Doll by Dolldivine

Name: Mezuma (meh-ZOOM-ah) (Z'uma)

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Origin: Commoner, born second with an older brother and two younger sisters, only the girls were born after their parents wed

Height: 6'1

Build: muscular, extremely healthy

Skin: light yellowish

Hair: strawberry blond, fluffy, neck-length

Eyes: forest green

Personality: rude but generous, focused, a completionist, somewhat vain

History: born to serve House Olak, given tasks of arranging rooms and keeping the peace. Found Osetesi's company to be far more enjoyable than other lordlings and certainly more so than his brother's. Though he flirts with any pretty girl, his actual affection seems to be focused only on 'Tesi. He is skilled with a handstaff as well as runner riding, but perhaps only learned those things to keep up with 'Tesi as he would wander the wilderness alone. Mezuma is actually very protective of his friend, worried in a genuine way about what might happen to him if things went wrong. Mezuma's family is generally more accepting of their relationship than 'Tesi's is. His family too is also quite happy with the fact that he was Searched - though a bit selfishly his brother has joked about having a room to himself now that Mezuma is a candidate.

Candidate at: Aneris Weyr

Mezuma was thrilled to listen to the Search riders talk about their own moments of glory - from impression to fighting Thread, to watching their dragons participate in mating flights. It was all pretty amazing. All his life Mezuma had wanted to explore more of the world than this Hold could offer, but his duties to the Lords and Ladies had to come first. Was that why he was generally so sharp with them if he deigned to open his mouth?

It was his good looks and generous nature, and the fact that if he was given a task he did complete it, that kept him from being beaten or shunned even after he'd let loose a curse on a nearby Lordling. Some of those Lords valued him for that brutal honesty; the approach he took was blunt, fair, and generally accurate. Girls would gossip about what he'd said about their superiors, Ladies would confirm it.

And though he loved hearing the echoes of his somewhat mean spirited jibes down the halls, he hardly ever stopped anyone from saying what they would about himself. They said he was an unconsionable flirt - and he was, he enjoyed chatting and dancing, namedropping and socializing. They said he was a bit rough, a brute in a fight - and he was, never let it be said he was weak.

He was in almost every way, his best friend Osetesi's opposite. He was strongly built and kept his hair reasonably short where 'Tesi was tall, lean and long in every visual way. Mezuma might lack the natural charm that 'Tesi gave off, but he certainly held himself together in crowded rooms, dancing with whoever wandered past and talking up elder and youth alike - while poor 'Tesi clung to the walls like he could become stone himself. And of course, they were disparate in rank, though not so much that Mezuma's family might be mistaken for drudges. They were still paid for their work, they still had skills well beyond the mentally-lacking drudges that House Olak kept around.

He could afford nice clothing, and that was good because he didn't want to show up at a Weyr in rags. Though most Harpers would try and set things straight, everyone believed the stories of low-class commoners being Searched and coming to a hatching wearing nothing but their shoddy work clothes. Of course, he didn't have the same level of style that 'Tesi did, at least not usually. They couldn't share clothing - not like some of the Ladies did with their hand maids who were all just about the same size and build. The tall Osetesi would hardly be able to pass along his ruffled shirts to the burly Mezuma: they would be long enough to pose as night clothes!

They did share their nights, though, secretly. Mezuma worried about his friend's habit of denying it - but then again he was the elder son of the Lord Holder. It wouldn't 'do' to have this get out. That younger brother though... 'Tesi had to beg Mezuma not to rough Olseket up, preventing him from talking about their behaviors to the Holders.

But now it didn't matter. Now, they would go to a Weyr, and they could live as they would! Perhaps then 'Tesi would come out of his shell - he hoped. Even if they didn't Impress, Mezuma considered life at a Weyr might be much more interesting. Quicker paced, less reading and rule following. He could serve in the same manner, anywhere. What 'Tesi would be doing though... Well, Mezuma couldn't even bring himself to think what might happen if he didn't Impress. He couldn't go back to the Hold - not when Olseket had already laid claim to the inheritance.

Mezuma spent a lot of time pondering 'Tesi. It was perhaps the one thing that he'd never allow to be gossiped about, but only because it would hurt 'Tesi. He didn't care whether the young Ladies or Hold girls cried when he left them after a night dancing and fooling around. The only person he wanted to really have near him, listen to in the wee hours, debate or discuss frivolous things with... it was 'Tesi.

He didn't have to really say anything about it, after they'd gathered their belongings and packed up to be brought to the Weyr. Osetesi was only miserable if he thought about that wretched ticking box of his - stolen by who knew who just a few sevendays before. As they settled into the Weyr routine, 'Tesi still dwelled on that thing, even though he ought to be reveling in the fact that they were going to be standing!

Mezuma did the best he could, whenever they could be alone, to alleviate his friend of those worries. Whether that came in the form of a sly wink in the Candidate Classes, or passionate physical reminders in an isolated bath chamber, it was all the same to Mezuma. The smile on 'Tesi's face was worth it either way. Plus the taller boy could still help him with those damnable charts - neither of them would ever be able to cleanly write anything of complexity, but only 'Tesi could make the charts make sense to him. Perhaps he might make a good tutor, more comfortable with a single person at a time...?

Well those thoughts needed to be put aside. They would stand, perhaps they would fly!

***

The pair had been at Aneris for a short time, trying to fit in was 'Tesi's hardest effort, but obviously Mezuma had his background of service to help him out. They'd made some friends, but would those friendships last if the other candidates didn't Impress? Or if they did, and Mezuma and his friend didn't? No time to think about that, for the moment, because the dragons had started humming. Everyone was hustled out to the sands, donning their white candidacy robes.

Mezuma had wondered about those robes, but it was 'Tesi that had figured it out based on their classes. The dragons, he claimed, needed fewer distractions. If they saw only the faces, the focus of their attention could be better harnessed. The pair stayed close to one another, but Mezuma knew this could be hard. He knew they might not Impress, but more than that he worried that one of them would, while the other remained bondless.

As the stands began to fill, the larger egg began to rock furiously. A few of the others were also moving, but the larger one was determined to hatch first.

The egg finally rolled its way off the mound that Lianith had built around it and neatly split in quarters. A chocolate brown head emerged from the shards. He shook his head to dislodge the remaining shell pieces.

The brown glanced around the cavern tempted to wander off before the need to Impress drove him toward the group of candidates, and he began to survey them. He paced back and forth in front of the line and paused for a moment to consider a girl. He stared at her before moving on. Finally he stopped in front of a young man with strawberry blonde hair.

Mezuma looked down at the dragon and smiled. His entire face lit up and he stole a glance at 'Tesi. "His name is Ortinith," he announced. Privately he felt the brown's mind fill his own with its hungry and distinct melody: and you are Z'uma to me. Mine! And getting me some food!

It was obvious that Z'uma wanted to show off to his friend, but the hunger and the pressing call from the nearby riders to get that little dragon fed won out. He would find out just in a few minutes that 'Tesi had impressed too!

***

Z'uma was much stronger in the air than many riders, clinging to his weyrling as they sped over the heads of the other dragons. Of course, that was followed by an immediate grounding by the Weyrling master, but... it was worthwhile!

'Tesi congratulated him, "Ainath is happy too," he pointed at his green who had yet to work up the bravery to try her own wings in flight. Let alone: flight with 'Tesi! Ortinith was large, aggressively pursuing anything that caught his curiosity, but still he had his moments. He could easily be shouted down from a fight by a loud dragon call, but he'd be back at his exploration soon enough.

***

Ortinith gave a snort, no growling or even bellowing would make him back down. Why would he? His clutch mate was not interested in the blue's advances, therefore the blue needed to give her some space!

"It's funny, he defends her like they're partners," 'Tesi said.

"They are partners," Z'uma purred.

If there had ever been any doubt in the minds of those apt to watch them, Z'uma was unabashedly apt to pull the greenrider close and administer rather passionate kisses to him. Of course, it embarrassed 'Tesi to no end, but it also was ridiculously fulfilling. What else was enjoyable, came as something of a surprise to the pair.

Ortinith almost always knew just where to be, while fighting Thread, but more than that, he had a sense of when another dragon was injured. To that end, Z'uma and he began to work their way through a difficult and sometimes sad education about dragon health and healing. Z'uma was hardly squeamish, to him, the wounds that a man could take were far less brutal than those of a dragon. Threadscore was one thing, but there were fire injuries, spearing on sharp objects in storms or in a confused flight, the occasional attack by a beast. Dragon wounds had to be tended carefully. It was left to more focused hands to do that healing, but during Thread or out and about, Z'uma and his big brown became known as a sort of search and rescue team.

He was big enough that with some effort, a blue or green injured in Threadfall could be clutched by his powerful forelimbs and flown if betweening wasn't an option. The bravery of the pair didn't go unnoticed by the folk of the Weyr, of course. And 'Tesi being the center of the brown rider's attention had left a few others miffed. Not that he wouldn't pay any attention to the girls, green riders in particular - if Ortinith flew with them, he'd be there for the rider, but only for the duration. Always, he returned to his heart's desire.