Just Watchin (open)

[freya]

Trelia was dressed in her leather pants and a long peasant shirt that reached to her knees. It was early morning as a few dragons we're down bathing in the water and just sat on a log looking down at them. The candidate had gotten her chores done early and had come down for a break. She came down to watch the dragons a lot because it was here she day dreamed about the dragons especially the gold. It was hard that the queen would not let her near it yet at least no one else was allowed near it either.

She was smiling at the fact that they would hatch soon enough and then looked around. A few of the dragons we're the rare bronzes and smiled as the sun seemed to glitter underneath the sun. While she gazed out then took out a piece of bread just chewing on it for a moment and continued to watch. Trelia was more of a watcher before doing something because she could see different people's and dragons behavior on how they normally acted. A few of the rider's had fire lizards and one day when she was out of weyrling training she wanted one of those too.

[wolflover1458]

The weather out was rather nice, which was something that Ajallvon had always loved about Autumn. It was the time of year when it wasn't too hot, and it wasn't too cold either. In a way, Spring was like that too, but sometimes it felt like it was Summer already then, and then it got humid and there always seemed to be some sort of bug flying around while you were trying to do something. But Autumn was a much nicer time. The trees were starting to lose their leaves, which turned all sorts of colors before falling to the ground, and while the smell of Spring grass would also be nicer than in any other season, the entire air of Autumn seemed to have this aura of perfectness. The weather was cool, it usually wasn't too cloudy, and often times it was nice to just come outside and sit for hours with nothing to do but watch the leaves slowly fall from the trees.

Yep, Autumn was definitely a lovely time of year. Ajallvon had the feeling it might even be his favorite time, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to just claim it as his favorite thing quite yet. After all, there wasn't anything wrong with the other seasons, they were just different, but they all had their importance. Autumn was just nicer to him. Other people liked Spring or Summer, or even Winter better, and that was absolutely nothing wrong with that. Most people probably didn't even think about it. They were too busy with the rest of their lives to worry about which season was the best. Those were usually the people that hated Winter and Summer for being the two most extreme seasons of the year. Well, not everyone had time to just take time to get know Pern at different times of year.

Ajallvon had gotten up relatively early that morning. He hadn't had any chores at that exact moment (although he probably would later), and so he had decided to go out and enjoy Autumn before the air was too full of the smell of dead leaves, which was the one part of Autumn that perturbed him. Without that, the season would be absolutely wonderful, and there was something bad about everything, so he just lived with it. Even if it meant he couldn't recall ever jumping in leaf piles since he was very young. Not that anyone his age did that anymore. One good thing about growing up.

He noticed suddenly that he wasn't the only one who had gotten up early. One of the Candidates was out already, sitting on a log and looking down at something. Ajallvon took a moment to recall everything he knew about this Candidate. She had come down from Haven with some of the other Candidates, but he had the distinct feeling she hadn't been born at Haven, but rather had been Searched at that Weyr. Of course, he might be wrong about that. Her name slipped his mind at the moment, but that wasn't a problem. Deciding she couldn't really have a problem with someone else being awake, he headed cheerfully toward where she was and sat on the grass next to the log and glancing down at where she was looking before looking back at her. "Hello. How are you? Just enjoying the nice weather?" He certainly was, although it occurred to him afterward that she might not even be thinking about the weather. Oh well, this would at least give her a chance to notice the lovely Autumn air if she hadn't already.

[freya]

Trelia looked at him then smiled, "Yeah, just enjoying the weather though mostly watching the dragons swimming," as she enjoyed the view of a bronze dragons glittering in the early morning son. She smiled at the different dragons and looked over to recognize the young man that was talking to her it was
Ajallvon. The young woman said, "I wanted to just admire what might be ours one day," then ate a bit more of her roll. She turned to him the young candidate hadn't really talked to anyone else except for a few of the guys. "Well Ajallovon what color are you interested in it a lot have different preferences and at least with the guys they can impress three colors instead of only two," asked Trelia as she looked to get a answer to her question?

While she looked at him then deceided to join him on the grass and took a seat next to him as she leaned against the log to relax. Trelia was enjoying time to relax because they had been busy with chores and never got time to relax. "Guess we better enjoy time to relax," said Trelia thinking how busy they'll be when they impress their dragons. The whole group of them would be busy with baby dragons and training for the next turn or so. A last bit of her roll then looked at him awaiting his answer and just admired the different dragons down in the lake.

[wolflover1458]

"Well," Ajallvon said, "it's true the guys can Impress to more colors. The only one we can't Impress to is Gold. But it's not too bad for the girls. There's even be two female Blue riders recently, and no boy will even get the chance to Impress the most prestigious dragon of the Weyr." He wasn't sure why he was trying to make her feel better about that, although it was true that Trelia (he'd finally managed to figure out her name) had a chance to Impress a Gold dragon, while he did not. To him though, it didn't make a difference. Even if he were able too, he couldn't imagine himself ever getting a Gold. "I'm not really sure what color I want. Any of them are fine with me. The really important thing is that you get a dragon that fits you best. I could end up with a Bronze, maybe, but what if he wasn't like me at all? I'd rather have a Blue that fit my personality. If you're going to have a lifelong partner, you should be able to get along with them." That was why he liked letting the dragons choose. If the people choose, there would be a lot of disgruntled riders.

"What about you?" he asked. It was probably a silly question. Almost all of the girls had their eye on the Gold, and he knew a lot of them would race to her without a second thought if that was how it worked. But the Gold needed someone that fit her well. He wondered if a lot of them even understood that, and somehow doubted that they did. It didn't matter what they wanted, it was what the Gold needed. One girl might be a good Candidate for a Gold, just not the Gold in that clutch. It was a concept that not all of them seemed to grasp, or even think about. Maybe it helped to just not care what you Impressed. Or maybe Golds liked people who knew what they wanted. Ajallvon wasn't really sure. He did wonder what Trelia thought about Impressing though.

[freya]

"Oh, me," said Trelia as she looked at him then thought about it for a moment. Trelia said, "Well, I have to admit there are two choices that I have in mind just don't laugh," as she smiled at him. The candidate took a deep breath because thought her crazy then said, "I would love to impress a fighting brown or the queen of course,". Her desire for a brown dragon was great and it would mean she could be a wing leader. While a desire for a leadership position was great if she got either would satisfy her. "I think that it's possible with the blue dragons picking girls and maybe just maybe a brown dragon would chose me," said Trelia as she realized how foolish she must sound.

The truth was that she wanted gold just as much as anyone else yet there was only one gold on the sands at present. She would love to impress her yet a big brown would be even more glorious. Trelia could imagine being something like a wing leader and it would better even because she could actually fight real thread. "I want something that means more then just be one of many something special," said Trelia as she smiled at him then her face was turning red no doubt. Her mind was made up she would impress well and would not walk off of the sands empty handed.

[wolflover1458]

"Well, I suppose Impressing a Brown dragon would be pretty special, and it might even be possible," Ajallvon mused. "Of course, the most important thing is to be Impressed to the dragon that fits you best. That's why the dragon chooses it's rider." He wasn't actually sure if there were a lot of girls that wanted to Impress to a Brown dragon. To him, it almost sounded a little bit ambitious, even. True, a few girls had Impressed to Blue dragons. Maybe Ajallvon just hadn't noticed all the possibilities that that had opened up. Could girls Impress to Browns? Well, it might not have happened before, but that didn't mean it couldn't. Perhaps they only didn't because there was a never a girl there that matched them. "I've always thought just Impressing a dragon would be special enough. True, there may be more Greens than any other dragon, but when you think about all that people that never even get the chance to Impress, or even come to the Weyr, and then the ones that do Stand but never get a dragon. There are plenty of people that have lived in cotholds who never got the chance because the Weyr has never had a clutch large enough to really need Candidates outside the Weyr. And then of course, each dragon is unique."

Still, Ajallvon thought he could understand what Trelia was saying, even if he didn't feel the same way. Impressing a Green wouldn't make people look at her, or even notice her. But Impressing any other color would. It was almost sad the way it happened. Ajallvon would be perfectly happy if he Impressed a Green dragon, and he didn't really expect a Bronze. And besides, it wasn't possible for everyone in the Weyr to Impress a dragon of high standing. If everyone was special, then in the end, no one would be. "Would you be content if a Green chose you?" he asked. On the day of the hatching, it might not even matter if she was, but he did think that it made a difference, as though just the way someone thought would change the way a dragon Impressed.

[freya]

Trelia looked at him then said, "I would be lyning if I said yes and I believe in not lyning," as she looked at him. She said, "I guess I won't have a choice on the day that happens because once the mind connection is made that is it however if the gold or brown doesn't pick me then I prefer to wait till another gold is laid,". The candidate wasn't going to pretend that she wanted to another green dragon. While she was completely content to wait for the next gold and thought about it if hers wasn't in this clutch maybe it would be in a later on. "So what colors do you think we'll be in the clutch we already know about the gold however I think there we'll be only one bronze there are never many and a few brownes," said Trelia as she knew that he wouldn't be happy with her answer.

The truth was that she didn't go around saying that she would be happy with any old color and was prepared to stand to wait for a golden lifemate. She knew with the shortage a chance stood that there would be a chance for a gold later again. Her chances we're higher now because of thread getting ready to fall more often. "I can wait for what I want," said Trelia she had great patience and could wait yet she hoped it was this time.

[wolflover1458]

Ajallvon smiled at that. "There's definitely nothing wrong with knowing what you want. I believe, on the day of the hatching, there are two different ways you can act. You can be content with any dragon, or you can know exactly what you want and allow the Greens to pass you by. The only problem with that is you run the risk of never Impressing. People that set their standards too high often end up with nothing. You can stand for a few more hatchings yet, but eventually you might have to decide if a Green dragon is better than no dragon." He didn't tell her that not every person who wanted a high-ranking dragon was good enough to Impress one. He didn't know if Trelia had the qualities for a Gold or if she didn't, but he didn't want to worry her over the idea that she could be passed by every Gold because she wasn't good enough. Ajallvon wasn't going to judge if she was good enough either; that was for the dragon to decide.

"I doubt there will be more than one Bronze. The clutch just isn't that big, and there will probably only be two or three Browns. Usually around half of a clutch is Green, which leaves two, three, maybe four Blues, depending on how many Greens there are." He'd seen quite a few hatchings in his lifetime, and each one brought a surprise. He always enjoyed guessing at what dragons were inside each egg, although he wasn't always right, or even close. Still, it was a thing that made the hatching more entertaining. "So, if you were Standing a Blue headed in your direction, would you be alright with that?" They weren't as high up as Browns, certainly, but seeing as how there were only two female Blueriders right now, it still seemed like something that would stand out.

[freya]

"A blue I could live with I guess I want something that is considered serious just not a dragon that is looked upon as flirt like greens are," said Trelia then sighed. She thought about it at least with a blue she would be doing the chasing not the other way around. "Green dragons are thought of as weyr flirts not my type of dragon," said Trelia as she looked at him then was quiet. She laid back on the ground just to breath in the fresh air and sighed. "I wish it would come so that we would find out what is going to happen," said Trelia as she looked at him.

She just wanted to think about something else then asked, "Do you think the holdless will strike again," as she looked at him? The candidate was curious it had happened before at her home weyr and knew that they would try again. Trelia was fearful that they would try to kill the little gold queen because she represented the future. If they had enough golds clutching that would present a real worry. "I wonder will they try something here too," asked Trelia as she looked around then closed her eyes?

[wolflover1458]

It was almost sad that everyone frowned upon Green dragons. Ajallvon didn't have a problem with them, but that was just his personal preference. Plenty of people didn't want to be part of the large group of riders that had Green dragons. It wasn't even fair to call them all flirts, it was just a stereotype. But the fact remained that people looked at them that way, and people that rode them could never rise to a high status in the Weyr. It was something he had never really understood, and that had always annoyed him. Dragons were a gift, and just getting the opportunity to Stand for them was something that had made Ajallvon excited. But once people became Candidates, they began to sets their sights high. And it was all because of some silly stereotypes that everyone in the Weyr talked about, how Greens were the worst of the dragons because they were so numerous. Ajallvon wished it wasn't like that, but it was.

"I don't know much about the Holdless," Ajallvon admitted. "But I do suspect that if they want dragons extinct, they aren't going to stand by and let the number of Golds increase. Whoever Impresses the Gold is going to have a lot of work ahead of her, not just taking care of the dragon, but keeping her safe. She'd probably be a lot easier to kill when she's young, if they got the chance." Ajallvon hated to think that they would get the chance, and shivered just thinking about it. He didn't understand the Holdless and he didn't understand their motives, but the message was clear enough: they wanted all dragons dead. Unfortunately, they were also smart, since they had targeted Gold dragons, realizing that without Golds there could be no more dragons. He could only hope the Weyr was very careful in guarding, and he was glad that they had the dragon shield around watching over them. Hopefully, the Holdless wouldn't try anything so long as the Weyr was being watched. But then, they'd attacked Haven, hadn't they? Who was to say they wouldn't try it here? If Refuge lost both of her Queens, Rhiannoth would be the only one left.