The Story of Faris...

"Faris!" her mother Swina called "Diner's ready!!"

"I'm coming!!" Faris replied, she looked once more to the beach were the young dragonriders were practicing...Twain was there. Suddenly her little pink firelizard Banshee pulled her hair.

"What is it, Banshee?" She got an image of food...yummy food... "We better go if you are hungry..." She got up and walks to her house in Valley Weyr. The Weyr is beautiful, long stretched grassy fields where horses and cows stand and sleep...little dust roads where you can sit for hours in the shadow of Pernese trees...and play with your firelizards.

At home she immediately started feeding Banshee...Her mother walked in.

"How was your day, Faris?"

"Very good" Faris replied, deciding to leave out the handsome young men practising..."I watched the dragonriders train. It must be wonderful to be a dragonrider." Faris sighs...thinking: if i suddenly decide to follow one of the boys it won't be obvious...

Her Father would be proud of her if she would follow in his footsteps and become a rider...He would definately put a good word in for her with the Searchriders Adlan and Rian. Not that anybody would hold her back...she is old enough to start, and she is very good with her three little firelizards.

As called, the little white female Zenith flies in the room and starts chirping. She had been helping her father flying around...He sometimes needed the little ones and since he never impressed a new one since his last was killed in the most recent threadfall, Faris was happy to lend him one of her happy trio. Zenith was always happy if she could see her bigger cousins...

Faris encouraged him to get a new one, but he felt he would be to heartbroken if that one was killed in battle. He always felt it was his fault little Shanice died, she was a queen and would never have left his side. Banshee, Zenith and Sinji were descendants of her. Sinji was out playing with her brother's firelizards. Mahi had two male firelizards from Shanice's last nest. They were the blue Walim and the golden Syndra. Since Sinji was a bronze male, he couldn't resist the temptation of a nice golden female...he was still busy courting her when Mahi entered. Faris had let Sinji go because she thought her father might reconsider if Syndra became pregnant...

Later that night she decided to follow Twain...True love couldn't be fought and she knew he liked her too.

So the next morning she went to Headwoman Catran. Catran was like a grandmother to her. They talked sometime when Catran finally brought up her favourite topic: "Why won't you become a rider?" This time she replied slightly different:

"I think I might..." Earlier she had always replied Maybe... This was enough to put Headwoman Catran in a good mood and she started playing with her long blonde-graying hair. Catran smiled slighty, thinking: girls!

Catran send for Faris' father when she had left.

"Andro!" she called, "your girl is growing up!"

"What do you mean Catran?"

"She told me she wanted to become a dragonrider, and i could see: BOY written all over her face. We have to decide what to do know."

"That isn't a good reason to become a dragonrider."

"Andro, you were always way to strict, she would be a good dragonrider, she will do it for all the good reasons too, if you give her time to see the beauty of the trade..." Smiling she held out her hand and together they went to see Weyrwoman Ulania. Ulania looked dashing as always, Andro had thought long about it and decided it was her hair...and the way it swirled around her face, nevertheless he knew he was happier with Swina than he would have ever been with her.

"My daughter is thinking of becoming a dragonrider." Andro said.

"Is that little Faris? We were wondering when she was going to. She would have been searched a year ago if she would have shown some interest"

"But see, this is somewhat special..." Andro started.

"Not at all, Andro dear, she waited a long time to make up her mind, but she is ready now." Catran swiftly intervened.

"Then it is all ok with me, send her in the morning."

Ulania looked at the girl in front of her. Faris had become beautiful, she had long brown hair and deepblue eyes. She always smiled, but when she was sad, she would have this strange beauty, everybody who saw her after Andro's Shanice had died, wanted to start crying just because she looked so miserable. She almost always wore a white jacket with light yellow spots her mother wove for her on her 16th birthday. Her mother had chosen the colours with great care and they brought out her eyes... And always she wore pants.

"So Faris, you want to become a dragonrider..." Ulania started her speech. "You know this will bring great joy, but also great responsability with it?"

"Yes, I know what is expected of me. And i will try my best."

"I expect you know some things about dragon care?"

"Yes, I spent a lot of time with Catran who has shown me alot about caring for the dragons...and i know there history, but that is all."

"That is more than your average trainee. You know about the great tragedy from last Thread?"

"Yes, we lost alot of men and dragons due to a misunderstanding."

"That was not supposed to happen, but it will not be forgotten. In any case, you are in luck, we despirately need new riders for the new clutch of golden Ziarrath...we need young enthousiast people to impress the new ones. We have to be sure we have the right kind of people. So are you sure you can handle the stress?"

Faris,thought about it for a few seconds, but with twain at her side everything would be ok. "Yes, I'll try!"

"Consider yourself searched. We are on a schedual, Ziarrath's clutch will hatch in a few days. I know this is sudden, but since your father can help you and you have the approuval of Catran, we can make an exeptance."

Faris was kinda troubled by those words...no-one was going to test her? Well the dragons would, but what if no dragon chose her? Would she be considered as a failure?  

The days passed slowly, very slowly... And I mean slowly! Faris couldn't wait until the eggs hatched, everybody thought she was nervous to see wich one chose her, but the real reason was if she would be picked at all. It was clear as day to anyone else she was perfect for the job, but she didn't remember how the dragons reacted when came along with her father in her first three turns. They simply adored her.

The the message came! alot of little firelizards at the sands and Catran walking through the streets shouting the eggs were hatching!! Faris quickly run to her future...

Inside she saw 13 eggs, laying in the pit of sand and seaweed...food ready to be served. She only recognised two of the other young people there, the others were strangers, searched in the Holds. Or drifters passing at the right time.

The first started shaking...everybody held there breath...it cracked open! And somebody shouted. Faris was disappointed, less chances for her... But she smiled bravely and watched as more eggs started to pop...

Now there were only three eggs left...suddenly one bursted open and she heared a voice...

"........"

                                   The end, for now