The sun was shining, and there were dragons everywhere. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling her curly auburn hair.

She, like her father J'kosh, was tall, and like him, she was strong in body and in will. When she set her mind to things, they got done, and quickly. She doesn't often take 'the easy way out,' but she has been known to put up with conditions others wouldn't tolerate in order to get things done.

Jeyann turned to face the watchrider, her cheeks slightly rosy from the crisp air. She brushed a stray lock away from her face, and smiles, an expression well suited to her natural beauty.

"Well?" the watchrider asked, "Are you going to go, or not?"

Jeyann sighed. "I don't know Kerli, you know I'd do... or not do... anything if it'd make my father happy."

Kerli crossed her arms across her chest and leaned against Sxoith. "Your father is the Weyrleader. Everyone wants to make him happy. What would make you happy?"

Jeyann turned back to face the outside of the weyr, enjoying the view from this height. Her hazel eyes fell on a blue shape speeding towards the weyr -- Riale and Niawith, coming back from somewhere.

This trip has been in planning since the snow began to melt. Eight of the weyrbrats were going to go out and spend two sevendays 'roughing it' in the middle of nowhere. Literally. A trio of riders, one of them being Kerli, had volunteered to drop them off somewhere so they wouldn't know where they were to begin with. It wouldn't take long to find them by dragon-back, and one lad had a firelizard.

Jeyann made up her mind. "I'm going, Kerli. It wouldn't do to disappoint my fellows, even if J'kosh doesn't approve."

"Good plan, Jeyann." Kerli said, nodding. "You'll be wanting to leave... when?"

Jeyann turned around. "In two days time, Kerli."

Later, Jeyann tapped politely on the Weyrleader's office door. J'kosh, of course, was inside, poring over some record or another. He'd insisted all his children, blood and fosterling, be able to read and write in case they inherited his love for history.

"Ah, Jeyann! I was just thinking about you... come in." he said, his dark eyes twinkling.

"You were?" Jeyann asked, stepping into teh office.

"That I was. It seems the Healing Den has a clutch on the sands..."

"No." Jeyann interrupted. "I won't go."

J'kosh was frozen in astonishment. Jeyann was always so polite. He didn't say anything, as he waited for her to offer her excuse.

"I've planned to go with a few others for a fortnight's camping trip. That's what I came to talk to you about. I'm not going to bow out on them two days before the trip to go stand at another Weyr."

J'kosh looked like a ton of wher dung had just fallen on him. "I don't approve, Jeyann. You're turning down a real chance at Impressing. You're not getting any younger you know."

Jeyann's normally smiling face was hardened. "There will be more clutches, Father. Whether I'm to Impress can't be determined just by my parentage. There are plenty of weyrfolk whose parents were riders but never Impressed themselves."

J'kosh looked blankly at his youngest daughter. She looked so much like Tiyanni... he shook himself from the comparison. "Go then, but go with the knowledge that I don't approve of this little trip when you could be Standing!"

Jeyann spoke calmly. "I've made up my mind, Weyrleader. I'd rather be true to my word and go camping with my fellows than to occupy an honored spot at their Hatching." With that, she spun on her heel and left the office.

"You're right, J'kosh. I'm sorry I doubted you. Your daughter really is strong willed." A husky voice said from a small room off to the side.

J'kosh turned to look at the speaker. "She always has been, L'ran. It's just that what she wants so closely parallels what the weyr wants from her that it looks like she hasn't a mind of her own. I thought you said Dulveth hadn't flown Lurineth... yet you're still Searching for her clutch?"

The Rider nodded, and J'kosh continued. "How soon is that clutch due to hatch?"

"Well..." L'ran replied, "Dulveth was *so* close, he insisted we bring some really good candidates from East Rock for her clutch. Lurineth just laid it, so at least five sevendays."

J'kosh nodded.

the story continues...

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