah.  "Are her eyes always such a lovely blue, ma'am?"  Realizing she might have interrupted someone else and hadn't raised her hand, she quickly backpedaled, giving everyone a sheepish smile.  "Ah, sorry, that was out of turn, I think?"

Ashrah grinned broadly. "You're just fine, Jemma. Hesriath loves to be admired and to answer you question, no. Dragon eyes maintain no one color. Each color is controlled directly by the dragon's emotion, which in turn is influenced by the rider's own emotional state."

Hesriath lowered her head to Jemma and her eyes went from glowing cerulean blue to bright blue chased turquoise. Green motes bloomed in the sea of facets.

"Blue is the purest sign of pleasure, deepening to purple when the dragon is aroused. Green is contentment, yellow demonstrates anxiety or alarm. Orange is a sign of aggression, red a sign of fury and white or grey grief."

Hesriath chuffed, exhaling powerfully so that the girl's hair whipped softly around her.

Hesriath's nod was all that Teagan needed before she flung herself happily into the water, ready to attack with her soapy sponge. She'd watched this before and she kind of knew what to do. "You'll help me, right?" she asked Hesriath directly. "Is this a good place?" She found a spot behind the left wing that didn't shine as much as the rest of the scarlet and started to give it a good scrubbing.

Antonia was more hesitant than Jemma, but not by much. The other girl's boldness infected her. and she approached the dragon with only mild trepidation. The size of the creatures still surprised her, and she couldn't help but wonder how large the hatchlings would be.

She looked behind her and saw Breklynn, face almost green with queasiness, and her mothering instinct kicked in even though the other woman was at least her age, if not older. "Breklynn?" she asked softly, taking a step towards the blonde. "Are you okay?"

Hearing her name spoken aloud seemed to waken Breklynn from her trance, and she blinked at Antonia. For a moment she was confused as to where she was and what she was doing. But then events came back into place. "I'm fine," she said hurriedly, wiping the sweat away from her brow. She'd been warned that letting her system get clean would have these effects. They were one thing. Dealing with real work and actual people for the first time in her life made the process even more difficult.

"I'm a mother, you can't trick me," Antonia said with a soft smile, laying a hand lightly on Breklynn's arm. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"You're bothering me," Breklynn snapped, pulling her arm away. "If you're so desperate to be a mommy go take care of the kid," she nodded towards Teagan before walking past Antonia. She didn't say a word as she went to the buckets and loaded herself up with soap sand and a brush. She'd regretted the words the moment they passed her lips, but she was too embarrassed to apologize now.

Antonia shook herself, took a deep breath, and collected her own gear. She didn't go so far as to move to the other side of Hesriath, but she did give Breklynn a wide berth. Clearly the woman (Girl? Now that she'd spoken to her, she wasn't sure of her age.) was in the midst of some turmoil. Maybe she'd come to her eventually.

Niall hung back, watching as the younger girl Teagan enthusiastically chattered to the dragon. Turns younger than him but with many more social skills, he thought wryly. He'd agreed to come to the Weyr because he didn't fit in with his family. But the more time he spent with them the less he was sure he could fit in here, either.

He sidled up to his supplies and stayed on the edges of the group for a moment, waiting for a moment to step in. When he finally did he was presented with a large eye that seemed to look into his soul. He gulped, then raised his hand to stroke Hesriath's neck gently. He'd seen that gesture repeated by many dragonriders. "Hello," he said, very softly.

Hesriath looked down at Teagan and leaned slightly into her touch to indicate she did indeed like that kind of scrubbing. Ashrah always bathed her well but she had but two hands. Six or more hands seemed, at least to Hesriath, to make for a much more efficient job. then the boy drew close to her and Hesriath moved her head down to look at him. His voice was so quiet and he looked so meek to Hesriath, the scarlet dragon could not help but feel a softening toward him. To encourage Niall, Hesriath ever so gently bumped his hand with her muzzle.

You seem focused on the young boy. Do you think he had a good chance to Impress

I am no Search dragon but there is something about this boy. He is more than what he seems. the scarlet dragon told her rider. She nuzzled the boy again, to make sure he knew she would not hurt him.

"Dragon hygiene is one of the most important lessons you will learn as you begin your training. Dragonets need to be oiled after every meal for the first seven months of their life. It may go down to once every day when they have reached a full Turn. A dragon must be washed before he or she is oiled, to remove any dust or old skin that might accumulate on the hide. A dry hide cracks, opening wounds that quickly become infected. The infected wound can quickly become blood poisoning if not caught in time." Ashrah told them.

Jemma's smile grew broad as she watched Hesriath's eyes change.  It was a magical effect, the colors varying everywhere she looked.  All she could do was stare, only partially hearing Ashrah's response when it came.

But the dragon's snort had her giggling like a little girl and finally breaking away from the hypnotic gaze.  "Thank you," she told Hesriath with a little bow, before turning away to grab a sponge.

"Dragons are quite amazing, aren't they?" she informed the others near the supplies.  But it seemed like not all of them were as pleased with the situation as she was.

Frowning at Breklynn and Antonia, she decided to follow the former back towards Hesriath and see if she couldn't at least put the other girl in a better mood.  "With so many of us helping, it will take no time at all to bathe Hesriath, huh?" she asked pleasantly, settling in the water and reaching for the soap sand.  "I bet the dragonriders will want us all to help all the time after this," she chuckled, thinking more along the lines of spoiling the large beasts and their humans than it being a task Candidates in particular helped take on.

Keeping an ear out for Ashrah's additional information, she waited to see if Breklynn would respond, trying to keep her expression pleasant and non-confrontational.

Ashrah was content to fall silent as the candidates worked on Hesriath and she veritably glowed with pride. There were her students and Br'son had seen not only to make her Weyrling Master but also acting Candidate Master until one could be appointed. It meant that she would have these young people the entirety of their first candidacy Turn and into their Weyrlinghood. She would conduct their lessons, their progress reports and teach them for eighteen Turns until there dragons reached maturity. She would make recommendations to their future Wingleaders and see them rise in the Weyr. It filled her with a warm light and she smiled to herself.

"Got a loose one," Dividia announced to the Weyrlingmaster, arriving with a young man, his arm bent behind him as he moved clearly unwillingly ahead of her. Dividia smiled brightly at Ashrah, twisting Evzen's wrist ever so slightly more. "Guess he missed the summons."

Evzen's glower intensified, his dark brown eyes seeming even darker with the rage gathered in everything about him. He had no interest in these kidnapper's games, but it was clear they knew this canyon well, and found him no matter where he went. "Behave," Dividia whispered lowly in his ear, "you're here now, and you can enjoy it, or not. Up to you."

Missing all of the interplay, Vianne lingered a bit on the shore, watching some of the others dive right in with the spellbinding dragon in the water, a slight smile tugging her lips. Without thinking about it, she took a few steps closer. She still felt rather wary about this new situation, but...well. Look at that dragon! How could she not reach out and try?

Niall was extremely startled at first when the scarlet head tilted towards him and stood very still. The softness of her hide and the gentleness shocked him, and he gasped a bit. The second time she nuzzled he raised his hand and gently stroked her muzzle. For the first time in days he had a real smile on his face.

"Thank you," he said, remembering from his lessons to speak directly to Hesriath. And definitely after that very comforting moment he appreciated their intelligence in an entirely different way. She'd noticed he was nervous and reached out to him. He grabbed a sponge from a nearby bucket and moved to the side slightly, taking one of the coveted spots near the dragon's head for at least a moment.

Breklynn looked surprised when Jemma spoke to her, and hesitated before responding. "Yah, it's pretty intense," she said in a soft voice. She already felt ashamed for snapping at the other woman... she hadn't been trying to annoy her, she knew she was easily annoyed right then. But she still couldn't quite apologize yet.

She was struggling to find more to say when the blonde arrived, to her relief. She lapsed back into silence, focusing on the dragon and not the pounding in her head.

Teagan noticed Vianne hesitating and splashed up to her, a huge grin on her face. "Come on!" she said urgently, holding her hand out. "Hesriath needs all of us!"

Antonia chuckled and continued to clean the hide in front of her. "Does she ever slow down?" she asked no one, then waved at Vianne welcomingly. "Plenty of hide to clean over here," she said with a warm smile.

VIanne took a breath and then summoned a smile. "Of course," she replied, and stepped closer, charmed by Teagan and rather comforted by Antonia's warm tone. "Greetings to you, Hesriath," she added, with a hint of a curtsy that still managed to work despite the fact she was wearing someone else's pants. "Will I be in your way if I begin here?" she asked Teagan and Antonia both, not entirely sure of the hierarchy here.

"Nope!" Teagan chirped happily, going back to scrubbing with a blissful smile. She was far shorter than the others, so Hesriath's lower half was well taken care of by the excited girl. "Isn't Hesriath so beautiful? I love how her hide sparkles... it's like a ruby!"

Antonia giggled and made room for Vianne. "If Teagan declares it so," she said in an amused voice. "How are you settling in?" she asked her, a welcoming smile on her face. Breklynn's bad mood wouldn't affect how she treated the others.

"She is spectacular," Vianne said, meaning it. She hadn't seen any of the 'new' dragons before, and Hesriath's scarlet hide was certainly remarkable. "And I couldn't quite say," back to Antonia. "This isn't exactly something I'd planned." Or asked for. Or agreed to. But it would help not at all to talk about how she had drank with strangers in a tavern (what had she been thinking?) and then woken up here. Where ever, exactly, here was. "Do you like it here?"

Antonia gave a wry laugh, glancing to make sure Teagan was happily distracted before answering. "Believe me, my life outside of here was not pleasant," she said, keeping her voice soft still. "If it hadn't been for the dragons, my son and I would have died on the road because I ran away with no thought."

She gave a sigh, looking up at the sky. "I guess you could say I love it here," she said, a smile on her face as she turned to look at the other woman. "I miss seeing my son as much as I wish... but it's a better life for both of us."

"Sometimes the unplanned things are the most wonderful, you know," she finished, an encouraging smile on her face. She didn't press Vianne for her story. She knew some of the other candidates had arrived under... different terms than was traditional. If she felt comfortable sharing that story Antonia was happy to listen to it.