N'fall and Kasenth

This is the story of N'fall and Kasenth's meeting. (©SunBlind)
*********************************************

Nefall raced down the hall of the weyr as fast as he could, his friends in hot pursuit. He tore around the corner nearly upsetting a rider carrying something, but Nefall was going too fast to see what it was. A few more corners and he was outside, panting. His friends soon caught up with him.

"I win," grinned the blond haired boy.

"As usual," one of his friends complained.

After a few moments of catching their breath they went to watch the riders prepare for a Fall from a distance, lying down behind some cover. They all knew better than to get in the way. They also knew that if they were caught they might be asked to help out. That sort of took the joy out of watching.

Just as they were deciding to return to their rooms before whoever might have something to do for them came looking, a messenger dragon arrived from another weyr. The blue just appeared in the sky above them and the watch dragon bugled a welcome. A few graceful wingstrokes later the blue landed and the rider dismounted. The Weyrleader came over quickly to speak with him.

The four boys were just close enough to hear what was being said. When they heard the word clutch, all boys looked at each other. They were all of candidate age. Quickly a few rounds of "good luck" and "I hope" were said.

Suddenly Nefall felt like as if someone was watching him. When he raised his head he looked into the the large swirling eye of a blue dragon. Had he not been bred in the weyr he might have been afraid but he was surprised just the same.

One friend nudged him, "I think he likes you."

The blue rider came over to Nefall. "Come on," he said. "You might as well come along even though we weren't really on Search. I won't tell anyone if you don't"

With his friends pushing him along, Nefall climbed up the blue's shoulder. He had ridden a few times before when older friends that had Impressed took him for a short ride, but never Between. It always bugged him that he had lived in a weyr all his life but had never been allowed to take a trip Between. So it was worth his while just for that!

Nefall came out of Between clutching the blue rider as if the world was about to end. It had been terrifying! Now he was not so sure that being a dragonrider would be the best thing in the world to be. It was like he had ceased to exist in that void and suddenly understood the danger of it.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it for as soon as they landed, Nefall and the other candidates were lead out onto the hatching ground sands where the eggs lay about in the pattern chosen to be perfect by the golden queen who stood guard over her treasures. Nefall had attended many Hatchings and unlike the candidates who had been brought in from craft and hold, was not frightened of the queen, though she eyed them warily. The crowds didn't bother him either. There was nothing better than being the center of attention!

He quickly scanned all the eggs, picked out the queen where the girls were to stand. Then he chose an egg and told himself that he would Impress that one, or none at all. While he waited for it to start rocking, he contented himself to watch what was going on around him.

Before he knew it, the egg was rocking violently. It had almost hatched without him taking notice! At least all the others were busy with other eggs and had left this one to Nefall. He knelt by the egg just as it hatched and grabbed the dragonet's head in his hands, forcing it to look at him.

~Kasenth,~ the little brown one said in N'fall's mind.

"A brown, neat!" N'fall said and gave the little dragon a hug. Kasenth began to purr with contentment.

~Hungry~........

Stats:
Name: Kasenth
Rider: N'fall
Color: Brown (male)
Parents: Gold Shaundith x Bronze Allanth
Mate: Green Marth
Weyr: The Silver Unicorn (Agency closed)
October 21, 1998