We have arrived!

[Skye]

Kimber sat down her pack and looked around, her deep blue eyes wide as she took in the sights of the shared female candidate's barrack. Beside her Emberlyn rolled her eyes and set her pack on the cot beside her sister's "Its just a barrack room Kimber," she muttered with a shake of her head.

Kimber sniffed down at her sister and made a face at her "But its a new place Emberlyn!" she exclaimed before sitting on the edge of her chosen cot.

Emberlyn crossed her arms "It still doesn't change the fact that I don't want to be here sister dear," she said with a frown as she looked down at her sister. Kimber shook her head and sighed "But Ember, the Search rider said his dragon thought you had the potential to be a rider. I thought Mom and Dad sorted it all out with you!" Kimber said in exasperation. Emberlyn wrinkled her nose and looked away from her twin.

They were indeed twins, looking very much like each other, but with a few differences. Emberlyn was two inches shorter then Kimber and her hair was black as well, but more glossy then her sister's whose was a deep midnight black. Kimber still had some baby fat, where as Emberlyn had developed her womanly figure. Also where as Kimber was ecstatic about being Searched as a candidate, Emberlyn was forcefully Searched, not at all wanting to be there.

Emberlyn sighed and rubbed her right temple with a ink stained hand "I'll try to get used to it Kimber," she muttered.

Kimber smiled brightly and stood, hugging her sister. She stepped back and looked thoughtfully toward the door way, where two canines were sniffing about "Do you think the others will mind our canines being here?" she asked, not wanting to be without her beloved Dazzle. Emberlyn shrugged "I guess we'll find out," she said, looking at her own Razzle.

Kimber knelt down and the snowy white canine with a splotch of reddish brown along her back happily came over and licked her owner's face, tail wagging contentedly. The other canine was a smoky gray with darker gray spots on her belly. The two canines had a sleek build, long legged and trim, breed from running stock and it showed.

Emberlyn smiled softly as she scratched Razzle behind the ears "If they don't like it, then I will sleep outside with Razzle," she said.

Kimber sighed and shook her head. but decided not to say anything.

[Kitari]

((Haha, Brinne is going to tear your girls up... She's nice on the inside, really!))

"You silly feline," Brinne huffed, striding down the corridor back to the Candidates' Quarters. The sleek, young calico feline was locked in her iron, yet loving, grip, purring and eyeing an escape over the girl's shoulder all the while. Ever since the pair had arrived at Araelen, it had become the delight of Sphinx to dart out of the Quarters every time the door opened, at which point he would spend the free hours he managed to scrounge exploring every nook and cranny of the Weyr. This was highly disconcerting for the candidate, for although confident with the prospects of her new surroundings, Brinne never really let her guard down, except with animals. Especially sweet little Sphinx. She had been lucky to sweet talk that Searchrider into bringing him with her.

Thus, Brinne had spent many a frenzied morning searching for the little pest, shirking chores in order to discover his latest hiding place, which of course resulted in 'make-up' chores lasting into the evening. It cut greatly into her free time (which she would have liked to spend hunting down men), but she couldn't bear to lose Sphinx. He was worth it...for now.

The girl laughed softly, stroking the fur that hesitantly inched toward her shoulder. He was a pest, to be sure. At least his company was better than most of the girls she was forced to bunk with, though. She had never connected much with those of the same sex, for her attentions had fallen elsewhere to a large extent. After all, other females were simply competition, and Brinne had little patience for their bravado. She was far too mature for their silly little dramas.

With that, Brinne finally entered the Quarters. The presence of two new girls who looked strangely similar, though with obvious differences, caused her dainty brow to arch slightly. This only gave her a moment of pause, though, as she closed the door and moved to brush past them. Suddenly, her eyes locked on the two large canines, and she froze. Sphinx was blisfully unaware so far, fixated as he was on escape. Slowly, Brinne's eyes raised from the canines to the girls.

"What are those things doing in here?" she hissed, her lip curling in disgust. After all, she much preferred felines to canines.

[Skye]

((Heh, I'm sure she is. ))

Emberlyn looked up when she heard the door shut and arched an eyebrow slightly at the words that came out of the girls mouth. She sighed and looked down at Kimber who was frowning, oh this wouldn't end good she thought to herself as Kimber stood.

"Well, hello to you too," Kimber said sweetly as she bowed politely "I am Harper Apprentice Kimber and this is my sister Scribe Apprentice Emberlyn," she introduced them cheerfully, but Emberlyn could still see the anger snapping in her sister's eyes.

Emberlyn nodded politely "That is a lovely feline you have," she said softly before Kimber stepped infront of her. Emberlyn sighed and knelt down beside Razzle, still meaning what she said about sleeping in the hall with her canine, she would probably be better company then this little asp that had arrived any way.

Kimber smiled brightly "It is indeed a beautiful feline!" she exclaimed and motioned behind her back for Dazzle to sit, which the dog did obediently "Its good to know that they allow pets in the barracks, my sister and I were just wondering if they did. I promise you Razzle and Dazzle could care less about felines, having grown up with them and all, and they won't chase yours," she said cheerfully, all the while watching for Brinne's reaction.

Emberlyn sighed and hugged Razzle close, the canine sitting at her silent command, looking up at Brinne curiously.

[Kitari]

A sniff was Brinne's only immediate response to the other girls, as she continued to eye the beastly canines while glancing around the Barracks for aid. Of course, there was no one else in there. She wondered if she ought to go to the Candidatemaster about this, but that might have compounding effects other than the one she intended. The girl hadn't asked permission to keep her feline in the Barracks; she had simply decided that she would, and if a superior ever came to object, Brinne had planned on sweet talking her way out of it (assuming the Candidatemaster was a man).

Thus, she could not turn to authority in this matter. Either she would have to convince the girls to remove their canines (although from the look of one girl's attachment, that was unlikely), or accept the presence of those creatures in the Barracks. That would all depend on Sphinx's reaction. If he was willing to tolerate the beasties, then Brinne decided she would be, too.

The candidate chose to ignore the introductions, caring little for their past training. Brinne had been an Apprentice Weaver, but it wasn't something she was about to go boasting about. It had been more of a hobby for her than anything, as her main goal in life had been to marry a Lord Holder, but now she was to be a dragonrider. What did anyone's past have to do with that? They would all either Impress and begin a new life at Araelen Weyr or fail and return to their Crafts. Brinne would Impress, of that, she was certain.

The compliments to her feline served to soothe Brinne's upset somewhat, for her vanity always appreciated acknowledgment. She quickly decided that the kneeling girl, Emberlyn or whatever, was much more to her liking. That other girl was far too imperious for Brinne's tastes. In her own little world, only she deserved to be haughty or demanding. This was partly why she had such difficulty getting along with other girls.

"We'll let Sphinx decide that," she sniffed, backing away from the canines some distance before peeling the feline off her shoulder. Cautiously, Brinne set the kitten down, ready to snatch it back up and bolt out the door if necessary. It seemed she had misjudged the feline's upbringing, however. Living in a barn, the feline had been exposed to all manner of animals, and these canines were not intimidating in the least compared with the giant dragon that had transported both human and feline to Araelen Weyr. Sphinx paid them no attention, choosing to jump up on Brinne's bed, which was right there, and curl up in a purring little ball.

"Well, then," Brinne huffed, somewhat disappointed that Sphinx hadn't been afraid. "I better not find those creatures anywhere near my bed! I certainly don't want canine drool all over my furs." It was a last attempt to exert some control on a situation beyond her control, for the girl felt that losing her aggression would concede defeat. "I'm Brinne, by the way," she added, in a slightly less hostile tone. Then, out of curiousity, "What colour do you plan to Impress?"

[Skye]

Emberlyn let out a silent sigh of relief when the feline didn't go nuts at the sight of the canines. She nuzzled her cheek against the top of Razzle's head then stood so the other two wouldn't have to look down at her. She had started to speak to answer Brinne's question, but Kimber beat her to it. She shook her head and allowed her twin to speak.

Kimber smiled "Its very nice to meet you Brinne," she said cheerfully, though she felt a little disappointed that the whole situation hadn't escalated, but perhaps it was a good thing she didn't really want to get in trouble with the Candidatemaster their first day here. At Brinne's question she brightened up and smiled even more widely if that was possible, her blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm "I would love to impress a blue!" she said without a moment's hesitation.

She laughed softly and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face "They are so lovely especially with the vibrant range of colors they come in," she said with a soft day dreamy sigh.

Emberlyn rolled her eyes at her sister, but couldn't blame her. As much as Emberlyn didn't want to be at the weyr she did want to stand on the sands to see if she stood a chance of impressing, but she had loftier day dreams of a color to impress. She looked at Brinne and decided against saying anything about her wish to impress the gold, she didn't want another confrontation with the girl if they could avoid it.

"I promise that Razzle and Dazzle will leave your belongings alone and they won't be left in the room without us, they hate being cooped up by themselves," she reassured the other girl with a small smile, the first since her arrival. She looked down slightly as if in thought about her question before speaking "I'm not sure what color I'd like to impress. I'd am just honored to have the opportunity to stand for the upcoming clutch," she answer, it was the truth with only a small admission on her part. She looked back up to meet the other girl's eyes and smiled softly.