ii. Search

Five Turns later...

The Tamber quadruplets were growing admirably. They flourished into experienced musicians and artists in just five Turns, and their mother finally decided to move the family to a local Crafthall so her children could excel in their talents.

They did amaze many - Kaydence and Lirit were known well for their musical performances around the region; their older siblings Jorah and Karif painted portraits of people, dragons, firelizards, or anything else they were asked to do. They found the greatest joy in painting the dragons, though. They even had vivid, realistic dreams about dragons regularily, and figured they must be connected in some way.

And their mother - she fell in love at that Crafthall, with a man who loved art and music as much as she and the children did. He was a Harper and played for the children, and taught them what they didn't know. They loved him, and their mother did.

When the quadruplets were fourteen, Philyra Tamber married Josiah Autian.

They were allowed by their newfound stepfather to carry on the Tamber name, and the marriage was much celebrated.

When the quadruplets turned fifteen, their lives were changed forever in a much greater way than any of their good fortune as far.

The dragon arrived at the Hold and immediately Jorah and Karif prepared their painting canvas - it never hurt to be prepared for anything - and waited there in their studio, though they itched to rush outside and give greetings.

They could see the dragonrider speaking with a person from the Hold, and they were quite curious about what he said - the dragon was a blue one, a bold hue. They thought they saw the dragon turn his eyes on them and that moment was a great shock - but they blinked and he was looking away again.

The person who spoke to the dragonrider nodded and ran inside. Soon afterward, footsteps raced down the hallway and there was a knock on a door.

Their door.

Jorah and Karif leapt up, nearly flinging a tray of paint against the wall, and spilling some red stuff on the floor. Karif instinctively stepped on the paint to hide it in case the Lord was coming to check on them.

"Come in," Jorah said after a nod from her brother.

Whoever was there entered - and sure enough it was the man they'd seen outside talking to the dragonrider. Their mouths dropped open, though Jorah quickly snapped hers shut because she felt as if she was being rude.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but you have a message from a dragonrider. Here, I'll read it," he said hurriedly, then picked out a note from his pocket and read it aloud.

"'I, Chehat, rider of blue Gefytla, request the presence of Jorah and Karif Tamber as soon as possible', it says."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, though Karif said something in the awkward silence. "So, he would like to meet us...?"

"Outside," said the man. "Your mother and stepfather have been informed of this event."

"Event..." Jorah mumbled to herself, her brain whirring. An event such as perhaps a Search?

They came outside to find their mother and Josiah there, along with a dragonrider beside that bold blue dragon. Though they had no clue whatsoever what was going on, Karif and Jorah figured it must be something important - more than just a portrait.

"Jorah and Karif, I presume? Good." The dragonrider nodded and stepped towards them. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Chehat, Searchrider for Starburst. And this is my dragon Gefytla. I am here on important business, you see."

"Important business?" Karif queried to no one in particular.

"Yes. It seems that there is a dragon clutch at a place offworld... Serpent's Reach Caer, I believe. Sired by Starburst's own warm prism Zekiaan... but I doubt you two have heard of him before. Anyway. Serpent's Reach is in need of bonders for that clutch, and Zekiaan had enough time to inform us that you would be worthy candidates."

"Us?"

"Candidates?"

"But... that's..."

"Impossible!"

"I know it's a shock, dearhearts," their mother spoke up. "But Chehat and Gefytla have never gone wrong before. And if you accept, you could return home as dragonriders! It would be the greatest joy of my heart to see you like that."

Those words made the decision.

"We will go," Jorah and Karif said simultaneously.

"Excellent! I expect that you need to pack your belongings for the journey. We're to travel off to Alskyr tomorrow, then."

"That should be plenty of time to get ready," said Philyra, nodding towards her children.

"I always dreamed of this," Jorah said.

"And so have I," Karif added with a smile.

"I'll meet you two back here in the morning," Chehat said. "Until then, make sure you've made the most of your time left here!"

The siblings nodded and headed back to their dorm rooms, hearts leaping with excitement.

Another dragon arrived about a sevenday from the time Jorah and Karif left, but this one was different from Gefytla. This one was purple, though built quite the same, and her rider was female. The summons came for Kaydence and Lirit, who in secret had been expecting this very much.

"I am Silvri, rider of purple Mizilayt - "

And that would be me.

"I think I just heard someone talk to me in my head." Lirit shook his head in disbelief. "It wasn't... her?"

"Actually, it probably was." Silvri clicked her claw-like fingernails absently.

I can speak to whoever I want. Sorry for startling you, Lirit.

"Um, it's okay." Lirit was very bemused, though he'd just had everything laid out in front of him right then and there. Apparently, none of the quadruplets had ever been spoken to through psionics until that time.

"Anyway... I suppose you would like to know why I'm here. Well, to make a long story short, I'm here..."

...on Search.

Silvri glanced up warningly at her dragon. "Mizilayt..."

Sorry, chuckled Mizilayt to Silvri, but even Kaydence and Lirit (who couldn't hear that) saw her laugh.

"So we're Searched, just like our siblings?" Kaydence inquired.

"Yes, in a way. While your siblings went to Serpent's Reach, you will be going to Cy Dragonstake if you accept this Search. You are apparently perfectly suited for the clutch of a gold called Euphony."

"Oh, it sounds like music," remarked Kaydence.

"You're brilliant, Kaydence. Yes, indeed, this is a song-themed clutch, so I've been told."

"Are you from Cy Dragonstake as well?" asked Lirit.

"Cy? Oh, no. We're from Starburst like Chehat and Gefytla. They asked me and Mizilayt to take you there, for some reason. But really, I'm used to flying offworld."

"You and Chehat are siblings, then?"

"No. But close friends. We're both feline-shifters, you see."

That would explain those freaky fingernails, shuddered Lirit to himself.

"Anyway - I'm supposed to ask you now: do you accept the Search, Kaydence and Lirit Tamber?"

"Of course!" squeaked Kaydence in delight.

"Yes," Lirit said at the same time.

"Then it's settled. Your parents know about this already, but we will give you a day or so to get ready for the journey. You will need some things if you'll be offworld for a while until the clutch hatches."

"We know," Kaydence said.

"Jorah and Karif bragged about it since they were Searched," Lirit added.

"Oh, I can just imagine that," Silvri laughed. "Well, I'll be back here tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Sure," they said at the same time.

Much like their older siblings before them, the Tambers, went back inside, delighted as anyone would be at a Search.

The Tambers would be a dragonriding family in no time at all!

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