Clothes...he wears them. He doesn't dress to impress unless he has to, so standard tan, brown, and black clothing works best for him. So long as said clothes fit, are comfortable and don't have holes in them, he's good. Boots however he is much pickier about. He prefers a heavier boot with a thick sole, almost always black or dark brown.

696 AL - Born - After several years of failed attempts, his parents were thrilled to have a strong healthy boy to love. He was a handful the first few years but he was no less loved for it.
700 AL (4yo)- A tragic time in his life occurred that no one expected. Late in turn 699 his mother fell ill and half way through 700 AL he and his father lost the rock of the family. His mother had been the one to keep things going when things got tough. Even at a small age, Nik was so devastated by the loss of his mother that he stopped speaking. He wouldn't even speak to his father. People assured his father it was just a phase, and though it did not seem to be, the two learned to communicate all over again and got along just fine after a while.
702 AL (6yo)- Since his mothers death this was the first time he had been out to a gather. His father ran into an old friend, a Harper, who took an interest in trying to help his father sort out why Nik refused to speak.
704 AL (8yo)- During Nik's standard lessons it was found that he had a gift for knowledge. He could remember almost anything he read or heard and had excellent handwriting for one so young. It was thought that he could take apprenticeship at the Harper Hall, if only he would speak.
708 AL (12yo)- Still not speaking Nik was taken, on invitation by his father and his friend, to view a hatching. Nik was accustomed to dragons coming and going from the few times he had been at the Hold but was extremely excited that he would get to see a hatching. It was the only thing that had brought any honest change to his temperament in years.

Nik was surrounded by the sound of dozens upon dozens of humming dragons, which only added to his excitement. In the seating, which was fairly close to the exit and on the end of the row, they had an excellent view of all the candidates and eggs.

Once the eggs started hatching and the actual impressions got underway he was explained what happens upon impression. There were 20 or so eggs in the clutch do there was plenty of time to explain the goings on. Nik saw, several candidates taken away broken or bloodied from being clawed or bitten and saw that two eggs did not hatch at all, which made him sad. What made him more sad had been the small bronze that was making the worst careening sounds and fumbling around the last of the candidates that had circled him.

Nik, and everyone around seemed to understand that something was wrong. His father told him that the dragon didn't want any of those standing around him, no matter how hard they were trying, and that he would die without a human bond. It broke something inside Nik, a wall around his heart seemed to shatter and he found himself thinking, 'Don't die!' and 'Pick one you silly thing!', and wishing he would hurry up about it, he couldn't have handled seeing him die. He could handle the eggs not hatching, it happened with birds, but the bronze was alive and breathing and.....had been looking dead at him.

The bronze had screamed and started toward him, clawing past a young boy who looked to have been at least two Turns older who was then clutching his bleeding arm. On horribly unstable legs he started trying to run right at him, falling a few times which made him flinch. He didn't know what to do, people around him were shouting and yelling, grabbing and shoving at him and it made him grab for his father. He didn't understand until he looked back at the dragon who was trying to claw past more people to get to him. He looked into one great swirling eye, lost his breath, and allowed himself to be dragged from the crowd. He was given a huge bowl of meat chunks and instructed to feed his dragon.

710 AL(14yo) - Niikolaz had become N'kal, a dragonrider which was far greater an honor then he believed he deserved. He was a no one, a mute child afraid of so many things. Between Torath urging and the coaching of those around him that could stand him, and visa versa, he slowly started speaking again. He also grew some and now towered over his father, whom he visited regularly, even if he wasn't supposed to.

712 AL (16yo) - N'kal meet Palla and her Green Cheaeth. She was 15 even though she had just stood the grounds and bonded with her dragon. She was one of a small group of females to impress and her green was small, even for a green so she caught a lot of grief from other riders. Silent as he was he defended her, getting into several fights when words flew that were to much to ignore.

They were almost always together, Torath defending her Cheaeth from the larger dragons as much as he defended her. She was a strong factor in his actually speaking more, the both of them feeling like outcasts had a bond that ran deep.

715 - 719 AL (19yo- 23yo) - The plague hit hard and dragons were dropping left and right. He and Palla were terrified for their dragons and for each other, so when the call went up to flee south they did not hesitate, leaving messages for their families with friends at the Harper Hall. They took only what they needed, they had each other and their dragons, to save them was all that mattered.

The flight was hard on them all, but harder still on the smaller dragons like Palla's green. They kept dropping to the water to swim when the water allowed so the dragons could rest. It wasn't approved, but they did it anyway and both N'kal and Torath attacked anyone that tried to stop them. He stayed with Palla all the way, and she did her best to keep up. However when they were more then than half way there, Cheaeth could no longer keep up, could barely fly, and it was realized then that she was sick too, like so many others. Eventually she crashed into the ocean, Palla nearly drowning as it took a while for Torath to turn Cheaeth over so she could float upright.

He and Palla argued about what to do for a long time before she gave the silent command to go between. Both N'kal and Torath mourned the loss and had it not been for Torath, N'kal would have followed her in death but he could not do that to Torath.

N'kal had lost track of how long it took to finally see land but he knew that even for as strong as Torath was he was fading quickly, he had struggled for so long, refusing to give up and finally crash landed over the beach where he stayed for a full seven day before he was even remotely recovered enough to seek shelter. Once they were sheltered, N'kal refused to seek out any other dragon or rider for fear they carried whatever plague it was that had killed so many dragons and Torath was of similar mind. They fended for themselves just fine thank you very much.

720 AL(24 yo) - Nirinath's call had woken Torath and with a horrible roar expressing his displeasure at being made to gather around those they had avoided for so long. N'kal didn't like it either but knew better then to disobey, and so they went. When they landed however, N'kal commanded Torath to stay as far away from the others as he could get away with.

721 AL - 725AL (25-29yo) - Upon deciding that those dragons left alive were not infected he and Torath rejoined society, helped to rebuild and did their part in supporting Tsuen's choice to remain hidden from the north which meant fighting with those who caused trouble, and defending the weyr from wildlife. He didn't like it, but he didn't give a damn either the way he saw it, her choices were saving the lives of their dragons should the plague still be raging back home.

727 AL(31 yo) Does not agree nor participate in the stealing of candidates. Does not speak against it, but neither does he or Torath include themselves in the activity. He understands why, he just feels it could be better done. Torath doesn't care..dragons need riders and thinks N'kel is being his usual close-minded stubborn self.

728 AL - (32-38 yo] - Fully assimilated with the weyr, Torath has settled into life with the dragons and is very glad to see his brethren increasing in number under the careful planning of the Weyr leaders.
Nothing overly eventful happened within these two turns. Though he did manage to be talked into drinking with some of the other riders in late 228, woke up with a random woman in his bed, and Torath laughing in his head.

*730 AL - He had been asked to help in stealing crafters. He did NOT like it, but Torath helped him to understand that it had meant he is trustworthy enough and that it was believed he would come back. Which was true, he had no desire at this point to test the plague, nor did he want to disrupt what was a decent life so far. He still didn't care for it, the ruining of lives, but did as he was told and brought back several crafters.

He was just as shocked as everyone else that a high ranking healer is stolen.

*731 AL - Was quite glad that Torath had not out fly D'ren's Ronarth, as he still wanted nothing to do with leadership.

Both N'kal and Torath had high hopes for the World Above Clutch, and N'kal was more than glad that D'ren suspended the theft of crafters.

Found it amusing that the healer tried to off himself. It wasn't like life at Katila is all that horrible, he still got to practice his craft and he wasn't harshly treated, at least not to N'kal's knowledge. Though he did understand that it was wrong and that he probably missed his family, it hadn't been worth killing himself in N'kal's opinion. N'kal would have thought the healer would have been glad to have the opportunity to help the dragons make a come back into the world.

Torath was extremely excited that the new clutch had held a gold egg and that nearly all the eggs had been impressed. N'kal of course had been just as happy as Torath, as more impressions had meant there were a few more dragons in the world, and N'kal would always be glad of that.

Very unhappy that some of the other riders are still unloyal, and found that when S'kef is demoted he was just as glad for it as other had been. He was tired of the loyalty of Dragons and riders being questioned, especially his. No he hadn't liked being kept south, but he still understood the logic behind it.

*732 - N'kal, while having stayed under the radar for the most part, is very concerned about recent events in the Weyr and, though he agreed with riders being punished for their crimes, the public lashing was a bit more then he had expected.

Torath again was happy that the most recent small clutch of eggs had a gold egg, as was everyone else. N'kal was concerned that the clutch had been so small, though the queen who laid it had been young.

734 & 38: Torath flies Gold Okalinath twice - The Pursuit & Have Faith in Katila

735 & 39: Torath flies Gold Okalinath - Future Embarks in New Katila, Flies Gold Mizeath - Bright Lights in New Katila

735 & 40: Torath flies Gold Wydrith - Inner Fire in Telgar,