I didn’t Impress, but I will next time --> Wisthia

[Zenniel]

Live had promised to tell Wisthia all about the Hatching. She would do just that, but she couldn’t have after the Hatching. She didn’t even go to the Hatching Feast, though she knew she should have. She should have congratulated the new Weyrlings, the future dragonriders. But she didn’t have it in her. Not even what she said earlier to Wisthia had any effect—she didn’t want bubbly pies.

But, even though it seemed like she was skulking, she wasn’t. She was happy. She was happy that all 21 dragons had Impressed, and that all candidates that had Impressed were happy. Of course they would be happy. She wasn’t happy about the dejected-looking candidates that had not Impressed—she, like them, were in the same boat. But she—unlike them—was happy with the outcome. This meant that she would get one more chance to Impress, one more chance to stand at a Hatching. And, frankly, standing at Hatchings was the best thing in the world for a candidate to do.

It was the day after that Live decided to talk with Wisthia. It was early in the morning, earlier than the dragon hatchlings would wake up for more food, but not early enough that the head cook wasn’t up. Live knew—not from experience, but she knew—that the Hatching Feast had taken most of the night, and the head cook probably hadn’t have stayed up to clean everything. And Live also knew that the Candidate Master would be putting the candidates that hadn’t Impressed back to work.

What better way to work than with someone Live already knew? “Wisthia?” Live called, coming into the Kitchens, where she hoped the head cook would be. Wisthia had already yelled at her once for calling her ‘Wisthia’ and not ‘head cook,’ ‘ma’am,’ or anything other than her name. “Wisthia, are you here? Do you need help?”

[E]

Sarias sat up stright on her stool as she heard the call of a familar voice searching for her mother. Upon seeing the candidate Live come around the corner and into the kitchens, the younger girl smiled. "Hello Live! Have you come to tell us about the hatching? We didn't get to see it because we were cooking. Oh, and Mom's in the storage caves, she'll be back in a moment." Wipping her hands off on her apron, she slid off the stool carefully before walking up to the candidate.

"If you want, we can go look for her. I'm not suppose to alone, but Mother won't mind if I'm with you. She's counting, so I don't know how long she'll be." Sarias came to stand right in front of the gold candidate, looking smaller without her stool as she only came up to a full 4'3". Reaching up a slender arm, she took hold of the older girls hand with a trusting smile. "Come, we will find her together."

[Zenniel]

“Oh, hey, Sarias!” Live said, msiling and waving, “I have come to tell you about the hatching.” Then she looked at Sarias while the girl explained where her mother was. On the inside she was frowning, but on the outside Live showed just her innocent appearance. Same ol,’ same ol.’

When Sarias suggested they go search for her mother, Live thought it a great idea. Sarieas jumped off the stool, and Live had to smile. Sarias was like a dwarf next to Live, but the girl was still growing. “Of course we can go!” Live said, letting excitement enter her voice. “It’ll be like our own adventure filled with giant tunnelsnakes and maybe a couple felines lurking in the dark.”

It was true, Live did not like baby-sitting, so to say, but Sarias was not a kid she was baby-sitting. Sarias may have been young, but she was more mature than most kids older than her. But she also looked like she liked adventures. Live herself used to pretend a simple puddle was a very large ocean. Sometimes she’d imagine a stick doll was her and a rock her dragon—the largest gold that had ever lived. All children had to make-believe sometimes.

“So, what do you think?” Live asked, smiling as she squeezed the girl’s hand playfully. “We’ll have an adventure while we find Wisthia, and then I’ll tell you all about the hatching.”