Truth or Dare

STATS
Name: Pia
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Description: Pia is short and slender with a boyish build. She has black hair that's cut in a bob and slightly slanted dark brown eyes. She is of Asian decent (Mongolian ethnic group) and looks the part. 
Personality: Pia looks up to her twin friends and wants to prove to them that she's fun to be around, even if she's a year younger than them. Because of her desire to be found interesting she tends to get herself into trouble and often does things without thinking them through as she should. When she grows up she might mellow out a bit and learn to think before she acts, but she isn't there yet. 
Hobbies: looking cool, likes horses and riding.
Skills: She is quite lucky which helps when she gets into trouble. And she looks cute.
Family: Parents and a couple of siblings.
Pets: Bronze firelizard Soy (m) from Dawn Sisters Weyr.

Name: Piper
Age: 15 
Gender: Female
Description: Piper is shooting up, growing into the woman she'll become. She is starting to get curves and her face has lost all childish features. She has long brown hair, bright blue eyes and a straight nose. Her skin is pale but tans in summer. 
Personality: Piper has lately neglected some of her younger friends now that she's growing up and is getting more attention from the other sex. She isn't vain, it's just nice to be in the spotlight and being liked. She still needs to learn to tell the difference between genuine interest and passing fancy.
Hobbies: Likes going out with friends, shopping.
Skills: Vivid imagination and loves to tell stories.
Family: Twin Pipin, parents.
Pets: Green Firelizard Miri (f) from Dawn Sisters Weyr.

Name: Pipin
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Description: Pipin is lagging a bit behind on the growth charts (he'll start late but will make up for that). He has short brown hair, bright blue eyes and a straight nose. His skin is pale and he's plagued with freckles in summer so he tries to avoid sunning.
Personality: Pipin has always been around a lot of girls because of his sister and her friends so he learned how to act around the fairer sex and is generally liked by both genders. He isn't currently looking for love but his interest has been awakenend. 
Hobbies: Exploring in the forest.
Skills: Excellent sense of direction, good swimmer. 
Family: Twin Piper, parents. 
Pets: Blue Firelizard Miso (m) from Dawn Sisters Weyr

*~*~*~*~*

STORY
Night had fallen and the hold was dark and quiet. In one of the small houses, a curtain shielded the light of a single candle. Inside three young people were still awake. They spoke in whispers so as not to alert the adults in the house. Twins Piper and Pipin had invited their younger friend Pia over for a sleepover. Of course they weren't about to waste this rare occasion by sleeping. 
Scattered across the room their pet firelizards lay dozing. Pipin's blue Miso and Piper's green Miri were sprawled on a few pillows that formed their nest and the little bronze Soy had made his nest on the sleeping futon that would serve as his owner's bed for the night. He'd only recently hatched and was a good year younger than the two other firelizards as the children of the hold often received a firelizard egg on their 14th birthday as a token of starting the road to adulthood. 
"Truth or Dare?" Piper asked Pia.
Not wanting to seem a scaredycat, Pia answered: "Dare."
Pipin had to stifle a laugh as he saw the determined look on the younger girl's face. She was only a year younger than the twins, adult would argue that later in life that would be a difference hardly worth mentioning, but at her age, that one year felt like a mountain she'd never be able to climb. Pipin had to admit that Pia was cool, and he was certain that Piper felt the same. They'd all grown up together and the little girl had spunk. But lately they'd been around her less, lessons and older friends taking up more of their time. And Pia compensated by doing wild things to get their attention.
Piper smiled and pulled out the younger girl's clothes.
"How about you run to the forest and get us a few fern leaves from near the river.
Pia shivered involuntarily and squeaked: "Alone?"
Pipin felt sorry for Pia and decided to help her out: "We'll go with you until the edge of the hold, we need to make sure you actually do the dare." which earned him a jab from his sister.
Pia felt a bit conflicted. She'd promised her parents she wouldn't go out at night. It's not that it would be that dangerous, there were no real predators near to the hold but her mother had muttered something about dangerous people that had spooked the young girl quite thoroughly.
"Okay." she said, her voice still a bit weak.
Piper was too proud to admit that she'd hoped that Pia would decline to go on with the dare. In fact she was a bit scared to go out but she couldn't back down now either. Though Pipin was a whole 2 minutes older than her, Piper inwardly thought of herself as the more adult twin and she'd have to act the part. Never mind that her brother had defused the situation. But then, if he hadn't said they'd join Pia, then the girl could have gotten a fern from the garden and waited a bit before coming back in. Although Piper knew that Pia wouldn't take the easy way out. 
The three of them got dressed and were joined by their firelizards who'd woken up at the unexpected activity in the room. Sneaking out had not been all that hard but proved to be exciting anyway and soon the three of them were outside, breathing in the cool night air. The stars and moons were out so there was enough light to navigate through the hold. As they went past the last houses though, the forest loomed pitch black before them.
Pia swallowed, looked back at the other two but manned up and started walking toward the trees. The river wasn't far into the forest and Pipin and Piper were close by, if she called they'd come running. But if possible she would try to bring the dare to a good end. She wanted to prove how fun she was. And then maybe she could get away with a few "truth" answers for a while. 
A dark shadow suddenly obscured everything around her, Pia let out a shriek and she ducked. Maybe half a minute later Pipin and Piper were at her side when the shadow touched down. Big whirling eyes focused their gaze on them and the firelizards that had joined them seemed excited and elated as they rose up to go inspect their larger cousin.
"What are you three doing outside at this hour of night?" A man asked.
A bit later the three saw a man step away from, presumably, his dragon. The man was dressed in the standard dragonrider uniform and by the looks of it, he'd been doing a night patrol when he'd seen them.
"I was certain I'd spied some thieves but you seem a bit young for that... and a bit under-equipped."
"I was on a dare." Pia was the first to speak.
"I see. And do your parents know you're out here."
Pipin and Piper shook their heads, choosing to remain quiet for the time being to let Pia do her thing. Being small and cute got you out of trouble and they hoped they could take advantage of the fact.
"I see." the dragonrider said, "How about you go back home and I come back tomorrow to talk to your parents."
Feeling dejected the three of them bowed their heads and turned around to walk back home.
"And then I'll dare you to come visit the weyr." the dragonrider grinned.

*~*~*~*~*

HATCHING
Pia felt like her eyes would float away from her in different directions just to take it all in. The Weyr was bustling with activity. Not just dragons and their riders, but all sorts of people were rushing by or leisurely lounging or looking preoccupied by their job. And all of them were dwarfed by the immense mountain that made up Benden Weyr. 
Piper, walking next to her and Pipin following close behind were about equally stunned by the sight of the Weyr.
"Is it always this busy?" Piper asked.
"We're closed to hatching so there are a lot of extra people about." their dragonrider friend explained.
"Are we keeping you from work?" Pipin asked.
"Not today. I'm o official candidate searching business. Your parents agreed for you to be appraised."
"That makes us sound like gems." Pia grinned liking that idea.
"What if we're searched?" Pipin wondered.
"We go for it." Pipin said starry-eyed, followed by an excited yell from Pia.
"You're not there yet though." the dragonrider told them. 
Half an hour later, the three of them were hastily brought to the candidate quarters and given what they needed. In the midst of the administration and orientation, a melodious humming sounded and they were ushered out to the hatching cavern where they followed the other candidate sin.
Pipin tried to take it all in, but it was all going so fast. Eggs were cracking, dragons hatched, impressed and moved away. Around him there was a lot of noise. Mumbling and cheering from the stands, candidates talking and stating the name of their bond. The humming of the dragons. 
Then suddenly a green hatchling came their way and ran head first into Pia who was knocked over. Scrambling up from where she lay covered in sand and dragon, she giggled and stopped.
"I can hear her!" she said, "She's Willanath."
Pia stroked the dragoness' nose and felt like she knew all there was to know about the other entitiy that was now bound to her. Willanath was a gentle dragon who loved to play and cause laughter.

Pia's Green Willanath (f)

About 10 minutes later it was Piper's turn. A paler green dragoness skipped ahead and put her nose into the girl's neck. Nuzzling affectionately, the mischievous and carefree dragoness seemed to whisper in Piper's ears.
"Jayullaith. Try to say that 10 times fast."
"I don't think I'll try that just yet.

Piper's Green Jayullaith (f)

At about the same time, a pale blue hatchling had found Pipin and was busy telling the young man all about himself.
"I'm Tallarth. I think we'll get along. You see, you seem to be on the quiet side. I can elp you with that. it's all about eloquence. And confidence. And you're fun and considerate. people like that. So I think..."
"Thank you Tallarth." Pipin said and followed the two girls to the feeding tables. 

Pipin's Blue Tallarth (m)

*~*~*~*~*

ADULTHOOD
Still almost inseperable, Pia, Piper and Pipin were often found close together. They'd trained together as weyrlings and though the weyrlingmaster had tried to put them in different groups for the exercises, they just worked better when they were together. The mischievous Jayullaith usually got them in some trouble but either Pia's gentle Willanath smoothed things over or Pipin's Tallarth talked them out of getting punishment. As a team they were well suited.
"Which wings do we plan on joining?" Piper asked.
"A thread-fighting wing?" Pipin asked.
"Are we good enough for that?" Pia asked.
"I will keep an eye on both of you." Tallarth promised. 
"As if I'd need help keeping safe!" Jayullaith objected.
"We are a good unit." Willanath added.
"Are we seriously thinking about it?" Piper asked, looking at the others.
"It's our duty to keep everyone safe." Pipin added, his chest swelling at the thought.
"I'm with you if that's what you want." 
Pia said quietly. She'd grown up since she'd been out on that truth or dare. She'd lost a bit of her wild side, but she still wouldn't be outdone by others. Fighting thread was like the ultimate thing a dragon-riding pair could do to help everyone. Their families would be worried but proud. 
The three of them looked at each other.
"So we're really doing this?" Piper asked. She could feel the mood shifting to serious. What might have started as a wild idea was soon becoming something they'd go along with. Strangely, she wasn't scared. In fact she looked forward to joining one of the wings. 
Pipin nodded and saw Pia do the same. Somehow he knew they would make it work. It wouldn't be an easy assignment, but it would be a rewarding one. And who knows, one day they might move on to something else. But the experience would be something they'd share with a select group. And wouldn't that be amazing?
"Let's ask the wingleaders if they have open spaces for the three of us. We ARE staying together, right?"
"Definitely." Piper said.
"I don't think I'd want to otherwise." Pia concurred. 

*~*~*~*~*
Lantessama Isle
Pia, Piper and Pipin are Candidates at (Alternate) Benden Weyr