Search and Search About-Siten

[stolenhart]

What are we doing here again?, the green asked as she lazily circled above the large hold. We are on Search. Is there a problem with that?. The dragon grunted loudly, blowing off a stream of fire. No dragon was allowed out of the Weyr without being prepared to flame. It was the policy. No, she pouted flaring her pale wings open as she landed. She hissed as a few younger kids got to close, watching them scatter off in all directions.

"We are here on Search", the tall lanky rider announced sliding off the green. His short black hair was sweat soaked and his green eyes cast about the crowd for hidden dangers. One could never be too cautious, I'tel thought to himself, left hand resting on his short sword's hilt. No rider went unarmed in these dangerous days.

"Search? Why for?", an old man hollered out, "Taint no eggs at Southern, them good fer nuthin' sleepers' sons up North have'em all". I'tel shook his head, "No sir, just a sevenday past a wing snuck into Northern and stole a gold egg and seven others. We are trying to get suitable candidates for the eggs quickly so they hatch before Northern comes", he explained. That seemed to break the dam, people of all ages began line up, pushing for Regryth's nose and attention. I'tel sauntered away, she would let him know if someone caught his attention.

[saidaltam]

Siten was, as was her custom between jobs, roving the Hold, looking for a good place to tell her tales, when the green appeared in the skies far overhead. Curious, the girl made her way closer to the Hold Square, wriggling between Holders, Crafters, and Merchants for a better look. Pushing past a particularly robust, middle-aged man, who huffed irritably at her, she finally found her way at the front of the crowd, ignoring the man's displeasure. She had no use for his kind, anyhow.

Her brow furrowed pensively as the rider spoke. 'Stolen eggs? Well, now! Isn't that interesting?' Her mind rolled over the potential repercussions of that statement, and she felt a dark smile spread over her lips. This stood the chance of being a major turning point, not just for her, but for all of Pern. She could finally do something, change something in some genuinely meaningful way! A flood of excitement rushed through her, threatening to overwhelm her with the wide open possibilities of this one critical instant.

That was when an elbow caught her squarely in the back of the head, pushing the leather clasp that held her dark hair out of her face into the back of her head and knocking her forward. Whipping around to scowl sinisterly at the boy responsible, a tall, lanky youth whose goal had clearly been to present himself to the dragon, her jade green eyes flashed with ferocity and irritation, and she took a step back, moving herself away from him and toward the dragon. "Watch where you're going," she snapped darkly. "The dragon's not going anywhere, you know."

Without waiting to give the boy a chance to respond, she wheeled around on her heel and stopped short, discovering suddenly that she had, quite inadvertently, moved herself to the front of the crowd. 'Well...' she mused somberly, 'so much for subtle.'

[stolenhart]

Mine, no one here is worthy. Can we go now?, Regryth whined nosing a young man rather rudely to get out of her way. I'tel was enjoying a cup of klah from a nearby pub and he merely smiled, No dear. Search them all. We need lots of girls for that gold egg. No one was taking any chances the Gold might go between on Hatching day. If the Weyr could they would bring every girl in the South to parade before her golden snout.

But mine....... Oh?, I'tel knew the instant Regryth's attention was grabbed. It had been several turns since they rode Search, not since the last clutch, but she hadn't lost her touch. This one mine, she sent her rider an image of the girl as she turned her attention back to the crowd, where there was one there was usually two. I'tel drained his cup and went back into the crowd searching for the girl with dark hair and jade green eyes.

He found her near the front of the crowd, stopped short by her placement. "You girl", he said, "What is your name?". He looked down his knife-like nose at her and awaited an answer. Are you sure? For a gold egg?, the girl seemed not quite right in the head. No self-respecting Southern gold would ever Impress such a person, but then this egg wasn't Southern born and bred. "Well?"

[saidaltam]

Mentally, Siten was cursing, fluently and thoroughly, anyone and anything to which she could ascribe any responsibility for the inadvertent scene. She did not want this impossibly perfect opportunity blown up in her face. There was so much that could be done with this opportunity. However, displays of that sort of raw emotion were not going to win her any points with the steely rider, and were surely not going to increase her chances of getting herself searched--however one went about doing that.

Adopting an expression of tranquility and, with some effort, a timid posture, she replied, "Siten, Rider." She hoped her acting was as good as she imagined, or, if it wasn't, that it was at least good enough for him to be convinced that the incident had not been her fault, and that she could and would conduct herself like a proper Southern girl should. She had never, however, properly mastered schooling her eyes, which, as ever, were alight with a dozen flickering emotions, giving lie to her demure performance.

[stolenhart]

I'tel was no fool he'd seen girls and women of all type at the Weyr. Even some who secretly yearned to Impress a fighting dragon! What ridiculous notions, everyone knew women couldn't fight. Still though he didn't take as much offense to spirited women as he should have, his own inclinations leaned in other directions than feminine. "Siten is it? Would you do Southern the Honor of standing for the gold egg?". R'lyn had told all the Searchriders, make sure you stress honor and gold egg when you go A-Searching. The riders were not well liked but all Southerners could be swayed by honor. And no female would aspire to another dragon if a gold egg was mentioned, no sane female anyway.

I'tel would have let this woman go, if he had his own way, but Regryth would whine and complain to him all the way home if he didn't bring her candidates to the Weyr. She could make his life a living flame. She nosed him gently and winked, he couldn't live without her and she knew it. "Well?"

[saidaltam]

Siten's heart caught in her throat when the rider asked her to stand, and she could have choked, sung, or cried in that moment. She could not believe her fortune. It hardly seemed possible. She could not, of course, fathom what she'd done to win this opportunity, but she was not about to pass it up. "It would be my greatest honor, Rider," she replied with purest sincerity, not even feigning the joyful reverence in her tone as she bowed her head, giving herself the space of a heartbeat to exult. Why, if she pulled this off, if she could Impress, her voice would mean something. Her stories wouldn't fall on deaf ears, anymore. Her dreams would stop being impossibly high, her goals no longer so far out of reach. With a dragon helping her fly, why... she might just change the world.

Elation flooded the girl at the thought of it, and it was only through years of practice that she managed to keep herself calm. Possibilities that, moments before, had been mere whimsy, suddenly seemed all too real.

'And all too easily destroyed,' she reminded herself sharply. 'Don't you dare mess this up, 'Ten. You conduct yourself perfectly, you give no offense, and you keep your temper under control. Don't you dare step one foot out of line before that egg hatches. If--no, when, always think in terms of when--you're a rider, then you can make a difference. Until then, you keep yourself quiet.' All of this flicked through the girl's mind in the space of a heartbeat, but she carefully filed it all away to consider at greater length, later. Reminding herself once more to be contained--and to stay positive--she straightened up properly and clasped her hands in front of herself.

[stolenhart]

[He nodded and reached up on Regryth's back to unravel a set of riding straps for Siten. "I am I'tel, this is Regryth", he introduced himself and the dragon. The green turned to eye Siten for a moment then sniffed her clothing before turning back to a young child who was waving a doll to get her attention. "Run and fetch your belongings and be quick about it. I've got several smaller holds to get to today", he announced, obviously dismissing her.

He turned his back on her as Regryth nudged him to bring a young boy forward. He found the boy in the crowd and brought him back but the green shook her head in disappointment and the boy was sent off. He spent the next few minutes doing the same for other people. Regryth would send him a flash of their face and he go and pull them from the crowd. She shook her head for each one though she must be sensing someone to keep him poking through the crowds. He hoped he'd be able to get out of here fast, Garon was not so well-defended against enemy dragons.

[saidaltam]

Siten gave a small half-bow at the waist, careful to acknowledge both I'tel and Regryth with the gesture, then quickly wheeled around and slipped through the crowd, hastening back to her small home to fetch those belongings she might need. As she ran, she mentally prepared a concise list. There was little there that she could not abandon contently--clothing, her brush and other small personal affects, and the little, hand-carved jewelry box her mother had given her, containing the handful of marks she had saved up over the past few turns. Nothing else there was irreplaceable or important.

She was quick to gather her things, shoving them all into a small bag of heavy material and hooking its broad strap over herself. She didn't bother locking the door on her way back out.

The run back to the green and her rider was short, but it was long enough for Siten to begin considering what it was she was going into. She would have to be subtle, of course, but she generally was. Briefly, she wondered if she might be allowed to tell stories at the Weyr. It would mean, of course, that she would have to be careful how she phrased her stories and just what, exactly, their contents were, but that was just an exercise in her skill, and there was no doubt in her mind that she would find a way to relay what needed to be said.

Slowing for the crowd, Siten wormed her way back to the front, having regained her calm in earnest with the bones of new stories growing in the well of her mind.

[kat]

Krysin dumped out a dirty bucket of water, watching it soak into the grass and earth. She watched until there was only a damp spot to indicate where it had been, before sighing lightly and turning back towards the hold, face set in resolve. She was done her chores soon, and would have some time to go down to the beach with Cask, her newly hatched brown firelizard.

Its already been two sevendays, and I can't remember my life without him, she mused quietly, staring towards the ground, her brunette locks hiding much of her face. Suddenly, there was a shadow overhead, and she looked up, caught entirely off guard. A gust of strong wind as the green dragon landed nearly knocked her off balance, and she took a few steps backwards, staring at the dragon with wide eyes. Not that dragons never came here-she was just never usually this close when they did.

Probably here on business, she figured. But then, she overheard his words. Here on search? However, she never got the time to ponder this. People must have heard just like she did, and she was overwhelmed as they came forwards, roughly shoved aside like she wasn't there. She bit her lower lip, eyes flashing a little at how they treated her like she was invisible. However, the look faded-it wasn't anything new. Cask crooned and nuzzled her cheek, and she smiled softly. I should probably get back to work... Or so she told herself, but she was unwilling to go just yet, her curiosity getting the better of her. So, she swallowed nervously, and then, carefully made her way around the crowd slowly. "Er...excuse me...sorry..." she mumbled quietly, until she could see the green-and the girl now up front. So, they've found one. Well, that was good. Obviously they have a gold on the sands. She figured they needed as many candidates as they could get, and she was curious to see if she recognized any of the girls who were chosen. Probably wouldn't matter, much. She didn't have to worry about losing any friends that she never had in the first place.

Cask gave an indignant chirp, and she said quietly, "that didn't include you. You're the only real friend I have here," she told him, scratching his eye ridge gently with one finger. He leaned into her finger, chirruping in satisfaction this time, and she looked back towards the rider.

I hope I'm not missed, but he shouldn't be here too long, she worried, glancing behind her to see if anyone she didn't want to see her here was here. If they were, the crowd was too thick for her to be seen. She still chewed her lower lip, a habit she had when she was nervous, though her eyes were drawn back to the green and his rider. She didn't like staring, but everyone was watching-it wasn't just her. Not like he'd notice me among all these people either, she told herself, not really caring so much if he did or no. Better if he didn't, what use would it be if he did, anyhow?

Nothing much exciting went on at the Hold, and she would know. She was usually in the know about most of what went on, though not so much intentionally. The other drudges like to eavesdrop and gossip, and she just happened to share dining quarters and living quarters with them. She had sharp ears, and that didn't make matters any easier when you were trying to mind your own business, either. So, it was no wonder a search brought everyone clustering around. She was here, wasn't she?

[stolenhart]

No one else is here mine. I am hungry, you promised I could eat today. You promised, Regryth whined, sticking her head out to I'tel. She didn't move her body, just simply stretched her long neck out, cutting the square neatly in half. In a moment, there are still others to Search, I'tel sighed, pushing her head away and back towards the crowd. She gave a plaintive whine and added, Well get her then, the face was sent to I'tel. Someone with a flitt, how endearing. He rolled his eyes and found the girl with the brown flitt.

"You", he put a hand on her shoulder, "Come forth and let her have a better look", he said, clearing the path in front of the girl. It would be his luck to pick up nothing but girls on this trip. The thieving riders were sure they had managed two bronzes in the clutch though, bringing back all the large eggs. It would be hilarious if they wound up with blues and greens, but even those dragons had their uses. He noticed Siten had returned and he left Regryth's new interested to her while he went to Siten.

"Let me have your bag, I'll get it stowed away", he told his first candidate. Regryth rustled her wings waiting for Krysin impatiently.

[kat]

Kyr watched quietly, noting that the dragon and rider both seemed a little impatient. Soon, however, the other girl came back, and with a closer look, she recognized her as the tale teller of the hold. She smirked a little-outgoing Siten. She wasn't in the least surprised, and it almost seemed fitting that someone like her should be chosen. She didn't even envy the other girl, like some might have been. Who was she to dare even think about things like being searched, after all? So while she was curious, the thought never crossed her mind.

I'd better get back soon...I'll be in for it if I'm late, and I don't have the time to stay this long and wait for anyone else to be searched, I- her thoughts were suddenly cut off entirely, as a hand was put on her shoulder. She looked up with wide eyes, fearing she'd been found out even as she was thinking of going back. However, her eyes met the face of the greenrider, and she turned paler than her already extremely fair complexion, and stammered, "e-excuse me? Me, come for..." her eyes flitted over to Siten and the green, and she realized that there must have been a mistake-he couldn't have seriously meant her, could he have? Still, he was looking directly at her, and she was used to obeying orders. Here was an actual dragonrider, doing so!

Move it! her mind scolded her, and she shook her head, trying to snap back into some fathomed form of reality. She didn't dare meet his eyes, but bowed her head instead and said quickly, "yes sir, sorry, sir," and, feeling this was still some sort of mistake, did her best to quickly hurry up to the green dragon. She tilted her head up a little, half afraid to look at the great creature, but too curious not to do so. She'd never in her life been this close to a dragon. Her heart was beating against her chest like a captured bird, and she had to remind herself just to breathe. Not so with Cask. He chirruped at the dragon, stretching his nose forwards and sniffing at her with interest. Kyrsin blushed, the color on her pale cheeks quite notable, but merely stood there, uncomfortable under the gaze of so many people. A mistake, that's all it is. Just let her have a look at you and then you can go back to your work, she assured herself, ready to leave as soon as the green realized this, too.

[stolenhart]

Regryth watched the girl like a feline watches a tunnelsnake, with predatory interest. She snorted in disdain as the brown flitt chirruped at her. He wasn't her kind and therefor beneath her notice. If the green could have gotten away with it, she would have ignored the girl as well but she had to Search. She studied the girl for a moment, taking in the blush and the way she merely stood there. She comes with us, the green said after a long of staring at the girl.

You don't sound sure, I'tel replied. I am sure. She comes with us, there was a hesitancy to Regryth's voice but if the dragon said everything aws fine then it was. "Alright. Would you do Southern Weyr the Honor of standing for the gold egg?", he asked her, drawing himself up to his full height. He could hear the murmur of voices at his asking her, but no one would tell him nay. Search riders had the right to take any person they wanted, whether that person wanted to go or not.

[kat]

Kyrsin stood there as the dragon inspected her, feeling much like an insect under a microscope. She couldn't remember ever being so nervous, and wasn't sure why the creature wasn't just being quick about sending her back the way she'd come. Please, just let this be over with already! She couldn't stand much more of the intense scrutiny. It wasn't the dragon that was so bad-no, she was rather intrigued by the green. It was all the eyes of the people from the Hold, and the way she could hear their none too silent whispers. She knew they would talk later, about how she'd been examined and then sent away. Well, she could just try and stay inconspicuous-she was good at that...

"W-what?!" She exclaimed, taking a step back as her heart sped up at the rider's words. She had misheard, she must have! "No, no, no..." she murmured, and then, "there must be some mistake!" She was beginning to panic, her eyes looking from right to left, her breathing coming in fast gulps of air, like she wasn't getting enough. Her head spun with a million thoughts all at once, and she suddenly felt a little dizzy. She wasn't allowed to say no. He would take her there even if she said no, no matter if she didn't want to go...didn't she, though?

A new experience, getting to stand...no! What if I get mauled, and what if I don't get to come back home? She stood, rooted in place, glancing nervously at Siten, then at the rider, then at the dragon, and said in a quiet voice, "is she sure-if she's not, I could just go away...now..." she trailed off, face pale once more. She lived such a simple life, and always had. Impressing...that wasn't simple! Riders fought, and they had a high rank in life, and nicer things...she wasn't cut out for that! She chewed her lower lip again, still unable to move. But you will move, if he says that that dragon is sure. You will have to, you have no choice. You'll have to go get your things, and fly away to somewhere you've never been... Kyr hadn't even been outside of her own Hold before. To go to the Weyr? It was almost unimaginable. Still, you will have to...her mind whispered, as if it spoke the words she could not.

[strawberrylush]

She stood so far away from the crowd she could barely see the rider but she could still see the dragon. This was her chance, if it passed her by now, they had promised she would be Searched, swore it on their dragons lives. They wanted her to have that gold and by shell she would have her. She took a deep breathe and pushed her way forward in time to hear another girl stammer "No, no, no...". If the dragon wasn't so sure he wouldn't have spouted off her little speech she wanted to say.

"He already asked you to stay, it's dishonorable to refuse Search", she sneered. She had a Holder's clean lines across her face, high cheekbones and clear green eyes but something about her said she was as common as dirt. And while her features might have been pretty, she herself was not overly pretty. She had the kind of common beauty that most people forget as soon as they see it. "I want to be Searched", she declared to the rider, meeting him glare for glare.

[stolenhart]

I'tel frowned at the new girl who just barged her way forward then proceeded to nearly verbally abuse his candidate before declaring herself Searchable. "I don't know who"Her too, Regryth said, amused and smug all in one. "I'll deal with you in a minute he said to the new girl then turned back to the drudge who was so frightened. "She's sure, she wants you to come with us", he tried to give her a charming smile but he'd never had much luck charming girls, maybe that's why he was attracted to men. That put some real warmth into his smile.

"Go get your things if you have any", he added then turned back to study the newcomer. She was pretty in a common way, some holder's bastard more than likely with that face. He knew he'd forget her as soon as they made it to the Weyr. "You", he turned to face her. "Would you do Southern the Honor of standing for her gold egg?", he couldn't believe he was saying that to her. He didn't want to but Regryth, she was amused that she had gotten him to do something he didn't want to do.

[saidaltam]

Siten slid the bag off her shoulder, holding it in front of her stomach and watching the green rider work quietly. When he approached for her bag, she passed it to him without hesitation, then stepped carefully out of the way to consider the other would-be candidates, most especially the two that were--apparently--to be coming with.

The one seemed so small, timid, and frightened, that she found herself wondering if the girl might not have heart failure and fall right off the dragon as soon as they took air. She felt her eyebrow arch contemplatively at that one. Somehow, she couldn't quite imagine someone so very skittish riding a dragon. Then again, perhaps bonding one would give her some hitherto invisible strength. She supposed that bonding a dragon must make some rather significant impact on one's life, after all. She couldn't imagine it could be otherwise.

That was when the other girl spoke. Brash, forward, direct, and presumptuous--and the rider asked her along? Siten couldn't decide whether to be impressed or disgusted. Well, the girl had nerve. That much was readily apparent. Siten's face took on a pensive expression, brows drawing thoughtfully together. There was some strength in that nerve, but she couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't just another fast road to the same fate that she anticipated the need to avoid in her own future: a brightly burning life and an early, fiery death. For the other girl's sake, she hoped she was mistaken, and that she was just particularly sour, but something in her clear eyes and otherwise common face said otherwise.

'At the very least,' Siten mused, feeling a current of dry amusement and sharp curiosity worming through her exhilaration, 'this should be more than marginally interesting.'

[strawberrylush]

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I will, I just told you I would you dolt", she retorted, tossing her one lone bag at his feet. "That's the only bag I have", certainly there were others but she wasn't going to worry about them. They had sent her out of the Weyr to get Searched so she could Impress the gold egg, they could afford to get her more clothes after the deal was done. Afterall she was almost guaranteed a dragon, with every dragon looking at her like she was their rider. She didn't have the fabled power to talk to them but apparently she had something they wanted, every dragon she'd ever met, from the time she was a kid, had wanted her.

"I'm Hasia", she told Siten, moving to stand in the dragon's shoulder. "I'm from Taskin, an apprentice Harper", that in and of itself said alot about this person. In the South it was rare for a female to be an Apprentice anything, let alone an apprentice Harper. The Brown flitt on her shoulder chirped softly and nuzzled his person warmly. She'd managed to steal the hungry flitt from her own brother, she could have had the whole fair if she wanted but she was content with the brown. Descended from riders on both sides of her family, Hasia was a force to be reckoned with.

[kat]

Kyrsin didn't get a reply out of the greenrider, for in the next moment a girl came up, and with a nasty look on her face told her that it was 'rude to refuse search'. She was about to nod and agree, quietly, as usual, but then she thought better of it, and held her head up, tilting it a little, as she replied, "I didn't refuse...I thought there might have been a mistake," she admitted, looking down at her shoes, and then, not caring for the look on the girl's face, "besides, isn't it rude to make demands of a dragonrider?" Her face was completely solemn, but the slightest hint of a twitch at the side of her lips indicated she was bemused.

She knew this girl outranked her-everyone outranked a drudge. Somehow, though, she wasn't about to let some snooty girl who didn't even know her look at her like that, or speak to her like that. She had never even met this girl. She hated how people judged her based on what she was-not on who she was.

Still, she swallowed nervously again, and nodded to the rider, replying, "yes sir, I'll be right back," and then, she began to jog for her home-a small room shared with another drudge-to get her bag. She called back over her shoulder, "I won't be long!" just because she knew that important persons did not like to wait, and then entered her small house.

She grabbed the only possessions she had-which wasn't much. A journal, ink and quills, three sets of clothing-she had no gather dress, even-a small oil pot, brush and canteen. That was all of what she, a mere drudge, owned. She actually had four pairs of clothing, but the one she was wearing was one of them. It only took her a matter of five minutes and she was back, with the two girls and the rider and his dragon.

She was searched, too? she thought, surprised. Well, I guess dragons search all types, if that's the case. She and the other two girls were nothing alike-even Siten was nothing like her or the other girl. She didn't know what a dragon looked for in a person-she'd been told you could never tell, and the dragon just knew who it wanted. I doubt a dragon would want me, she admitted to herself. Who was she kidding? These other girls were at least more confident in themselves, and were of a higher rank. That must have meant something to a dragon? Do dragons even care about rank? she wondered, silent with her own thoughts. She clutched her knapsack to her chest, Cask being the only real comfort she had. Not like I'm leaving anyone behind, she thought, trying to think something positive about this whole endeavor. I can just leave and come back, nothing changes except maybe I get a little bit of a vacation from my life, she convinced herself, trying to think of this as something good rather than something she should fear.

She wondered how many more the rider would search; how many more would be on the sands? These were only two girls from this Hold, and didn't Searchriders go to all the Holds? She felt a little ill, the thought of getting on his dragon and going up high into the air gave her a horrid sense of impending fear. She wasn't all that afraid of heights, but dragons didn't just fly high...they flew very high. And then there was going 'between'...she didn't like the thought of that at all.

[stolenhart]

Regryth snorted as the drudge returned, I'tel took her bag, and kicking Hasia's out of the way, buckled it in behind Siten's, then picked up Hasia's dirty bag and buckled it down as well. He already had one set of straps for Siten so he pulled out two more sets and rigged them up just behind his own. "Alright, climb on one at a time and buckle yourself in", each set of straps fell behind a neckridge on the dragon, with the packs taking up the last ridge.

"Don't kick her and don't pull her on her wings and mind the firestone sacks", he added, pointing to the mounting strap and the holds the girls were to use to climb on. "It's not dofficult and it's a bit like riding a runner so no worries", he added, waiting for them to climb up. He would mount up after them and make sure they were buckled in before they left. While waiting for them to mount he removed a firestone sack and began to feed Regryth who daintly took the rocks in her mouth and began to break them down. Seeing the green eating stone, the crowd dwindled away. Nothing exciting about a dragon eating rocks.

[accelerando]

♥ ildessmor ♥
Now if she touches like this
will you touch her right back
Now if she moves like this
will you move like that
shake, shake, shake
SHAKE, SHAKE IT

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I

[/b]ldessmor galloped down the bath, her golden hair flying out behind her. Her runner moved underneath her with both speed and power. If her father was here, well, he would probably be yelling at her by now. But really, who cared? He wasn't here, and she was free to do as she pleased, for now at the very least. However, her lovely ride was drawing to a quick close as she saw the Garon hold loom closer and closer to her. Sighing, she reined back her runner before passing through the gates.

U[/b]pon entering the hold, she stopped her runner near the entrance before quickly dismounting and this time remounting side saddle. Her father would throw a fit if he found out that she had been riding astride just like any other boy. It was so unfair too, how was she suppose to ride as fast as the wind when she was troubled with having to stay on her runner? However, she supposed life could be worse, she could not have a runner at all.

K[/b]eeping that horrid thought in her mind, Ildessmor continued on her way down the street, at a much more lady like pace. However, she didn’t notice anything amiss until she saw something sparkle on the ground. Looking down, she saw that it was nothing more than a hairpin. She was about to look back up when her eyes came to rest on a puddle, which reflected her with her hair in disarray. It took her all of three moment to realize that the up do that her hair had been in when she left for her ride was a thing of the past.

S[/b]wearing quite colourfully underneath her breath, she began yanking the pins out of her hair, letting the golden strands topple past her shoulders and down to her waist. However, she did save four or five pins to pin the mess back a bit so that it looked a bit neater. She supposed she would just have to tell her father that she had taken her hair down before she left for her ride and that he must not have noticed at all.

A[/b]s she finished pinning back her hair, she noticed that there was quite a crowd growing near the sign post. What was going on over there, she wondered as she turned around. After a few moments of hesitation, she turned her runner around and guided her over to where the crowd was gathering. However, her runner refused to co-operate about halfway there. No matter how much Ildessmor coaxed the runner, she refused to take one more step.

S[/b]ighing, she gave up and glanced back at the direction the crowd was gathering. Luckily, she was sitting on her runner so that she could see over the heads of the various townspeople crowded there. At the very least, she wouldn’t have to push her way through the crowd, she thought to herself wryly. She didn't really feel like getting off her runner either, she was just curious about what was happening there.

T[/b] hen again, she would have stuck out like a sore thumb anyways thanks to her dress, which was much finer than what everybody else in the crowd was wearing. Looking above the heads of the townspeople, she saw that two or three girls had already been pulled from the crowd and were now standing next to the huge green dragon. Immediately she realized what was happening and turned away, her interest already gone. Turning her runner away from the scene, she began to ride away.
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