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Bhanhas smiled softly as he looked down at the Tarizal Weyrbowl. Here was another day that he had, another blessed day to go and keep out of the Lower Caverns. It was cloudy outside, but not raining, and not enough for his foster mother to protest that he stay inside and help kill the tunnelsnakes that were roaming wild in the new Tarizal. Since Tarizal had been moved and Bhanhas's mother, Rhone, had come to the new location, he had gone, as well. He was only 14 Turns and few people believed in his ability to make his own descisions. And they had good reason to. Bhanhas wasn't the smartest of the weyrbrats, and had been born with a problem that many said was related to his mother's recent traumatic experiance aboard her green Sayanth. He was slow to respond if someone spoke to him, although his movements were always extremely quick and sure, making him one of the better athlets at Tarizal. But he listened well, did what was asked of him, and really had no problems whatsoever with whatever anyone told him to do. And he was smart, too. Not that it showed in his physical appearance, but Bhanhas has a quick mind, if anyone would stick around long enough for him to get it out of his mouth. It was simply that no one ever did. 
That didn’t really sadden him, because he had his best friend (a blue firelizard named Speck) that was his constant companion, and the boy and his flit often got into quite alot of trouble. The best part about in in Bhanhas’s opinon was that he never got in trouble for it, even though he was entirely capable of taking responsibility. Maybe good things did come in strange packages.“Well,” he said slowly to Speck, “I think that today we oght’a go down to th’stables and s’f we can groom Stor. I think th’Midan would b’glad to let us d’it.” The firelizard creeled happily, spreading his wings and flapping them excitedly. The blue flit was entirely used to Bhanhas’s slurred speach, and anything that the boy said the firelizard could tell just by his emotions. The pair headed over to the stables, Bhanhas’s movements easy and smooth, and he nodded softly to a new rider. The new rider looked extremely surprised, and eventually managed a hasty nod back. He’d been told about Bhanhas, and the young weyrbrat knew from looking at the man that he was a holder. Otherwise he wouldn’t have acted with such surprise. Bhanhas’s favorite part of the whole Weyr was the stables. Even though most of the runners hadn’t arrived yet from the old location, the stable already smelled like horses, something that Bhanhas loved. To him, the smell of a horse was something that everyone should love, because it smelled absoloutely perfect. The musty smell was absoloutely overpowering, washing away all of the more confused, muddling smells of the Lower Caverns. Yes, it was perfect. With his right hand, Bhanhas brushed back one whisp of his dark brown hair. He was actually rather good looking, something that you wouldn’t have thought if you’d just heard about him. None of the female weyrbrats paid him much attention. For now that didn’t worry Bhanhas in the least. After all, he was only fourteen Turns, and some of the weyrbrats had begun to accept him. He had dark dirt-brown eyes that were much darker than his hair, and a tan skintone. All of that was accented by his tall and light frame, which probably aided to his quick motions. Bhanhas slipped into one of the stalls, where a bay stallion with a white star on his forhead pranced eagerly. He nudged Bhanhas with his nose, whickering into his hand. It was obvious what the horse wanted- he wanted to run. “Sorry, but I ca’let y’out. Y’understand, don’t ya?” Bhanhas asked softly, and Stor whickered again, making a throaty sort of whickering. “Was’a mat’r?” There was someone clearing their throat behind Bhanhas, and he turned around. It was a rider from Morning Star, no doubt. Some of Tarizal’s best riders had come from Morning Star- the first one that popped into Bhanhas’s head was Co’l, who had been a wingsecond for several Turns. “Are you Bhanhas?” the rider asked curiously. “My dragon said that you would be in here.” Bhanhas nodded, afraid that the rider wouldn’t want to speak to him any more if he spoke. “And he said that you’d make a fine Candidate for our clutch, too.” Bhanhas hesitated for a moment. “Than’ya, sir,” he said, fighting to keep his speech from slurring too much. Of course, it didn’t help. “I’m sorry a’out m’speech,” Bhanhas added. “B’I can’r’ly help i’much.” The Searchrider looked at Bhanhas for a moment. “It doesn’t matter if you can speak in the most eloquent matter or not speak at all, Bhanhas. Being a good rider means more than your looks or your speech or anything like that. Now, will you come?” Speck seemed rather set on the ‘yes’, and he continued to knock Bhanhas’s cheek with his nose until the weyrbrat finally answered, “Y’sir, I’d b’glad t’go.” Morning Star Weyr |