Brave

Writers: Devin, Mirren
Date Posted: 12th February 2016

Characters: Talryne, Doria
Description: They talk weaving and dragons.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 15 of Turn 8

Talryne

"Hi Doria," Talryne said. "I heard you're a Candidate now?" She liked
the girl. Doria was quiet, the kind of person Talryne could be around
on all but her worst days. And the girl was smart, too, loving
patterns as Talryne did.

"Yes, for a while now." Not that Doria talked about it. Not that she
talked about much of anything unless she had to.

"Is that what you want?" She didn't seem enthusiastic.

"I guess, but I do like our craft." She'd have to give it up if she impressed.

"So you'd be happy either way?" That was a good place to be in.

Doria hesitated. How did she even answer that? She could only assume
she'd be happy if she impressed. That did generally seem to be what
happened.

"I suppose so," she said eventually.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic," Talryne prodded gently.

"I'm…unsure," Doria admitted. "I don't know what is right for me."

"That's perfectly fine at your age. Normal even." Talryne certainly
hadn't had her life figured out at that age.

"I know, but…" Doria paused. "Sometimes I think people want me to be
sure." She wished she could be.

"Are we talking about anyone in particular?"

"No, it's everyone I talk to about it." Doria sighed. "They tell me I
don't have to stand and all that."

"Well, you don't. But if you think you might want to, then go ahead."
It hurt to talk about things like standing and Impression but it got a
little easier as time went on, and today Talryne was having a good
day. "I know some people say you shouldn't stand unless you're
absolutely sure you want to Impress, but I don't agree."

"Some say if the dragon for you hatches, they'll find you, wether
you're standing on the sands or not," Doria replied. "So once I've
been near the eggs, I should stand, right?"

Talryne picked up a stray piece of thread and rolled it around between
her fingers. "There's all sorts of theories about why and how a dragon
chooses. But if you've been to touch the eggs, it's probably best to
go to the Hatching." If anything could influence a dragonet's choice,
egg touching was the most likely.

Doria nodded. "I know." She was about to say that touching them had
been amazing, but she remembered who she was talking to. Dragons might
be a very sensitive topic. "So - what are you working on?"

Talryne pointed to her loom. "I'm trying to work some finer details
into this tapestry, like with the hairs in the runners' mane." She was
about a quarter of the way done with the scene of a herd of runners
amid rolling hills.

"It's incredible," Doria breathed. It wasn't the kind of work she'd
do, especially this intricate, but it certainly was lovely. "That must
have taken ages."

It didn't matter that the praise came from someone much younger, it
still warmed Talryne. "Thank you. I've been working on it between
class projects."

The young candidate smiled. "It's nice that you're…" Her smile faded.
"Um, that you're keeping busy…" Shells, she could kick herself. Sure
she hadn't mentioned Talryne's dragon, but it was pretty obvious
that's what she was about to say.

"Making myself useful instead of being a burden?" Talryne asked
mildly. That was how she'd felt before she'd chosen to take on a
craft.

"No!" Doria protested. "That you're doing something you like. Some
riders don't. They just… stop. I think you're very brave," she added
shyly.

Talryne didn't _feel_ brave but she certainly was doing more than
surviving from day to day. "If you do Impress, I hope you won't pity
me instead." She'd gotten plenty of that from riders. Some didn't even
want to look at her because all they could see was the worst thing
that could happen to them.

"I'll try not to," Doria replied earnestly. "And if I do, please tell
me so I can stop." She'd hate to be offensive and not know it.

Talryne appreciated her honesty. "I will."

Last updated on the February 21st 2016

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