Tenevih (E'vih)

Tenevih is a male who wishes to specialize in hatching organization
Height: an average-height person, Build: all muscle, bulky
Skin: very pale, almost albino, Hair: salt and pepper, Hairstyle: very straight, very long, Eyes: forest green
Searched: shortly before Standing
Before riding, was a Commoner, House Born child
Age at Impression: 18, born on Pern
Siblings: 4
Born: first plus several half siblings on either side of their family over the years
Legitimacy: a pleasant surprise to their happily married parents
Literacy Level: read at a good level of competancy
Politeness Level: everyone knows them as a rude person
Focus: their attention might slip a bit but they are usually focused on their work
Though some might find them ugly, most just call them plain
They often share with their friends
Values and Goals
Hates: his appearance
Values: being alone
Very strong goal: 'get away from it all'
Practically nonexistant fear: water or drowning
Hates: being at home

He really hated being stared at. So he would never hesitate to tell people to stop. It was hard to get close to a boy like Tenevih, because he was unapproachable most of the time, sensitive, angry. If there was anyone who was close to him, it was his half-sister Toyna, just a few months younger than he. She was able to bring out whatever friendliness he had, but apparently that made him less likely to enjoy others' company.

When she was married off at the age of sixteen, two years ago, Tenevih was sullen and depressed. He attended the wedding, wore a frown the whole time, and solemnly bid his half sister farewell when she rode away to her new cothold with her handsome husband. He didn't really wish them ill, but he was now alone.

So he learned to like it that way. He applied himself to the cothold's records room, helping plan supply runs and counting things. Of all the people one wouldn't want to have clap at your hold's door, it would be the pale skinned Tenevih - because he'd be asking what supplies you wanted, in a gruff and superior manner. He was polite only to the Lord and Lady holders, to anyone else it was as though asking for something as simple as flour would end the very world.

Other people were somewhat relieved when the searchriders came. Even more so when it appeared that the white-haired lad would be leaving with them. No one dared 'celebrate', because he'd see through that. His mother and father gave him gifts, money and praise - they were proud of him already, if a little worried for his health. He was hardly one to be out in the sun all the time, his skin would burn. He assured them with a few words that he'd be fine no matter what came up.

K'roohan, the skinny brownrider who Searched him, sent him to the other dragon while the girl Aoe mounted up on the brown, and they were off. If anything, Tenevih enjoyed the chill of Between more than he should, it was a stunning sense of aloneness. Even though the rider of the blue dragon was in front of him, it was as though they were completely alone out there, and in blissful cold.

***

They arrived to Dragonhope and began settling in. Because he already had steward training, he was asked to help out in the greeting area. That lasted all of a day, before the junior stewards demanded he be removed. Aoe was with the recordskeepers, so Tenevih was put somewhere near her. He was better at writing and reading than she by a long shot, and advanced quickly to a more or less stable position ordering supplies.

But he enjoyed learning about the dragons, it was going to be his life from then on. In the class full of others heading to their own destiny, Tenevih bit down his pride and asked aloud, "I cannot be out in the sun for very long, what will I be doing?"

The answer was positive: he'd still learn the same things, but they already had a sort of 'night class' going for others of his physiology or dragons which were sensitive to the light. So there would be a good place for him, perhaps even leading night watch. Tenevih was happy with that.

He visited the sands, which were empty, and got a strange tingling feeling. Here, he felt more comfortable. Yes there would be hundreds of people at any given hatching - if a Weyr was large. But... They were all focused on something else: the hatching. He would be able to watch everything, see everyone.

Now, he had to impress a dragon himself, so he might get that far.

***

The red-headed girl Myuhezhme and he were sent to Shintaru Weyrhold, with the specific knowledge that they were to return to Dragonhope weyr before their dragons were fully grown. If they impressed, of course. Before they were split up and she'd gone her own way, Aoe had actually approached him with a warning that he'd better 'behave himself' while at the weyrhold. With a weird knot in his stomach, he realized she was right. They didn't have to allow just anyone on their sands.

If he blew this opportunity, then what? So for the moment, Tenevih bit back the disgust he felt about some people, the comments he could make about others, and put on a 'happy' face. Everyone could recognize that it was merely a mask, but since he said nothing outright it was all right by them.

He was attentive in the weyrling class, and learned tactics quickly. He soon found that it was easier to maintain his silence, when he was simply better than everyone else...

He wasn't better than everyone. That stung his pride, greatly. He also was quite resentful of the other long-white-haired boy in the classes, Elegon, who fancied himself quite the catch. Well he might be pretty, but he wasn't as strong as Tenevih, and oh how Tenevih longed to do more than 'spar' with him and those toy weapons he carted around.

The Weyrling master made sure to keep an eye on Tenevih, with a knowing look at them. Perhaps Tenevih would mellow with a dragon. Perhaps it would make him even more unruly and rude. Either way, he'd have to learn to behave himself more fully if he were to return to Dragonhope and be of any use. They didn't appreciate rudeness if it wasn't accompanied by quality and ability.

It was true, though, that Tenevih was smart and strong, well read and confident when he was confronted with almost anything. It was a shame that he was so snide, but when things came down to it, no one really blamed him. Sometimes life dealt a hard lesson. He wasn't entirely unapproachable, however - at least a few people around considered him to be more than merely another candidate in training. He seemed to appreciate that friendship too, and was oddly generous to those he called friend.

Bitaplan, one of three brothers all to stand at Shintaru, was a talented weaver, and Tenevih enjoyed both the things he wove, as well as the fact that they could wrestle or stick-fight with each other and not be worried about doing too much damage. In fact it was Bitaplan that taught him some exceedingly dirty tricks to use while fighting an opponent of whatever bent: tall? sweep their knees. Short? Headbutt them! Tenevih never quite knew what to expect in a fight with Bitaplan, but it was always entertaining.

They shared tales of woe - but Bitaplan's were serious, Tenevih found himself worried for his friend and his brothers, and their mother. He even admitted, that though he didn't think much of his own family, he greatly respected their mother for her bravery in the face of all they'd seen.

It was really to Bitaplan and few others, that Tenevih showed a more tender face. They knew there was more to him than the annoyed, snippy, angry young man. But even they didn't try correcting his behavior - they didn't want to be on the recieving end of it, after all!

The hatching finally arrived, and over the last few weeks Tenevih's attitude had hardly changed. However, his whole demeanor shifted when they were called down there. He knew, he knew there was something more for him. He and his friends would be riders!

It was obvious that the dark, blue-grey dragon who crept from a mottled shell wanted no one but him. Those glimmering eyes, seeking his own.

Sigieth, the dragon announced. You are E'vih now.

And though little more was said, E'vih smiled as broadly as he ever had before.

***

They would become known more closely by the females than E'vih could have guessed. On the hatching sands more often than not, E'vih and Sigieth assisted the cleanup after hatchings: combing through the fine sands for the sharp and occasionally dangerous shards of shell and occasionally, sadly, needing to transport dud eggs to their own resting place outside the Weyr.

"You know, you could have your own clutch laid somewhere," someone said while they gathered the last of a green's small clutch's broken and still-gooey shells. "Aneris has a white, ready to fly."

E'vih glanced up at the Weyrleader, wondered what he of all people was doing hanging out down here, and shrugged.

"Aneris," E'vih said, "I thought I saw it had been closed long ago."

"And reopened, and in need of sturdy males for their flights," S'xon said, though from what I've seen the rider of this white is a man."

Once more, E'vih shrugged, and glanced at Sigieth. What do you think? He asked, mentally.

The ash-blue pondered for a moment, would it make you proud of me to have a flight? We would be of use on sands elsewhere just as much as this place, I would not mind.

E'vih nodded to his Weyrleader, "that would be good, is it urgent?"

"Didn't you pay any attention in your flight classes?" S'xon smirked, "if there's anything we teach you it's that there's nothing so urgent that you can't plan it out and get there right on time."

As they finished up the cleaning duties, E'vih thought about the Weyrleader's words: he could time it, certainly. That was a bit difficult, but with his skills they could do it. Wouldn't want to just show up right before the flight, of course, they had to sign in and greet the riders, and pass on information to the Weyrleaders there too. A few days for Sigieth to rest up after a trip, work up to the flight. He hoped it would be an evening flight, at least. Well it was a white dragoness, wouldn't that make her more likely to want to remain in the shade?

E'vih would have more concern about whether he and the white's rider got along aside from any more personal interaction, than about that interaction itself. Whether they would want a few young women riders or weyrfolk or not? No matter, he'd never been put into the position of wondering! They'd get to that if it happened!

For the first time in years, E'vih felt excited about something. It bled into his dragon's mind, perhaps they would fly well, perhaps there would be ash-white-blue eggs...