Cecilia and green Cahirth
The Road So Far!
It all began at the Harperhall at Kellad Hold, in the protectorate of Madellon Weyr, for Cecilia – a young girl of 13 Turns, dreaming of becoming a green rider.
Cecilia 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. Cecilia caught the attention of J'kel's blue Hozrath. And a sevenday later, Cecilia arrived at Madellon Weyr, joining the candidate pool for senior queen Shimpath's first clutch by her new mate Muzzanth.
As a candidate, Cecilia 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 Cecilia! Backed up by her crony Berrin, Thippia became the thorn in Cecilia's side throughout the sevendays of candidacy.
Hatching Day
The dragons' hum woke Jopha and Cecilia 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 Cecilia left, Jopha – whose Impression robe was sadly overlarge for her petite frame – recruited Cecilia'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, Cecilia 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 Cecilia to find it. Despite Cecilia's best efforts, though, she didn't manage to complete and return the jewellery set before the Hatching.
A Harper born
Cecilia'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 Cecilia'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 Cecilia with the opportunity to show off her work ethic before the Hatching. A round of chores duly pleased Crauva.
A shining example
Coming upon Santinoth – Madellon's biggest bronze – being bathed in the lake, Cecilia was quick to offer assistance to his rider, T'rello. Perhaps Cecilia was never going to Impress a bronze – but it couldn't hurt to have some hands-on experience!
The Hatching
When it came to the Hatching, Cecilia had an excruciatingly long wait before the spotted green and cream egg Hatched to reveal the vivid sea-green dragonet who would choose her, naming herself Cahirth.
A friend bereft
But to Cecilia'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 Cecilia and Cahirth's new classmates. (On the bright side, at least Berrin didn't Impress!)
After the Hatching
"Cahirth" by Emily Holland
The Weyrlingmaster was the first to congratulate Cecilia 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 Cahirth's first meal. That was the first moment Cecilia 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 Cahirth's personality started to become evident. The sea-green dragonet – ambiguously coloured at first glance, but unequivocally female when asked – proved to have a particularly playful and fun-loving outlook on life.
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 Cecilia made along the way – a young Weyrbred candidate, Brithie, whom Cecilia had encountered in a sudden crisis of confidence directly before the Hatching – hailed Cecilia at the barracks – crediting her with her successful Impression of a tiny bottle-green dragonet, Epatanth!
Meeting the Weyrleader
As Cecilia 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 to ask after their names. Cecilia was proud to introduce Cahirth to the Weyrleader – and to give him her full new name: Cecilia, rider of green Cahirth!
Following their audience with the Weyrleader, and the application of oily rags to relieve Cahirth's and Chanth's newborn itchiness, Cecilia 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
Cecilia and Arina soon went their separate ways to find family and friends. Many of the riders and Weyrfolk Cecilia had helped during the day greeted her with warm congratulations as she hunted through the throng – but, at last, she found her family.
Cecilia's Harper parents were absolutely delighted to find themselves the mother and father of a green rider and happier still to learn that Cecilia had already brought her musical skills to the Weyr. And they were even more delighted to drink to Cecilia and Cahirth when the Weyrleaders arrived to toast them!
The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Cecilia, 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, Cecilia 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 Cecilia'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 Cecilia 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 Cahirth.
A close encounter
On her way back to the barracks , Cecilia 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 Cecilia 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, Cecilia decided, on balance, not to tell the Weyrlingmaster about the stranger.
Returning at last to Cahirth – billeted between Arina's Chanth and a very large green dragonet – Cecilia 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 green beside her – Cecilia 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?
Find out more about Cecilia's Impression here. Cecilia and Cahirth's story will continue in Dragonchoice: Weyrling, coming soon!
Cecilia'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:
THE YIN TO YOUR YANG
Cahirth and I complement each other!
Achievement Unlocked:
EBONY AND IVORY
Cahirth and I agreed on something very important!
Achievement Unlocked:
BUM NOTE
Cahirth and I disagreed on something quite important!
Achievement Unlocked:
BFFs
Cahirth and Naisseth made friends!