The Best Attitude To Have

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 15th February 2006

Characters: L'pin, D'cal
Description: L'pin speaks with D'cal, trying to get to know him.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 3

}:You wanted to talk to Aosorath's today.:{ Chaneth patiently reminded his rider.

L'pin looked up from his hidework at the mental prod. **Yes, I did, didn't I?** he thought back. **Do you know where they're at right now?**

}:I see Aosorath:{ Chaneth replied. }:Do you wish me to bespeak his rider?:{
**Would you please? I'll go meet his rider.** L'pin answered.

}:Aosorath?:{ Chaneth queried the younger blue. }:Where is your rider?
Mine wishes to meet with yours. With you along, if possible.:{ he added.
}:We will come to you, if you'd like.:{ }:Yes! He is finishing washing Tilarth, but she is almost finished.
Please come!:{ The little blue enjoyed talking to the other dragons, especially the new Chaneth. He was a blue too!

}:We will.:{ Chaneth said to Aosorath. }:Mine, he is washing Tilarth.
Shall we go meet him their? I would like to swim.:{ L'pin stood up and headed out to where D'cal, Aosorath, and Tilarth were. Chaneth swooped down and landed at the water's edge. }:Hello.:{ he greeted, eyes whirling slowly as he walked into the water. "Good morning D'cal. How are you and Aosorath today?" L'pin asked with a friendly smile and a wave.

"Just fine, thank you, sir." D'cal smiled as he walked out of the water.
"And how are you and Chaneth today?"

"We're doing well. Getting used to things here, I'm settling into my office and he's settling into his weyr. It's not as bad as it could have been- at least I'm not having any trouble getting along with the Weyrlingmaster." **It's the Weyrleader I need to watch out for.** he thought privately.

"Weyrlingmaster Y'sani seems suited to his role," the weyrling smiled.
He was certainly happy to have him over J'darin in charge.

"He's very good at his job." L'pin said with conviction. "Did you know he and I are clutchmates? I've spent over half of my life around him.
He's a wonderful man, and you'll learn a lot from him. I don't know how much you learned from J'darin..." and here his voice trailed off, because he didn't want to speak ill of the Weyrleader. But he was curious. "Or how you were treated, because of the dragon color that you rode. I know some Weyrlingmasters look down on their blue and greenriders. If you're worrying, Y'sani isn't that way." he said reassuringly. "And, obviously, neither am I."

"Yes, I have to admit, I'm rather surprised our Weyrleader has been so excepting of such an... unusual choice for a Second." Faranth knew he hadn't half so accepthing of him and Aosorath!

"He...wasn't." L'pin said quietly, looking down. "I've worked with Y'sani for over 10 Turns now in this way- as his Third, though. He showed up at our Weyr and kidnapped me for this job, basically- he didn't even ask J'darin." He laughed slightly. "I'm not a popular choice, but I don't mind... I'll do the work for as long as I'm here, unless I'm forcibly stripped of rank." He paused. "I gather you've been given trouble because of your dragon's color before?"

D'cal quickly looked away. He was not accustomed to talking about it.
It was too much like complaining, or asking for sympathy, and he wouldn't give J'darin the satisfaction. "Some might see it that way."

"It won't happen with me and Y'sani on the job." L'pin reassured him.
"Forgive me for not knowing this off the bat, but I'm not sure where you and Aosorath fall in training. About where are you right now?"

"Blooding." The very name said it all. The last step to D'cal's graduation was delivering sacks of firestone to riders in the middle of a Threadfall. Everyone knew that not everyone would come back unscathed.

"I see." L'pin said softly. He didn't know the young man well, of course, but he still worried for him. He was under his tutelage- for however short a time- and thus L'pin would worry. "Are you concerned?
Are there any questions that you have to ask me- regarding anything?"

"Well, I have plenty of concerns," D'cal said with a small smile. "But all the other riders had to do it. If they can do it, we can do it.
None of them are better than me and Aosorath."

L'pin smiled. **Confidence- I like that.** he thought. "So long as you don't get too cocky, you should do fine." he said. "I've seen the pair of you fly, and you fly quite well- Aosorath is quite an agile blue. I think he could outfly Chaneth, although he would never admit it!" he added, laughing slightly.

"Well, Aosorath and I have been pitted against the bronzes since he was born," D'cal said with a slight frown. He would _never_ forgive J'darin for implying that a blue was a 'lesser dragon'. "We have a lot to prove."

"I'm sure you'll prove it well enough." L'pin said reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry so much about that as about keeping yourself and your dragon safe. One question, though- pitted against the bronzes?"

"Perhaps pitted wasn't the right word. Compared is maybe better."
D'cal shrugged. "I was one of the older weyrlings. A lot was expected of me. But I was always reminded that a blue would never be as good as a bronze. Nor would his rider." The weyrling looked down at his hands.
He had said too much. "If I can help you in any way please let me know."

"If you ask me, the blues and greens are better- after all, the bronzes aren't worth anything if they're not being covered by us. Always remember that." L'pin said with a conspiratorial wink. "I'll be sure to.
Really, though, it's me who should be helping you, especially if Blooding is coming up soon. If you want extra practice, tips, tricks, anything you can think of, I'm here with that. And if it's simply talking... I can be here for that, too." His tone softened. "If it makes things easier, don't think of me as a Weyrlingmaster." he said. "Try to think of me as a friend."

"Thank you, sir," D'cal smiled. "If I can think of anything, I promise to take you up on that."

"Do you have anything else, or should I leave you to your task?" L'pin asked. "Since you're helping with Tilarth as well as Aosorath, you must be rather busy."

"I am," the weyrling nodded. "But it doesn't mean a little company is unwelcome."

"In that case, I think I'll bathe Chaneth- it's more fun with company."
L'pin said, eying the large blue, who was lying submerged in the water pointedly. "It's very kind of you to be helping Tilarth, especially with your duties. Speaks to your character..." he said as he began to scrub his blue.

D'cal shrugged as he picked up his brush again. "Her rider is a friend of mine. Until Dyaera is well enough to do this for herself, I promised to help. We all have had to help since The Fall."

"Yes, but I haven't seen too many others bathing two dragons." L'pin remarked. "You do well for your friend. You seem like you do more then some of the other riders, even- it's good of you."

"She's worth it," the weyrling said barely loud enough for L'pin to hear as he ducked under Tilarth's wing.

"Does she mean a lot to you?" L'pin queried politely. "I mean, have you been friends for a long while, or not really?" He hoped he wasn't prying, as he wanted to get to know his weyrlings but didn't want to overstep bounds.

"Dyaera was my first friend at the Weyr. I've known her longer than anyone else here, except maybe D'ren."

"No wonder you want to help her. I used to do the same for my friend Minara's green when she was sick. Does Aosorath ever get jealous when you help with Tilarth? Chaneth used to sometimes."

}:I did not!:{ Chaneth protested loudly to everyone. When L'pin sent him mental images of times when he died, the blue said sheepishly }:Oh. I did.:{ D'cal smiled and shook his head. "I've been bathing Tilarth since Aosorath was young. He thought it was great fun because he could help me telling me where she itched and passing along messages. Now he just enjoys her company."

L'pin smiled back. "Does sound like you two are close. And you and D'ren are as well?"

"Yes, sir. We're good friends."

"That's good. I was clutchmates with Y'sani and we're still close friends. I find it's always nicer if you're pretty close with your fellows- it's harder alone." And he had been, much of the time.

"Well, as long as we have our lifemates, we'll never be alone." It was a great comfort to D'cal considering all the other relationships that had come and gone from his life in the last turn.

L'pin nodded approvingly. "The best attitude to have."

Last updated on the February 16th 2006

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The Best Attitude To Have