WINGSECOND SIONEN APPRENTICE DRAGON HEALER

Persona: Sionen
Writing Status: PC/Active
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Rank: Gold Rider, Wing Second TEW/QW, Apprentice Dragon Healer
Residence: Thread's End Weyr
Birthplace: Thread's End Hold
Father's Name: Jerriot
Father's Rank: Journeyman Herder
Mother's Name: Cienna
Mother's Rank: Journeywoman Healer

Physical Description: Vivid green eyes look out at the world from a face framed by shoulder length, red hair. Refusing to be restrained for long no matter what the method, her red curls are constantly a mess, giving her a rather windblown look far more often than she would like. At an average height of 5'6", there is nothing outstanding about her physical appearance. She has always been rather fit, first from frequently cleaning the stables with her father's apprentices and (occasionally) helping her father exercise the runners to her more recent activities as a dragonrider and dragonhealer.

Personality: Dependable and responsible, she is still a dreamer. She has all the passion possible for the things she feels is important but is still naive to the world and the ways of men. She still loves her parents and has never wanted to hurt them. However, her own dreams had called her away from their chosen path for her, and she could not resist their pull. Under their guide, she changed from the uncertain child that had disobeyed her parents to the rider of Gold Tarmath who grew more confident with each passing day.

Life Story: Sionen was born and raised at Thread End's Hold. Her mother Cienna was a Journeyman Healer, newly assigned to the Hold, when she met Jerriot, then one of the Journeymen Herders, at a Gather. There was an instant attraction which led to a handfasting shortly after. Sionen was born a turn and a half later. Cienna was often called away due to her duties as a Healer, and so the duty of raising Sionen fell to Jerriot. Found more often than not in the runners' stables with her father, Sionen grew up in the company of the animals and around those in the Beastcraft Hall. Her mother was present as often as her schedule permitted. Sionen loved both of her parents and was a very happy and outgoing child.

As Sionen grew, her mother often took her along when called to duty. A dutiful child, Sionen would do her best to please her mother and learn all she could while helping her mother. However, her mind would always wander to thoughts of the stable. When she began to think of the things she learned from her mother in terms of animals instead of people, her interest was triggered. She began to look forward to going with her mom and eagerly absorbed all she could. Her mother was delighted in the sudden interest Sionen showed. She began to speak to Jerriot about apprenticing Sionen to the Healer Hall. Jerriot was relieved and agreed that this interest of Sionen's would make her happy and him as well. He had thought Sionen wanted to apprentice to the Beastcraft Hall and became irritable every time he brooded on the subject.

Things had not been easy for him as an apprentice. One of the masters, Master Bynton, had resented his "knack" with runners and was harsh with them, harsher with those that responded easiest to Jerriot. He found out turns later that he had walked the tables as a Journeyman over Master Bynton's explicit -- but groundless -- objections. Over time, the tension only increased between them. To send Sionen into the lair with that...that man! He refused to even consider it.

Blissfully unaware, Sionen continued to work and spend time with all the animals she could manage. The outgoing redhead was also fascinated by the beautiful dragons. She would get as close as she could to them and watch for as long as she dared. With a deep wish she never truly thought could become a reality, her own dreams settled to working with runners like her father. She started helping out the Beastcraft apprentices whenever she could find the time and the master present would let her. No task was ever to horrid for her. She loved it all! One apprentice asked her when she was going to move to the apprentice quarters. Surprised herself that this -- to her -- obvious step hadn't been taken since she was old enough, she brought the issue up with her parents. Her tentative questions meet with unexpected resistance, the resistance from her father the more surprising than that from her mother.

Her parents told her that they had already sent word to the Healer Hall about officially listing her as an apprentice. While she did do well helping her mother, her heart was not in such work. It was often very heartbreaking for her. Like most her age, she was not interested in dealing with death as her mother must, at least not for people. Her heart lay with animals.

A heated argument ensued. With all the confusion she was feeling and her deep certainty that she was meant to work with animals, she defied them like she had never done before. Finally, her father stormed out angrily telling her to leave then if that's what she wanted. Confused, Sionen looked at her mother. Hurt clouded Cienna's eyes. Hurt herself, Sionen asked why she couldn't go to the Beastcraft Buildings since she was wanted there at least.

"Go, then, " her mother said, her eyes still showing the betrayal she felt.

Things flew by quickly. Her mother and her reached a shaky truce, but there was still so much hurt on both sides and a feeling of betrayal. Her father completely shut her out. That hurt more than anything else to Sionen. All to soon, or maybe not soon enough, it was official. She was to move officially into the apprentice quarters in the Beastcraft buildings of Thread's End Weyr.

Trips to see her mom and dad were strained. Her mom still carried a shadow of betrayal in her face and eyes whenever she thought Sionen wasn't looking. Her dad was worse. Gone was the happy, loving man she knew as a child. Hurt and stubborn, she was determined to make it on her own without saying anything that might seem like a hint that she had been wrong.

Mere sevendays after she had her 17th Birthingday celebration, she walked the tables as a Journeyman. As if to celebrate the occasion, a Gather was held soon after. Taking her candlemarks at the Herder booths during the heat of the day, she was idly watching the passers-by and catching snips of conversation. Suddenly, her ears perked up. A couple of dragonriders walked by speaking about their dragons (a favourite subject of hers).

"I was very worried. If it wasn't for the healers... I don't know what I would have done," the one on the left said.

"I wish there were more. Sometimes there are so many wounded," the other responded.

"Um, excuse me," Sionen ventured hesitantly. "I don't mean to interrupt... But I noticed you're dragonriders, and well.... I just finished my shift. I was going to get a drink. Would you mind joining me for some wine and some talk on this warm afternoon?"

"Delighted," the one on the right replied with a grin and a mocking bow to which she responded in kind.

After the three had finished off a bottle of wine between the three of them, an idea was forming in Sionen's head that was what she really wanted to do. As they parted ways, she made her decision. The next day she spoke with Master Reim, who had been a mentor for her since before she had become an apprentice.

"I see the way you care for the animals in your care, " he said with a gentle smile. "But I have always seen the way you look when a dragon lands. You trade any duty, no matter how horrible, to get free to watch them when there here or will be in the skies. There are many of us, in the Beastcraft, but not nearly so many Dragonhealers. With the skills you have learned here as well as what you learned from your mother -- yes, I know it still hurts to talk of them too much -- but it will help you to apprentice to the Dragonhealer craft."

"You're not disappointed?" she asked.

"I'll miss you, child, but I am proud of you," he stated. "Tomorrow, I will help inquire for you what needs to be done."

As it seemed to happen in her life, once the decision was made, things seemed to move so quickly she was left a little breathless. She was an apprentice again -- this time an apprentice dragonhealer-- but it was the right thing. Plunging deeply into her studies and the weyr life, she thought she was completely happy. Then, she found a litter of felines and was "chosen" by the one she saved at birth. The black kit with white feet was named "Bootsie" and used any opportunity to curl on Sionen's lap.

An herb harvesting trip nearly cost her her life when she fell down a cliff, saved only by the quick thinking of her childhood friend Crayg. Taken unconscious to the weyr, she missed the Hatchings... and the fearsome news. The new queen dragon had not Impressed. The next day, unaware of the reason for the subdued atmosphere of the weyr, she slowly made her way to the Hatching Grounds to report to the Weyrwoman -- as duty demanded but injury and fatigue fought -- when the unexpected happened. The tiny weyrling queen who had refused all else and was close to death from hunger and loneliness Impressed the young apprentice dragonhealer. Fully immersed in the weyrling training, the mischievous young queen and her now-complete rider grow each day into fulfilling the promise of the team they will one day become.

Life was far from uneventful for the pair. A momentary lapse in judgement resulted in her rape. It was a brutal, random act that traumatized her at first, but Sionen found the core of strength insider her that made her a queenrider and fought back. Kallak, her attacker, was caught but escaped in the excitement and confusion that followed Salarnath's M9, Turn 35 Hatching. After his re-capture, a trial was held. He was found guilty and sentenced to be staked out during Fall, no dragons to fly that area.

Sionen was shaken by the sentence Weyrleader A'dlar had declared and then Tarmath rose for the first time. At first shocked when Bl'ledon/Tygrath didn't win the flight, it turned out that S'bien/Bendeth were exactly what Sionen needed after such a traumatic experience. The Wingleader's advice and support helped her to heal and regain her confidence. She remained as friendly as ever; but, occasionally, a glimpse of the new, hard won strength glimmers in her eyes, a subtle warning that she's changed as surely as iron changes to steel from the fires of a forge.

Dragon's Name: Tarmath
Dragon's Colour: Gold
Dragon's Age: 3 Turns (TEW35-2)
Sire/Dam: Bronze Quenth and Gold Blyth
Rider's Age at Impression: 17

Physical Dragon: Still a weyrling, she promises to be one of the larger golds, easily topping her mother Blyth. Her colour has darker shades as the eye follows the curve of her side to her underbelly in a pattern that is pleasing to behold. She is well aware of her striking looks and preens for an audience as Sionen has never done nor thinks of herself as ever doing.

Dragon's Personality: Very early in her life -- the second day -- Tarmath showed signs of the mischievous streak in her, a streak that grew noticeably those first few sevendays and left her rider at a loss to explain it's origin and with burning cheeks on more than one occasion. But she knows when to be serious and has acted in ways that surprised even the older dragons and riders. Bonded very closely with Sionen, enhanced perhaps by the times the redhead curled against the warm golden hide, the two have acted and thought as one in times of crisis.

Pet Name: Bootsie
Pet Species: Feline
Pet Description: Black with four white paws. On the small side for a feline, the spunky animal "chose" her human shortly after finding the ability to walk. Playful, the feline loves attention and rewards those who scratch or pet her with a loud rumbling purr. She finds the gold dragon a wonderful plaything to be climbed and pounced on and can't wait for the next toy Sionen brings home for her.

Last updated on 22-Apr-01.