A little more? *tags Reine*

[Sparrow]

Kay was beginning to worry about how withdrawn Arrow seemed. That had been fine at home, when he needed to stay quiet and hidden. But they were at a Weyr now! Fire-lizards had free reign here, and she expected the little Forest to take advantage of that. But Arrow seemed to have different intentions, he still remained silent and seemed to avoid being seen. The only real change he had made after arriving was that now he spent most of his time on Kay's shoulder rather than hidden in her room. Anyone would notice how Arrow would try to tuck himself behind her neck or behind a veil of Kay's thin hair to aviod being noticed by passers-by.

"No-one is going to get after you for being with me anymore," Kay reminded her Forest as she entered the kitchens for a late lunch. Arrow butted her chin with the tip of his muzzle as his reply. She patted him, shaking her head. "You won't have any fun here if you don't take advantage of your freedom."

Yes, Kay worried about the little flitt and how it was probably her fault he was so shy. All his life she had been reminding him to keep quiet and out of the way to avoid the wrath of her parents on both of them. Now she was urging him to be outgoing, like that little Sea who had Impressed to the Candidate with the bed next to Kay's... Blazer, was it? She had never been good with names. Arrow didn't seem to take easily to change, especially not one abrupt like this.

But he did, at least, seem to like Blazer, even if he was too shy to really play with the hyper Sea. They were getting somewhere at least, maybe.

A soft chirp distracted Kay from her thoughts, she had nearly tripped over a rogue bench as she headed for where the food sat. "Thanks Arrow," she murmured, smiling. He hummed quietly and briefly as she skirted around the bench and finally made it safely to the food.

It didn't take long to gather a small pile of food together and soon Kay headed to a table not far from the door and sat down with a soft whumph. Arrow hopped off her shoulder and sat up on his haunches, waiting hopefully for his part of the meal. Kay handed him a roll and sighed. No, he wouldn't even snatch something from her plate as she had seen some flitts do in her few days here.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore was getting used to having a firelizard. Kia was a bossy little thing, but she was also a great companion. True, she did not get into the kind of antics some of the others of the clutch did.

Kia was queen from her little nose to her little tailtip. She knew exactly what she wanted. That was a trait Fennore had lost when turned down for Harper apprenticeship. Now she was beginning to realize she had been drifting. Did she want to be a dragonrider? Really? It beat being a drudge, and she had little chance of catching a husband. It would involve taking care of a much larger version of Kia...although almost certainly in a different color.

They should, she thought, get every candidate a firelizard. She was learning things about dragonkind and beginning to understand what a huge responsibility one of the great beasts would be. Yet...she wanted to fly. She could not deny that. The idea of a partner she could absolutely trust appealed too. Being a rider felt like something she could do.

Now, she wandered into the kitchen, heading over to the food table. In so doing, she passed Kay, and flickered the other candidate a wave. "Can I join you once I have my food? I don't want to sit alone."

She did not yet know Kay well, and thought she might want to correct that, listening for an answer as she walked over to the table where the cooks, ever busy, had laid out food for hungry weyrfolk. She certainly could not complain about the victuals here. Even the plain, simple stuff was well prepared. Whoever had charge of the kitchens knew his, or her, job well. She selected meat and greens and a bread roll, feeding a bit of meat to a grateful Kia as she started to turn back towards the table.

There would be a dragon clutch. Soon. She wanted...yes. She wanted her own. It was not, in the end, a hard decision.

[Sparrow]

Kay grinned and nodded to Fennore. "Of course!" Who would want to sit alone? Kay never felt quite alone- she could always talk to chairs, tables, and, maybe, her food. But they weren't particularly good at replying. Human company was always better. Arrow butted her wrist and she smiled and tickled under the Forest's chin. Of course, he was always with her too now.

Kay hadn't seen Fennore much since that first day when she arrived- and hadn't realized the Candidate had Impressed a Sunshine flitt! She must have gone to the hatching. Kay hadn't- Arrow was enough for her. Although maybe going would have been a good idea- a little hatchling would be a constant companion for Arrow and maybe bring out the noisier side that Kay was sure resided somewhere within the fire lizard.

"You got a Sunshine?" Kay asked; a question with an obvious answer but no matter. It seemed polite at least- people always seemed to ask about obvious things so Kay saw no reason not too. Maybe the questions weren't meant to be answered- what was the word for that? Hmm... all she could come up with was hypothetical and she was pretty-sure that was wrong. No matter though- Kay always answered those questions.

"What's her name?" Always important- that should be a question worth answering at least. Yes. What was that word anyways? Kay bit thoughtfully into a redfruit as she considered this. Silly mind, hiding things from her. She was sure the answer was there somewhere. If only she could find exactly where. It was like looking for lost things in her room.

Of course, no more private room for Kay. She would be stuck in the Candidate barracks unless she Impressed, and then a couple more years in the Weyrling barracks. Then a weyr... and she didn't know quite what those were like. Maybe she could ask V'ri sometime, supposing she ever saw him. She hadn't so far- did he even know she was at the Weyr now? Maybe he was avoiding her. That wouldn't quite surprise Kay.

Arrow finished his roll and gave a soft cree to remind Kay that he was still there and still hungry. "Oh, you can just take something," Kay laughed, giving his side a gentle poke. But the Forest remained where he was and so she gave in and handed him a little piece of meat. Hopefully Arrow would learn sometime.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore grinned, and sat down, feeding another piece of meat to the sunshine. "Yes. I owe the Weyrwoman one for making the Hatching open. This one popped out of her egg and flew straight to me. Maybe it's an omen that I'll Impress my dragon soon?"

Kia accepted the meat then flitted onto the table. Right now, Arrow was quite a lot bigger than she was, but with time, that would change. And from the way she carried herself, oh yes, she knew she was a queenling alright.

"I've called her Kia. I thought it was pretty." And even if the name had no real meaning, in Fennore's mind, it suited her little one. "Your forest is cute."

Maybe she would have to get a second firelizard at some point for Kia to boss around. For right now, one hatchling was enough. Soon, she could hope, to be two. "Or did I tell you that already? I think all firelizards are cute, so I tell everyone theirs are cute, although Kia is the cutest."

She was, of course, biased. Firelizard Impression might be a pale shadow of the bond between dragon and rider, but she definitely felt something from the sunshine. And she had picked her, Fennore, out...she hadn't even, quite, been the nearest. It had been one of the biggest surprises of her life. It also made her feel as if she belonged at the Weyr. More...secure here. And eventually, she'd get to give out eggs herself. THAT would be a lot of fun. She'd be making people happy, after all.

She then peered at Arrow. "Is he being lazy?" she asked, as the firelizard waited to be fed. Kia was getting a share of Fennore's own lunch, of course.

[Sparrow]

Rhetorical! That was the word! Kay gave her fingers a triumphant snap, causing Arrow to give a surprised cough- maybe he would have barked or chirped but his mouth was full of food and that was about all the Forest could manage. Kay smiled down at him. Yes, she remembered now. Rhetorical. Promising herself not to forget the word again, she switched her attentions more to Fennore since she was talking.

"Flew right to you? Really? Maybe it is!" Kay grinned at the little Sunshine. How exciting would it be to have a little Queen fire-lizard hatch and have it fly straight to you? Kay had simply been the only person around for Arrow when he hatched. Would he have Impressed someone else if the clutch he had come from had been an open hatching? She hoped not. Kay loved Arrow.

"I like that name- Kia." Kay took another bite of her fruit. Kia... it was a cute name. And sounded a little like Kay too. They at least both started with K. Funny.

Arrow gave a happy, if rather quiet, trill at Fennore's compliment. Neither he nor His were quite sure whether she had said that before, maybe, but Arrow would never mind being praised. He chirped softly to Kia too, greeting the little Sunshine finally. Maybe, Kay thought, he would chase her someday. A Forest could chase a Sunshine couldn't it?

"Fire-lizards are adorable," Kay agreed. "Kia really is too, I love her coloring. But I love Arrow a lot too, he's a sweetie." She ran her finger along the arrow-shaped marking on his forehead and the little Forest nuzzled her hand cheerfully. Yes, very sweet. If only he would be a little more social.

Arrow glanced at Fennore with faint surprise when the Candidate asked if he was being lazy. Kay shook her head. "He's just not used to being allowed to really do anything... back at my house, well, I wasn't really supposed to have a fire-lizard. But a friend gave me an egg and I didn't want to turn her down... it would be too fun to have a flitt even though I had to keep him hidden. He'll get over that though." Or at least that was what Kay hoped. "It's a much better environment here at the Weyr," she added, "soon he'll make lots of friends and not be so nervous about everything."

[ShadowReine]

Fennore oh'd. "Your parents are weird. Mine...actually, when they find out I have a queen, they'll be begging me for eggs for their friends." She giggled a bit. "I'm half tempted not to tell them, because I sort of like the idea of having her clutches be open. It's fun."

She reached up to scritch Kia. "I think he'll come out of his shell, but it's going to take time. I mean, you were telling him to stay quiet and keep hidden, and now you're telling him the opposite." She wasn't sure she had those the right way around. Would keep hidden and stay quiet work better? Maybe. Fennore, who did not know, in truth, the meaning of the word 'quiet'. "He's probably a wee bit confused right now."

She studied the other girl for a moment. "So, can I ask a slightly personal question?" Only slightly personal, but she wanted to ask. She liked Kay.

She was lucky. She was finding friends amongst the other candidates...but what would she do if only some of them Impressed. Ah, well, a friendship that was worth having would survive young dragons. If it didn't, then it wasn't a worthwhile friendship in the first place. "And I don't ever want to leave the Weyr," she admitted. "If I have to stay as a drudge or seduce a rider to stick around." She winked.

[Sparrow]

"They are." Kay nodded vigorously. "They're sort of jealous I guess, and never had their own flitts so I didn't think they'd react well if they knew I had one." She shrugged and scratched at the little spot on Arrow's back between his wing joints. The Forest paused in his munching on the piece of meat to give a happy hrrr.

"And you're probably right, it would be confusing to have such a sudden change. That's what I've been thinking at least." Arrow gave her a quizzical look, not really liking the idea of being referred to as confused by all the changes the Weyr brought about but not really wanting to totally deny it either. Kay laughed. "Hopefully coming out of his shell won't take too long though."

"Go ahead." Kay shrugged. She wasn't the sort to hide things about herself, the Candidate doubted there was a question that could really put her on edge. While waiting, she returned to eating her redfruit. This one seemed extra delicious- just the right amount of crunchy and juicy.

Arrow finished off his strip of meat and inspected Kay's plate thoughtfully, looking about to take something for himself but refraining. Kay waited, hoping he would overcome the habit of being fed only by what Kay managed to sneak him, but when Arrow didn't make any move dropped another piece of meat in front of him. He pounced on it with surprising ecstacy. "I don't think I'll ever leave the Weyr either- whatever I end up doing here it's sure to be better than being at home." Her parents had always been after her for something there. But no more! "Although I don't know about seducing anyone to get that, that seems sort of... mean." She couldn't think of a much better word for that. Maybe conniving.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore laughed. "I was joking. But I've seen a rider or two I wouldn't *mind* seducing, if you know what I mean. Some of them are cute."

And if she ended up with one...the way things were at the Weyr, if she was right in her fears, then said rider could always go to somebody else for children. She wouldn't mind...it would be no different from learning to deal with flights. She tucked into her food for a moment, chewed, swallowed, then, "What kind of dragon are you hoping for? I kind of have a feeling I'll Impress grass."

Which would suit her just fine, but she knew there were other options...she would prefer a female, but that was probably the most likely. There were more female colors than male, and she was too feminine for an earth, maybe even for a sea or a snow. Kia glanced at Arrow, and then started to kind of sneak towards him, closer and closer. Maybe she had her own ideas for getting the other firelizard out of his shell.

Or maybe, given she liked other girls well enough, she *would* get a sea dragon. That would be fine too!

[Sparrow]

"Oh." Kay gave a relieved sort of smile. "Some of them are though, you're right." Her smiled widened into her usual grin. Just as long as no-one she knew tried anything with V'ri... that would be so weird to her. Although she had heard that most at the Weyr seemed very relaxed about relationships.

What kind of dragon? Was that the personal question? "Ah, I don't know... anything really. I would be happy just to Impress. My older brother did at least- he lives here somewhere although I haven't seen him yet." If he knew that Kay was there, he probably would be avoiding her... he may have gone back to tell their parents where Kay had ended up too. There were a lot of options with him. "A Grass would be fun, don't you think? But I think it would be exciting to have a Forest, then I could have two Forest friends." She glanced at Arrow. "And V'ri Impressed a Mineral, maybe since we're related that gives me a chance at one of those bigger dragons too?" She had never referred to them by rank, but by size. Every type of dragon seemed too perfect to Kay to be referred to as 'lower-ranking' or 'higher-ranking'.

"The Sands are so pretty too," Kay continued. "The only thing I don't think I would like is a Storm Cloud... they always seem so unhappy. I would rather have a happier dragon." Saying that would probably cause her to end up with one.... Words had a way of turning in on themselves.

Arrow, busily eating, didn't notice the little Sunshine sneaking towards him. His attention was more on his food and Kay's absent fondlings- the fire-lizard definately liked being able to be in her company all the time now. He had never recieved so much attention in his entire life.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore considered that. "Any dragon is fine by me. I don't think I'd dislike any of them, and besides, if I can't trust my dragon, who can I trust? I still think I'll end up with a grass. I think one would suit me, and there are a lot of them."

An awful lot. A lot of seas, too. Both were pretty, though. She glanced at Kia...in time for the gold to...she didn't pounce on Arrow, that would be too undignified.

She stopped behind him and let out the loudest squawk a firelizard could manage. Fennore burst out laughing. "Kia! Sneaking up on people and yelling boo is rude!" It was funny, though...very funny.

It utterly distracted her from her musings. She, of course, would not Impress one of the 'high ranking' dragons, she did not expect to or even, really, want to. Grass or sea would suit her, maybe a sand or even a storm cloud. She could handle cheering one up, surely.

They couldn't be miserable *all the time*.

[Sparrow]

"Well, I'm sure I'd grow to like a Storm Cloud, but thinking about it now I don't feel like I would." Kay looked down at the table- noticing Kia and quickly hiding her thoughts to see what would happen next. Arrow still seemed totally oblivious- odd for him, maybe he was just playing too.

No, Kay had no idea what sort of dragon she would Impress- were she to Impress of course. So far Fennore didn't seem like the person that would get a Grass, although the other Candidate seemed to think she would. Ah, well, a lot of thought could just lead to it happening. Kay didn't concentrate on any color, she decided to simply concentrate on dragons.

At the sound of Kia's squawk Arrow leapt into the air, a sharp bark of surprise escaping him and merging with the snap of his wings as he threw them open. After a moment of mad fluttering, the flitt made it to Kay's shoulder and settled there, staring down at the Sunshine hatchling with surprise. After a long moment though, he seemed to recover and abruptly broke into a long stream of raucous chirping. It sounded almost as though Arrow were scolding the younger fire-lizard.

Laughter exploded from Kay's mouth, causing her whole body to shake and upsetting Arrow who had remained on what he expected to be the safety of her shoulder. He briskly slipped off of it again, taking advantage of his age and obvious size difference to stand over the Sunshine while continuing his rant. Oh, if only Kay knew what he was saying....

"It is very funny though," Kay laughed, her vague agreement to Fennore's comment. It was fun to see flitts play, especially this bold little Sunshine hatchling.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore could not stop laughing. As Arrow started to scold Kia, Kia retaliated. He might be older, but she was a *queen*, and she was letting her know it!

The table was now a very noisy place to be, with two laughing humans and two loudly squawking firelizards.

Finally, Fennore stopped laughing. "I think...that that was our firelizards trying to get us to pay attention to them instead of daydreaming about dragons and getting all broody about it."

At least, it was a good excuse to do so. For her, Fennore, it was not proving easy *not* to think about dragons now that they were so closely tied to her own possible future. Her entire life depended on them, now. No. Stop thinking about it. "They are so silly. And so cute."

Kia squawked at Fennore. Apparently? She was above being 'cute'.

[Sparrow]

Arrow fell silent shortly after Kia fell silent and his eyes flickered a pinkish shade almost as though he were blushing. The Forest had momentarily forgotten his place- much as he didn't like having her scaring him, she probably did have the right to, as a Sunshine. He gave an apologetic croon and quietly withdrew back onto Kay's shoulder, every movement reeking embarrassment and apology.

Kay managed to cut off her laughing with a few hoarse coughs and stroked Arrow. "Sorry little guy," she whispered, nuzzling his side with her cheek. Then she smiled at Fennore and nodded. "Maybe they are."

Arrow gave a soft but agreeable chirp- falling quickly back into his usual more withdrawn personality. In truth, he didn't really mind if Kay was thinking about dragons and wasn't entirely sure what the people were talking about either- to the flitt broody had something to do with eggs- but figured that since His agreed he should to.

"It is so easy to think about the dragons though," Kay commented, offering Arrow the remainder of the bit of meat he had dropped when Kia surprised him, "I mean, we're in a Weyr and Candidates... it seems like other than our chores it's sort of what we ought to do." They were here for dragons anyways.

Arrow accepted the meat and set to finishing the fragment off. A wary eye was kept on Kia now- he might think he was safe on Kay's shoulder, but then he had thought he was safe sitting on the table too. Kay sensed his worry and rubbed the fire-lizard's back with a couple fingertips. She had probably let him down not alerting him of Kia's plans.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore nodded. "Yeah, but if we think about them all the time and then don't Impress, we might end up all down."

She waggled a bit of meat Kia-wards, tempting her queen back to her. "And I hate being unhappy or seeing anyone else get unhappy. Although..."

She could live with not being chosen on her first attempt, but could she live with never being picked? How many did that happen to? She shook her head a little and scritched Kia's little head with a finger. "We have to keep our spirits up even if we do get left on the Sands. Plenty more eggs yet to hatch, after all." And if, say, waterfalls could clutch, even more, but nobody had seen any...well...the oldest had not yet risen to mate.

Soon they would know for sure on that, she thought. But it did not matter. "So...we should have a party when Xylith clutches."

[Sparrow]

"That's probably true too." Kay shrugged and took another bite of her redfruit. It was going through a slow decline in flesh, with the Candidate constantly getting distracted with talking and fire-lizards and thinking. "It's no fun being unhappy... but not everyone can Impress so I'm sure there will be a few unhappy people there."

Arrow finished off his bit of meat and flopped back onto the table again, watching Kay's plate of hardly touched food with a predator's judgemental eye. The little Forest was feeling about full now, but didn't like the idea of abandoned food either.

Kay watched him, wondering if the flitt meant to eat more or not. "Yeah, there will always be more eggs. I suppose all we'd need to worry about is running out of time." She was twenty already- how long could one stand at the Sands? Wasn't the limit twenty-two or something like that? Kay wasn't sure, but if she was right that only left a couple Turns to try. If she was really meant to Impress, hopefully it would be soon.

"And isn't it Lilith?" Kay laughed. "A party would be fun though." Pity she didn't have anything but the clothes she had arrived at the Weyr in to wear. How long would it be before Lilith clutched? Of course, what she needed to wear depended on what sort of party they had. The few Kay had ever attended had always implied something a little more formal though.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore laughed. "Man, I hope that never gets to her...I confused a dragon and a firelizard!" That was embarrassing, but that being her way, she laughed it off. "Lilith...Xili is the firelizard."

Her head shook, her hair dancing around it. "Wherrybrain," she told herself, firmly, although it could be worse. She could have confused a dragon and a *watchwher*.

"I have plenty of time. I'm not too worried. Sure, I hope to Impress this Hatching, but...who knows?"

[Sparrow]

"Yeah, something like that." Kay laughed. She might know the name of a Sunshine dragon but didn't pay as much attention to that of a fire-lizard. She probably never would have known about the Weyrwoman's smaller Sunshine if not for her recent hatching, that had been all over the Weyr.

Arrow crooned comfortingly to Fennore, used to reassuring His when she wasn't happy and although this girl didn't sound particularly unhappy, he thought he sensed something. Kay stroked him fondly. "Arrow says that it's alright," she chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm sure every Candidate here hopes to Impress at this hatching." Kay's smile remained, but inside she was feeling a little worried. She wasn't so sure that she had plenty of time. If she didn't Impress then maybe it meant her parents were right- she wasn't meant for great things. She would just be a girl who had run away and ended up working in the caverns of a Weyr in their opinion. That wasn't what she wanted.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore nodded. "Not all of us can, but still...let's just hope for lots of eggs." And maybe even a gold, although she had no hope for that for herself.

She'd rather see Kay or Kinah or one of her friends Impress the queen, would rather be glad for them and, herself, bonded to some smaller dragon. "The more eggs, the fewer disappointed candidates, the more fighters for the Weyr."

It all worked out. Oddly, the idea of flying didn't bother her at all. She knew she could die in training, even, it happened...usually when learning to properly go between. It scared her a lot less than living out her days as a drudge.

A lot less. "What will you do if you *don't* Impress?"

[Sparrow]

"Yeah, the more eggs the better." Fennore was definately right about that. If there were a lot of eggs then there was a better chance that everyone Impressed. And hopefully none of the eggs would be duds, that would be no way for a Sunshine's first clutch to go. A queen egg would be wonderful. But if that didn't happen, at least there would hopefully be a lot of eggs that people could ride to fight Thread.

Arrow, meanwhile, had come to the realization that His had hardly eaten anything and picked up a roll from her place in his mouth, holding it up to her helpfully. Kay gave the Forest a scratch and then accepted it. It took her only moments to finish off the roll and Arrow watched her with a measuring gaze the whole time. The last thing they needed now was her starving because she was too busy talking.

"If I don't Impress?" Kay considered that. "Stay at the Weyr I guess, and do what I can. My mom tried to teach me to be a Weaver so maybe I could help with clothes and riding gear and stuff like that..." She shrugged. "What about you?" Oh, hopefully she would Impress. V'ri was sure to tell her parents about whatever happened, and she didn't want them to be more dissapointed in her.

Or would they really be dissapointed? It seemed they had never expected anything of Kay. Maybe they would just brush V'ri's news off and say: "Eh, we thought as much." She would go down in history to the rest of the family as 'the one who failed' or something that would make her seem as worthless as her parents had always believed.

Arrow crooned, his eyes flickering uncertain shades at Kay's worry, and held out a strip of meat. She smiled weakly and carressed the fire-lizard's back before accepting the meat and tearing off a bit for him to swallow. He only took the bit after she ate her own portion.

[ShadowReine]

Fennore hrmed. "Keep Standing until I'm too old then...probably stay here. Maybe settle down with one of the riders...some of them are rather cute." She giggled a bit at Arrow feeding his human.

"You have a firelizard nursemaid there!"

Kia chirped at Arrow, approving of the way he was looking after Kay. After all, everyone knows firelizards rule the world. Well, firelizards do. Like cats, they have never bothered actually informing everyone else of what should be self evident.

"But I'm hoping we both Impress. And I'm hoping there's a gold and she choses one of my friends."