"There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story." – Linda Hogan
BASICS
NAME: Arenna, Aren for short
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: she/her
ORIENTATION: Not sure
BIRTHDATE: Autumn 2746
AGE:19
LOCATION: High Reaches
OCCUPATION: Candidate
WING: N/A
APPEARANCE
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Long Strawberry Blond
HEIGHT AND BUILD: 5'10, slender but strong
FULL APPEARANCE:
Lightly tanned and freckled from long hours spent outdoors tending the herdbeasts, Aren is much stronger than she looks. Of average height and slim build, she isn't much concerned with her appearance, dressing simply and letting her strawberry blond hair do as it will. While not bulky, she is very athletic, and is well able to stay on the back of a bucking runnerbeast or wrestle a large herdbeast to the ground. She doesn't consider herself pretty or feminine and has no use for dresses, preferring to wear pants and shirts that are suitable for outdoor work, in shades of brown, green, black or gray. Her most attractive feature is her pale blue eyes.
PERSONALITY
PERSONALITY:
Coming from a small hold populated by scrupulously honest folk, Aren is very innocent and naive. She has never spent much time with anyone besides her hardworking, down-to-earth, easy-going relatives, and is woefully unprepared for the variety of personalities that exist off the farm. She loves animals, and is happiest outdoors, in all weathers, tending herdbeasts or exploring and reveling in the beauty of nature when she has free time. An athletic girl, she enjoys swimming, riding herdbeasts, and challenging her brothers to race or fight. When forced inside, she enjoys reading, for she is fiercely curious and wants to learn as much as she can, especially about dragons. She realizes that her life experience is limited and is eager to meet new people and experience new things.
Aren is fairly serious, often taking people at their word when they are only teasing. She despises cleaning unless it's for animals, and both hates and is bad at cooking. She firmly believes that people should be treated with compassion, and witnessing injustice or unfair treatment enrages her. With animals she is openly caring, playful, and outgoing; with people, her kind and caring nature is hidden beneath a detached and reserved exterior. She tries to be easy-going, but certain things set off her temper. In addition to perceived unfair treatment, cruelty towards animals, disparaging remarks about herders in general or the people she cares about specifically, or being told to do anything that she considers to be women's work makes her angry. Aren can be the sweetest, most loyal friend someone can have, but make her lose her temper and you're likely to be punched in the face.
HISTORY
FAMILY: Father-Herder, Mother-Beasthealer Journeyman, Siblings-4 brothers, 1 sister, extended family in the hold
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None yet
BIRTHPLACE: Cothold in High Reaches
HISTORY:
Arenna had a happy childhood, living in a small cothold farm in a remote region of High Reaches land. Her father, a Herder specializing in bovine beasts, married a journeyman beasthealer, and together started working towards a long-term breeding program to gradually improve desired traits in various bovine varieties.
Not surprisingly, Arenna and her siblings (3 older brothers, a younger sister and brother) were trained in animal husbandry from a young age, riding runnerbeasts all over the farm while caring for the large herds of bovine beasts, as well as the smaller amounts of various other herdbeasts. In addition to caring for the animals, Arenna was taught the basics of runnerbeast training, and by the age of 11 was able to escape the drudgery of kitchen and broom that befell her less fortunate younger sister, who showed no particular aptitude in herding. Arenna delighted in working outdoors with runnerbeasts and herdbeasts, much preferring to be alone with her thoughts and something to read than surrounded by noisy people.
After peace came to Pern, she accompanied members of her family to several Gathers, and at one of these occasions, was able to get her first good look at a dragon-a magnificent blue dropping off a passenger. She was awe-inspired by the beautiful creature, and began dreaming of being a dragon rider rather than a herder. After years spent learning everything her mother knew about dragons, dragonriders from High Reaches came to her cothold on Search when she was 19. She was delighted when they said she was suitable for candidacy, and gladly accompanied them back to the weyr, full of hope for the future and eager to achieve her dream of Impressing a dragon.