Name: Lady Chalhe

Gender: Female

Age/DOB: 14

Origin/Species: Alskyran, Human

Family:

Other: House Tsan-Nu

Height: 5'7"

Build: Muscular, thin

Hair: Strawberry Blond

Eyes: Brown

Appearance: Tan skin

Genetic Abilities:

Enhancements or Augmentations:

Image Credits: Elouai

Events or History: Ice High Aerie had been her intended destination

Story with Zhaeon formerly on riverpair.htm(l)

They came from different parts of Tsan Nu, but like all the House's inhabitants, they were used to a certain level of style and culture. Their parents had arranged their marriage long before they were old enough to know what that meant. Chalhe lived up on the hill, enjoying a terrific view of the fields of mulberry plants that were cultivated but also a secret tunnel into the mountainside itself. Through it, she would travel as a child collecting the beautiful shiny stones - some of which would become very valuable later on.

Zhaeon on the other hand grew up down on the plains where the exports were handled. The insular House kept its business practices on the inside, but their silks were unparalelled on the Isle if not on Alskyr. Interaction with outsiders was Zhaeon's job along with helping to load and unload the carts headed toward the Chagga port. He was quite good with animals as well as people, but he preferred the horses.

They met when they were ten years old, in a very formal and somewhat grand hall. Another few couples were being shown off to one another at this gather, they weren't alone in their bewilderment. But because she had been raised to be a proper Lady, Chalhe was gracious and polite, understanding that this was to be her future husband, and understanding that the network of parents alliances was now going to be stronger. Zhaeon on the other hand spent some time whining a little, because he was a bit shy around those within the House.

He held his hand out to the girl who was standing in front of him, shyly looking down at his feet. But when she gripped his hand warmly and said hello with her quiet voice, he turned his eyes up. Hers were dark and lovely, even when she was a child. They were filled with fear, but they were lovely.

"Do you like horses?" asked Zhaeon, hearing similar words from the other boys (and one of the girls) and figuring that it would at least break the ice. Chalhe smiled gently, and nodded.

"Do you like rocks?" she asked in return, and the rest of their afternoon was spent chatting about their respective hobbies. The other couples fared variously as well, but one was clearly not meant to be - as the boy began cackling and the girl ran crying out of the room.

***

Even though Chalhe encouraged Zhaeon to send her letters, he preferred to travel up the hillside on one of his family's horses. Chalhe knew that he could read, because Zhaeon always spoke about the information she'd given him in her letters. But it was hard to read his writing anyway, and try as she might Zhaeon's penmanship was atrocious. He came up to her family's home and instructed her servant to take care of the horse, while they went walking and talking.

It was one of the few times, their parents would recall, when an arranged marriage seemed to be of the greatest benefit to the children themselves. Chalhe became a little more outgoing and friendly around strangers, though she was definitely one to prefer being near ones of her status. Zhaeon learned to recognize many different heads of the House, not just the travellers and flunkies that they sent to have their goods transported.

Chalhe showed Zhaeon around their home casually, but then he could sense that there was something on her mind. Ever since she brought the first of the shining red and yellow stones to him, Zhaeon had been curious about them and where she'd found them. It took two years, they were barely thirteen now after their initial visits, but Zhaeon eventually learned of the tunnel into the caverns. There they spent hours and hours, not just looking at the pretty stones but wondering whether anyone else ought to find out.

"But it's my place," Chalhe said, sullenly. "I don't want lots of other people coming through here, it's too pretty."

Zhaeon took his bethrothed's hand, "That won't happen unless you want it to. Maybe when we're older." Zhaeon seemed to know what would make Chalhe happiest, and she'd grown to adore his slightly crosseyed face.

It surprised their parents when they made their own wedding announcement, they would be exchanging vows when they were fifteen or so, a year ahead of schedule.

***

All that was interrupted, however, when the searching riders from Caer Paniya arrived to Tsan Nu. As bond searchers they were allowed to ask anything of any House, Clan or Guild - and they asked that all teens be brought before the dragons. Chalhe and Zhaeon found each other through the group, and tried to remain near one another during the process.

"Don't be shy, step on out, we're sure that someone will get lucky today!" The rider was a boisterous, big-boned woman with a cream dragoness, who gazed upon the youth of the House with happy eyes. "How about you two?" she looked obviously at Zhaeon and Chalhe.

While Chalhe shrunk behind her partner, she would always be taller than he, and Zhaeon was curious about the dragon anyway. He had seen them flying over the House, sometimes carrying passengers and sometimes leading a merry chase with streamers, very rarely obviously going into combat with Ants or other threats. He tugged on Chalhe's hand, but she was hesitant.

"Chal? It's okay, we won't get searched," he said, but she shook her head and her eyes were wide with fear. "Chal?"

"I'm sorry, I'm scared of it, the dragon is so big..."

Zhaeon noticed her trembling, and turned to hug her. But the dragon nosed her way toward the pair, causing Chalhe to shrink even more behind her betrothed. "Well this is new," the rider, Eowelia, said. "Cytajhik says that you're both rider material, but ... is she going to be all right?"

"... Both of us are searched" Zhaeon said, turning and getting a face full of dragon nose. Cytajhik pulled away only after a good long sniff at him and his fiancee.

"Chalhe isn't cut out for this," Zhaeon said, "I mean, I like riding and that sort of work, but what would she do? She's terrified! Could you ... maybe back away a bit?" he indicated the dragoness, who seemed to be reasserting to her rider that yes - both - would be best to ride.

"Sorry, sorry, yes, come on back, Cyta," Eowelia tugged on the dragon's elbow. "Maybe there's something more to this... Cyta's rarely wrong about people, maybe you're just not cut out for dragoning. There are other options you know," she nudged by the cream, who practically ignored anyone else that came near. "What about the gryphons?"

Chalhe managed to find her voice, "I have never seen a gryphon close up," she admitted. "But the dragon frightens me so. I ... I don't even know why."

"Well then I'll try and get one of the Aerie riders to come along," Eo mentally announced that her dragon needed to get on that. While it seemed obvious that it ought to be a great event, that two of Tsan Nu's own were searched... They were miserable about it.

They would be separated. They would be in danger. Riding meant hazards that not even an ornery horse could give. And what about this business about 'an aerie'? The Aerie was completely separate from the Caer, wasn't it? These were the words passing between the pair, worried, hushed. The Aerie rider finally arrived, an elder woman with a strong hawk-type gryphon. She clucked her tongue and looked at the two of them.

"Now now, there is no need to get all emotional..." she said, which had a different effect than she expected. Chalhe burst out into tears, and Zhaeon stood by her with his chest out and chin set.

"We can't be separated like this, we're supposed to be married next year!" Zhaeon asserted.

"You will not have to, but she," Tirin glanced sternly at the girl, "will have to learn some self control around dragons. Frightened or not, you're searched, so you will be living around dragons or gryphons for the rest of your lives."

With a gasp Chalhe said, "No! No I can't live somewhere else, I've ... This is my home! I will be in charge of our family's dealings! And my--"

"Child," Tirin spoke with the authority of one who had dealt with this sort of thing on a regular basis, "Your family and House will still have you. But you will be around your bond for the rest of your life. Whether that is a dragon or gryphon, you will be needed on the dunes or at an aerie. When you are able, you will be granted your leave to return home. Do you understand now?" She tilted her head and smiled a little more gently, "The dragons are certainly a little more intimidating than the gryphons, don't you think?"

It was true, Chalhe took note once she'd wiped the hot tears from her eyes, that the heavy, feathered gryphon standing beside Tirin proudly did have a feel of comfort, and eventually she reached up to touch the beak. Malice cooed, fluffing her feathers.

"She is very pretty," Chalhe said with a sniffle. "I wouldn't feel so bad with someone like you around."

Zhaeon began to smile. "So... we could come back to the House? I ... have heard of such things - wait, there was that girl at Chagga people were talking about!" he described a gryphonner named Rudo, who had apparently come back not only from an Aerie with a gryphon, but went on to her Guild to broaden her agricultural skills, then went to work on the hillside by her own family's home. "But I've never seen a dragon down here, they stay at the Caer, don't they?"

"Not all of them," Eowelia said, "When the Protectorate came, they brought dragons that ... well, they don't get along with ours much. They live in the cliffsides by the sea, and even in the outskirts of House Dawnlight and Paveh. I'm sure that you could arrange something here too. There is a lot of space."

"A dragon could deliver dozens more silk rolls than a caravan," said Zhaeon.

"A gryphon would be able to help protect the ... the mine," Chalhe said, admitting what the riches really were aloud for the first time. "So... I suppose we should pack?"

"Pack warmly," Tirin suggested, "Aeries are chilly, windy places."

Eowelia added to Zhaeon, "I see you're a rider by your stance, you should make an excellent dragonner, as long as your future wife here doesn't vanish every time it comes near..."

Eventually they would be able to laugh about that, for now, they were left excited and not a little scared. They learned they were to head off to Belrin Isle, a place where they both knew silks from Tsan-Nu and coffee from Chagga were imported. Now all that was left was to secure their place once they returned... And get in as much cuddling as they could on the journey because they would be separated longer than they'd like, for the duration...

Bond

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