Post by Ayanna on Sept 29, 2014 17:05:25 GMT -5
The field of perfectly lined vines seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. If one were to look down upon it form the back of a dragon, you would just barely be able to make out the edge of the vineyard where the structure housing the owner's family resided. Down amongst the rows, however, there was no end in sight. Just more of the carefully planted trees which produced some of the best wine on Pern. It was early afternoon and the yard was full of activity, many people flitting about here and there as they went about their duties.
Among the workers was a trio who seemed very in tune with each other. There was an elder couple of vastly different coloring who couldn't help but gravitate towards each other, accompanied by a young woman who even from afar stood out. Her dark red hair was pulled back into a loose tail at the base of her neck, her bangs strategically placed over her right eye. Against her hip she held a basket that was brimming with grapes of the most vibrant purple. One long slender hand reached above her in a movement that was so natural and automatic it was easily believed to have been done a million times before. She grasped a grape, and then another, and another, then dropped them into basket without looking and reached for more.
She was not a tall woman, and after just a few minutes she had to climb another step up to reach higher in the vines. Picking grapes was no easy task, but she had been helping her parents do the mundane work ever since she could remember. Her hands were callused and work-roughened, used to being scraped by the various branches she encountered. The older woman with her spoke, but Vara was lost in her thoughts, looking over the tops of the trees to the North where Black Sands Weyr lay. Allowing her mind to wander to things she never would have admitted to aloud, secret dreams she had buried long ago.
"Vara, dear, did you hear me?" The older woman called again with a laugh in her tone. Blinking, Vara glanced down at her mother, her two-colored eyes slowly clearly as she focused on her. "I'm sorry, mama, what is it?" She received a teasing smile in return and a playful smack upon the ankle. "What are you day-dreaming about over there? It is rare for you to be so unfocused." Her daughter turned up her lips in a warm smile and gave a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. It's such a nice day today, and I've done this work so many times I swear I could do it in my sleep." As she spoke she climbed slowly down and joined her parents on the ground, glancing slightly up at them as they both stood taller than her measly 5'3".
Her father slid his arm about her shoulders and squeezed lightly, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. "Don't worry about it, darling, I find myself doing the same thing." As they all traded a smile, a shadow appeared briefly over them, followed by the slightest rush of wind. Glancing up, Vara shielded her eyes and spotted the magnificent Green and her Rider flying high above them, making their way to the main house. Her eyes sparkled momentarily with awe, but she quickly masked the emotions before turning to her parents, seeing them watching her carefully. She smiled and shook her head, gesturing to the many baskets scattered about them and then the direction the dragon pair had gone. "Shall we get these back to the main house?"
Her parents nodded in unison and they gathered up all of the baskets they could, making their way down a very familiar path to their destination. When they arrived the sweet elderly couple they worked for stood on their porch, welcoming the Greenrider with open arms and bright smiles. Vara did not allow herself to pause to stare and dream, instead nodding her respect to the pair and continuing around them to drop off her baskets. She stopped however, when the Green dragon suddenly swung her head her direction and snorted hard enough to blow her red hair back from her face.
Freezing, for Vara had never been this close to a dragon before, her eyes widened, the right one shining so deep a pink it seemed to be tinged with red as her surprise, and to a small degree fear, grew. Swallowing, Vara waited, not even daring to breath as she wondered what she had done to upset the dragon. A large emerald head tilted to the side and stared at her for a long moment and then relaxed, reaching out her nose as if to say it was alright. Blinking, Vara watched the dragon warily as her rider strode up to them.
"It's alright." A low, masculine voice accompanied those words as the Rider appeared and offered a smile, resting one hand on his Green's head, while the other extended to Vara. "She was just trying to get your attention before you disappeared." Slowly, Vara set the basket she was carrying down and grasped his hand, lowering her eyes and head in a deep courtesy. "I am honored, My Lady Dragon." She murmured, unsure how to respond. She quickly reached up and rearranged her bangs before returning her gaze back to the other male's, her right eye once again mostly covered through the veil of her hair. "How may I serve you?"
The Rider made no mention of the gesture, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he searched her face. He gently squeezed her hand and then released it, a broad smile creeping across his features as he shook his head. "Actually, I believe it is us who may serve you. Keranith here tells me that you have very strong qualities to be a Candidate." His grin broaded further, if that were even possible. "So what do you say? Ever wanted to be a Dragonrider?"
By this point her parents had come up behind her, along with the owners of the vineyard, and Vara heard several shocked gasps sound collectively behind her. Vara herself did not make a sound, but would remember thinking later that she was glad she had set down the baskets. She stood there without moving for so long that her mother moved forward and put her arm around her, squeezing tightly as she grinned at the ride. "My Vara? My sweet girl, a Candidate! Oh my, that is wonderful news!" She glanced at her daughter, turning her so she could frame her face and smile reassuringly at her. "Vara, darling, you must go with him! We all knew you were destined for more than this, take your chance!"
Her mother's words finally snapped her out of her reverie, and she glanced around seeing a mixture of pleased and disgusted expressions around her. She heard the whispers, the ones people thought they hid, about how her evil never should be allowed to be paired with a dragon, but they rolled off of her like the air. Instead she focused on her mother's words and quickly shook her head. "Mama, I cannot leave you and father! And what about Darion and Eva? We are barely getting by as it is, how are you to survive if I am gone?"
L'mar was watching the exchange with interest as it wasn't usual for possible Candidates to react so strongly against the news and stepped in closer to rejoin the conversation. "I assure you, Vara, was it? You will be able to come and see your family as much as you want. It is really not so far away from here as all that, and if you have a dragon with you, you will be here in the blink of an eye." He accompanied those words with a gentle smile and Vara slid her lower lip between her teeth, nibbling firmly. "That's not the same as working and helping to add income, though." She worried, her eyes full of distress as she looked at her parents. Her heart was tugging at her, telling her to shut up and leap on this chance. This is what she spent her nights dreaming about, this is what she had secretly been waiting for her whole life. Was she really going to let this opportunity pass her by?
Her father slid his arm about his wife's waist and gave his daughter a firm look. "We won't allow you to say no to this, Vara. You deserve so much better than the scorn you have received from people here. You are the best thing to ever happen to us. We will be fine, Eva and Darion can help us. You cannot fool me, daughter. I know you want this more than anything in this World." The last sentence was said much more softly, accompanied by a gentle smile and a reassuring nod. "Yes, my darling, go. We will take you back to the house now," She paused, glancing at her employee to receive the nod of affirmation that this was possible, "gather a few essentials, and say goodbye to your friends. Can you give her an hour or two, Sir?" She asked, glancing at the L'mar.
He nodded. "Of course. As much time as she needs. I just need to be back by sundown, there are some things I must do tonight." With those words everyone flew into action. The next three hours passed in a blur for Vara, filled with packing and tears, mostly her mother's and friends although a few did gather up behind her lids as she hugged them goodbye. And before she had completely processed what was happening to her, she found herself on the back of one of the most beautiful creatures to grace this earth. She glanced down, waving goodbye as she left everything she had ever known behind her, and flew across the land towards a whole new future.
One she could only hope would be as promising as it seemed.
Among the workers was a trio who seemed very in tune with each other. There was an elder couple of vastly different coloring who couldn't help but gravitate towards each other, accompanied by a young woman who even from afar stood out. Her dark red hair was pulled back into a loose tail at the base of her neck, her bangs strategically placed over her right eye. Against her hip she held a basket that was brimming with grapes of the most vibrant purple. One long slender hand reached above her in a movement that was so natural and automatic it was easily believed to have been done a million times before. She grasped a grape, and then another, and another, then dropped them into basket without looking and reached for more.
She was not a tall woman, and after just a few minutes she had to climb another step up to reach higher in the vines. Picking grapes was no easy task, but she had been helping her parents do the mundane work ever since she could remember. Her hands were callused and work-roughened, used to being scraped by the various branches she encountered. The older woman with her spoke, but Vara was lost in her thoughts, looking over the tops of the trees to the North where Black Sands Weyr lay. Allowing her mind to wander to things she never would have admitted to aloud, secret dreams she had buried long ago.
"Vara, dear, did you hear me?" The older woman called again with a laugh in her tone. Blinking, Vara glanced down at her mother, her two-colored eyes slowly clearly as she focused on her. "I'm sorry, mama, what is it?" She received a teasing smile in return and a playful smack upon the ankle. "What are you day-dreaming about over there? It is rare for you to be so unfocused." Her daughter turned up her lips in a warm smile and gave a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. It's such a nice day today, and I've done this work so many times I swear I could do it in my sleep." As she spoke she climbed slowly down and joined her parents on the ground, glancing slightly up at them as they both stood taller than her measly 5'3".
Her father slid his arm about her shoulders and squeezed lightly, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. "Don't worry about it, darling, I find myself doing the same thing." As they all traded a smile, a shadow appeared briefly over them, followed by the slightest rush of wind. Glancing up, Vara shielded her eyes and spotted the magnificent Green and her Rider flying high above them, making their way to the main house. Her eyes sparkled momentarily with awe, but she quickly masked the emotions before turning to her parents, seeing them watching her carefully. She smiled and shook her head, gesturing to the many baskets scattered about them and then the direction the dragon pair had gone. "Shall we get these back to the main house?"
Her parents nodded in unison and they gathered up all of the baskets they could, making their way down a very familiar path to their destination. When they arrived the sweet elderly couple they worked for stood on their porch, welcoming the Greenrider with open arms and bright smiles. Vara did not allow herself to pause to stare and dream, instead nodding her respect to the pair and continuing around them to drop off her baskets. She stopped however, when the Green dragon suddenly swung her head her direction and snorted hard enough to blow her red hair back from her face.
Freezing, for Vara had never been this close to a dragon before, her eyes widened, the right one shining so deep a pink it seemed to be tinged with red as her surprise, and to a small degree fear, grew. Swallowing, Vara waited, not even daring to breath as she wondered what she had done to upset the dragon. A large emerald head tilted to the side and stared at her for a long moment and then relaxed, reaching out her nose as if to say it was alright. Blinking, Vara watched the dragon warily as her rider strode up to them.
"It's alright." A low, masculine voice accompanied those words as the Rider appeared and offered a smile, resting one hand on his Green's head, while the other extended to Vara. "She was just trying to get your attention before you disappeared." Slowly, Vara set the basket she was carrying down and grasped his hand, lowering her eyes and head in a deep courtesy. "I am honored, My Lady Dragon." She murmured, unsure how to respond. She quickly reached up and rearranged her bangs before returning her gaze back to the other male's, her right eye once again mostly covered through the veil of her hair. "How may I serve you?"
The Rider made no mention of the gesture, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he searched her face. He gently squeezed her hand and then released it, a broad smile creeping across his features as he shook his head. "Actually, I believe it is us who may serve you. Keranith here tells me that you have very strong qualities to be a Candidate." His grin broaded further, if that were even possible. "So what do you say? Ever wanted to be a Dragonrider?"
By this point her parents had come up behind her, along with the owners of the vineyard, and Vara heard several shocked gasps sound collectively behind her. Vara herself did not make a sound, but would remember thinking later that she was glad she had set down the baskets. She stood there without moving for so long that her mother moved forward and put her arm around her, squeezing tightly as she grinned at the ride. "My Vara? My sweet girl, a Candidate! Oh my, that is wonderful news!" She glanced at her daughter, turning her so she could frame her face and smile reassuringly at her. "Vara, darling, you must go with him! We all knew you were destined for more than this, take your chance!"
Her mother's words finally snapped her out of her reverie, and she glanced around seeing a mixture of pleased and disgusted expressions around her. She heard the whispers, the ones people thought they hid, about how her evil never should be allowed to be paired with a dragon, but they rolled off of her like the air. Instead she focused on her mother's words and quickly shook her head. "Mama, I cannot leave you and father! And what about Darion and Eva? We are barely getting by as it is, how are you to survive if I am gone?"
L'mar was watching the exchange with interest as it wasn't usual for possible Candidates to react so strongly against the news and stepped in closer to rejoin the conversation. "I assure you, Vara, was it? You will be able to come and see your family as much as you want. It is really not so far away from here as all that, and if you have a dragon with you, you will be here in the blink of an eye." He accompanied those words with a gentle smile and Vara slid her lower lip between her teeth, nibbling firmly. "That's not the same as working and helping to add income, though." She worried, her eyes full of distress as she looked at her parents. Her heart was tugging at her, telling her to shut up and leap on this chance. This is what she spent her nights dreaming about, this is what she had secretly been waiting for her whole life. Was she really going to let this opportunity pass her by?
Her father slid his arm about his wife's waist and gave his daughter a firm look. "We won't allow you to say no to this, Vara. You deserve so much better than the scorn you have received from people here. You are the best thing to ever happen to us. We will be fine, Eva and Darion can help us. You cannot fool me, daughter. I know you want this more than anything in this World." The last sentence was said much more softly, accompanied by a gentle smile and a reassuring nod. "Yes, my darling, go. We will take you back to the house now," She paused, glancing at her employee to receive the nod of affirmation that this was possible, "gather a few essentials, and say goodbye to your friends. Can you give her an hour or two, Sir?" She asked, glancing at the L'mar.
He nodded. "Of course. As much time as she needs. I just need to be back by sundown, there are some things I must do tonight." With those words everyone flew into action. The next three hours passed in a blur for Vara, filled with packing and tears, mostly her mother's and friends although a few did gather up behind her lids as she hugged them goodbye. And before she had completely processed what was happening to her, she found herself on the back of one of the most beautiful creatures to grace this earth. She glanced down, waving goodbye as she left everything she had ever known behind her, and flew across the land towards a whole new future.
One she could only hope would be as promising as it seemed.
