Weyrling Ti'ana and midnight-blue Mehrath make an important decision.
(See the end of the work for notes.)
“How would you prefer to be known now, weyrling?”
Tiyana looked at the Weyrleader in surprise. The one thing she thought she couldn’t do as a dragonrider, and it was being handed to her! “I’d like to elide my name!” she said breathlessly.
Then she blanked. What name would she use? T’ana? Ti’na? Midnight blue Mehrath sat at her side, flapping his wings and giving her his thoughtful opinions. Tiyana chuckled at his enthusiasm, but the names that came to mind just didn’t feel right.
Tiyana knew that most dragonriders gave their children (or at least, their sons) names that would easily elide in case they too became dragonriders. But of course none of that would apply to her.
Her Mum had told her long ago that the name Tiyana meant “storyteller” in some ancient, dead language. “A perfect name for a Harper!” she said. As a dragonrider, Tiyana was determined to give her own spin on her name.
She thought some more, and her thoughts drifted to one of old green rider Kisha’s riddles: “A dragon gives you his, but you won’t take it. Yours will never be heard again.”
Tiyana smiled as she came up with her answer. Her new name would be a dragonrider’s name, but with the spirit and sound of her old name. It would certainly be heard again!
She looked down at Mehrath, and he hummed and nodded his approval.
“Ti’ana,” she said with conviction. “You can call me Ti’ana.”
I couldn't help but sneak in a reference to Myst: The Book of Ti'ana, since Ti'ana looks so much like an elided dragonrider name. "Ti'ana" means "storyteller" in the D'ni language, which in Myst lore is definitely an ancient, dead language!