New Master - New Class (Candidates)

[Lady Smara]

The Candidate Barracks were directly connected to a small common room, which in turn connected directly to a small office given for use to the Candidate Master. That office had a back door that opened into his private weyr as well. After recruiting several fellow dragonriders to help with moving things into his weyr, he was not yet organized but at least everything was in the room. It was larger than his last weyr and Malith had already commented that the couch was too large for him. S’nuo was confident that his blue would grow accustomed to the extra room however.

Picking up his mug of Klah, he walked around the desk that was in the middle of the office. He had both doors open and he had begun going through the hides in the room with mild interest. The bluerider had not been surprised to find that most of them were out of date – even more so now that the hatching had come and gone, with it several candidates. The newest list he had was the one done up by WeyrHarper Arlin. Crossing out the familiar name of Eira, S’nuo took another sip.

He had posted up a hide in the candidates common room as well as in the WeyrHall asking candidates still interested in keeping their candidate rank to come to his office sometime today. It was a rest day so he made plans to be there and available all hours as he set himself and his weyr up. He would take the names of everyone who showed up as well as let them know of the changes he planned on making to candidacy. It would give him a little bit better of a feel of who his candidates were and what their strengths may be.

Finding a fresh hide, he set that on an empty part of his desk for just that purpose before moving to another pile of hides on his desk and looking at what they may contain. He had a feeling there would be a lot of sorting done today.



_{((All candidates who stood on the sands but did not impress are required to post, you don’t have to do so right away, however. The thread will be open for some time and not everyone has to show up at once.))}

[freya]

Trelia had been walking through the weyrhall and saw the sign that was for candidates to report to the candidate master. She had not impressed at the last clutch yet knew that with the shortage of queens there would be more queens later on. The simple fact that hers had not been born yet and she smiled then walked down to the candidate master's office. Her choice of dress today a peasant shirt and black leather pants. While she walks into see a largely deserted room then asked, "Hello, saw the sign that candidates are to report you," as she looked around? A walk around she saw that the person was odviously moving then stopped to see a fire place.

She had spent the last few days getting over the fact of not impressing. The queen would rise again there would be other hatchings and a woman could stand till the age of 22 plenty of time for another queen or many to be laid. Trelia was looking around and wondered how many other candidates we're actually left. It would be a while before another clutch was laid which meant that they'd have plenty of time to wait. A few more seconds and she waited because she was a patient type and would not give up.

[Lady Smara]

Watching a brown haired young lady walk into his office, he put back down the hide he had picked up to review. Giving her a smile, he nodded and confirmed her comment. “Yes, just a quick interview today if you don’t mind. I’m afraid I’m picking up where you last candidate master left off.” Moving around his desk, he offered the young woman a hand to shake in greeting as she stood before the fireplace within the office.

“My name is S’nuo of Blue Malith. If I remember correctly, and I’m very good with names and faces, you were one of the transfers from Haven Weyr after the attack. Welcome to Refuge Weyr. Is it Trelia?” There were two women transferred and while he did not have the chance to meet either one in person yet, he was able to make a very well educated guess. He was, after all, very good with names, faces and facts.

“Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself, dear. Where did you grow up and what are your strengths? Do you have a craft?”

[freya]

Trelia shook his hand then said, "Well I great up at a small cothold and have know no real crafts yet I can work well with animals and can get anything to grow,". She looked at him for a moment then said, "I have strengths with crops and great patience," as she looked at him. The young woman was quiet for a moment and had to admit that she had great patience. Her desire for a dragon would keep her there till she aged out because she wasn't about to give up. If her reading was right and stories sometimes it took many turns to find the right lifemate. It would be worth it in the end and she looked at him waiting for anything else that he might have questions for her about.

The young woman realized she wasn't as handy as some of the other candidates who had craft experience yet she did know about farming. She would never go back however and would stay here even if never impressing. Trelia had to agree that women had more freedom here and that meant she could do more of what she wanted. If she returned home it would mean getting married and having children just to benefit her husband. A husband that would boss her around and not care for her opinion.

[HG]

She was slow making her way to the Candidate Barracks. Laure had nothing to show from Standing at a Hatching except for a broken rib and strained tendon in her left ankle. She had many bruises but she was well enough to walk. The Healers had told her not to exert herself which Laure made certain she did not do. They had been most worried about her being such a small, slender young woman. Laure probably should have died but somehow Lyndel taking some of the force of the fall had saved her life.

Approaching the Candidate Master’s office she heard voices. Peering her head around the corner of the door, she saw it was one of the girls from the last Hatching and the new Candidate Master. Better to wait out here until he was ready for her. Laure was quiet as a mouse, maybe even quieter. Trelia would not have heard her approach, the only indication she was there was when her head had peered around the door to see who was inside.

Laure had come here for a different purpose than Trelia. She had come to tell S’nuo she was not a Candidate and that there had been a mistaken identity thing. The more she thought about it the less likely she was going to tell the truth. The good people of the Weyr would turn their backs on her the moment they found out she was born Holdless. No one would trust her and suddenly even the dream she had of finally belonging somewhere would be torn from her. This was something she was not ready to face. Perhaps though, S’nuo would hear the truth and know she was not someone who hated dragons.

Then again no one ever trusted Holdless. Why should that change just because he was a dragonrider? A resolute look came into her eyes as she sighed to herself. You have to do this now. Putting it off will only make things worse for you. Laure listened to her common sense knowing that telling the truth would always be better than living a lie.

[Lady Smara]

S’nuo returned the handshake, moving to pick up the blank hide and making a few quick marks on it. Trelia’s name was written down and next to hit he made the note ‘Plants and Patience’. Tapping the marking tool against his lips for a moment, he looked back up at her with a smile. It didn’t matter that she had no craft, many aspiring dragonriders often neglected crafts in hopes that they would not need it once they impressed. That was part of the Candidate Master’s role, to ensure that they would still be useful to the Weyr between hatchings and after should they not impress. Not everyone’s dream always came true.

“It is okay that you do not have a craft, Trelia. I’ll keep in mind that you are good with plants and animals and that you have a lot of patience. Candidates have today off, so relax and rest. Chores will be changing to better suit everyone’s strengths. Perhaps I’ll find you a craft yet. I won’t have the same amount of time to devote to classes, but you can rest assured you’ll still learn plenty.”

Seeing a head peek silently into the doorway before disappearing again, S’nuo guessed he had his next visitor waiting just outside. Offering a hand once more to Trelia, he dismissed her politely. “Come on back tomorrow, Trelia. If I’m not in my office there will at least be a list of chores for everyone on the door. Thank you for coming to see me, it was wonderful to meet you.”

Walking Trelia to the door, he looked outside to find another young lady. She too had been upon the hatching sands, though this time he had to turn to Malith for a name. The blue asked around a bit among the search dragons before offering to his rider one he was confident in. “Is it Laure?” S’nuo asked after a short moment. Stepping to the side in the doorway, he opened his arm in welcome for her to enter the office with him. “Come on in, dear.”

[HG]

Laure waited patiently as S’nuo finished with Trelia. The thoughts whizzing through her brain were mostly about how to tell someone she was not a Candidate. What should she say? The fear of what they might do to her nearly made her throat close up on her. She was still injured, they wouldn’t torture her now. Would they? She bit her lip till it was near to bleeding, the pain startled her into letting her lip go.

Deep breath, deep breath. Laure told herself, trying to distract her brain by straightening out the coarsely made brown dress that now hung on her body as if it were two sizes too big. (And it probably was)
When S’nuo walked Trelia out, she was ready for the welcome. Nodding she said, “Yes sir.” Then followed him into the office where she was surprised to see a very organized space. After exploring the room with her eyes she sat in a chair that was in front of the desk. This might take a while longer than his last interview seeing as she was not a real Candidate. Laure waited until she was sure Trelia had moved on before she opened her mouth again.

“Candidate Master? I… uhhhh… have something to confess…” She felt her voice tremble as she began to speak. It was like getting up in front of a lot of people and suddenly having all the words she was going to say dissipate on her tongue. “I am not Candidate. At least I’m not supposed to be one.” No Holdless were supposed to be Candidates. If it weren’t for some confusion when she was found by B’ren and then her desire to keep her past unknown she would never have been on the Sands for the last Hatching. In fact she might not be alive.

[freya]

She listened to him and smiled because chores didn't really both her. The chores at the farm we're far more demanding then these here at the weyr. Trelia had spent many days from dawn to nightfall. Her chores we're only different when it came to dragon chores which required her to help riders with something. "Okay, thank you," said Trelia as she shook the candidate master's hand and then got ready to leave as she saw Laure at the door.

It was another person's turn and she smiled a little bit because she'd done what was required. "Hi," said Trelia as she got ready to leave and then went out the door. She would come by tomorrow to see what chores we're on the list as she smiled at her for a moment and then left to go back to the lower caverns. The young woman would spend the day eating and relaxing there we're very few days anymore for just relaxing. A walk out into the sun with a smile she just enjoyed it and the knowledge that another candidate class was forming. It would mean that in time another clutch would be on the sands and Trelia could wait it out.

[Lady Smara]

S’nuo moved to lean against the desk, seeing as the young lady had sat before it. There had been a good number of gold hopefuls and as always it had been a majority of women who were left unimpressed. He hated the facts, but truth was many would not ever impress despite trying. Those who impressed gold were destined to – those who impressed green were lucky. In honesty, however, S’nuo agreed with times coming and thread already here at Pern’s doorstep, they needed grown men on dragons, not young boys and most certainly not young women. Even so, the dragon’s would know best – he hoped.

Hearing her voice tremble, S’nuo shook his thoughts on male and female riders on green dragons and focused on what she was saying to him. A frown fell upon his lips as he lifted his gaze to the ceiling, conferring quickly with Malith. Looking back down at the girl, he gave her a puzzled look, but one with a soft smile.

“Now Laure, why would you ever think you were not supposed to be a candidate? I understand you did not impress on the sands, but that does not mean you are not supposed to be here.”

[HG]

Oh dear. He thought she was trying to get out of being a Candidate now just because she did not impress, as if that mattered to her. She was only sixteen. Her life lay before her as a blank page to be written on. No one knew what the future might hold for her. Should she drag this out longer than needed or come right to the point? Laure resisted the urge to bite her lip again. “Sir, I’m afraid there has been a mistake. I’m really not a Candidate.” She took a deep breath and went on.

“I guess with stories like my own its best to start from the beginning. Please don’t send me to the Shield without hearing my story out.” She felt her hands trembling in front of her. However delicate she might seem, somehow Laure was able to withstand things that other stronger people would not or could not handle. “I was not born here at the Weyr. I was not born in a cothold, nor am I from the North as some of our riders can boast.” Something she had learned of after arriving here.

“I was born Holdless.” She made herself go on quickly so that S’nuo would not have time to judge that statement too long. Laure wanted to be given a fresh start here among the dragonriders. “I ran away just before the heavy rains and flooding began. All of my usual food sources were swept away by water and I was wandering aimlessly through the jungle. That’s when B’ren found me. He was helping find Candidates who were traveling to the Weyr and I let him believe I was one of them.”
Her hands were keeping busy by peeling her nails. “So you see I’m not really a Candidate.” And now she was all too likely going to be handed over to the Shield. The death her brother wished for her would be sooner than he realized.

[Lady Smara]

Watching as her hands began to tremble with the telling of her story, he listened carefully as he was not fully aware of how much the topic upset her. As she progressed, however, he slowly pushed himself off his desk which he had been leaning upon, and made his way to the door. Checking to make sure the room outside was still empty, he closed it with a soft click before returning to the young woman.

There were two chairs in front of his desk and he took hold of the second one, turning it toward her chair and sitting down to face her so that he was not only level with her, but far closer than the desk would have allowed him to be. Leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, he looked at her and simply regarded her and her story. The way she focused now that she was done on her nails told S’nuo that she expected him to be outraged.

Catching her hands and thus stealing her attention away from them to himself, he waited to speak until he knew she was not only looking at him but listening as well. “Laure. It takes a very brave person to live a lie as you have here as a candidate. It takes an even braver person, however, to admit to it during such troubling times.”

Letting his compliment to her take a moment to sink in, he gave her hands a gentle, but reassuring squeeze. “Who else knows that you are – were – Holdless, Laure?” He asked. He knew he would need to tell someone, though he weighed carefully his choices. Here was a young lady who had been deemed acceptable by the previous candidate master to stand. The fact that Search Riders had not turned her away meant that there was something there – and he would be careful to confirm that with Malith.

Even so, it could be argued that this young woman had yet to really do anything wrong. People could not help where they were born. They could only do the best with the cards life dealt to them. After the recent impression from the stands, however, as well as the meeting that had been held with the Weyr’s Rankers – Ah, he had to tell someone. But was A’lez the best to bring it to first? Or would U’ski be a better choice. As a closer peer and a man who had already worked with Holdless, perhaps he would have sound advice as what to do with this young lady.

[HG]

She watched him move and was waiting. Waiting for him to do something, yell or be forcefull with her. Laure was not afraid of him but she was afraid of what could happen to the happy life she envisioned for herself here. When he took her hands she was ready but not for what he did then. He was steadying them and making her look at him directly. He was going to say something he wanted her to hear. She felt him try to calm her nerves with his tone and his actions.

It worked. At the question she realized that the answer would mean incriminating herself further. The answer was sure to make S’nuo wonder how two siblings had arrived here separately from the same group of people. Laure was not given to lying and so she did what she had to do. “My brother Sorlen. He impressed a blue dragon. So now he’s S’len.” She bit her lower lip. “I did not know he was going to come after me.” Or that he desired only one thing now that he was here. He wanted her dead. How deranged did a person have to be to want their sister dead.

“No one else would know. Except perhaps for the other Holdless boy Geoff, err G’off now, he might know if he recognized me. I’ve been afraid to tell anyone here but you would have all found out eventually. Better to be honest now and not have to pay for it later.” During the time she had been here she found everyone to be so kind and welcoming, except for her brother. It would feel very wrong if she continued to lie to them. Especially with an attack coming though she was certain there was little she could do to prepare them for whatever Riverton had planned.

Despite having seen the Shield on a more regular basis she was still rather intimidated by them. She thought some of the Holdless were dedicated. The Shield were insanely loyal to the Weyr. They would die for the people and rider’s within to be safe. They were overly cautious when it came to anyone affiliated with the Holdless. She doubted they would be gentle on her or the least bit kind to her. “Are the Shield going to take me now?”

[Lady Smara]

“Come after you?” S’nuo repeated slowly and carefully, taking note that she did not say he had come to see her, but came after her. As if he were chasing her, or hunting her. Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head and lowered it again. Listening, it only made sense to him that the other holdless would recognize her. By that sense, they were a fairly small community.

“No, I’m not taking you to the shield, Laure.” He said firmly, yet reassuringly. “You came to me and trusted me with this, Laure.” Squeezing her hand a moment, he stood up and patted her shoulder.

“You are my charge now, Laure, and here at the Weyr we are all family. I will talk to my superiors and handle everything that needs to be handled, but I have no intention of handing a perfectly good candidate over to the Shield. Get a good night’s sleep, a good breakfast and come back here in the morning, Laure. Rest assured, you’re safe as long as you’re my charge, Laure.”

[HG]

“Yes.” She said, wanting to keep this part of her past to herself because she was afraid it would make her brother more angry. Laure needed S’nuo to trust and believe her though and keeping things to herself would not help. “He told me. He came after me to kill me. I’m a traitor and he says if he kills me the stain on our family’s name will be washed away. Then he could be proud. He says I’m to be his first kill. I don’t believe he’ll actually do it. I can’t believe it.” She said, thinking her brother was brainwashed. He could be saved. She believed it as firmly as she believed that dragons were good.

Laure had been busy thinking of all the things that they could do to her and would do to her. It never occurred to her that S’nuo would let her go and get some dinner and some rest. Who would do that? Wasn’t he going to get himself into trouble? Or maybe he was waiting so he could speak to someone higher up? Hopefully they wouldn’t imprison her. Laure could be a hard worker when she wanted to be.

She was in shock for a moment before composing herself. “Thank you sir.” Laure’s attitude changed, she smiled and nodded. “Alright. I’ll be here to talk in the morning.” She wondered if there would be someone else here too. Laure took her hands back and felt herself more confident than when she had entered. She could make a life for herself here. There was still possibility for that. “Really. Thank you.” She said as sincerely as she could before standing and walking out of the door.

[wolflover1458]

There were times when Therion wasn't really sure why she was still here. She was still bitterly upset about the hatching, and it was the one thing that she had been brooding on. The moment when that Gold had turned away from her had crept into her nightmares now. Not that anyone else cared about her nightmares. No, she was just a Candidate, some unimportant nobody that mattered less than anyone else, at least until she Impressed. And she was going too. Therion had made up her mind about that. So one Gold hadn't chosen her. Well, that had obviously been a mistake, but dragons had been known to make them. Therion had only been shocked because she figured Golds never did that kind of thing. Well, obviously they did. But there would be another Queen soon enough, and she hoped fervently that this one would not mess up too. She was, after all, perfect for a Gold. Her destiny was to become a Weyrwoman. There had been a few scary moments when she had thought otherwise, but now she knew it was silly to have thought so. There would just be a bit of a wait before she took her rightful place as Weyrwoman, and tiresome as that wait might be, she was going to have too live with that.

It was with this in mind that Therion shoved aside her doubts, which had begun to creep up on her again. If she couldn't get rid of those, then she would probably never be chosen. Of course, right now it was probably simply shock over the hatching still. It hadn't been that long ago, after all. Soon enough, she would be feeling as well as she had ever felt, maybe even better. Well... not better. They had a new Candidate Master now. Therion could only hope she would like him better than the old one, although her hopes were not too high. As far as she knew, you had to have some level of irksomeness to you in order to become a Candidate Master at all. Well, it wasn't something she would ever have to do. No, she was going to be leading the Weyr. And when she was, she could pick out her own Candidate Masters.

There was another Candidate heading away from the office as Therion approached. She looked at the other girl but didn't bother to say anything. She had an audience with the Candidate Master, and hopefully that other girl leaving meant that he was alone. She wasn't about to have a conversation with him if there were a bunch of other people in the room. He didn't have specific appointments for them, but if he just wanted them to get there sometime that day, then it probably meant he wasn't planning on seeing them all at once anyways. Upon entering the room, Therion saw her new Candidate Master, looking as though he probably had just finished talking to someone.

"Hello," she said upon entering. "You said you wanted to see us today?" 'Us' meant the Candidates, of course. It seemed rather silly to just say 'me', even if she hardly needed to speak for whether or not the other Candidates planned on staying. Well, he'd wanted anyone who wanted to stay as a Candidate to come see him today. It had taken some thinking, but Therion had decided she wanted to stay. And so here she was.