Skye and blue Sarpidath
The Road So Far!
It all began at the Harperhall at Kellad Hold, in the protectorate of Madellon Weyr, for Skye – a young girl of 14 Turns, dreaming of becoming a blue rider.
Skye was born the daughter of two Harpers at the Southern Harperhall, Kellad Hold. Surrounded by music, she was apprenticed to the Craft when she came of age. But she never excelled in any discipline, and it seemed as if an unremarkable career as a mid-level journeyman likely lay ahead for her. And then, in early 102, J'kel – a dragonrider of Madellon Weyr – came to Kellad Hold in search of candidates for the new clutch hardening on the Sands of Madellon Weyr. Skye caught the attention of J'kel's blue Hozrath. And a sevenday later, Skye arrived at Madellon Weyr, joining the candidate pool for senior queen Shimpath's first clutch by her new mate Muzzanth.
As a candidate, Skye was assigned a bunkmate – Jopha, a mischievous young Weyrbred girl prone to getting herself into trouble, who would soon become her closest friend in the Weyr. She also got to know many of her fellow candidates, including the Weyrbred twins Leover and Leoguy; Zielaph, the nephew of a Madellon bronze rider; and Arina, a level-headed young woman from Jessaf who'd stood at the previous Hatching.
But she also made an enemy – Thippia, a foul-mouthed girl from the Seacraft – who took a firm disliking to Skye! Backed up by her crony Berrin, Thippia became the thorn in Skye's side throughout the sevendays of candidacy.
Hatching Day
The dragons' hum woke Jopha and Skye on 102.03.17. Following a brief run-in with Thippia, the pair joined the rest of the candidates for a morning lecture. The Weyrlingmaster, L'stev, gave the whole cohort – increased by three late Searchees to a total of thirty-five – strict instructions about pre-Hatching preparations, including eating, drinking, bathing – and in some cases, getting a decent haircut – and then turned the group loose for the morning. Before Skye left, Jopha – whose Impression robe was sadly overlarge for her petite frame – recruited Skye's help in getting it adjusted by her nemesis Shookana in the mending room.
The one-armed green rider and the thieving queen
Immediately on leaving the candidate barracks, Skye was flagged down by M'shen – a green rider with one arm, a fire-lizard queen – and a problem. His queen, Squiffy, had stolen several pieces of the Weyrwoman's jewellery, and hidden it around the Weyr. M'shen recruited Skye to find it. The quest took Skye all over Madellon, from kitchens to lake to infirmary – but in the end she succeeded in reuniting the Weyrwoman's jewellery set, to general acclaim.
Respecting her elders
In the Weyr's kitchen gardens, Skye encountered R'hren, a former Weyrleader of Madellon, now peacefully retired to potter among his beloved plants. R'hren asked Skye to help him track down the ingredients for a warming salve to help his elderly bronze, Staamath, with his arthritic forepaws. Skye duly located the components of R'hren's salve, winning the old bronze rider's approval in the process.
Gifted a small pot of the salve, Skye offered it to old S'rius, who was equally appreciative of the gift. And while Kisha, the blind old green rider Skye encountered in the infirmary, would have nothing to do with one of R'hren's concoctions, she too grew to approve of Skye – especially after she solved all three of her fiendish riddles!
Southern comfort
Skye met G'kalte – a brown rider and Wingsecond, not to mention Weyrwoman Valonna's weyrmate – in the Bowl, and was quickly recruited by him to help with a diplomatic matter. G'kalte had been tasked with delivering two gifts from Valonna to her Southern counterpart Weyrwoman Karika – but he'd been summoned away to collect his own grandmother, Lady Coffleby, for the Hatching.
He asked Skye to figure out which of the seven Southern dragons visiting Madellon were the correct pair to hand over Karika's gifts. And while G'kalte's brown, Archidath, offered Skye some intelligence on the Southern seven, his advice was somewhat garbled! Nonetheless, Skye unravelled Archidath's confusing suggestions and got the right packages to the right dragons – without being growled at!
A Harper born
Skye's Harper training came in handy when Carleah, the Weyr Singer, asked her to play a set with her ensemble in the dining hall. They played to a rapturous reception that gave Skye's confidence – and her mark purse – quite a boost!
Kitchen diplomacy
Madellon's kitchens – the heart of the Weyr, and domain of Headwoman Crauva – provided Skye with the opportunity to show off her work ethic before the Hatching. A round of chores duly pleased Crauva. And the kitchen was also the source of the hotfruit R'hren had sent Skye to find for his warming salve.
Weyrbrat by name...
A run-in with a Weyrbrat – Terzon, whom Thippia had paid to cause Skye trouble – resulted in an unfortunate public incident. All too aware of being shaken down, Skye gave the kid a shove – in front of a number of witnesses – doing nothing for her reputation!
A blue lady
Coming across T'gala, Pern's only female blue rider, bathing her Heppeth in the lake, Skye offered her assistance – which T'gala gladly accepted. Getting some first-hand advice about what it took for T'gala to Impress a blue dragon was an opportunity Skye didn't want to pass up.
Hair today
Mindful of the Weyrlingmaster's orders to be smart for the Hatching, Skye visited Madellon's resident barber – green rider Z'fell – for a trim. Very conscious of her dignity, Skye ensured she came away with a cut she actually liked.
The Hatching
When it came to the Hatching, Skye had an excruciatingly long wait before the yellow-green craggy-textured egg Hatched to reveal the light sky-blue dragonet who would choose her, naming himself Sarpidath.
A friend bereft
But to Skye's dismay, Jopha wasn't as fortunate. No dragonet showed an interest in her, and she was left among the candidates remaining unmatched at the end of the Hatching.
Whatever happened to Thippia?
Sadly, there was at least one fly in the numbweed. Thippia Impressed a very vocal mint-green hatchling, making them Skye and Sarpidath's new classmates. (On the bright side, at least Berrin didn't Impress!)
After the Hatching
"Sarpidath" by Chris S. Baily
The Weyrlingmaster was the first to congratulate Skye on her Impression, but it was J'kel, thrilled that Hozrath had finally found a successful candidate after so long without, who stepped in to help with the immediate matter of Sarpidath's first meal. That was the first moment Skye had truly grasped that Jopha wasn't going to be a weyrling alongside her – a truth that hit hard. In Jopha's absence, Arina, who'd Impressed a cloudy-green dragonet, Chanth – was a welcome friendly face.
It wasn't long before Sarpidath's personality started to become evident. The big sky-blue dragonet demonstrated an enormous desire to please, making him an especially endearing character.
With both dragonets full to bursting with fresh meat, the newly minted dragonpairs left the Hatching sands for their new home: the weyrling barracks.
Big sister
Another friend Skye made along the way – a young Weyrbred candidate, Brithie, whom Skye had encountered in a sudden crisis of confidence directly before the Hatching – hailed Skye at the barracks – crediting her with her successful Impression of a tiny bottle-green dragonet, Epatanth!
Meeting the Weyrleader
As Skye and Arina wiped the worst of the blood and sand from their tired new dragonets, the Weyrleader, T'gat, came to inspect both girls' dragonets – and in particular to remark upon Skye's unusual Impression of a blue. T'gat further enquired if Skye would like to elide her name, as T'gala had done, or not. Skye elected not to elide her name – content to remain Skye, rider of blue Sarpidath!
Following their audience with the Weyrleader, and the application of oily rags to relieve Sarpidath's and Chanth's newborn itchiness, Skye and Arina headed into the girls' barracks to claim the billets that would be theirs for the next Turn. Choosing adjacent cots, the two new weyrlings got their dragonets settled on the couches that they would take months to grow into. But there was no time for them to sit and admire their new dragons. The Weyrlingmaster soon came along to give them their new weyrling shoulder-knots, before chivvying them off to the Hatching feast!
The Hatching feast
Skye and Arina soon went their separate ways to find family and friends. Many of the riders and Weyrfolk Skye had helped during the day greeted her with warm congratulations as she hunted through the throng – but, at last, she found her family.
Skye's Harper parents were absolutely delighted to find themselves the mother and father of a blue rider and happier still to learn that Skye had already brought her musical skills to the Weyr. And they were even more delighted to drink to Skye and Sarpidath when the Weyrleaders arrived to toast them!
The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Skye, and it came as a relief when the Weyrlingmaster ordered all the new weyrlings back to the barracks for a good night's sleep. But en route to bed, Skye was flagged down by a Weyrbrat, Emry, bringing the message that Weyrwoman Second Tarshe wanted to see her in the Archives.
Setting the record straight
Tarshe, tasked by the Weyrwoman with converting candidate documentation into weyrling records, went through Skye's background with her – including much of what she had got up to on the morning of the Hatching – for good and ill. She offered Skye some advice about paying attention to her new classmates and surroundings, lest she fall foul of the Weyrlingmaster's penchant for snap quizzes, and made some observations on Sarpidath.
A close encounter
On her way back to the barracks , Skye had two peculiar encounters – first, with Tarshe's queen, Berzunth, who seemed quite agitated by one of the visiting dragons on the Rim; and then with a mysterious hooded figure, smelling strongly of what Skye would later realise was firestone, who called her by name – and gave her a curious wooden box.
"The Watchful Queen" by Chris S. Baily
Back at the barracks, Skye decided, on balance, not to tell the Weyrlingmaster about the stranger.
Returning at last to Sarpidath – billeted between Arina's Chanth and a pretty blue-green dragonet – Skye was too tired to examine the strange wooden box very closely, and put it in her clothes' chest for later examination. But even as she went to sleep – a dragonrider at last, her blue beside her – Skye was struck with a deep sense of foreboding. Who was the mysterious dragonrider in the hooded cloak? And what was the significance of the strange wooden box?
Skye and Sarpidath's story will continue in Dragonchoice: Weyrling, coming soon!
Skye's achievements
Achievement Unlocked:
CARRY ON WAYWARD SON
I travelled The Road So Far!
Achievement Unlocked:
OUR ROB, OR ROSS
I received a mysterious box!
Achievement Unlocked:
A HORSE WITH A NAME
I have a name and it's a good name and I don't need to fix my name. Probably.
Achievement Unlocked:
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Sarpidath and I make a very strong match!
Achievement Unlocked:
SUGAR AND SPICE
I've been a very nice person (so far)!
Achievement Unlocked:
EBONY AND IVORY
Sarpidath and I agreed on something very important!
Achievement Unlocked:
IN TUNE
Sarpidath and I agreed on something quite important!