Dylria wasn't too sure about standing for dragons. The shame she felt whenever she got sick riding with her father was worse than actually getting so dizzy she couldn't keep her food down. And how they had tried to get her to get over it... from the moment she could understand what a dragon even was, D'nih wanted to take his little girl up - maybe... make up for her issues after that fire. It was no good. Several dragons had sniffed her out, she was of the right temperment otherwise to ride a dragon, but she absolutely did not do well even sitting on bronze Beckth's shoulders. Standing at her father's weyr ledge too, that was... exciting. And by exciting, that meant "going to have to clean up again". When she was older and understood even more about dragon riding, even the Weyrwoman saw how white her tanned skin got at the mention of flying in a formation.

It wasn't unheard of, to have a rider who barely rode. There were a few dragons who were even too small to really ride? But that was irrelevant - it was the height, not the method, that mattered the most. Determined, however, to be more than just another tailor or servant in the Weyr, Dylria made an effort to at least help out with the dragons as best she could. Mucking weyrs? Done. Supplying the firestone baskets for the field training of fledges, done. She knew the drills, she even knew formations.

But she would never know joy, in the air. It was always a blur of fear, sickness, dizziness, and shock. She did not long for the skies, like her youngest brother did. He was truly the son of riders, after all, not half-and-half, and he clearly belonged on a dragon some day. She was all but resigned to frustration or worse, until...

"They have whers," D'nih said, showing his daughter a printed page that had a map and star chart. "I can take you there and back, if you can stand the travel just... long enough?"

He was so very hopeful, so earnest. She looked over the information: a place called Dawn Watch, they'd only barely heard of it, and it wasn't through typical channels.

"Maybe knock me out first," Dylria sighed, but she was smiling. She did have a way then, to help her Weyr!

***

They didn't have to knock her out, she passed out along the way, thankfully right as the bronze dragon landed, and also thankfully she had a death-grip around her father's waist at the time. The wherling coordinator Helynai looked both surprised and harried, as the bronze rider hefted his daughter over his shoulder like a sack of firestone. But he had a broad smile on his face, "she'll be fine, just don't expect her to take a tour of your weyr's Heights."

It didn't take very long for the girl to rouse herself, and she was immeasurably relieved to be back on solid ground once more. And just in time, too. She had classes to attend for the care and training of these whers - and they were positively lovely ones too. Within a few weeks at most, the odd collected clutch of varied eggs began to break shell, and though it was incredibly chilly in this very-early-morning hatching. But that's the thing about being a Weyrbrat at Dragonhope: it was always cold like this there! She hardly noticed!

What she had noticed when these whers began to come from their shells, was that they... had fur? They were definitely different all right! And furry whers would be quite warm in her own home weyr!

(from hatching)

While a bronze went off, a blue was looking worriedly at one of the smallest eggs. He snuffled at one in particular, seeming to listen closely to it for a time before turning and heading over to one particular candidate. Dylria. Dylrisk has task. Come help? He implored the young woman, who was quite happy to follow her newly bonded blue back to the smallest egg.

Knowing what was contained within, Sylden had hurried forward and was waiting for them with a awl. She had hoped she'd solved the egg thickening problem, but apparently not if one of the hatchling was seeking assistance from a candidate for the hatchling within the egg.

It took a single strong blow to break the egg in twain, a little white body spilling directly into Dylria's lap. Hello Dylria, The white said, Am Riask. They turned bright eyes on the blue who hovered anxiously beside them. Thank you Dylrisk. Did good. They said softly.

***

"They are amazing, aren't they?" Dylria said, her mind filled with the chatter between her whers. Her father was still wondering what it was like to have not one but two bonds, but so proud of his daughter for having found her new niche.

"The weyr will be well protected," D'nih hugged her, "and they're perfectly suited to their new den, just like you are."

The pair of young whers had yet to show off their full adult plumage, but they were already popular among the lower caverns staff: keeping the rodents and pests at a minimum and both of them careful enough to avoid any bumping or jostling of the staff while they were there. As a trio they patrolled the whole of the main Weyr, the secondary peak fit for the newer riders (her brother would certainly roost there when he impressed) wasn't needing much of this action.

Just wait, Dylrisk is sure if is food, will need us protect! Dylrisk asserted.

Riask has idea... Riask's mind had images of lining halls with small bits of spare scraps, and waiting to pounce on the inevitable pests.

"I don't think that we would be able to take out all of them," Dylria said, "but I think... maybe we could set them out as traps, and patrol those parts first. A good idea my little Riask!"

The white wher purred proudly and their clutch sibling seemed giddy to get this process moving.

**

"I think you might want to gear up and pass out," D'nih said, holding a printed-out piece of paper toward his wher-handler daughter. He significantly looked more toward the steely-blue-white Riask when he said, "there's this thing, a Flurry, winter type dragon flight and a big hatching."

"Dragon type," Dylria said before she read the information on the page. "I've two whers, father, not-" then she did see. "I... have ... never seen such beautiful images," there were pictures, someone had provided a few as examples of those hatched in prior events. Some fairly normal types, others... much different with multiple heads, many wings, no wings, and some... feathery with fur, like her beloved little whers!

"It's suitable for winter," she said while showing those same pictures off to the white polar wher. "Did you... perhaps want to go and see if there's a male ... or ... I mean, is there..."

Or a female! Male mate mostly, the wher confirmed, but there was a strange background thought that Dylria correctly interpreted as 'unless...'

Even though she was a wher handler, and not a dragon rider, Dylria was still a rider's daughter and still had talents that had suited her father's profession - she learned how to read star charts, though had never really had cause to use them until now. And since this was something distributed to Pern, star chart teleportation was the only way they knew how!

Dylrisk would come too, but he would not be participating unless someone really thought so highly of 'just a blue' - a blue with feathers and fur, though. He'd be happy to watch though, and watch their eggs should any appear.

Name: Dylrisk Title: The Gift of the Gab Blue Pronunciation: dil-rii'sk
Species: Polar Wher
Gender: Male / Chaser
Color: Pale icy blue, as adult has darker teal-blue markings on legs, back and tail, backs of wings, and face
Colour Codes: #A2DDF4 | #4B7A8C
Size: 5' at the shoulder | 15' long
Parents: Genetically Engineered
Abilities: Telepathy - has a very strong grasp of human-like language, though he sometimes doesn't understand technical terms or too-quick speech, he can definitely convey his moods and ideas with accuracy
Gliding - with feathered wings the Polar whers may have an edge in theory, but they also have very heavy bodies and a bit more chub than typical whers do, so it kind of balances out. However he's pretty good at finding the right wind conditions and airspace to fall from, glide down, and then teleport back into the air to do it with hardly a touch to the ground
Teleportation - he has dared to use this power while in motion but only outdoors. He'd rather not crash into a wall or find himself stuck between floors but he is pretty talented when gliding, can come out at a different altitude and continue his glide even longer than if he'd just started high
Telekinesis - Dylrisk uses this power to strongly extend his gliding when needed, or even give himself a boost in speed along ice, which is everywhere!
Heat and Radiation Sensing - his particular breed is capable of sensing the body heat and general location of warm-blooded animals, or fires and sometimes machinery with special whiskers. Though his secondary sense of radioactivity is hardly in use, he does sense a few places around that may have naturally occurring sources of radiation such as limestone deposits bearing uranium
Personality: Cheerful | Outgoing | Hardworking | Relaxed
Sociability: definitely! not aggressively so but definitely will not hesitate to step right up to strangers and sniff them over
Intelligence: reasonably clever, though not markedly brilliant, he can follow instructions well
Mating: hasn't found the right mate, but maybe some day!
Threadfighting: what's that?
Other: enjoys the attention that he gets from everyone, not just his bond or sibling, but is careful not to overstep with people who aren't comfortable or overstay his welcome with those beyond his bond
Bonded to: Dylria (Zekiran)