Punishment

Writers: Shelly, Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th September 2006

Characters: Tsaera, Syntara
Description: Tsaera lectures and punishes Syntara for fighting
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 3 of Turn 3

Syntara sulked toward the Weyrwoman's office, arms folded and face
stoic. Why did she have to be here anyway? So she had gotten into a
fight with another rider, but neither one of them had been sober! It
wasn't such a big deal. At least she had won the fight. That was
something. Syntara knocked on the door and waited for a response from
within.

"Come in." Tsaera looked up as Syntara pushed the door open, and set
her pen aside. "Greenrider Syntara. Please shut the door behind
yourself and take a seat."

Syntara sat as instructed and waited for the yelling to begin.

She was to be disappointed, because when Tsaera began to speak, she
didn't raise her voice at all. "So. Would you like to tell me what
provoked you into attacking greenrider Carlien?"

"Alcohol - a lot of it - and a competition for a man." Syntara
replied simply. She wasn't entirely sure where this was going to go.

Tsaera had to give her props for being baldly honest about it. There
were too many people lied, or shaded the truth in their favour.
**Like Zakita...** "Which I'm sure you'll agree isn't exactly
appropriate behaviour. Fighting is banned, and I like to think that
my riders have enough sense to know when they've had enough."

"I guess I just wasn't thinking." Of course she knew when she had had
enough and of course she had known it that night, but Syntara wasn't
about to tell the Weyrwoman that.

"Thinking or not, you're on Watch duty tomorrow and the day after
from midnight until dawn, and will be riding additional sweeps for
the next sevenday. You're also moved to the front of the list for
transport duty for that time period. I'll also be leaving explicit
instructions for the kitchens and Headwoman that you're not allowed
any alcohol." Tsaera frowned. "I can't stop you from drinking in your
weyr or at any parties that you choose to attend, but if you are
caught doing so be aware that you will be assigned additional duties.
Fighting is a serious matter, Syntara, and drunk or not, if things
had deteriorated further you'd have put your dragon at a very real
risk."

"I'd never put Faylith in danger!" Syntara replied hotly. She was
beginning to sympathize with the way U'kaiah had felt after his fight
with N'vanik.

"I'm sure that you wouldn't. Knowingly. But in an alcoholic haze,
sometimes you 'just aren't thinking'." Tsaera made a note on the hide
in front of her. "I'll speak with U'das to let him know about the
change in your schedule."

"Thank you." Syntara was careful to check her tone. The Weyrwoman was
hardly a person to be toyed with. "Will that be the extent of my
punishment?" She was hoping to speed through the remainder of this
interview.

"You'll also be grounded for the next Fall." Tsaera put down her pen.
"And I don't want to have to see you in here again for fighting. Is
that clear?"

Syntara was a little crushed that she'd be grounded during the Fall,
but did her best to hide it. "Yes, ma'am. I don't plan on doing that
again for quite some time." And that was the truth. As good as it had
felt to pummel that poor, sorry greenrider it, largely, wasn't
turning out to be worth it.

"Good. That will be all, then. Although it wouldn't be remiss of you
to apologize to Carlien. I won't force you to, but I hope that you'll
do it because it's the decent thing to do."

The greenrider gave Tsaera a look that very clearly conveyed that
there probably wouldn't be an apology for quite some time. "L'cian
isn't in trouble, is he? None of this was his fault, and he did try
to settle things."

"No, L'cian isn't in trouble." There had been enough witnesses to
sort out what had happened, and the bronzerider had behaved himself.
It was just the greenriders...

"Good." She didn't care what happened to that miserable greenrider,
but the bronzerider was another story. Now that she had learned all
she needed she sank into a sullen silence and waited to be excused.

"I won't be seeing you in my office any time soon, will I, Syntara."

"I'm not planning on it, Lady." Then again, she hadn't planned on it
this time, but she wasn't about to say that.

Last updated on the September 9th 2006

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Punishment