Jeshra & Aurienth

First Meeting

A young woman sits on a hill just outside a cave entrance. She has an intently wistfull expression that somehow tugs on you. You walk over and sit next to her. After a moment she seems to come out of her reverie. She turns to you and smiles softly. "Hello," she says.

"Hi, um, is anything the matter?" you ask.

"Oh, no." she replies, smiling a little more broadly this time. "Its just that some days seem made for thinking."

"Were you thinking about anything in particular?" you venture.

The girl sighs. "There's a clutch of eggs over at Karath's Weyr. I'm applying to be a candidate for impression."

"Wow. That's wonderful!" you says.

"Yes, but its kind of scarry too. There's so many ways things could turn out. I could impress a green or a gold, or maybe nothing at all. I could find myself with the awesome responsiblity of caring for a dragon, or I might be facing a lifetime of scrubbing out fireplaces." The girl shruggs uncomfortably. "I'm not a great philosopher, but it does make for some interesting contemplation."

You chew on that for a minute. Then you decide to change the subject. "So, if you're a candidate, you've got a weyr, right?"

"Of course," says the girl, laughing now. "It's just there in the cave behind us. You can go take a look if you want."

You decide that you do want. You walk to the mouth of the cave, and then pause to let your eyes adjust. Then you look around. The weyr consistes mostly of a large stone dragon couch. Near the back is an area partitioned off with curtains, though. You peak through the curtains, and see that they make a tiny room. There's a small bed, a smaller writting desk, and a shelf overflowing with dog-earred books.

---

A Few Weeks Later

You walk up to Jeshura's Hill again, but she isn't there. After a moment's indecision, you decide to check inside her weyr. There are a few glow baskets open this time, brightly illuminating most of the room, if leaving a few corners dark, so you can see immediately that Jeshra isn't here. Suddendly something knocks you down from behind, and you realize belatedly that you shouldn't have ignored those dark corners. You draw a breath to start screaming.

You pause in surprise, however, when a rather childish-sounding voice speaks in your mind. "Did you bring me any food?" A soft nose starts investigating your pockets. Hum. Well, if it's asking if you have food, then you must not count as such. You begin to comtemplate getting up.

"Aurienth!" says a voice you recognize. "Quit scaring our guest. I've got meat for you right here, silly." The nosing stops and you hear the creature move off. You carefully pick yourself up, and then turn towards Jeshra, who is very busy feeding a small dragon.

"Congratulations on impressing!" you tell her.

Jeshra smiles appologetically. "I'm sorry she was harasing you like that. She just gets a bit over-enthusiastic at mealtimes." Jeshra sighs in mock-longsuffering. "Which seems to be always." She turns an adoring gaze on young Aurienth. "Still, I wouldn't trade her for the world."

A While Later...

You take note that the gold has gotten quite a bit bigger. "Still at it, I see," you say with a smile.

"Oh, yes," replies Jeshra. "It never ends." She popps another piece of meat into Aurienth's mouth.

"Did you bring me any food this time?" you hear in your mind. You experience a moment of surprise, as you had not expected to be remembered by the young dragon.

You think for a moment, and then fish out a yevver fruit from your pocket. You'd brought it along from the orchard back on Allonia. Quickly you slice it open and take out the pit. Then you offer it to Aurienth. "I don't know if you'll like this, but it is food," you tell her.

Aurienth gobbles down the yevver, and then seriously announces that it was good. Jeshra laughs.

A while later...

Aurienth suddenly rolls over and stands up. Wow! She is big!

Just then Jeshra comes running in. As she enters the weyr, she skids to a halt, barely missing knocking into you. She looks around quickly, then puts her hands on her hips. "Aurienth, its just our friend. Don't scare me like that!"

Jeshra and Aurienth appear to be having a conversation. "Don't you remember the Yevver?" Jeshra asks. Aurienth's eyes suddenly stop whirling so fast, and turn a much more friendly color. You are relieved to see it.

Jeshra turns to you and says, "I'm sorry about that. Sometimes she gets so edgy. Would you like some klah?"

You quickly explain that you have just dropped in for a quick visit, and decline the klah. You do take a moment to look at the scrapbook before you go, though.

Name: Aurienth
Age: Adult
Color: Gold
Gender: Female
Rider: Jeshra
Mother: Karath
Siblings: 25
Mate: Simtath
Children: 15
From: Karath's Weyr

Page last updated: Wed. Jan. 12, 2000