49.7.16 Thread Fall

According to the maps, Thread should be falling soon! [RL: It is schedule for tonight - just not sure what "day" that is] Although I've seen it fall a few times (shudder), I've never actually helped fight it. Not sure if I'll be able to use an agenothree tank, as I've never used one before. But I've heard they are looking for as much help as possible in the ground crews, so I'm sure there will be something to do!

Although working in the kitchen has kept me pretty busy, I'm really enjoying my time here at Ista. Its beautiful. Yesterday I didn't really run into any friends in our normal places, so I just went up to the plateau and walked over to the cliffs. Just sat there with my drum, staring out at the ocean. Playing, watching the dragons pop out of between once in a while. A firelizard fliting around once in a while. Very cool stuff.

The candidates are a separate group, but they have made me feel welcome. And I'm starting to meet some of the riders. I don't know if I'll ever be searched... Is it in my heart to be that tied down? To be part of something... for the rest of my life?. I'm not sure yet. But I do know I'm starting to feel at home here. So at least for now, I'm just making friends and doing whatever I can do to help.

49.6.26 Afternoon in the Istan Hatching Grounds

Trailed behind everyone else into the Hatching Grounds. There were 17 eggs in all, all different colors, shapes, etc. I think there was something like 12 candidates there, along with Reye (the WW) and Omfaleth (the queen). Most of the candidates were in awe, talking in hushed tones, looking around a little timid. I stood back against the wall... I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be there or not - but didn't want to pass up the oppurtunity to see the eggs!

Oiry presented his fish (the one we caught earlier) to Omfaleth. She liked it and thanked him! :)

After a while, I just couldn't take it any longer. Touching the eggs seemed so cool - so I slowly approached one. Several candidates were giving me weird looks, but no one ever said anything. I approached one that looked like:

Bubbling to the surface of the blackened sands of the hatching grounds is this egg, looking like the warm pockets of water swirling around the surface. Deep indigos mix with deeper shades of black then forming into sudden bursts of light blue that it almost looks like bubbles bursting along the surface. Small, lighter white tendrils float almost as if steam was being let off by the egg as it nestled in its pocket of sand.

I slowly walked up to it, started touching it and then...

At first this egg seems much like the rest, smooth alternating pebbly-rough textures that almost seem a complex pattern on their own. You press your ear to it and hear nothing- not at first. It's almost like holding a large shell to your ear, a sound that emulates the ocean. And then... was that something? A rustling, a knock? No- yes! There it is again, and this time the still-hardening shell even pushes against you a little bit, as though the dragon were rolling over in bed.

How awesome! Sadly at this point Reye said Omfaleth was getting tired and we needed to leave. I was closest to the entrance, and I had to get back to work, so I took off and headed to the kitchens.

I later found out (from numerous people) that only candidates were supposed to be on the sands and touch the eggs! Opps... but it sure was cool. And I didn't get in trouble - so I'm very glad I did it. Now that I know I'll probably never get that close again :( - but the memory will stay with me forever.

49.6.26 Noon on the Istan docks

Headed across the plateau, down to the beach and then saw everyone fishing down at the dock. Headed over just as Shim was living. Oriy was fishing along with Ky. Hanging out were Lorany and Eilidh.

Lorany took off and we were just hanging out with them when Oriy hooked what looked like a hugh fish. He started pulling and everyone was yelling and then I grabbed hold of the pole with him (and Ky). Lela showed up and grabbed a hook to help with the fish. There was much pulling and yelling and commotion. Finally we pulled it in then Lela grabbed it and it came flying out of the water and we all fell into a hugh pile. Dirty but fun! :)

Everyone then realized what time it was and that Reye had said they could come touch the eggs today. Oiry grabbed the fish (it was a pretty good size yellow fin) and they all took off. I grabbed his fish bucket and followed behind him. There wasn't really any time to find out if I was allowed to go or not (some things are for candidates only), so I just tagged along.

The egg touching was great! More about that later.

49.6.16 12:05 Summer afternoon on the Istan Plateau

Work has been hectic. New guy and all I guess. I've been exhaused and didn't even make it to the fire lizard hatching on the beach last night.

Got done with lunch and got a quick break before having to help with dinner. Headed down to the beach and noticed "the gang" hanging out on the plateau. Stopped and talked for just a sec before going for a swim and then heading back to work.

Kylia impressed a gold FL! How cool for her! I sure hope she impresses a dragon, maybe a gold. Would be very cool for her, plus she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Not much ruffles her so far, that I've seen, and see seems to watch over and care about those less confident, needing help, etc. All good things in a leader.

Ory is pretty much himself. Nice, unassuming, and a bit shy/underconfident. He ssems like a good friend and I believe he'd make a great dragon rider... he just needs some mentoring.

Shim wasn't about, but I did see him the other night with the gang. Something is going on with him. If he doesn't get his attitude under control... well I'm not sure. He has no patience. Always seems out of sorts. Something must have happened. He was nice enough when I first ran into him. I just don't see him becoming a leader. Yeah, he has the knowledge... but I can't imagine him mentoring anyone. More like yelling at them or scowling. I'm starting to think more brown than bronze.

Not that I have any input or it is much of my business. Just stuff I think about.

Well... I'm sure there is more work to do. Later...

49.5.25 14:52 Spring afteroon in Ista Weyr Bowl

Wow... what a day. Spent the morning helping in the kitchen and then helped prepare lunch. Once it was on its way, they let me go and I headed out to the bowl.

I was heading down the path to the bowl, just humming and thinking about being at Ista when I saw the usual group of friends in the garden. Kylia, Shimshon, Oiralin. Not all there at once... I don't really remember who was there first, but anyway... they were there, coming and going and pulling weeds.

So I joined them and started pulling. Talk centered around the usual candidate concerns. Slights made by other candidates, who is going to impress, who is going to get what color, that kind of thing. Mostly good natured ribbing, although some serious talk.

Lela then came along. A young girl, but a candidate no less. She brought with her.. a couple of firelizards! Yeah, I've seen them before. Even had one follow me for a while... but its been some time. It was awesome. One flew off her shoulder and landed on Oiry. I tossed it a few bugs. Cool stuff.

And then... Myrdinth landed with rider D'san. They came between from High Reaches! Shim knew him, so he came over and talked to us... And then we all started 'scritching' Myrdinth. I'm fairly bold... but I tell you, touching a draong. Not something I thought I'd ever be doing. And its eye...

Myrdinth turns his head to regard you with one delicate sapphire blue eye. It whirls gently in contentment and seems to hold depth beyond knowing. In that brief glance, you catch the merest hint of the devotion, love and courage that lie just below the surface of this sturdy blue. At once, you may find yourself drawn into that deep blue, calming pool.

I tell you. I've never seen such a thing.

Yeah, it was a long road to Ista... but its all been worth it. A better bunch of people (and dragons), I don't know you'd ever find. Maybe its just that I've been out on my own so long... but I'm starting to feel like I've found "home".

And then Lela suggested,

"And to Jarill she smiles, as she keeps working on the shoulder, she whispers, "Maybe one day you might get lucky and have a friend talk to you. I call them friends, I dont know why I just did from the time I got to the weyr."

I tell ya... it has never once occured to me. For one, I think I'm too old. And for two, I don't know. Being tied down to any one place. But... looking into his eye. You can feel the draw. To be so close to something...

Anyway... what a day. One I won't soon forget!

One more note

I'm going to try and post "today" now, and then set the dates for the earlier others, even though I'll create them later. I *think* this is possible.

Jarill... or me

Well, in keeping with true PERN logs... I'd probably open another blogger account for Jarill... That way he'd have his own picture (if I got some graphics), profile, etc. I'll have to think on it. Probably if nothing else, I could fake all that.

In any case, for now, I'm going to log it here. Its already been 4 or 5 RL days, so at least a few weeks on Pern and I'm getting behind in my thoughts. If I do get rid of this blog and start one for Jarill himself, I'll just transfer everything there.

Yet another blog

So..., why another blog? Well, I think Jarill needs one. A lot of Pernese have logs on their web sites, etc., but I was thinking Jarill needs a blog as well. The log shows what is actually happening, in a RPing sort of way. The dialog.

But what is going on behind the scenes? What is Jarill thinking? What does he think/feel as he learns more about his new home at Ista Weyr, and as he meets his new friends.

Perhaps interesting only to me... but maybe to others as well. If nothing else, it will help me flush out the character, and remind me of when it was all new and exciting... :)