Finally! (Lynn, open)

[summerrain]

"Hurry up Kayami! We're almost there!"

"Slow down a bit will you? You know my endurance isn't as good as yours!" Kayami replied. Maki laughed and slowed her pace, stopping next to a tree. 

"There it is, Black Sands Weyr!" she said with a smile, a bit breathless. 

"I know you're excited, but that doesn't mean we had to run halfway here!" Kayami scolded breathlessly. He put his hands behind his head and looked at the walls, ignoring the blush that came up in Maki's cheeks. "I'm excited too, it's been a while since we stopped at a Weyr, and Benden was hit pretty hard by another group of rebels, wasn't it?"

"No, Ista was," Maki corrected him. "Mom and dad were talking about it, Ista and Igen both were suffering from drops in their tithes. But doesn't this happen every Interval anyway? It'll go back to normal once Thread starts falling."

"Thread will Fall, and then people will be sorry for what they did to the Weyr," Kayami agreed. "They'll remember just how much Pern needs dragons. It's a cycle that repeats over and over again... Thread Falls, people panic, dragons to the rescue. The Pass ends, and as the Turns go by, the scars fade in the kids of the next generation. And then something like this happens, and then Thread starts to Fall again." He shrugged, letting his hands fall to his sides, and started walking again. "Well, c'mon then. We're almost there, and the caravan's not going to be but a half-day's walk behind us."

"If that," Maki said with a laugh, falling into step beside her friend. "It's not as far as you'd think."

"True, but they do have the runnerbeasts and all the merchandise with them," he reminded her as they neared the gate. Each of them had their quivers strapped to their backs, and a hunting knife on their hip. They were simply strolling down the middle of the road now, talking casually. "But it was father that sent us ahead." They stopped at the gate, waiting for the guards to proceed with their search. Of course there would be more security around after what had happened to the other Queens. They just needed to comply. But if one of those men put his hands on Maki in an inappropriate manner, it would not end well for him.

[Lynn]

Their approach was watched by two sets of eyes, one dark brown, and one whirling cautious yellow, blue and green. Tail tips twitched slightly, and the Green dragon rose to take a closer look at them, her wings still and folded over her sides. At her side, her rider remained silent as they came closer, and a low grumbling noise could be heard in a tunnel off to the side, accompanied by an amused voice that drew closer, until its owner strode into the light, eyes narrowing until they'd adjusted. The rider looked over at the man, then back to the two as they came closer.

"Halt," the rider said, his voice calm and deep. Once they'd done as he commanded, his Green leaned down and sniffed them curiously, even as her rider and the other man examined them closely. They didn't just throw everything on the ground as some of the guards with less morals would have, they made sure that they put everything back in its proper place. They then handed them back to the pair and cocked their heads. "Welcome to Black Sands Weyr. We apologize for the inconvenience, but with things as they are..." He trailed off and shrugged apologetically, then stood aside. From within the shadows of the tunnel, a low growl sounded, and the other man glared. "Hush you. They've checked out," he said sourly, and an almost apologetic squeak sounded.

Wait. Give a moment longer. The light, feminine voice obviously came from the dragon, and she lowered her head once again, once more sniffing the pair. Her rider frowned, but remained silent, watching curiously.

[summerrain]

They were asked to hand over the quivers, and both of them did so. "It's alright, we understand," Kayami said with a nod. "We're part of a merchant caravan, hunters, and my father sent the two of us ahead to let you know that they were on the way."

"We heard the story at Black Sands Hold," Maki told the guards. "Oh, I'm Maki, and he's Kayami." She blinked when the Green bent down to sniff at them, then smiled slightly. "You're pretty."

"I've never seen a dragon this close before," Kayami muttered softly, awed. "And if the Greens are this big, just imagine how big the Golds and Bronzes must be!" He glanced at Maki, but refrained from making a comment as she slowly raised her hand to the level of the Green's snout. She didn't touch the dragoness, she knew better than that. It was up to the dragon to determine who, besides their rider, they wanted to touch them. Her Ruby flit flew off her shoulder and hovered above the Green's head. Maki snatched her from the air, holding the flit tight to her chest despite the indignant squeaking.

"Rosetta, stop that!" Maki scolded, setting her back on her shoulder. Rosetta huffed and vanished between, causing Kayami to laugh. "Why couldn't Rosetta be more mellow like Perchant?" she wondered aloud. She shook her head and looked back at the dragoness, who had yet to stop sniffing at them.

[Lynn]

When the Ruby fluttered by her head, and the girl reached out to touch her, the Green rumbled soothingly, shifting to put the soft, suede-like nose against her hand.

She eventually seemed to decide something and her head turned so her eye was right level with her rider. She blinked a single time, and he blinked as well, then his head turned back to the pair and a grin broke his seriousness. "Well then. She says that, if you wish the chance, she thinks you are worthy to Stand on the Sands when next there is a clutch," he said cheerfully, and the man at his side grinned as well.

"Well that's a good thing to hear!" he said, though his eyes were still shadowed, not showing the same light as the Greenrider's. "We could use more Candidates."

[summerrain]

Maki let out a breath when the dragoness's nose bumped against her hand. It was soft... Kind of like a runnerbeast's, but less fuzzy. There was an excited glimmer in her green eyes, despite the calm outward demeanor. Then, her rider said something even more amazing.

"She says that, if you wish the chance, she thinks you are worthy to Stand on the Sands when next there is a Clutch."

The two of them blinked, then looked at each other. Slowly, realization glinted in both pairs of eyes, and smiles broke out on their faces. They could be Candidates!

"It's a good thing the rest of the caravan are only a half-day behind us," Kayami said happily. "Imagine, us, as Candidates! We might even be Riders one day!" Maki laughed at him, forcing her excitement down.

"It's not like we'll only get one chance," she told him with a raised eyebrow. "Most likely, we'll wait around for a few Turns, like, two or three, before we Impress. Most Candidates don't Impress right away, even if they are older like us."

"You know, for someone who isn't all that excited, you sure have done a lot of research," Kayami pointed out. Maki blushed and playfully punched him in the arm. A thought occurred to him then. "Our parents will be here by sunset... We'll have to ask them for permission first."

[Lynn]

The Rider smiled and nodded, motioning them to continue on. "It is entirely your decision," he said lightly, his eyes continuing to shine. He then pointed to a low slung wooden building. "Candidate Barracks are there, if you choose to remain. And the Dining Caverns are over there, where you can rest and take sustenance." His wording was a little formal, but his teasing, gleaming eyes belied it. He then motioned them through once more, and his companion hummed softly as he also moved out of their way.

"Definitely speak to your parents. As a former Caravanborn myself, I know that sometimes they can be VERY reluctant to release their children to the Weyr."