Another Way
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Len
Date Posted: 2nd June 2024
Characters: L'fael, Jaylene, J'nne, J'zen
Description: Despite being a HAD, Lafael is again left on the Sands
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 24 of Turn 11
Again, a Hatching.
Again, Lafael stood alone at the end. He didn’t want to use the word ‘rejected,’ after all he had the entire Weyr to talk to, even if there wasn’t one particular dragon that was all ‘his,’ whatever that really meant. And it wasn’t like he didn’t already hold a privileged position of getting to hear every impression that had happened all around him. He knew of the beauty of it in a way that the other candidates wouldn’t until they too had Impressed. And, he reminded himself, even if he never Impressed, he was safe here at the Weyr. He was well fed, he wasn’t abused, he wasn’t overworked.
Even so, it hurt.
Vaguely he could feel the heat of the sands underfoot, but it didn’t bother this child of the tropics. Absentmindedly he turned and began to follow the other disappointed candidates out of the Hatching Grounds. A few girls were crying and he wanted to comfort them, but he knew he was the ‘awkward’ one, the guy they all stayed slightly away from, or made fun of because he might not be able to read or write as well as them.
And then it came to him so hard he stopped in his tracks. This_was_it, this was the last Hatching he would be able to attend as a candidate. His heart beat so hard it felt like it would leap out of his chest. There would be no more chances, he_had_failed. Blinking hard, he tried to think of when the next gold would Rise. It probably wouldn’t be before the first of the year, his 22nd birthday was in only three months. Despite the Sands he felt as cold as if he were in the middle of a blizzard.
All those feelings of being alone, of being a rejected worthless little drudge that no one wanted, all those feelings he thought were dead and buried, they all came rushing back. What would someone like him do now? If he wasn’t a candidate, what real worth did he hold for the Weyr? They didn’t need another HAD, they had Lanniya after all. She was a HAD_and_a goldrider. She was important in a way that he would never be.
}:Come to me, Lafael:{ spoke a familiar gentle voice in his head said. A voice that could only be Reanth. She was relaying to her lifemate Lafael’s despair.
Jaylene sat bolt upright at her dragon’s words, her pint of beer forgotten on the table before her. Her brothers were laughing about something and teasing another greenrider, but their words washed over Jaylene.
J’nne glanced over and saw how pale she had become. “What’s up, sis?”
“Lafael…” Not trying to explain, she stood up and began jogging through the massive crowd of weyr folk, Holders and Craft people all about, all here to celebrate new life. How could this be? Surely he had gotten it wrong. As she jogged she tried to remember his age. Lafael always looked so much younger than he probably was that she had given the thought that he could age out of candidacy out of her mind.
J’nne and J’nne watched her blend into the crowd with baffled looks on their faces. “What’s up it’s her?” J’zen asked.
“Something about Lafael. Tribeth, what’s going on?” Feeling alarmed, J’nne stood up and began going in the same direction as Jaylene.
“Wait up,” his older brother said behind him.
As he walked, J’nne listened to Tribeth tell him what was going on. He sighed to himself, it was sad news but it wasn’t like it was the end of the world. }:Yes, but you only Stood because of a dare, not because you wanted to be a dragon rider:{ Tribeth reminded him. }:This is devastating news to Lafael:{
Glancing back, he pulled his older brother close to him, so he could let J’zen know that was going on. J’zen looked sad at the news, and began jogging to catch up to their sister. J’nne muttered under his breath and broke into a jog to try to catch up. By the time he did Jaylene had already had the lad in a big sisterly hug and he could see Lafael’s shoulders heaving. He stopped alongside J’zen.
“There’s got to be a way out,” he said. “Once we all calm down, we’ll find a way.” It_was_rather odd that the lad hadn’t been snatched up by some pretty little green by now. “I think Barrier Lake and Dolphin Cove are both due to have a queen Flight, they’ll be another way.”
J’zen gave his shoulders a squeeze.
Last updated on the June 7th 2024