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Candidate.

The hatching and following feast were over. Rinis had woken up the next day in her familiar barrack room. She was still a candidate. The young woman took a slow deep breath. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. The disappointment; knowing she was going to be a candidate until the next clutch was laid. How many times had she felt this before? Enough to know the routine.

She rose and dressed. The same old routine. It only sort of changed when a clutch was due. That wouldn't happen for some time now. Rinis headed out to find what her duties were for the day. Also family. She smiled and nodded automatically to those she knew.

Each time she saw one of the new weyrlings a bit of sadness filled her heart that she wasn't among them. Soon it wouldn't last long. When she had been younger, she'd been depressed for days after a hatching where she was left standing on the sands without a dragon. Now she knew to look forward. There was always next time. She still had almost ten turns to find her dragon. Her brown firelizard Chaek rode cheerfully on her shoulder.

Chaek flew up in a flurry of brown wings to greet a familiar green, startling her out of her thoughts. Rinis smiled as she raised an arm for the green to land on if she wanted to. "Hello Queen. If you're here L'saen must not be far away, am I correct?" Automatically she turned to look for a familiar blue form. It didn't take her long to spot dragon and rider; she headed over.

"Lazing around already L'saen?" She laughed at the drowsing rider. "Hello Solouth," she greeted the dragon. "Wouldn't it be more comfortable to take a nap in your weyr?" Her eyes twinkled with laughter at the silly pair.

Rinis happily obliged the blue for his scratches. She tilted her head as he spoke to her. So many dragons seemed to be doing that to her lately. Did that mean she'd impress at the next hatching? No, it was a childish fantasy, Rinis thought shaking her head.

"Well I suppose you very well couldn't move then Solouth, so I'll forgive you." She kept scratching the soft eyeridge as she peered around the giant head to look at the blue's rider. "Poor things, they have you racing around right after a hatching feast?"

Solouth had a side errand? What could it be? She chuckled at the green. "Stayed up too late at the party last night hm?" And who wouldn't? They didn't have much time now for celebrations with Thread falling. Rinis giggled as L'saen offered his dragon as a nap spot. "Other than my usual chores? No I suppose not."

She watched the dragon nuzzle his rider. Rinis tilted her head as she considered the idea for a picnic. It didn't sound all that bad. "Food?" she laughed amused. "I guess we need to have food for a proper picnic hu? You get the food and I'll confirm with the candidate master. Meet you back here shortly!" She hoped he wouldn't mind too much. Rinis was very good about getting her chores finished.

She gave a quick wave as she turned to run off. With luck she could find the candidatemaster quickly. Without her own dragon, it was just a tiny bit harder, though he tended to be pretty available considering his rank. She sent Chaek out to scout for him as well. It wasn't long before they'd found him. Rinis quickly got permission to go on a quick picnic.

The young woman hurried back. "There. I'm all cleared."

She could see the kitchen staff had supplied him well. While they were more than happy to oblige a rider, a candidate was a whole another can of worms. Rinis was glad she'd sent him to get the food. She'd still probably be arguing with the staff. "Excellent. Thanks for the idea L'saen."

With a sense of freedom, the young woman scrambled up the blue's side. "Thank you for the lift Solouth. " It would be so nice to get away from the weyr for a bit. Even just an hour or maybe two. Chaek flew around her head and trilled as she buckled in. It would be nice not to have to be a candidate, nothing to do except relax and enjoy herself.

She grinned as the blue took off and she patted his shoulder in compliment. Rinis tilted her head back and closed her eyes to enjoy the ride. They didn't stay closed long as she was eager to look around from this vantage height. Her long curly brown hair dancing on the breeze.

She was almost surprised the pair didn't take a short hop between, but the distance really wasn't that great that they needed to. It was their day off and if they wanted to loft along then that was fine by her! It wasn't her fault a rider had kidnapped her, so to speak, and might decide not to return her for some time. She giggled to herself at the thought.

Rinis quickly found the rhythm of the flight and enjoyed it greatly. Maybe she'd ask them just to take her for a spin around the weyr once in awhile. It was so nice and quiet up here. It let her be alone with her thoughts. Although she knew Solouth might be listening to relay anything she had to say to his rider if needed, and it didn't bother her. He was a good friend of hers.

The flight was too long and too short. "Thank you Solouth and L'saen. It's a nice change to just fly somewhere once in awhile." She laughed and slid down the blue shoulder. Rinis patted the cloudy blue's nose fondly when he nudged her. She skipped down the beach. Her eyes looking for anything interesting in the sand. This close to the weyr there usually wasn't much but broken pieces. Chaek chirruped happily and alternated flying over her head and darting briefly toward L'saen.

She was startled when the blue started to hum, and she looked back at him worriedly. "L'saen! Why's he doing that? Is everything ok?" Her eyes went wide as he slid down from his blue and called her over. "What?! But here? How?" Chaek came to land on her shoulder, his throat swelling with his addition to the humming by Solouth and Queenie.

Rinis could barely keep her hands steady, as she pulled the meat down and knelt in the sands. "Oooooh," she breathed as she saw the eggs. She started to hand him half the meat. "How did you manage to come by them?"

"You are a nice guy," she smiled at L'saen. Rinis couldn't help but chuckle softly as he told how he'd gotten the eggs. "She's lucky with a big clutch, but I can kind of understand her reasoning." There was only so many of the little critters one person could reasonably handle. She really was happy with Chaek, and doubly honored that her friend thought of her for an egg. Rinis would be more than pleased if she only impressed one of these eggs.

"Ah, what kind of bet was it? If you don't mind my asking?" Some people were private about such matters she knew. She glanced up when he said both eggs were for her. "Oh L'saen! Are you sure? I'm sure my dragon will come some day." She wished she could throw her arms around his neck and hug him. Fortunately for him, he was busy holding a couple of eggs and was spared. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. I'll do my best!"

Rinis got the meat ready in her hands as she knelt in front of him. Chaek was busy with his own welcoming hum that paired well with Solouth. "Oh!" She said softly as one egg's occupant pushed a foot out and then pulled it right back in. "No. Did you?" Her eyes switching between the eggs as she tried to pick which one would hatch first.

There was so many greens in the weyr, that it could have been about any. Rinis was glad he hadn't wagered upon her impressing. She was happy that he'd won his bet. Her heart sank though as he calmly said his heart belonged to another. She tried to shake it off and look happy at the fact his wager was correct. "Must have been a lucky guess, or you had some inside info." Sometimes it was easy to see who a green preferred.

She was quickly distracted as one of the eggs, the larger one revealed a tiny perfect gold. "Ohhhhh she's so beautiful L'saen! Right!" Resolutely she turned her thoughts happy at the pretty gold flit. Rinis offered the tiny gold a piece of meat making soft noises at her. Her full attention was taken up in the effort.

When she'd impressed Chaek it hadn't seemed nearly so much work! Rinis was determined to put forth a good effort and not let this beautiful golden get away from her. Slowly she coaxed the firelizard over to her lap to continue feeding.