The day was bright and sunny at the beaches of Turin Hold. The Remyndal Hall students has finished their morning classes and some had now gathered on the beach for their individual or group projects. William, a Dolphineer journeyman was keeping an eye out, but he was pretty easygoing as supervision went. 
Sanne, a shy girl of 16 turns was out in the water, giving the resident dolphins attention and generally enjoying their easy socializing. If only humans were that easy to be around. Of course, humans didn't broadcast their thoughts and some had selfish motives. Dolphins were hardly ever selfish, maybe only when food was being distributed. 
As a future dolphineer she would be expected to be very in tune with the dolphins and be able to swim with them and convey their messages. Diving for seafood, looking for lost people. The tasks for dolphineers were diverse. William had given her an assignment for extra credit. Two other students would join her and they'd need to attempt to re-enact a search and rescue mission. Sanne was worried about the two other students. Even after 2 years in the hall, she hardly knew anything significant of her fellow students. 
At that time, Renna was looking out on the beach, observing the quiet girl with the long hair. Sanne seemed completely oblivious that she was being observed. Renna too had been given an assignment for extra credit. If she could get Sanne to make friends, Blanca would allow Renna to join her on the next trip she took. Renna couldn't wait to experience more of the world and to see more people. As a harper student she needed every experience she could get. Officially she was studying story-telling and acting, but aside from that she was also being prepped to work as a spy, as the eyes and ears of the harper society. Renna hoped that one day she'd be able to blend in so well that she could pass by one of her teachers without them noticing. 
A dark-skinned boy of 15 turns called Eryk walked up to Sanne. He'd been given the assignment to help the slightly older student with her assignment. Eryk had only recently enrolled in the Hall, but as the son of a Sailor he already knew a lot about his future craft. After losing his father as a young boy, his uncle had taken over the role of a father figure and he'd taught Eryk all he needed to know about sailing and fishing. But his mother had insisted he'd study at Remyndal Hall for a couple of years to broaden his knowledge. Eryk understood his mother's fear and accepted it as he accepted most of live. With a smile and a need to protect those dear to him.
"Sailor Eryk, reporting for duty." he said, startling the oblivious Sanne.
Embarrassed that his little joke had backfired, Eryk started to apologize, but was interrupted by Renna before he could get more than a Sorry out of his mouth.
"Nice to meet you." Renna said, "I'm also here for the group project. I'm Renna."
"I'm Eryk." Eryk said, slightly blushing at the prospect of having to work with 2 older girls. Both seemed nice but he was always a bit shy around girls.
Renna looked pointedly at Sanne until she croaked: "Sanne."
"So Sanne, what is our assignment?" Renna asked, taking the lead while also shoving the duty in Sanne's shoes. 
Sanne blushed and stuttered: "We eh... need to eh... act out a rescue with the dolphins."
"Great," Renna said, "Since I'm an acting student, I'll play the victim."
"How can I help?" Eryk asked, "I only know how to sail."
Renna kept quiet. Sanne was the one she wanted to keep the conversation going. The shy girl took a while to compose herself but then she finally opened her mouth. At least the stutter was gone, though Renna needed to strain to hear Sanne's voice.
"How about Renna hides along the shore and we try to find her with a boat and the dolphins?"
The smile Eryk gave Sanne could have lighted a room at midnight. He jumped up and wanted to dash away to get his boat.
"Wait!" Renna said, "I'll need some time to get into place. Give me half an hour before you start."
"How far will you go?" Sanne asked.
"You wouldn't know for sure in a real rescue attempt." Renna countered, "Let's just say, people overheard me saying I had a craving for tropical fruits and roasted fish. But who knows. Keep an open mind."
And then Renna got up and dashed away, heading to the road but vanishing behind the greenery before Sanne could see which turn she took.

Eryk gently tugged Sanne's shirt and waited until she turned around.
"Want to do something while we wait for Renna to hide? I have some snacks." he offered.
"Thank you." Sanne said and sat down on the beach.
She was used to sitting on the sand and she'd just wash her clothes tonight, but then she considered that Eryk might not feel the same. Did she know anything about him? She had seen him around the Hall. He was usually surrounded by friends. But her mind drew a blank on anything of importance. Luckily Eryk sat down beside her without a fuss and opened the small bag he'd brought with him.
"My mother made cookies. They're still the best I've ever eaten."
Eryk was at the age where most boys would rebel a bit, but as his father had died when he was so young, Eryk had a deeper bond with his mother than most. They were a unit and he wouldn't think about arguing with her like some of his friends did. 
Sanne smiled and added: "My mother can't bake at all. But she is great with animals. I take after her."
She took a bite and nodded: "These are wonderful."
"I'm glad you like them." Eryk said and was also glad that Sanne seemed to warm up to him a bit. She seemed like a nice girl. Even though she was a year older than him she didn't talk down to him nor acted important. 
"Do you like sailing?" he continued, trying to keep the conversation going.
"Somewhat." My parents have a sailing supply store so I know how to sail, but I can't say I've gotten a lot of practice. Mostly calm waters."
"Do you need to be in the water with the dolphins?"
"Not really, I can be in the boat and listen to them. Why?"
"We can take a slightly larger boat then. We should realistically have a place for Renna as well. I've heard people talk about her and apparently she's quite a good actor. She might want to play out her part until the very end."
"I don't know much about her." Sanne admitted.
They talked for a while longer, and then Renna's half hour was finished and Eryk hauled Sanne away to go look at the boats. He already knew which one he wanted to take. It was a sleek and fast sailboat that would comfortably seat two and with a stretch could seat three. It was particularly handy for sailing along the coast because it was shallow. 
"Alright." Eryk said, "Which way do you think Renna went?"
"She said something about tropical fruits and roasted fish. But I have no clue."
"Might be the fishing spot around the bay. There are fruit trees there."
"It might be a ruse."
"Well, it isn't far so we might as well start there. She might have left us a clue."
Sanne perked up. "Right! If this was a real rescue, we'd also have the dolphins look for signs of the passage of people and boats."
"Can they do that?"
"Yes. They're really marvellous animals. Smart and playful but they really like rescue missions so they might like to help us out."
"Let's go ask them!" Eryk yelled, nearly losing his balance in his enthusiasm. 

Renna walked toward the famous fruit and bbq beach like she would if she were actually headed there for some fun. Of course, no dolphin would be able to spot her. Or could they? Renna actually didn't know how good their sense were, but she thought it was highly unlikely that the dolphins would be able to see a person yards from the water. Which meant she'd need to move on from the beach either walking along the water, wade along the shore through the water, swim to a spot further down the coast or take a boat. 
As she reached the beach, Renna saw a couple of her classmates. Time to make chat a bit. It was actually quite fun to make a trail for the others to follow. Like hide and seek, but with more fun for the person hiding. Renna had always been bad at staying put. She'd moved around, which hadn't gone over well with some of the children. 
"Hello girls." She said, "Any plans for today?"
"Hello Renna." the brown-haired girl said, "Me and Lily thought we'd head out to Loren's Island. "
"It's such a warm day I really want to swim." the blonde-haired girl added.
"Nice plan. I think I'll take a walk along the shore. I want to think a bit." 
Now if the dolphins picked up the swimmers then the girls would share the next bit of information. Just to be sure, she'd wade through the water. Maybe the dolphins worked with scent. 
"Oh I know just the place!" the first girl said, "You should really check out the seaside cave. It's a really nice place and with this weather most other people will be swimming or sunbathing."
"The reflections of the water in there are really something." the second girl added.
"I will do that. Thanks for the tip."
Renna waved as the girls headed for the beach to start their swim. She also headed to the water and waded along the shore, carrying her shoes and enjoying the feel of sand between her toes. The cool water really did feel nice in the heat of the day. Ten minutes of following the shore later, Renna reached the cave the girls had spoken about. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing. Some dolphins were playing in the vicinity but Renna ignored them as best she could. She just hoped these wouldn't be the ones that Sanne called upon because then the search would be brief. 
Climbing into the cave, Renna relaxed in the shade. She stretched out on her back and looked up to the ceiling where the water reflected the light. The wavy lines waxed and waned, turned and blinked. 
Renna couldn't help but think of the stars in the sky... and her mind wandered to five years ago when she'd made a hobby of tailing Rogier, a taciturn astronomy student. She found her mind wandered to that time a lot lately. Her younger self had seen her brother in Rogier, but her present self had less than pure emotions when she thought about the young man. She was as old now as he'd been when he'd been searched. Where would he be now?
Her mind wandered back to the present, well the last week when she'd raided Blanca's office as she'd done so many times before. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but some subtle hints had alerted Renna that something huge was up. Blanca had rearranged her coats, most likely because she would need one of the fancier ones for an upcoming event. More letters had been coming in and going out than usual, another indication that something was up. Which was why she'd jumped to the chance this assignment offered to go along with Blanca. If she impressed a dragon of her own, then just maybe she might meet Rogier somewhere. 

Meanwhile Eryk and Sanne had arrived at the BBQ beach spot. The dolphins had happily tagged along for the exercise and were already swimming in search patterns, looking for disturbances and traces. Eryk and Sanne were looking around the beach.
"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't just have stayed here." Sanne said.
"No, but if this were a real search party we'd have to do this." Eryk nodded seriously.
"You're right. But I'm certain she left us clues." Sanne said.
"Maybe she talked to the people here?"
Sanne looked around and saw about a dozen people, none of which she knew. The prospect of talking to all of them wasn't a happy one. She could already feel her cheeks redden and her pulse quicken. 
"Excuse me..." she started but her voice was lost in the chattering.
"Has anyone seen Renna?" Eryk bellowed and almost all of the people on the beach turned their attention to them.
"Hey Eryk", one of the younger boys said, "I think she talked to Druanne and Lily."
"Where are they?" Eryk asked, looking around.
"I'm pretty sure they went to the island."
"Thank you."
Eryk smiled at Sanne, "I'm pretty sure she told them something."
Sanne nodded and they headed back to the boat. She wondered how Eryk could speak to others so easily. It seemed like it cost him no effort at all. 
"Is something wrong?" Eryk asked.
"How can you do that?" Sanne asked, "Talking to people."
Eryk blinked and considered. Sanne could speak just fine. But he had noticed she was shy and quiet. He had seen her around the hall during the brief time he'd attended the classes so far and every time she was standing away from the others. He'd never even seen her talk to any of the students now that he thought of it.
"I grew up with my mother but I have a large extended family." he finally said, "We play together a lot so it just comes natural to me? I've never met anyone who wished me harm or who wouldn't help me if I needed it."
Thinking about it now, Eryk could tell that his life had been blessed. Because he could very well imagine the hardships some people could encounter and the bad intentions some people might harbour. 
"I think I also just know which people are good and which people I just need to stay away from." he concluded not knowing how to phrase it better.
"I wish I could do that."
The dolphins had not found anything out of the ordinary, but with all the people playing in and around the water, they couldn't be certain it was Renna who'd made some of the tracks or if it had been the others. For now they trailed behind the boat and waited for their time to shine.
The two of them docked at the small island that was little more than a piece of rock that extended out of the sea. The surface was flat and the two girls were sunbathing. This time Eryk flushed and stuttered a bit.
"Wh-why don't you try now."
"Okay." Sanne said, determined to repay the favour.
"Hello!" she waved, her voice not as loud as she'd wanted it to be but the girls had heard her anyway, "We're looking for Renna."
"Oh right, we told her about a seaside cave. Look you can just about see it over there." said the girl and pointed. 
"Thank you." Sanne said and turned back to the boat.
Eryk helped her back in and Sanne asked: "Can we get to the caves with this boat?"
"It is shallow but if we hit some jagged rocks the hull would be damaged."
"Then I'll ask the dolphins to check the caves. We can always swim to shore to rescue Renna."
"Sounds like a good plan. And if she isn't there we won't get wet." Eryk chuckled.
The dolphins regrouped, happily took their new missions and shot away while the slower boat followed. Though they did go pretty fast. The winds had picked up and the sail pulled tout. Eryk strained a bit to keep it in check. 
"I don't like those clouds that are blowing in." He called above the wind.
"It might be a storm." Sanne agreed, "Maybe we can take shelter in those caves."
"Let's hope Renna is there and not somewhere else without cover."
Early Spring storms tended to bring heavy rains and those clouds looked like they carried a lot of moisture. His uncle had always warned him for that peculiar shade the sky took when a storm was brewing. 
"I'll take us as close as we can get." Eryk called, "But we'll have to swim the rest."
They threw out the anchor in the calmer seas of the bay. The rocky outcrop that was dotted with caves sheltered the bay from the worst of the tide and winds. Sanne and Eryk took down the sails, lifted out the rudder and sword and secured everything as best they could. Afterwards they dove into the water and swam to the shore. 
They were greeted by the dolphins who swam around and under them, jumping out, enjoying the rougher seas. The dolphins conveyed that they had found evidence of a human passing through and they led them to the cave where the tracks had led to.
"Renna!" they called, storming in and found the older girl snoring.
Renna woke up from the commotion, "I guess you found me." she yawned, "time to head home."
"We can't, there's a storm." Sanne said.
"Really?" Renna jumped up and ran to the cave entrance where she saw the darkened skies and heavy cloud cover, "Oh that looks bad."
"I hope the boat doesn't sink." Eryk fretted.
"Don't worry, the dolphins will protect it." Sanne said, "I asked them."
"They can do that?"
"To some degree. As long as lightning doesn't strike it."
Renna looked to where the little boat was floating on the water. The masts were down and there were higher trees in the vicinity. So their chances were good, but lightning didn't always act predictable. 
"Well since it seems we're stuck for now, I'll share my food." Renna smiled.
She took out a backpack that and tossed out some snacks and water. She'd brought the supplies because she hadn't known how long she'd have to wait. 
"Great." Eryk said as he grasped his stomach, "I was getting hungry."
"One day you'll tell your kids about the time you got stuck in a cave and were entertained by a master harper."
"You're not a master harper." Sanne giggled.
"Not yet. In a couple of years I sure will be." 

The storm had raged for the good part of an hour. The sky still looked grey and cloudy but the rain had let up. Renna stuck her head out of the cave entrance and whistled.
"Looks like the boat is still afloat."
Eryk let out a relieved sigh and scrambled out to go inspect the boat while Renna cleared the cave of their things. Her backpack was nearly empty now so she was hardly bothered by it's weight. Sanne had joined Eryk and helped him with the masts and sails. She was quiet, even more so then usual.
"Is something bothering you?" Worried about getting home late?" Renna asked.
"I'm worried about those 2 girls on the little rock in the bay. Would they have gotten back to shore before the storm hit?"
"Want to go check to make sure?" Eryk asked.
"Actually yes.... but I can ask the dolphins to do a sweep."
"I don't mind getting home a little later." Renna insisted.
"Me neither." Eryk added, "They helped us out on our mission anyway.
Sanne nodded and felt better knowing they would check on the girls. More than likely the girls had swam to safety but just in case she wanted to be sure. As they headed out, Sanne called the dolphins and asked them to speed ahead. So far none of them had noticed humans in danger so that was encouraging.
As they circled the little rocky island, the sun was travelling lower in the sky. There were no signs the two girls were close by and the dolphins didn't find signs of alarm underwater. They could only return to the hall.
"I'll check up on them when we get back." Renna promised. 
"I'll come with you." Sanne said.
"Then I'll come too." Eryk said.
"You're not allowed in the girls' quarters." Renna grinned.
"I could try." he grinned but he had just wanted to prolong their adventure a bit. Over the course of the day, Eryk knew he'd made two new friends and he hoped both girls felt the same. Even the shy Sanne acted like she was completely at ease with them now and that made Eryk happier than he could have imagined.
The rest of the trip back to the harbour was uneventful. As they neared the harbour they were greeted by a golden firelizard that flew toward them. Renna recognised the little pet. 
"I guess we were missed. That's Blanca's firelizard."
And indeed, the journeywoman was waiting for them on the dock. She looked worried and was apparently glad to see them return unharmed.
"Did anything happen? Did you get caught in the storm?" She asked.
"We had to wait it out in a cave. We checked on some classmates before heading back. Do you maybe know if Druanne and Lily made it back?"
"They've been home for over an hour." Blanca assured them.
"Oh good." Sanne said relieved, earning her a strange look from Blanca. 
A little plan formed in the journeywoman's mind. Clearly this trio had grown quite close through their ordeal. She probably could take the other two to her next trip to Isla Weyr. Apparently something interesting had happened over there and Blanca wouldn't be a harper if she didn't go there to witness the event. 
"Well I'm happy you're all fine. Eryk and Sanne, hurry home because I'm certain your parents are also worrying."
The two of them thanked the journeywoman and ran to their respective homes, both of which were in the harbour town. Blanca turned to Renna.
"Now for that trip. I think you already know something is happening at Isla Weyr."
"The frenzy." Renna nodded.
"That's my girl." Blanca smiled, "We'll be attending the hatching. I think I'd like to take Eryk and Sanne as well. Would you mind?"
"Why would I?"
"Well it was to be your treat after all."
"I like them, we had fun."
"Which you hadn't expected." Blanca noticed.
"No." Renna shrugged. In fact she had thought she'd have fun turning the whole situation to her hand, but from the moment the others had joined her in the cave, Renna had stopped wanting to control the situation. Just enjoying the day had been enough.
"I'm glad about that." Blanca nodded, "I'll go ask theirs and their parents' permission tomorrow. We'll leave at the end of this sevenday so make sure you're ready."

Isla had shone like a diamond in the sapphire sea during their approach. Blanca, Renna, Sanne and Eryk had been transported in on dragonback, ferried to the Weyr by some of Remyndal Hall's students that had impressed dragons before. Blanca showed her invitation to the waiting crew and they were led to a spacious room in one of the Weyrbowl walls.
"We'll have to share since I didn't send advance notice that we'd come with more than the two I reserved for." Blanca said, "Renna and Sanne will sleep here while Eryk can take the adjoining smaller room that was reserved for Renna." 
While they unpacked their items, Blanca told them more about Isla, the people they might meet and the general rules of conduct they should abide by. After the introduction, Blanca set the children loose and went to go about the more diplomatic part of her visit. She would meet them at diner.
"What do you want to do?" Eryk asked.
"Explore of course." Renna was quick to answer, "This is a Weyr, who knows what we might see here."
"What if we get lost?" Sanne asked, "I don't want Blanca to get into trouble."
"She won't." Renna said, "We'll stick to the rules." and silently thought: 'and they won't blame us for getting a little lost, will they?"
"I want to walk around the Weyr too." Eryk said, "We can always ask for permission if we don't know if we can go somewhere."
"Okay." Sanne agreed.
They went down the stairs to the Weyr bowl and kept to the public grounds at first. The Weyrbowl was bustling with activity. Dragons taking off and landing, people bringing in supplies, going about their business. Following the smell of delicious roasting meat ad vegetables, the three soon found themselves entering the lower caverns where more people went about their daily lives. Following some boys and girls their own age, they exited again and found the beach.
"This place is as wonderful as the beaches at Turin." Eryk remarked, "I bet you can catch some good fish here."
"I don't see any boats in the water though." Sanne said, putting a hand above her eyes to look.
"Maybe it's not the right time?" Renna shrugged.
The two Turin Holders looked at her shocked as if it was common knowledge that the weather and tides were absolutely perfect for fishing at this exact moment. 
A little commotion caught their attention and the absence of fishing boats was forgotten. As it happened, a local boy had found a firelizard clutch on the beach and the eggs were hatching. Almost without warning, one of the local children dropped an egg in Sanne's hands and out popped a little green head.
"Wha..." Sanne started before the screech of the little lizard interrupted her.
"Amazing, you got a firelizard." Eryk grinned.
The children passed around strips of dried meat that they'd brought from the kitchen and soon the newborn firelizards were asleep with extended bellies from their first feed. While the other children scattered, returning to their tasks, lessons and chores, Renna, Eryk and Sanne remained on the beach.
"Can we add a firelizard to our room? What if Laryssa doesn't like her?" Sanne asked, referring to Blanca's gold firelizard.
"This one is still so tiny I doubt it's going to cause troubles." Renna said.
As they were talking, they were approached by a man who had the air of a dragonrider to him, not to mention he was wearing the leather vests the dragonriders usually wore.
"Are you the students Blanca from Remyndal Hall brought with her?" he asked politely.
"We are." Renna answered, "Does she require our presence?"
"Oh no, she mentioned you had potential and I do think I have to agree. My name is M'Len. My dragon Jesioth is over there." he said, pointing to a stately blue dragon, "Would you like to join us for a visit to the eggs?"
Renna looked at the others, but the sparkle in their eyes spoke volumes.
"Sure."

Lantessama Isle