Cleaning Up {open}

[Na Qaiah]

Shammy was busy with in house chores today. It was a free time that she was using to tidy up the living space in the barracks she shared with the other Candidates. Once she got started she just kept going. As she was busy it always helped to hum or sing a tune, for some reason it made the work go faster. So as she was scrubbing the floors she sang;

"Oh, we must give honor to those dragons heed In thought and in favor, in word and in deed For our world will be lost or our world will be saved From those dangers that are by the dragons braved.

Weaver and farmer and miner and smith Tanner and herdsman, all lord holders with Our harpers attuned to the lessons we learn-Remember our duty to those who save Pern.

We'll nurture our dragons, the queens rule their bands; Their clutches will shell on the Hatching Ground sands. We'll Search out the riders who will love and endure With their dragonmates keeping our planet secure.

We rise from the Weyr on our dragonmates bold, Aloft in the sky, Bronze, Brown Blue, Green and Gold. Wheeling and turning, the hungry Threads burning A dragon must fly when there are Threads in the sky.

Oh, Lord of the Hold, you must keep your charge sure Behind metal doors, with your people secure. See well to the herdbeast, keep cellars well stored Lest Fall leave you hungry and Holdless and scored.

Oh, we must give honor to those dragons heed In thought and in favor, in word and in deed, For our world will be lost or our world will be saved From those dangers that are by the dragons braved."[/i]

Shammy didn't know why she choose the Duty Song, it was the first thing that popped into her head. While she sang, Shammy had no idea she had tears running down her face when she finished the song seemed to fit her life at the Weyr that to her the ballad made it so beautiful she couldn't help herself.

She was a bit shy when it came to singing that she rarely did so unless she was alone. It was something she loved to do. It never accured to her that some one might hear her, so she kept humming as she worked.

[freya]

Raelan was in the barracks reading when he deceided to walk in order to stretch his legs. The young man had been bored latley because except for chores there was nothing to do until the queens laid their eggs. He hoped that with two queens laying that there would be large clutches on the sands. When he walked into the adjoining area that joined the males and the females which caused him to turn around upon hearing someone sing. The young candidate knew that he shouldn't go into the next room because it's where the female candidates we're housed yet no one else was around. When he came through a door then asked, "Hello," as he stumbled upon a young woman that he had only seen in passing? "Sorry, to interrupt I heard the singing and had to come into see who was singing," said Raelan as he came closer with a smile on his face.

He hadn't really meet any of the female candidates as he kept mostly to himself. "I'm Raelan," said Raelan as he held a hand out to her and waited for her to shake back at him. His thoughts wandered to the golden queen Issarith who would be laying her eggs in about a month.Raelan was eager for the queens to start laying their clutches and give them a chance at a dragon. The young man didn't really care what color he impressed it was just the idea of actually getting a dragon. "The floors look good," said Raelan as he looked at the floors that she had been cleaning and smiled back at her. The floors seemed to gleam with the effort that the woman had put into them. He wasn't afraid of a little hard work and then offered to help by saying, "I could help if you want,".

[Na Qaiah]

Looking up into the smiling face of the young man, Shammy straightened a bit so she could talk to him easier. "Hi, I'm Shamara, or Shammy for short." She answered by extending her hand in return. "Thanks for the complement on the floors. You can help if you want, but I don't think you are supposed to be in here are you?" She asked looking around. There was no one else here and she was almost done anyway. "I don't have much further to go. But I could use a break." She said putting her rag in the bucket then getting more comfortable by crossing her legs. "I have seen you a time or two, are you also a Candidate?" She asked.

[freya]

Raelan smiled when the young woman shook his hand and soon realized that she'd gotten more comfortable. When she said that he shouldn't be in here he said, "Probably and yeah I'm a candidate,". When he looked around the room there was noticeably an abcense of people and figured that they we're all out doing chores around the weyr. "So, when do you think Issarith will lay her eggs," asked Raelan as he leaned against a nearby wall with both arms folded? The young man started to think of the eggs that would result from the flight and wondered if they would be normal sized dragons. "I wonder if they'll be normal sized with her being a such a small queen," said Raelan as he thought that the dragons from that queen would be smaller then normal because of the queen's size.

Raelan took a seat on a nearby chair and then folded his legs as he eyed the girl. She seemed to be his age or maybe a little older though it was apparent the way that she was acting that she was mature. "I hope we have large clutch though I doubt it the last clutch was only twelve eggs and our queens have never been large producers," said Raelan as he thought about the last few clutches that he'd stood for and been disappointed in. He wanted desperatley to impress the next few time because it would be another turn before either queen would rise again.

[Na Qaiah]

"I would hope there would be eggs on the sands soon. You know, I wondered about the size of the eggs too. Do you think that just because the eggs might be small that the dragons inside won't grow to be bigger then Issarith? I mean, just because she is smaller then most doesn't mean the clutch or the dragons will be small to, right? What color do you hope to impress?" She asked truely interested. Everyone had a favorite color or colors in some order or another it seemed. And they always had a reason, it didn't have to make sense to anyone but themselves. It was all interesting to her. She loved to hear them all.

[freya]

Raelan listened to her talk then said, "I think that they'll be smaller then usual and that they'll be more leaner then most,". He looked at her then thought about his answer to her question because he trully had no preference though he figured there was one color that trully spoke to him. "I would love to have a large emerald green with the color of the forest," said Raelan as he was afraid to admit that he wanted a green dragon. The fact was that most of the boys preferred either a brown or bronze not a green however Raelan loved the green dragons for their agile way in battle. "I guess it's strange for a boy to want a green dragon," said Raelan as he looked at her then was quiet.

"How about you there is no color that trully speaks to you perhaps a gold," asked Raelan as it was no secret that most of the girls we're hoping for a gold dragon? He wasn't one to think of bronze because he didn't want to run a weyr or become a weyrleader. Raelan wouldn't even like the idea of a blue dragon because they didn't seem to be as caring as a green. "In the end I just want to impress because I've been left standing two other times and don't know if I could bare it again," said Raelan as he smiled at her and waited for the girl's response.

[Na Qaiah]

"Oh my, I'm sorry. I'm sure your dragon is in this batch." Shammy answered sincerely electing to answew this first. "I'm so glad you weren't afraid to tell me you wanted a green. Most boys want browns or bronze. I like the greens for how algile and swift they are. They can do things the other dragons cannot do." She answered honestly. "I would like a Harper Blue dragon. I love the color and someday hope to train with a Harper. A little one from the kitchens says she thinks a blue would love me and that I would make a good Harperrider or something like that." She added with a laugh.

I suppose you find it silly that I don't wish for a gold. To be honest, I don't think one would find me worthy. I don't know what makes them choose the person they do, some of them that the golds have chosen weren't even watchweyr material in my eyes." She said looking around to make sure she wasn't heard. Shrugging she sent Raelan a grin before making a silly face. Wasn't anything to do now that she voiced her opinion anyway. He was honest enough to admit he would love a green, least she could do was be honest about some of the silly things that either wanted a gold or were chosen by one.

She liked :-) talking to this young man. It wasn't often one caught her attention and held it for more then a few moments. "What were you doing before coming to the Weyr?" She asked changing subject. She didn't want to think about sick looking dragons hatching, she thought they were all beautiful. And she would bet her chance at impressing that this batch would have the best of the past and the presant dragons. These ones would be awesome!

[freya]

Raelan heard her speak then said, "Well, I wasn't anything important," as he was almost ashamed to admit what he was before becoming a candidate. He said, "I was a drudge just a common drudge," as he went to stand against a nearby door frame. "I've stood for clutches before and was never successful," said Raelan as he deeply feared that he would just age out. The young man stood up to his proper height and then looked over the woman. He knew that the dragons seemed to like fresh blood for what it brought and more then likely this young woman would be successful.

He sighed then said, "We've gotten some new people in from the north," as he was referring to the new candidates that had been searched from the north. Raelan thought about what they might think of seeing dragons for the first time and their way of life here. "It must be a big shock to them," said Raelan as he couldn't imagine coming from somewhere else and being thrown into this world. A world that he'd grown up in and that was his way of life. "Have you meet any of them yet," asked Raelan as he hadn't seen any of them yet but, assumed that she had? "I guess it's good that there are new candidates yet it's more competition," said Raelan as he wasn't looking forward to more competition on the hatching sands. He couldn't imagine walking away disappointed again and watching others with the dragnets.

[Na Qaiah]

Shammy listened as Raelan spoke. It seemed to her he was trying to hide his disappointment in not impressing. Being a drudge was hard work. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. That's hard work no matter where you were working. In fact I think that perhaps that is part of the reason the search dragon chose you. Hard worker, honest and non shurking of duty. I don't know if i could have done it." She answered honestly shaking her head. "Your dragon is out there waiting for the right time to hatch. I honestly believe you will impress. I don't really know you, but i like what I see." She said standing up to ease the cramp in hrer left leg.

"No, I haven't seen any of the new candidates from the north. I'm sure they will be bringing a few girls with them. That aught to fill this place up a bit more. It will be funny to watch them for awhile I think. They didn't know dragons exsisted, and the way of life in the hWeyr aught to leave quite a few of them shocked." She said laughing. "I wonder how many of them will be hitting the dirt when a dragon flies over?" She asked while she tried to stifle a giggle. The mental image she saw of squeeling girls hitting the dirt every time a dragon flew over or when one bugled hit her funny bone.

Her eyes dancing with mischief she tried to collect her self, it was hard, it still seemed funny. Bending to pick up her bucket, she turned to see that she had almost scrubbed the entire floor. This was a good place to stop. Nodding she noticed Raelan's posture change as he mentioned more competition on the sands. Walking over to him she looked up and smiled; "I'm done here, and hungry want to go get something to eat? I'll put this away and then we can go, that is if you want to." She didn't wait for a responce she headed for the girls latrine to take care of her bucket and rag. He would be there when she got back or he wouldn't. She hoped he would be.

[freya]

Raelan smiled at her when she talked about going to get something to eat and said, "Yeah, I'll wait for you to come back,". He hadn't intended on finding someone new to eat with and here he was making a new friend. The young man had smiled at the thought of him impressing a green dragon and her impressing a blue. It was their dream and he hoped that they got a chance at it. When he took a deep breath because he was a little nervous as this was a beautiful young woman. The rule of course with such things at least for candidates that it wasn't allowed however if they we're just friends.

He wouldn't mind a roll and some porridge as his own stomach seemed to growl. The gold Issarith would be laying her eggs anytime soon and they would see how many eggs the small gold would lay. Raelan knew that they would be beautiful anyway because they would have new blood and be stronger then in the past. While he stood up to his complete height and took a deep breath as to prepare himself as this was a exciting meal for once besides the daily routine.

[Na Qaiah]

Shammy hurried through putting her cleaning supplies away. She took time to wash her face and hands, then unbraided and combed out her hair. She wasn't sure why she was excited about a simple bite to eat with a young man, but excited she was. She liked the girls in her barracks, some were definatly a bit different and that was OK. She was different from them too. But the boys? She got along with them just fine but she hadn't gotten to know any of them. None of them were that interesting to her.

'Now Shammy, be fair. You didn't really want to get to know them either.' She spoke to her reflection. Turning she returned to where she left Raelan; "Ready?" She asked as she walked up to him. He was taller then she thought he was. She grinned up at him as she turned to head for the Dinning Cavern. She knew that getting physical with him was off limits, and that was OK with her. She hoped that he would settle for making friends. There would be time for untried fun when their dragons were old enough. Sharing a dream with a boy, no, young man seemed to be a good thing.