| Kessa's Search [Weyr] [Search] [Candidacy] [Hatchling] [Weyrling] [Adult] [Journal] [Stats] [Dragon Soul Weyr] Kessa gently plucked the strings on her violin, and twisted the metal tuners near the chinrest to adjust the strings slightly. She was thankful that someone in the SmithCraft had been able to take up the task of making the terribly small fine tuners and the strings. Indeed, very few violins were made on Pern; the strings rusted quickly in the humid climate and they simply didn't give off as much sound as a gitar or a drum. However, Kessa loved them. She loved the way that the wood bent outwards in the middle, giving the violin a stronger, richer tone, and the way that the bow felt in her hands. She hated drums, and a violin was the exact opposite of a drum. "There!" She said, her thirteen-Turns obvious in her simple excitement. Placing the bow onto the strings, Kessa drew it across, her dirty-blonde hair pushed back over her left shoulder. A soft melody drifted out from the violin, and after a few notes Kessa laid it back down in its padded wooden case. "I have to go bang a stick on a hollow barrel now," She muttered to herself, whipping out her journal and writing a few lines in it. Indeed, writing was the only thing that Kessa felt she'd learned from the Harper-craft hall, for she couldn't sing, gitars she despised, and she hated drums. Straighting up, she smoothed down her rough cream-colored dress and headed down towards her lessons on drums... Or, as she called it, stick-banging. Two candlemarks later Kessa was eating at a small table when a shrill scream of delight came from near the main door. A young female kitchen worker bolted from that direction towards the dining hall calling out loudly "A SEARCHRIDER'S HERE!" Kessa broke into laughter as everyone scurried towards their rooms, trying to fix themselves up. One of the girls that she shared a room with grabbed Kessa by the arm, and she was whisked away in the group. Upon arriving at her room, she grabbed the violin and headed back out, oblivious to everyone that was still rushing towards their rooms. The bluerider was stared at by all of the crafthall who remained, although the MasterHarper had presented himself quite curtiously. The bluerider nodded, and spoke in low tones to the MasterHarper, so that no one else could hear. 'Well, I'm not going to get his attention staring at him, so I might as well play...' Kessa thought, and began to softly play on her violin. Indeed, the sound did attract the bluerider's attention, who eventually walked over to Kessa and sat down next to her. He looked to be about twenty two or twenty three Turns to Kessa, with a cheerful looking face and a tall build. Kessa was rather excited, not because the bluerider had sat by her, but because she was getting all of the notes right in her song. Instead of stopping to address the bluerider, she continued to play until she finished the song, then laid the violin down. "Yes?" She asked curiously. "I'm T'kel," the bluerider said, holding out his hand for Kessa to shake. She took it unsurely, eyes full of curiously. "My blue is Darrieth, and he's got a pretty good knack for finding Candidates. Are you over twelve Turns of age?" He asked suddenly. Kessa would of gotten very angry at that if it hadn't been a bluerider asking her the question. As it was, she did get angry, but decided it best to not fly at him. After all, no one wanted to be on the bad side of a dragonrider. "I have thirteen Turns," She replied. "Why does it matter?" "Candidates are usually supposed to be twelve Turns of age or over," He said, winking at her. "And you'll probably become one, if the MasterHarper agrees." Kessa gaped. She'd hoped that she could become a Candidate, but hadn't thought that it would happen until she was older. However, she was going to go to the Weyr! Suddenly, on an impulse, Kessa threw her arms around T'kel's neck, then ran upstairs to gather her things. The MasterHarper might say no, but she had a feeling that he was going to say yes. |