Main Beach
This long stretch of white sandy beach is one of the main gathering spots at
Ista Hold.  A large uprooted tree, felled in the big storm, makes for a great
bench, for people or firelizards alike.  To the east, the crystal blue waters
of the Hold cove roll up in gentle waves onto the beach, hissing softly as
they ebb and flow.
  To the south, Ista Hold juts out of the cliff.  Just west of here, a low
bluff leads up to the grassy field that serves as the Hold's main gather
grounds.  Beaches stretch away to the north and south.
  It is a winter late night.  Stars are visible off to the east, but darkness
looms to the west, as a storm front approaches.
In the Hold Courtyard, you see five people.
Curled up in the sand are Deception and Gaea. 
Bronze Bith is here.
Zali and D'ven are here.
Obvious exits:
Shallows     Steep Trail     Gather Meadow     Courtyard     Dolphinhall

Bith backwings carefully, then settles onto the sand with a heavy sighs. From
his back, D'ven just chuckles as he begins to climb down,'It wasn't /that/
bad...You can hunt when we get back to the Weyr.'
D'ven offers the two girls a polite nods and a smile, "Hope we didn't startle
you?"

Zali glances up with a start as the dragon lands. Oh! The first times she's
seen a dragon, and she sees two in one day! She sits up, abandoing her watch
of the forming storm. "Uh..no. Its okay." She can't help but stare, eyes once
agian wide and mouth hanging. She's getting so good at her immitation of a
packtail.

D'ven can't seem to help but smile at her expression, "Trying to catch a
vytol?' He asks innocently

Zali blinks a bit, trying to regain as much of her composure as possible. "A
what?" She shakes her head. "No...no. I was watching the storm." She points
up at the sky agian. A gulp.

Bith seems curious as well, peering a bit closer at the girl...D'ven snickers
softly as he exchanges a look with the bronze. He looks back at her with a
quick smile, 'Aye...I was hoping to get back to the Weyr before it hit...but
/someone/ wanted a rest.'

Zali stands, wiping the sand off her as best she can. A half-grin is given to
the dragon. What a day. "You might still have time." She pauses to glance up
agian. "It hasn't been moving very fast." And she should know. She's only
been watching it for an hour.

D'ven sighs and rolls his eyes as he leans against a bronze foreleg.
"Alright...rest" He sounds a bit bemused by the dragon. His attention moves
back to her, a smile coming to his face 'I am D'ven...and this is Bith.'
Bith's attention seems caught by something..or someone,actually. Breath comes
in warm puffs as he reaches his snout forward to nudge the girl.

Zali nods slowly. "Well met D'ven." She pauses and turns to the dragon,
offering another half-grin. "And Bith." She stops still as the dragon, Bith
she reminds herself, touches her. "H..Hello."  After a moment, she seems to
let out a breath. He's not going to hurt her. She doesn't think. She raises a
hand to scratch the dragon, but pauses. Are you supposed to touch other
people's dragons? Introduction of herself is now completely forgotten.

Bith seems to put the matter to rest as he presses a headknob against her
fingers...much like a feline would press a hand against a finger...course
being so much bigger, the effect is quite different. Luckily he doesn't
push...very hard.
D'ven just gawks at his lifemate, shaking his head as he mutters,
'Oy...what's next?

"Oh!" Zali squeeks, only startled by the push. Taking that as a yes to her
unasked question, she begins to tenitavely scratch the bronze. She is
mezmerized for a moment, never having been so close to a dragon before. Even
the one she met earlier. She tilts her head a bit, and the rider comes back
into view. "Oh! Sorry. I'm Zali, a dolphincraft apprentice." Eyes return to
D'ven, but fingers, expert from so many dolphin scritches, continue.

Bith croons deeply as he leans into the scritch. D'ven just shakes his head
before eying the leading edge of the storm warily. A startled look comes into
his eyes after a moment before he blinks at Zali. "Umm." His gaze goes
unfocused for a moment.

Zali wrinkles her brow, unsure what is happening. She bites her lower lip and
then turns back to the dragon, happy that he seems to be enjoying her
scritch. She too eyes the clouds agian, not really wanting to be stuck in the
rain, but not wanting to leave the bronze either. And who knows how long it
will take her to find her way back to her room.

Relief floods through D'ven's eyes as he looks skyward for a brief moment.
His smile is warm as he looks back to Zali, "It seems that my lifemate has
taken a shine to you.....Tell me, Do you have any plans for the next few
sevendays?" He asks nonchalently.

Zali glances back up and blinks. "Next few sevendays? No...I don't believe
so. Why?" The apprentice is completely oblivious.  "Well, except for chores,
and classes. But I always have those." She tilts her head. "And finding my
way around Ista," is added with a sligh chuckle.

D'ven seems to be eyeing the apprentice carefully, as if sizing her
up,'Because' D'ven says after a long silence, his tone warm. "We would like
you to return to the Weyr with us...and be a candidate for Serath
clutch...Will you Stand?"

Zali blinks at D'ven, as if she misunderstood him. Her hand drops from the
dragon, and hangs loosely by her side. "Me?" she squeeks. "But I'm not....I
don't...." She takes a breath. "I've never even been to a weyr!"  She turns
to look at the dragon beside her. "Although....if you really want me to, I
have no reason to say no..."

D'ven quirks a brow, exchanging an amused glance with the bronze. "It is your
decision..Bith believes that you would make a fine candidate and I trust his
judgement"

Zali swallows and licks her lips. Then nods. "Yes." She says decisively.
"Yes, I'll come." She grins at the rider, then the dragon. Her first real
smile sence she got here. "I'd love too." She thinks.

D'ven chuckles, 'Is there anyone you need to ask permission?...and gather
your things, not everything..just what you think you will need for the next
few sevendays.' His gaze drifts over to the clouds and he sighs.

Zali frowns. "Um, I'm not sure. Maybe my mentor here?" She shakes her head.
"I just transferd from Master Sea Hold, so I don't really know." She pauses.
"My things are in the dorms...I don't have much anyway."

D'ven nods his head quickly, 'If you would like to gather them...perhaps we
can beat the storm back to the Weyr?'

Zali smiles brightly agian and nods. "It won't take long." She pats the
bronze one last time and rushes toward the courtyard. Hopefully the
dolphinhall courtyard. "I'll be right back, she calls over her shoulder."  A
moment later, or a few moments actually after taking a wrong turn, she
reappears. Wearing an extra jacket and carrying a smal bag.

D'ven pads across the sand to reach for her bag, 'Have you gone :Between:
before?'

Zali lets him take the bag and shakes her head, wrinkling her nose. "I've
never even touched a dragon til today." She clutches at her jacket nervously,
eyes flicking from the rider to the bronze and back agian.

D'ven smiles as he gives her shoulder a reasuring squeeze, "It will be
alright." He promises before Bith carefully lowers himself to offer a foreleg
as a step,'Grab a hold of the rings and climb...like a rope ladder?'

Zali takes a deep breath and nods, pulling herself up carefully onto the
dragon. Lips are licked agian as she settles herself, and she almost shakes
with excitement.

D'ven climbs up behin her settling in the neckridge before hers before
twisting to offer her the straps, 'Fasten these around your waist...Bith will
be careful, promise.'

Zali nods, eyes narrowed as she tries to get the straps right. After the
second try, she finishes and looks up. "Alright, done." She grins at the
dragon. "I know he will."

D'ven turns back around before fastening his own straps,'Bith will fly into
the air...There will be a small jerk as he rises...don't worry about that.'
True to D'ven's word, Bith leaps into the air, wings cutting through the air.
You jump into the sea breeze and unfurl your wings to fly!

Zali nods at D'ven's words, but gasps none the less as they take off. She
takes another deep breath and then looks out to admire the view. Espically
the water. "Its so pretty." She mumbles to herself, nervousness forgotten for
now.

Bith dips his wings to allow Zali an unobstructed view of the island
below.....very slowly ascending.
D'ven grins as he watches her expression, 'In a moment we will go
between...when we do, I want you to recite this:
Black...Blacker...Blackest...and we shall be there...alright?'

Blue eyes sparkle as she watches. She's never seen her ocean from this point
of view before. Zali glances up quickly and nods. "Black, Blacker, Blackest.
Right." She takes a deep breath and readies herself for the trip, however short.

D'ven grins,'Okay...we go!'

Bith disappears ::between:: with a snap of his tail.:::BETWEEN!:::
You hang, senseless, in the dark nothingness of ::between::... absolute
darkness surrounds you, and the profound cold stings you... you wait, and
count...Black...Blacker...Blackest...Sky Above the Plateau
Bith blinks in from ::between::!

D'ven peers over his shoulder to take alook, 'See...we're here' He announces
as the bronze begins to spiral down.

Zali gasps for air as they reappear. It might not have been long, but it sure
felt like it. She glances up and manages a feeble grin before her eyes once
agian look out to take in the scenery. "Its amazing." she comments, but who
knows if she means the Weyr, ::Between::, or flight in general.

"Aye" D'ven notes as the bronze settles down onto the ground.
D'ven quickly unfastens his straps and turns to help her with hers.

With D'ven's help, Zali's straps are quickly unfastened. She stays in place
though, and her eyes turn to examine her new surroundings. Lots of dragons.
Thats definately the first thing she notices. But if they are all like Bith,
it should be fine. Right?

D'ven reaches up to help her down,"Lets get you settled, shall we?'

Zali slides down gently. A slight wobble as she touches the ground, but
holding onto the rider with one hand, she manages to stay steady.
"Alright..." She glances around the bowl again with a slight frown. This
place is going to have her lost forever.

D'ven says very quietly, 'I had to sketch a map'...apparently, seeing her
concern. He carefully takes her pack from the straps and offers her his arm,
'Shall we?'

Zali chuckles a little at the comment and then nods, taking his arm. Checking
to be sure he got her bag, she waits for him to lead her where ever it is
she's going. "Maybe I'll borrow that from you if you still have it around."
She says with a grin.

D'ven chuckles,'Someplace' he notes before striding inside.
D'ven offers a wave as he strides on through.
D'ven sets down her pack, just inside the doorway. Several of the cots seem
to be occupied and a number are empty, 'Go ahead and select a cot.'
D'ven grins,'I will see if I can find that map..meanwhile..make yourself
comfortable'

Zali grins. "Thanks. I'll need it, thats for sure." She eyes the cot, pushing
her bag closer to the foot and taking a seat on it. What an exausting day.
She glances about the room, eyes lingering on each candidate, trying to
figure out who else is in the barracks.

D'ven slips out as quietly as he can.