WEYRWOMAN ZAERA APPRENTICE HEALER

Persona : Zaera
Writing Status : NPC/Free
Age : 37
Gender : Female
Rank/Craft : Weyrwoman/Apprentice Healer
Residence : Thread's End Weyr
Birthingday : Turn's End

Physical Description : Zaera, with her tall, slender and almost delicate build, at first glance appears younger than she is. But eighteen Turns of dragonriding have honed her muscles and built her stamina to match that of any other rider. She can last a full Fall and still have energy leftover to help in the infirmary or wherever else she's needed. Her skin has tanned to a rich gold-brown in the Southern sun, and her straight dark hair, worn in a short braid, is sun-streaked. She has a narrow, oval-shaped face with thin, straight eyebrows, a long nose, strong chin, and a wide, friendly smile. Her large round eyes are soft hazel flecked with green, with thick dark lashes. She's an attractive woman who enjoys pretty clothes and jewelry and dresses in rich colors.

Personality : Zaera, being weyrbred, is outwardly friendly and gets along with almost everyone, but if she doesn't like someone's company, they know it immediately. She enjoys being in charge and considers handling people to be a challenge -- and Zaera never backs down from a challenge. What most people notice first and remember best about Zaera is her commitment to excellence in anything she does. Sometimes this perfectionist, ambitious streak can cause her problems -- when she doesn't meet her own standards, she's very hard on herself. Luckily, she has Portiath to keep her balanced. A mischievous bent that often got her in trouble as a young girl surfaces less occasionally in her adulthood, but still shows itself every once in awhile.

Life Story : Zaera was born on Turn's End in T1 of the Present Pass in Fort Weyr, the daughter of a lower caverns woman and a bronzerider; being weyrbred, however, she grew up under the watchful eyes of all Weyrfolk. A bright child, Zaera's quick intelligence and ease in getting other weyr children to follow her led to a general assumption that she would one day stand as a Candidate and Impress. When she became of age, however, her life took a different path.

Many of her friends were Searched and went on to become dragonriders, but Zaera was left in the tiers to watch. Being very much aware of people's expectations for her future, Zaera felt the rejection keenly. After a full Turn of waiting and never being Searched, she left the Weyr for the Healer Hall and became an apprentice there. She immersed herself in her chosen work and tried to drive thoughts of her Weyr home and dragonriding from her mind.

Five long Turns of hard study later, Zaera was at the top of her class and ready to walk the tables at the end of term. It was then that a green dragon came from Fort Weyr on Search, and to Zaera's immense surprise, Searched _her_. The apprentice healer was elated and accepted the Search immediately, returning to her home as a Candidate. When the eggs began to hatch, Zaera felt a momentary flush of panic... but in the end, it was the golden queen Portiath who chose her.

Some thought that Impressing a gold would lessen Zaera's need to always be first in anything. On the contrary, it created more problems for the young rider, as she instead strove to prove herself worthy of her lifemate. It was only after a hard lesson about learning limits -- both hers and her dragon's --that she and Portiath settled into the solid, reliable pair they are now. Shortly after they finished Weyrling training, Zaera and Portiath were sent to Southern Weyr to join the Queen's Wing and help protect the rapidly expanding settlements in the Southern Continent.

In late M11 T37 of the Present Pass, Zaera and Portiath, well-experienced in flying southern Threadfall, transferred to Thread's End Weyr. Soon after they arrived, a devastating earthshake hit the Weyr on M12 D9 T37 and Weyrwoman Urrsa was injured. Because of her injury and stress to her queen in the unstable Southern Continent, Urrsa made the difficult decision to leave for the North. Zaera found herself waiting with the rest of the Weyr for Portiath to rise, and for herself to become Weyrwoman in Urrsa's place.

On M12 D18 of T37, Portiath rose to mate and was caught by bronzerider O'rin's Dredeth, establishing themselves as the new Weyrleaders of Thread's End Weyr.

Dragon's Name : Portiath
Dragon's Colour : Gold
Dragon's Age : 19
Sire/Dam : Transfer
Rider's Age at Impression : 18

Physical Dragon : Portiath is one of the larger golds. She has a bright, almost sunny coloring that deepens to a much richer hue when she's close to rising. She has a well-proportioned body with only a little scarring. The most noticeable of these is a thin white line just under her left wing near herheart, a mark obtained when she and her then-weyrling rider foolishly over-stretched themselves in a Fall. Portiath doesn't remember the incident anymore, but her rider will never forget it.

Dragon's Personality: Portiath is much mellower than her rider, but still takes her responsibilities seriously. She and her rider are often found in the infirmary after a hard Fall, helping to soothe injured and frightened dragonswhile the healers do their work. When it comes close to her time to rise, Portiath can become short-tempered and impatient. She's clutched many an egg over the Turns, but every time they hatch she's just as possessive as the last.

Last updated on 09-Jan-11.