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It took Keain forever to get his bearings in this new place, but eventually he got it and there was no hiding the fact that he couldn’t see. Most riders found out from their dragons long before he could even attempt to hide the fact.

‘I wonder if there’s anybody in the Weyr that doesn’t know that I can’t see.’ Keain wondered to himself as he walked slowly down a hallway making sure not to trip on anything.

As he carefully turned and went around a corner though his question was answered. He ran into somebody or perhaps that somebody ran into him, but soon he had crashed to the floor and with a grumbled he rubbed his head and tried to get up. “Sorry!” A girls voice said. “Here, let me help you up.”

“Thank you.” Keain muttered and when he was standing he decided to ask, “Do you know where the hatching grounds are?”

“Of course, why?”

“Can you take me there please? If it doesn’t anger the parents of the clutches I would like to have you show me how to get there in order to know where to go when a clutch hatches.”

“Oh…” The voice said. “You’re the young man who cannot see. Keain was it?” She asked. Her voice was kind and even concerned and he sighed then nodded. “Okay, right this way, my name’s Sina.”

She took him along the way trying to help him remember which way to go, but after a while he got frustrated. “I do not believe I can remember all of this.”

“You know, I’m pretty sure that somebody will help you.” Sina said and Keain nodded in agreement. “One question though, if you impress a dragon, how will you know what color it is?”

Keain almost laughed. He hadn’t thought of that, how would he know? After a moment or two he said, “I suppose I would have to ask the dragon what color he or she is. I don’t think it really matters though, if I impress at all it will surely be a miracle.”

“I’ve never tried to impress a dragon myself, I don’t think they’d like me.”

Keain smiled. “I don’t think they’ll like me that much either, I cannot see, but I decided to try anyway. You should try as well Sina, you never know what might happen.”

“Yeah I guess so.”

“Well I guess I’ll try to get back to the barracks, I don’t really have much to do so perhaps I’ll go take a nap.”

“Will you be okay getting back?”

“I believe so, but thank you for your concern.” Keain waved and turned to go back to the barracks while hoping that he wouldn’t get lost.

Much later Keain growled at himself wishing he would have let the girl lead him back to the boys barracks, but he had been stupid and hadn’t so now he was wondering where he was. Calmly he listened for voices around him, but he found none. With a sigh he stayed where he was for a moment when suddenly something landed on his head. “What?” He asked and reached up to feel what it might be. It chirped at him and bit his hand. “Great… I have a firelizard on my head.” With a growl Keain tried to get the firelizard to fly off of his head, but for some reason it refused and it stayed there occasionally biting him if he attempted to get it off once again.

Keain sat down not knowing what else he could do and the firelizard seemed to have fallen asleep. After a while Keain found himself talking to the firelizard that had fallen asleep on his head. “You know what?” He asked, not expecting a reply and not receiving one either. “I don’t even know how I’ll get to the hatching grounds! It’s completely ridiculous! How can somebody who cannot see, get to the hatching grounds when a clutch is hatching? He can’t see!” The firelizard let out a small chirp, but that was about it. “Well you’re really helpful.” Keain sighed and wondered if he would ever get back to the barracks.

It seemed like forever and a day had gone by when somebody finally spotted Keain. “Hey, you okay?”

“No, I’m lost.”

“Oh.” Said the voice. “Need help?”

Keain, for the time in his life, answered with a sarcastic comment. “No, I’m just going to sit here for the rest of my life wondering which way I should have gone.”

“Oh, okay.” The voice replied about ready to leave. “By the way, do you know that you have Crynia’s firelizard on your head?”

“I knew I had a firelizard on my head, but I didn’t know who it belonged to.”

“There’s no mistaking it. That’s definitely the blasted brown firelizard of Crynia’s named Mud. Here, let me help you up, my name’s Inckalin by the way.”

“My name is Keain.”

“Oh no wonder you’re lost! You’re the candidate that can’t see!”

Keain felt a flash of anger at that statement, although it was true, he didn’t like how this guy put it. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Forget it, just get this firelizard off my head and turn me in the direction of the boys barracks.”

“Not very polite are you.”

Keain was startled at how he had acted. He had never been that way ever before and quickly he bowed his head guiltily. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“Now you seem a bit too polite.”

“Sorry.”

“I get it already! Boy, talk about being unpredictable. Come on, Crynia’s the only one I know of that can get that firelizard to do anything, that, or the other one named Rain.”

“Thank you.”

Inckalin lead Keain through many hallways and finally they arrived at the girls barracks. Soon a young lady joined them out in the hall with an amused look upon her face. “Sorry about that.” She said staring at the firelizard still clinging to Keain’s jet-black hair. “I don’t know how he can stay on people’s heads like that, but somehow he does it sometimes. Strange one you are Mud.”

“Great, but can you get him off?” Keain asked then a second later he added, “Please?”

“Sure.” Crynia tapped the firelizard on his head and when he looked up at her he yawned and fluttered off of Keain’s head.

Keain was silent not knowing that it took so little to get the firelizard off of his head, but after a moment, and realizing all of the extra weight was gone, he smiled and thanked Crynia.

“You’re welcome.”

She was about to go inside when Keain realized that Inckalin had left and he still didn’t know how to get back to the boys barracks. “Um, wait a second please. Could you help me with something?”

“What do you need help with?”

“I can’t find my way back to the boys barracks.”

“I’ll show you where to go.”

“Could you take me there?”

Crynia blinked then nodded. “I suppose so.”

Keain could hear the confusion in her voice so with a sigh he said, “I… I cannot see. The world is pitch black for me so I would appreciate it if you could lead me back to the barracks.”

“Pitch black? Kind of like your hair?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.”

On the way to the boys barracks Crynia asked, “What color do you wish to impress?”

Keain thought about the question then replied, “I don’t really know about the colors and I don’t believe I will impress at all anyway.”

Crynia sighed. “I don’t think I’ll impress either.”

“Why’s that?”

“I want a bronze dragon, but only males can impress those, and I’m not a male.” Keain was silent. “Why won’t you impress?”

“I’m blind.”

“I think you’ll impress.”

Keain smiled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Crynia smiled as well. “Well, here you are. Um, to your left is the door.”

“Thank you once again.”

“You’re welcome… Once again.”

Keain opened the door to the boys’ barracks and carefully he located which bed was his. With a sigh he fell onto it and stared up at where the ceiling would be. “What color will I impress if I do impress?” He wondered. “Hmm… Well I doubt I’ll impress so best not worry about that. Soon I’ll be back with Barajan in the stables, slightly disappointed that I didn’t impress, but that’s life.”

Suddenly Keain felt something land on his head. A small chirp sounded through the room and the brown firelizard Mud seemed to be sending the feeling that he was saying, “Have a little faith.”

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