Surprisingly for a
frenzy pairing, Damari's relationship with the rider, Keylyn, lasted. He
soon came to care deeply about the dragonsinger, and about her dragon...
"So they never told
you about the Frenzy? Did Amitath tell you anything, Dami?" Keylyn
lay cuddled against Damari, cold in the early morning chill.
He laughed. "Well...
I think he tried. I ended up knowing a little about a lot of things...
but not very much about dragons. But-" he put an arm around her -"I'm glad
I found out for myself. Now I have you."
Keylyn smiled. "And
Sekayth." Her eyes unfocused slightly, and her lips took on the faint smile
that Damari now recognized as meaning she was speaking to her dragon. "He
says he's eaten well, and is coming back to the weyr now. And he has a
request for you, Damari."
As she spoke, her
light blue entered the weyr. Hello, Key, Dami.
For a moment, he spoke only to his rider, who nodded in agreement.
"Sure, go ahead."
Damari sighed in pretended
exasperation at his weyrmate. "Would either of you two like to enlighten
me?"
Sekayth's eyes whirled
silver, his equivalent of a laugh. I think I should.
Damari, did Amitath ever really tell you why he brought you?
"Erm... I don't
think so."
Well,
Amitath and J'rin are Searchriders. That means Amitath thought you would
be a good Candidate to Impress a dragon. I don't know what clutch he wanted
you for, but since he obviously didn't tell you, I'd like to pick.
Damari was
almost to stunned to hear what Sekayth had told him. "Stand? Me? Sekayth,
you aren't a Searchdragon! What clutch?
I
may not be, but Auspexeth is. And she agrees with me. You'd be a very good
Candidate. And I want you to stand at the Flurry.
Now Keylyn
was surprised. "Why the Flurry hatching, dear?"
Wouldn't
it be appropriate if Damari Impressed a child of mine?
Suddenly, Damari
laughed. This seemed like a dream - too good to be true. But if it was,
he wanted to keep on dreaming. Maybe he would wake up and find himself
back in the Mage-City. But maybe he'd Impress, first! "I think you're right,
Sekayth. And you can tell Auspexeth that I accept the Search!"
As the eggs hardened,
some of Damari's bravado vanished. "I don't know, Keylyn," he told his
weyrmate one night, finally voicing his worries. "Maybe I won't Impress.
Keylyn sighed, used
to her friend's tenseness. "I think you will. And so does Sekayth.
Isn't that enough?"
He looked at her,
silently, and she laughed. "I can tell it isn't. Listen, Dami. Before Sekayth's
hatching, I was so nervous I almost didn't go into the Sands. I don't want
that happening to you."
Minaeya?
It was Sekayth, speaking loudly enough for both to hear.
Thanks, Se. I think
that's a good idea. Keylyn turned back to her weyrmate. "I had forgotten,
but Sekayth reminded me. There is someone who can tell you if you'll Impress.
Come on!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him out to the Weyrbowl.
By now, Damari had
become accustomed to snow, but he was still glad when they entered the
warmth of another weyr. Beside him, Keylyn called, "Minaeya? It's me, Keylyn.
I have a visitor for you."
A moment later, a
woman's light alto answered. "Come on in, Key."
Damari backed up,
but Keylyn pushed him forward, through the open door. "Go on in," she hissed.
"Dami, this is for you, not for me. I have a dragon. It's you we
need to know about."
"But Minaeya knows
you..."
"She doesn't bite.
Go on in. Or I'll tell Sekayth."
Laughing, Damari entered
Minaeya's weyr.
His first impression
was that of a beautiful, green-black dragon. "Wow. Are you Auspexeth?"
The dragon smiled
into his mind. I am. And you must be Damari. I
think you want Minaeya?
Damari nodded,
unable to take his eyes off the lovely green. I'll
get her.
A moment later,
a slim, dark haired woman cam into her weyr. "Hi. Auspexeth told me that
you'd be a good Candidate."
This seemed encouraging.
"That's what she told me. And Keylyn's Sekayth wants me to stand, too,
even if he isn't a Searchdragon. But... I don't know. Do you really think
I would Impress?"
Minaeya smiled. "I
get that a lot. Do you want to Impress?"
"Yes! And..." He considered,
wondering if she would be offended.
"What color would you like
to have?"
It seemed that now he didn't
have a choice. "Well... I know that the conventional answer for a man is
a bronze. But... I don't want a bronze. I'd like-" he spoke quickly, still
unsure of Minaeya's reaction-"I'd really like to Impress a green. I know
boys don't usually, but the greens, like your Auspexeth, are my favorite.
I think I'd do better with a smaller dragon. And green is a calm color,
the color of the healers. I was a Journeyman healer on my world."
Minaeya was indeed
surprised. The young man before her did have a strong green aura. It was
simply unusual for a Candidate to be able to tell their color. But she
was happy knowing that she would not disappoint him. "Damari, I think,
no, I'm almost sure you will Impress. And I think you will also be very
happy with your bondmate."
Damari Impressed at Ryslen
Weyr's Flurry Hatching
Read
the Impression!
