You sit at the table, smiling out at those looking back at you. The Lord Holder of Asura Hold and your Wingleader are talking to the crowd about the Search that is going on that day. They ramble on, and you lose interest quickly. You've been a Searchrider for three Turns now, and you've heard it so many times. You see a young woman in the crowd yawning and looking out at the sun through the window and you can't help but grin. She must have heard this before as well.
"Thank you, everyone. We'll be around today, just to give you some warning. Please don't swarm my riders, if you want to Impress than you can go to the Weyr and Apply if we don't Search you today." Wingleader V'lann stood up and smiled out at the crowd. "We have greenrider Sh'vrad, bluerider Saralana, brownrider E'tero, and greenrider Milang." He smiled, motioning to each of the riders and waiting for the applause to stop. Then he turned back to the crowd and continued on with the usual once again.

"Saral, wait up!" E'tero runs up to you, a smile on his face. "Want to come with me? I'm going to take a walk through the kitchens and see what they've got there before a start through some of the servant wings." His round face smiled back at you, and you could practically hear this stomach rumbling. E'tero was a good man, one you were glad to call your friend.
"No thanks, Eito." You smile, patting him on the shoulder. "I think I'm going to take a walk outside. All of this jabbering nonsense leaves me begging for some clean air." You give him a wink and start towards the doors. He laughs, then makes his own way towards the kitchens, shouting for Milang to wait for him.
You push through the doors and smile as the sun hits your face. If you had to stay in the Hall with V'lann and that Lord Holder much longer you would have had to let your blue Polth eat the Lord's prize runner so he'd never invite you back.
{{I would never do that.}} The dragon's words are harsh, but they are accompanied by a mental smugness that lets you know that he would if you asked. {{In fact, he's rather fat...}}
[[The Lord Holder or the runner?]] You laugh lightly at Polth's rumbling chuckle.
You walk around the outskirts of the stone walls, looking out over the fields as you do. Polth is sitting on the fire-heights, enjoying the warmth of the sun as you amble around. You remind yourself that you're supposed to be working.
{{No, I'm supposed to be. You're horrible at finding Candidates.}} Polth's mental chuckle makes you grin and shake your head.
[[I'm part of this pair, too, you know. Lead on, mighty Searcher. I can't find them unless you point them out.]]
{{Fine. Go around to the back of the Hold. There's an... interesting young woman there.}} Polth's words seem accompanied by a mental grin that's nothing short of evil.
You follow his directions hesitantly. He's never had to pause in his talking recently, and he doesn't do it often. You turn the corner and sniff the air, knowing that you're near the kitchens. The warm smell of baking bread wafts to you, and you smile as you take a deep breath.
{{There she is.}}
You see a young woman standing in the doorway to the back of the kitchens. She's very scraggly looking, dressed it what looks to you as more like rags than actual close. Her black hair is tied in a makeshift braid behind her head, though it's more of a knot than a braid. Her face is covered in smudges, as is most of her body, and her eyes are a dark brown underneath her narrow eyebrows. She sees you coming and looks at you curiously, you can see she is chewing something and she tries to smile at you. "G'day."
You nod your head, smiling back. [[Her?!]]
{{Yes, her.}}
"Merry meet." You keep smiling stepping up onto the small little porch that leads into the door. You lean against the opposite side of the doorframe, staring off at the fields.
She looks at you with her brown eyes, a slightly confused if not curious look on her face. "Do you need somethin'?"
You turn to look at her, not being able to help but to grin. "Well, now that you ask, yes I do. What's your name?"
Her look turns amused. "You're not going to find any of that here. We might be drudges," she nods her head into the door, and you can guess that it leads into the back kitchens where the drudges work, "but we're self-respecting ones."
You raise an eyebrow, then you catch what she means. You can't help but laugh as she gives you another confused look. "No, no. That's not what I meant. I'm weyrmated. I just want to know your name."
She nods slowly, and continues to chew on the small something in her mouth that you catch a glimpse of occasionally as she's been talking. "My name is Demire. Why do you want to know?"
"Nice to meet you, Demire." You pause, giving her a curious look. "I'm sorry, but what *is* that you're chewing on?"
She grins, then pulls it out and holds it out to you with two fingers. "It's a bit of sweetened sap. Exercises the jaw." She grins wryly. "Want some? It's actually pretty tasty." She sticks it back in her mouth and continues chewing.
You shake your head with a smile. "No thanks." You look out at the fields for another moment, thinking to yourself about why Polth would pick this girl. When you turn back she's still looking at you curiously. "Oh! Sorry." You grin at her. "I'm Saralana, rider of Blue Polth."
She nods her head, still looking at you oddly. Her thin eyebrows are jutting upwards, and her hands are crossed in front of her as she looks at you. "I remember. V'lann introduced you and the others at evening meal."
"You were there?" You bite your tongue and wish you could take back your words even as you say them, then grin at her a bit sheepishly.
She nods with an impish grin. "Some of us have to work before we get to serve ourselves."
You chuckle wryly, shaking your head. "You and J'simo would get along just swimmingly..."
"J'simo?" As you hear her voice, you realize you'd spoken a little louder than you'd meant.
"The Weyrlingmaster at Asura Weyr." You turn to look at her and find the amused look back on her face.
"Are you Searching me, bluerider?" She has an impish smile on her face as she looks at you, one that almost puts you in a fit of laughter just watching her.
"I suppose it looks that way, now doesn't it?"
She eyes you for a moment, silent as her brown eyes look at yours. She seems to be thinking, and she rocks back and forth against the wall. Finally, she stands upright and extends a hand to you. "Tell me when we leave."
"We leave when the wing is finished with their Searches." You smile back at her, putting your hand on hers and shaking it vigorously.
She snickers lightly, leaning back against the wall. "Come and get me when they're done, you can find me in the kitchens." She grins at you again, then ducks inside and disappears. "After all..." She turns back for a moment.
"It ain't as if I've got a lot to pack."