Businessfolk

[neekolas]

The five Fishers, the patriarch of this particular family of brawny fisherfolk and his four eldest offspring, made their way through the bustling nonsense of the Cove Hold market with their respective dohgs operating as fishguards flanking the draybeast-driven cart full of barrels, fish, and salt. People were off to their labors, running errands, and assorted dalliances, and they got a hearty growl from a few canines if they wandered too close to the cart.

Wasting their time, the lot of them. The only important thing to do on a day like today, a Fisher day, was to buy delicious fish. But for some reason these people didn't seem to know that. Sun-crazed, the lot of them.

They arrived at their designated spot in the market, and the eldest Samuel Son unhitched the draybeasts and went off to stash them somewhere they'd be out of the way while the remaining three went about the task of attracting customers under the watchful eye of their Fisher Father.

The three of them hopped up onto the edges of the cart, Samuel himself pulling a fish from a barrel to showcase while he yelled at prospective patrons.

Some of the Fishers had at least tried to be decent, a shirt there, maybe an open vest. It was the thought that counted, really.

Not our Samuel, though. Rope-bound trousers and not a bit more covering than the hair on his body. Shirts were for glubbers, in his opinion.

He hefted the fish at a passing woman and her daughter, leaning dangerously far over the edge of the cart, hanging on mostly through the power of his curled toes.

"ERRY DAY'S A FINE DAY FA' FISH HERE, LAYDEE. HELP YER LIDL'UNS GROW UP STRONG LIKE A FISHA, AY?"

Wellp, she was apparently uninterested. Figures, tiny rack on that one and her fry, clearly they didn't eat a proper diet.

He hefted the fish at another passing man, growing rather tired of pleasantries.

"BUY SOME FISH."

That one earned him a sound whack on the back of the head by his next older brother. That was not good business.

[Zen]

Seeing as he didn’t have many candidates to supervise these days, A’zael had taken leave of Western to help remedy that situation. He’d sent his current candidates out to their chores and promptly winked between on Navith to Cove Hold. He’d spoken with the other Searchriders and none of them had been that way recently so he decided it was as good a spot as any. Hopefully he and Navith would be able to find at least one to bring back, not that it was urgent at the moment. Iroth hadn’t even risen yet, it would still be months before another clutch was on the sands. He mostly just wanted to get away from Western for a while. G’brel and Talaria had nearly had him chained to the Western Continent for Turns now. He rarely got out anymore.

Navith winged his way over the Hold and landed in an open space some distance from the bustling market. Settling his wings gracefully against his back, he turned an eye toward the crowd.

You sense anything?

Perhaps…. There are too many of them to tell properly….

Surely among so many there must be at least one? You losing your touch?

The Blue snorted indignantly, Just give me a moment, we’ve only just landed, you know.

A’zael smirked and unfastened his riding straps, sliding down and looking over the crowd. Many had paused in their shopping and bartering at the sight of a dragon and were now staring at him, both curious and awestruck. The common Holder rarely got the chance to see a dragon during a Pass, especially close up. In the lull he wondered if he should make it known he was on Search or not. He’d surely be rushed by those of age, all hopeful of becoming dragonriders. Some were already edging closer. He took a deep breath. Well… he might get rushed, but it would be easier than having Navith try to pick them out of the crowd….

He stepped up onto Navith’s leg to give himself a bit of a platform. So maybe his methods didn’t really run with tradition, weren’t the most formal, but they worked for him so who cares? “I’m A’zael of Blue Navith and we’re here on Search,” he had to raise his voice as a din started up from the younger folk, “Anyone between the ages of 14 and 20 can present themselves to my dragon!”

And there was the rush. He noticed some of the younger ones looking disappointed and couldn’t help but smile slightly. They’d have their chance…. We’re not leaving without at least one, got it?

Navith snorted once more and lowered his head to peer at those that came forward, Just let me do my job, mmm?

[neekolas]

Samuel had actually managed to snag a few buyers with his boisterous antics, to everyone's surprise. But he was still falling behind his other brothers, it was more than a little shameful.

But then suddenly the passersby were paying more attention to- shard it all a dragon. People were rushing over from the entire market, nobody even cared about buying things any more. How was he supposed to compete with a dragon? No, he would not stand for this. Lubbers, the lot of them. 

He tossed the fish unceremoniously into one of the dead barrels and hopped out of the cart, moving around to the back end while gesturing and babbling to one of his brothers in the near-indecipherable Fisher accent. A request of some kind, apparently, as his brother began rocking and rotating a barrel to the edge of the cart. One of the fresh barrels, full of seawater and live fish with a makeshift harness made of rope. By the sea and sands, if customers wanted to wander off, Samuel was going to bring the fish to them.

He put his arms through the rope loops and heaved with a grunt, his brother pushing on the barrel to get him started. Bagh, these bastards were heavy. But he stood and, Brouhan in tow, made his way into the crowd, shoving himself into the mass.

"OY, RIDERS EAT DEMSELVES A BALANCED DIET, YA. FISH AND MORE FISH, AYE. BUY SOME FISH, STRONG LIKE A RIDER."

This was all purely unsubstantiated. This particular rider looked a bit scrawny, by Fisher standards, probably didn't eat much fish.
But it was the glamor people cared about. Deadglows for sure, but it helped with business.

Which

gave him an idea.

He muscled his way to the dragon and it's rider (had to move some littl'uns out of the way too, kind of felt bad about that but WHADDAYAGANNADO?) and rolled the harness off of his shoulders, dropping the barrel in between him and the rider.

He gestured at the barrel with a grin while Brouhan wagged his tail at his side.

"Buy some fish dere, rida? Good for da health, mae'."

[Zen]

Navith had lowered his head to better inspect those that had presented themselves, or that had been pushed forward by relatives and stood nervously, trying to hide behind the others. A’zael himself looked them over a good few times as if he might be able to Search them himself, but really had no idea what it was Navith was looking for in the first place.

Navith brushed against the minds of the adolescents around him, pushing a bit here and there, but none of them felt right at all. Ah, that girl… yes…. A’zael, that female there. No, not that one, the older one.

A’zael looked out and saw one girl standing and gazing up at Navith with something more akin to curiosity than awe, Did you speak to her?

No, but she will be a rider. Her name is Orina.

Pretty. A’zael raised his voice a bit once more, “Orina. Navith tells me you’ll be a rider… if you’ll take the chance.” He raised an eyebrow at the girl, who had jumped at the sound of her name, most likely wondering how in the world some rider she’d never met knew what it was. She stepped forward grinning ear to ear and promised she would indeed take the chance, running back to her family after telling him to give her just a moment to gather a few things to take with her.

He smirked, satisfied that they wouldn’t be going back empty handed anyway. Then a rather burly young man reeking of fish was before him, dropping a barrel there and speaking to him. A’zael blinked at him, a bit confused about what he was saying. Of course it didn’t help that he was a bit difficult to understand. He fought against the urge to wrinkle his nose against the smell. He always found fish to be one of the most unpleasant smells on Pern.

“Ah, no I… I’m not really here to buy anyth-” he broke off as Navith nudged him aside slightly, one great eye peering down at Samuel for a long moment.

Him too.

“Him t-… him too?” He asked the Blue, rather incredulous, “… Really?”

Navith gave him a withering look and snorted, raising his head and closing his eyes in a clear indication that he was finished with his Search and had picked the only worthy candidates from the crowd. You heard me. The Blue opened a slitted eye at the boy, pressing into his mind, If dragons could spend marks, I would buy all your fish. He let A’zael hear him as well.

“Navith…,” he threw a glance up at the dragon before turning back to Samuel, “You ever think about being a rider? Navith thinks you have what it takes.” What his Blue saw in this boy he couldn’t even begin to guess…. Looked like a hard worker he supposed.

[neekolas]

Okay, well, he KNEW dragons could talk at your braincase, but it was still a little weird to get words from a lizard crammed in your thinkpan. But that sort of thing didn't matter when the giant lizard in question was endorsing his sales, that was pretty fantastic no matter how you scaled it.

He rocked back on a heel, stepping back with the other foot and pointed at the rider with both hands. 

"Well ya rida got him some mawks to be buyin fish with y- wat?"

Him? Well, of course he had what it took. He was a Fisher. Having what it took to do whatever he damn well pleased was just how things worked.

But

a rider?

A rough hand clapped down on his shoulder and he looked back and up into his enormous father's bearded face. He was grinning, the glubber. Luckily, a Fisher got better at talking to the rest of the world with age, and the father was significantly more intelligible than the sons.

"I'm thinkin' a Fisha is up for anything, there, Rida."

Kind of bothered our Samuel, actually. How long had he been hangin' about if he overheard this riding business? And why wasn't he helping sell FISH?

But, more importantly maybe- more important than fish? Unthinkable- a rider?

Burning thread out of the sky, conquering a layer of the world uncharted by the other Fishers before him? Sounded like an opportunity that he couldn't possibly turn down. Just one question though. 

He patted Brouhan's head, getting a happy bark in return.

"Can I bring mah Dohg?"

The other Fisher sons were slowly making their way over, curious as to what the business could be between a rider and their kin and leaving their own dohgs to guard the cart.

[Zen]

A’zael raised an eyebrow slightly at the towering figure of the boy’s father and gave a friendly smile, “Heh, I don’t doubt that.” He scratched the back of his head briefly, nodding as the girl Navith had Searched came back with a sack of those things she would bring with her. He would deal with her in a moment after he was done with the boy and his father.

He looked down at the large canine. Dohg…? Perhaps it was the creature’s name. “Well… yes… you are allowed to bring pets with you….” Although he wasn’t entirely sure how transporting the canine would work…. Navith could carry him, but few animals wouldn’t object to that, and his squirming in a dragon’s grip could get the animal hurt and disrupt Navith’s focus on the travel Between. He had, as a precaution, attached the carrying nets to Navith before leaving Western in order to carry the belongings of any candidates they brought back, but it wasn’t the safest place for anything living.

Navith…? Do you think… you could maybe carry the canine, without dropping him, and still take off and land safely? He had to say that he’d never thought about taking a larger animal back to the Weyr with a candidate. Most, if they had larger pets, might send for them by ship if they Impressed, but otherwise would just go back to their home and leave the animal in the care of family. He supposed he could put that idea forward as a safer option….

Navith snorted, The creature is small enough, I will do it.

Are you sure? He’ll probably squirm around…. He won’t distract you?

The Blue huffed at his rider’s doubt in his abilities, stating forcefully, I will do it.

“Ah… well then. Navith says he’ll carry your canine for you,” he gave the Blue a questioning glance but Navith had since closed his eyes, waiting for his passengers to get settled so they could return to the Weyr already. He beckoned to the girl, “Go ahead and settle your pack in Navith’s transport nets and climb up.” Turning back to Samuel, he gave another smile, “So… you coming with us then? Have anything else to bring along? Wanna say a farewell to your family?"

[neekolas]

The eldest Fisher son had wandered over, having finished squirreling away the draybeasts and rather confused about the dragon. He had been getting the rundown from the other brothers, and was joining them in an odd shuffling dance and boisterous laughter as the rider spoke to their father and brother.

Samuel raised an eyebrow at the rider's suggestion, leaning (once again seemingly impossibly far) to the side, balancing on his bent ankles, to peer at the dragon past the rider. Those were some sharp feet it had, there. Maybe? The Fisher Dohgs were an obedient lot, but getting carried through the air in the talons of a giant lizard was sort of an interesting situation.

He twisted his body to the side, tossing up his arms protectively and began a bizarre sort of grunt that may have been a word

"HYA-"

but cut himself short at the next point. Leaving immediately? Goodbyes? No revelry?

He quickly spun on his heel to face his brothers, pointing at them with a grin.

"You guys gon' do dat pawty bidness for me den, ya?"

The response was seemingly less than stellar (it's a Fisher thing), as the eldest brother took the opportunity to lash out at our Samuel's outstretched hand, pulling him into a vicious elbow to the sternum. All he could do was gargle out a strangled "ghlagh", it happened so fast. Man, he needed to stay on his toes. He knew[/] that. What even happened? 

The other farewells went more smoothly, the other two Fisher brothers grasping the youngest sibling by the hand in turn and exchanging elbow jabs to each other's chests.

And then the father. Our Samuel exhibited the slightest bit of hesitation as he took his father's hand, and for good reason. The resulting elbow nearly broke him in half, knocking the wind out of him despite his tensed diaphragm. He was hit too soon, and hit hard enough to knock him back (though his father kept a firm grip on the boy so he didn't go too far), so he never even landed the reciprocal strike on his father.

As he stumbled back, he was pulled sharply forward again, this time to receive a gift. A small sack, secured at the top by a thin cord, was thrust into the young Fisher's hand, his eyes wide. The day's sales so far. He met his father's gaze and tightened his lips, giving a curt nod. Wasn't the Fisher way to deny a gift, even one so large.

He stuffed the bag in one of the large pockets of his trousers and turned to face the rider, holding the arm facing Brouhan aloft as he barked out a command.

The dohg barked in return, jumping up into his arm, planting ribcage to ribcage, as Samuel quickly hooked his arm under his companion's belly and holding the large dog aloft.

He pointed to the animal's happy face, a large bruise beginning to blossom across his chest.

"Maybe I carry him, ya? Nah 'fense, but me hands are a mite less shawp, nawmee?"

He wasn't even sure it was possible to ride a dragon and carry a canine at the same time.

But if it could be done, a Fisher would do it.

[Zen]

A’zael watched the spectacle before him with a raised eyebrow, but fought to keep in control of his expression lest he come off as rude. Despite his more untraditional method of Searching, there was still a certain manner a rider should conduct himself in on Search.

He waited until the boy had said his farewells to his family, however strange the manner of it, and turned back to him, his canine jumping up into his arms. Well he was strong, there was no arguing on that matter, even if you somehow doubted the fact just by looking at him. He glanced up to Navith’s back where the girl was now sitting, grinning at her family watching her from below, and then back at the canine in his arms.

“Well… probably be the safer option if you can keep him still up there… and get him up there in the first place….” It might be a tad awkward but better than in a dragon’s claws. A dragon’s hide was thick but a canine’s claws might cause irritation if the boy couldn’t keep him still. He glanced toward the boy’s family, “Perhaps you could climb up and one of your kin could get him up to you?” It would certainly be near impossible to mount a dragon with a canine as large as this one in your arms.

He waved up to Navith’s back, “Go ahead and climb up and we’ll figure it out I guess. I’ll get you strapped up once you’re settled and we’ll head back to Western.” Navith attempted to lower himself a bit more in response to this new idea and turned his head to watch, thinking it might be amusing.

[neekolas]

Rather refreshing to not be asked about the seemigly-violent customs of his folk. Maybe this glubber wasn't so lubby, maybe he knew the seadoo hoodoo that they done do. 

Or maybe he didn't care. That was more likely.

But aye, even Samuel couldn't say he could climb up the side of a giant lizard carrying a dohg. Sturdy little glubbers, best in the world. But this "if you can keep him still" and- ugh-

"get him up there in the first place" business. Oh man, what even. Insulting, this fellow. One Fisher on the job? Doable. Two? Don't even think about it.

Five? Take a nap, maheen, it's already done.

"Pish! Piffle!" he responded in some painfully uncharacteristic vernacular, handing Brouhan off to his eldest brother.

Fisher deftly scrambled up the side of the dragon. Fishers spent time at sea; they could maneuver around a ship, they could maneuver up a dragon.

Now, how to- blugh how did these straps work. 

He fiddled with the harness, probably making the little female a mite uncomfortable as he grumbled to himself. Glub it.

He sat crossways in the seat, wrapping a strap around his leg a few times before tying it off. Yeah, that was pretty secure. Probably.

He leaned back, ending up almost upside down, dangling from the harness with his arms stretched out towards his brother and dohg. He pointed at his dohg and rattled
off some indecipherable instructions to the beast in his family's gravelly accent. Time for those Fisher muscles to go to wor- oh shells.

As Brouhan was handed off to him the dohg pressed against his chest, and Samuel could not suppress a grunt. He was going to be so sore. So bruised. 

A fine going away present.

Brouhan just panted happily as Samuel grunted again, bringing himself and Brouhan up to the dragon's back proper-like. A few more instructions in it's ear, and the animal sat quietly in his lap as he tried to undo his rather fantastic knot work around his leg. He was starting to lose circulation.

How did he-

The- Agh.

"Agh."

[Zen]

Navith was quite amused by the antics of these humans… so much fuss over a canine. A’zael stood back and watched, a bit uneasy about the whole ordeal, but at last the canine was situated on Navith’s back and it seemed they could finally leave. Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head. Strangest Search he’d ever been on, no contest. It would certainly be interesting to see if this boy Impressed… and what color would choose him. He was obviously not Green material, or he’d make an incredibly strange Greenrider anyway. No, no matter how he looked at it he just couldn’t see the boy on a Green. Ever.

He stepped up onto Navith’s leg and got the girl strapped up; giving her a friendly smile, then looked at Samuel and the knot he’d gotten one of the straps into, “Nice work there.” He chuckled and gave it a look over, tugging experimentally in a few places, loosening one part just enough to slip a finger underneath and work the knot looser. It took a bit of time but finally the strap fell away.

“Alright then,” he strapped him in properly and swung his own leg over Navith’s back, settling himself, “We all set to go then?” He glanced over his shoulder at his passengers and Orina gave him a nod, still grinning, but looking a little pale as she anticipated the trip Between. “Don’t panic when we go Between, it’ll get real dark and real cold, but we’ll be back out before you know it. Navith knows what he’s doing.” Let’s go, Navith.

Finally. The Blue lifted his wings and the people gathered around moved away to give the dragon some room to take off. He crouched and leapt into the air with a powerful down stroke of wings and was soon airborne, circling slowly over Cove Hold once before A’zael gave him the mental image of Western Weyr and blackness engulfed them as they winked Between. He counted, One… two… three… four… five… six… seve- They burst back into light and Navith took a circle around the Weyr as well before taking a gentle descent down into the Weyrbowl, landing without incident.

“We’re here!” He swiveled around to unstrap Orina, “Just slide on off, use his leg as a step if you’d like, he won’t mind.” She looked a bit shaken by her first trip Between, not that he blamed her. It was an unnerving place, even for an experienced rider. He glanced up at Samuel as he undid his straps, “You and your canine doing alright?” He couldn’t begin to guess how a canine would react to an experience like Between.

[neekolas]

Samuel was fairly certain the world had ended and dragons were just an agent of darkness as everything went cold and black.

But then he was back in a place that was a place, his face a mixture of stern and surprised (>8I) as he went to exhale a long, reflexively held breath.

Unfortunately Brouhan was ready to get gone and was doing a horrible job of representing his stock. He bucked and struggled, rocking his head back violent with a deep snuffle (and knocking Samuel in the jaw, changing his sigh into a surprised "Unghagh"). He tried to restrain his pet, but with the scratching and the headbutting he was tired of this garbage. He voiced his frustration as he threw the dohg from his arms.

"AGH GET OUTTA HEAH YA PIECE'A RAWT."

It wasn't a violent throw though, and Brouhan landed with a few bounces before hopping around and spinning, finally settling on a position with his head down low, his tail up and wagging. Letting out a few huffs as he surveyed the surroundings.

Our Fisher was ready to wrestle his animal's face into the dirt though, and was tearing at his straps while staring down the oblivious animal with faux-murder in his eyes.

Agh, but then words at him. What? He was- oh.

He replied while still fiddling with the straps. Dohgs were significantly better than the typical canine, but the ignorance of the outside world was not his problem.

"Aye, we're fine 'n all dat business. Just gimme a bit ta murda da little rawtta and all'll be good in da world, ahp."

Success! He was free! He rolled his way over the side of the dragon, tumbling down it's flank to land miraculously on his feet. He held his arms wide to his companion, feigning love and joy.

"C'MERE BROUHAN, CYACYACYA YA." 

Nonsense, mostly, and quite uncharacteristic. But, in his excited state, Brouhan was more than willing to play. He bounded over to Samuel, and when he was almost on top of him the dohg realized his foolishness when his master's face went from Happy to I Win.

I Win was a bad face.

Samuel scooped his dohg into the air and turned him on the side as he thumped him back on the ground, mostly gently. There was no game, there was no time. Brouhan had lost and he knew it, staying on the ground while Fisher stood and surveyed his surroundings. 

That was a nice lake, there. Salty? Probably not. Shame. Man, he better have access to the sea. 

"Mae', is dere some sea up around dis place? I need mah salt."

A Fisher needed his salt.