the cast of characters

  • T'ii, an Oldtime Weyrleader
  • Chey, an Oldtime Weyrwoman
  • Teyaschianniarina, a triplet
  • Tiey, a triplet (deceased)
  • Trek, a bluerider and dragonhealer
  • Kyara, a clutchmate
  • We'bey, a clutchmate
  • Vashae, a clutchmate
  • Lykhaistia, an unexpected sister

the story, over 400 turns and more

Three children were born to High Reaches' Weyrwoman Chey and her Weyrleader T'ii, prematurely delivered as safely as possible. The triplets were named Tiey, Teyaschianniarina and Riyn, for Chey had decided she wanted her children to have very elegant names. Thankfully, as far as names go, Riyn isn't bad.

Tiey didn't live very long, if he ever lived at all. Riyn never knew, only knew that the smallest of the three had died — unlike his father, also a smallest of triplets, who lived. And so instead of three very tiny babies T'ii and Chey were left with two, still fighting for life.

They made it, though — by six months of age the now-regarded-as-twins could be considered to be healthy babies, and their development ended up more or less on track with others equivalent to their gestational ages. Before their parents were even ready for it they were walking and talking, eager to learn and get into things. Riyn was always small, but he never let it get in his way; he and Teya even used Riyn's ability to fit into very small spaces to their advantage.

Tragedy struck High Reaches Weyr as a whole when Chey was murdered by Krummolt, a guard who had served with both T'ii and Chey. The Weyr was left without a Weyrwoman, with a broken-hearted Weyrleader, and with only the gold egg on the sands to bring them hope of the future. But it struck worse at home; with Teya and Riyn only a bit older than three, they were left to grow up without a mother. And, as it were, without that much of a father — while T'ii was always there for them when they needed him the most, he didn't have much of a hand in their raising. So from a young age they fell from the respected Weyrleading pair's children to just another couple of kids in the brat caves.

Not that they knew the difference, or were particularly inclined to care. All Riyn knew was that he had lost his mother, and it is hard to grieve, when you're three. It's harder to grieve when everyone you hold close to you is grieving, too, and there is no one to lean on and cry on.

But life continued. Riyn grew, and grew stronger. He had to grow some backbone, some defenses against his countless raw emotions, for he was otherwise far too emotional. He overwhelmed easily, and was physically on the weak side as a young child, cursed with a chronic cough and thin, small stature. This only led other boys — older boys, or just bigger ones of the same age — to pick fights with him more. Riyn made a great bully target, and that was most of his life from age six. He was shy about it, never really complaining to anyone, which is likely what prevented his many pseudo-family members and his father from actually doing anything about it; former Weyrleaders beating up twelve-turn-olds wouldn't have looked very good, anyway.

He was a slow grower, and didn't reach his full size until around eighteen turns. His cough settled down and while he wasn't exactly a hardy teenager he was, at least, a lot healthier. Since he was still small, he was still getting picked on, though it rarely escalated to a physical fight any longer. Riyn had learned the art of the witty comeback. As young as twelve, Riyn had been expecting to be asked to Stand; after all, that was when most of his family began to, and one of his uncles even Impressed at that age. Yet he never was, and it was beginning to make him a little uncomfortable. He grew up with quite the legacy on his shoulders; T'ii and Chey, both guards, both metallic riders, later Weyrwoman and Weyrleader. So of course Riyn would have to do exactly what his parents did: become a guard, Impress, become important, if not Weyrleader. Wingleader, maybe. It was never a question in his mind — that was his future. It was his legacy. It meant a lot to him, and it seemed like what everyone else who interacted with him was expecting of him, anyway.

But for a long time he was never asked to Stand, and he would make a rubbish guard. While somehow his father managed, Riyn didn't have whatever it was that made T'ii so good at it. Could he solve a mystery if faced with one? Probably. But could he arrest people? Could he manage common crime? Could he be imposing in any way at all? Likely not. So being a guard was dashed out of the picture. Being asked to Stand was not — he accepted Search at Ista Weyr with bluerider Trek, just to find himself left on the sands all over again (and having caused a lot of problems for Rhaeyn in the interim). But that time he'd learned more about himself, and chose to stay on at Ista, apprenticing to the Healercraft instead.

When he was Searched once more, Riyn declined.

Months later, another illness sent him off to aunts in Southern for a while to recouperate, putting a delay on Riyn's training, but upon his return a turn and a half later, he was given a Sr. Apprentice's knot. And so it was until the Nowtimers came along, and with a sense of duty-to-Pern not yet fulfilled in him, as well as the strong desire to pass along the current Healercraft's knowledge to the future. Riyn "borrowed" (copied, not really stole!) a bunch of craft records to bring forward to the 11th Interval, where he settled down in a new infirmary at Igen Weyr.

Not long after, his sister — bound by logic and fairness to the other riders' children she was trying to urge into candidacy — asked Riyn to stand yet again. Whether it was because it was her or because Igen was a mess or because it was just all new and different, he said yes; he doesn't entirely know why he agreed himself, but it was the right thing to do at the time. This Candidacy was shorter, but more enjoyable than Riyn's previous experiences; something about the company he kept, or the new Weyr, or the new time kept him more focused.

Even if he did have to do a lot of Webley's chores.

But fast candidacies end, and in this case was followed by an equally fast hatching: before Riyn knew it he was Riyn no longer, but Shadow of the Empire Green Vazirynath's I'yn.

Not only had he found his lifemate at last, but she was a she.

Weyrlinghood was trials, tribulations and adjusting to Vazirynath; she was shyer and more isolationist than I'yn would have expected of a dragon, but the two of them bonded instantly and without some of the difficulties others may have had. The only hiccup was during the weyrling class' rebellion against the Reachian Weyrlingmaster team — Vazirynath thought something was up and confirmed Jovianth's image with the Weyrlingmaster's dragon, correcting her trajectory so I'yn and Vazirynath betweened properly and blinked back into the bowl — without the rest of the class.

His trust in Vashae was temporarily damaged, but has since mended.

It was only a mere couple of days after graduation and being tapped into Mirage that Vazirynath rose for her first mating flight; the proddy period was something neither member of the pair enjoyed and the flight was something Vazirynath acted as if she wanted to finish as soon as possible and be done with it. And maybe never do again. Unfortunately she's turned out to be a frequent riser!

A few months after graduation, I'yn finally got the nerve up to properly ask a dragonhealer for training, and he managed to win over Trek, who also Searched him that very first time so long ago, enough to nab himself a trainee's position. Not overlong after, just long enough, he was knotted as one of Igen's full-fledged dragonhealers.