Aphrael, Lifemate to Blue Prefeth at Benden Weyr.
Pre History - Before PernMUSH
Aphrael was born at Ruatha River Hold to farmer and part-time runner breeder father Jeolyn and amateur healer mother Loriana. She has a brother Jelorian (two years her junior) and a cousin Tissaren with whom she spent her childhood. At around 16 Turn
s old she rescued a drowning kitten from the river near the cothold where she lived with her family. The kitten, called Paw, was her companion as she journeyed in search of an appreticeship. She never made it to any craft hall, ending up at Ruatha Hold, and following her father's footsteps by becoming a farmer.
Ruatha Hold, July - December 1995
While at Ruatha Hold, she met her future fiancee, Dagronn, who was later posted to Ruatha Hold as a Journeyman Miner. One night, while busily trying to organise their wedding, the two heard a commotion in the courtyard of Ruatha Hold, and went to inv
estigate. Two dragons from Benden Weyr had appeared from between, R'val and blue Vidarth and K'nan and green Veyath.
Many of the residents (including Aphrael) were awed and more than a little frightened. And when the riders offered to take them for a ride adragonback! Well, Aphrael jumped at the chance, though she was openly frightened as Veyath rose up into the sk
y, circling high above her hold. Her first time between left her rather speechless, but somewhat less fearful of the beautiful dragons that protected Pern. She became good friends with K'nan and Veyath over the next few sevendays, and invited them to
the wedding due to take place soon.
Things were complicated when on the wedding day, the groom did not show up. No one knows exactly what happened after that, but Dagronn and Aphrael separated and refuse to talk about the subject. Aphrael moved into room with some other friends and too
k up the duties as the Hold's Assistant Headwoman. During this time she took on two fosterlings, Breana and Martigan.
In hindsight Aphrael admits her days before Impressing Prefeth are mostly hazy. Not all though - she does remember with great fondness the times that Veyath and K'nan would visit the hold. Spending a great deal of time together, the three of them wou
ld often end up alone, awake at the dead hours of the morning when the rest of the Hold would be sound asleep.
Search at Ruatha Hold, Late December 1995
By this time, the appearance of the Benden riders and their dragons had become commonplace in the Hold. Most times it was K'nan and Veyath; this time it was Kerlyn and blue Sorath along with Elyandra and green Zibrith. Not on a social visit though, t
hey were looking for K'nan, who had been absent from Benden Weyr. He wasn't there that night, and the two riders were ready to leave when they paused, speaking to each other. Kerlyn turned, informing the occupants of the Hall that the dragons had fou
nd someone suitable for Search.
Aphrael had been through this before - during Ista's Clutching the dragons had Searched and taken four people from Ruatha for their clutch, she expectedsome to be taken for Benden's too. The last thing she expected was for HER to be Searched though!
e moment she was chatting, the next the huge green tail of Zibrith had wrapped itself around her and wouldn't let her go until she had accepted Search. Like she'd refuse! Overwhelmed, she was taken to Benden Weyr, the first candidate to arrive.
Candidacy at Benden Weyr, December - January 1995
Unsure how to act in this new and strange place, at first Aphrael had trouble with her chores and didn't settle in well. Soon however, as more candidates arrived, she make friends and began to enjoy herself. Was she ever surprised when she found she
knew some of them - Meli, Kassima and Thera she has all known before she had been Searched. 76 candidates ended up being Searched for a clutch of 30 eggs - and Aphrael getting in tro
uble, ending up with extra duties more times than she could count!
Then late one evening, after duties, she and her fellow candidates were more than a little confused at the humming sound that began to reverberate off the walls of the living cavern. Not the riders though - they'd been through this before, and quickl
y herded the white faced candidates into the barracks and into their robes, and from there, out onto the sands of the hatching grounds..
Hatching at Benden Weyr, 25th January 1995
Walking out onto the sands close behind Meli and Kassima, Aphrael was overawed. They'd been onto the sands before to touch the eggs - but this time it was different. The eggs were rocking, the stands and ledges filled, and the sands.. they were so HO
T! And all the candidates with barefeet. Watching axiously, she smiled and cheered along with the others as first T'ren and blue Sinith found each other, then L'nay and brown Palith, and Kassima and green Lysseth. About half the eggs had hatched by t
his time, and she could almost see herself walking off the sands, alone.
Then a beautiful, if less than graceful blue appeared. Aphrael's attention slightly diverted as a loud candidate began yelling, she almost didn't notice as the dragon headed her way - then she felt it. A hunger filling her every fibre and the sudden
knowledge she would no longer be alone. A voice in her head, telling her that her lifemate Prefeth has found her, and that they would be together always. Stunned, she was helped to the edge
of the sands, almost unable to believe that it had even happened, until the voice of her lifemate would once again made itself known.
Slowly the other weyrlings joined her - Ursa and brown Spineth, T'lar and bronze Nicoth, Maarie and green Zuseth and Meli and green Juliath. Helped to the weyrling barracks - their new home - the weyrlings fell asleep together, with their lifemates.<
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Weyrlinghood at Benden Weyr, Late January - Late March 1996
Aphrael enjoyed her weyrlinghood immensely, as much as she denied it at the time. How could she not, with beautiful voice of her lifemate to keep her going. Of course the constant mucking, washing, oiling, feeding, chores, exercises, training and les
sons all took their toll. But the splashfights
during bathing, the other weyrlings - all now counted close friends - and the promise of things to come kept her going.
Slowly the time passed, the weyrling dragons grew larger, and began to fly. Although not going higher than a dragon length on their first ever flight, the sensation of fying together with her lifemate was overwhelming, and one she will not likely for
get soon.
Graduation at Benden Weyr, Early April 1996
For well nearly two Turns, Aphrael and her lifemate, blue Prefeth, had been living in the weyrling barracks, with 29 other weyrlings and their dragons. She could barely her luck when T'nnar asked her to join his wing, Skyfire, on graduation night. Fi
nally, she was an official rider! This meant an end to those /chafing/ weyrling rules, a weyr of her own (well, with her weyrmate K'nan, and his lifemate green Veyath, as well as their fosterchild Breana) and more privacy than she'd had in well over
two Turns!
Post-Graduation at Benden Weyr, Early April - Present 1996
Aphrael's time is divided between her love for her lifemate, weyrmate and fosterchild. Along with all the other brave riders in her wing, she and her lifemate fight thread, do sweep duties, and run errands exhaustively. Athough she doesn't get much m
e sleep then she did during weyrlinghood, though for different reasons, she enjoys the greater freedom of a rider.
She and Prefeth often go out and stumble across firelizard clutches; everyone seems to think its a gift Prefeth has, but Aphrael suspects otherwise, nevertheless, her fair seems to keep growing. Recently Aphrael was accepted as a Dragonhealer in Trai
ning for Skyfire Wing, of which she's rather proud.
