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

Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall

Story Listing
Series Listing

Weyrling Training

Writers: Rochelle
Date Posted: 31st July 2007

Characters: R'syl
Description: R'syl reflects on his children as he washes Usaeth.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 9 of Turn 4

"Up you go!" R'syl grunted, boosting the young candidate onto Usaeth's back and handing him a scrub brush. The boy enthusiastically began scrubbing the bronze's shoulder joints as R'syl turned to the other candidate, this one an older girl. "Here's some sand. Why don't you start at his tail and work your way forward?" He suggested.

"Yes sir." The girl said quickly, bobbing a shallow curtsey and dashing to her appointed position. Usaeth sighed in pleasure as the boy on his back began working between the wings. He contemplated R'syl approaching his forelegs with yet another scrub brush with lazily whirling blue eyes. }:He is good. He found the itchy spot.:{ R'syl chuckled as he crouched down. **You say that about everyone who finds them.**

}:It doesn't itch anymore, so he is good.:{ Usaeth said pragmatically.

R'syl worked quickly, keeping an eye on the two candidates' progress. The girl was newly Searched, but seemed to be doing well. The boy was young, barely able to Stand and still a scrawny thing, but he was weyrbred and Usaeth wasn't his first dragon to clean. He reminded R'syl of Thorom.

He could feel his good mood slipping away with the thought. The boy didn't look like his son other than the dark hair, but something about him, either the way he moved or his mannerisms were so like his son when he was young. It was the dreams in his eyes, R'syl decided, feeling his heart twist.
Dreams that seemed to radiate from both candidates as they worked their way through across Usaeth's hide, whispering to him of gathers and weyrmates, of the dreams that all children had of dragons and of living their lives to the fullest. Dreams that he'd shared once, had shared with Masair and their children.

Where had he gone wrong? Everything had been so perfect. He'd had a wife, then a weyrmate who loved him even if they spent more time arguing than not, and a family of beautiful children. Even when Masair died his children had remained close, the bright and loving rascals who would throw sand rather than bathing Usaeth on trips to the beach. What had changed Rosair so dramatically from the little boy scrubbing Usaeth to the ruthless murderer he had become?

He felt something behind him, and turned to find Usaeth's enormous eye watching him the colors whirling in concern. }:You should not think of such things.:{ The bronze chided gently. }: What has happened can not be changed.:{ R'syl sighed, glancing at the girl scrubbing away. **I know. But it's so hard _not_ think of them.**

}:Then try harder.:{ Usaeth ordered. }:I want to be clean.:{
**Yes master.** He thought mockingly, rolling his eyes as he bent to work on Usaeth's claws. But now that his mind had brought the matter up, he couldn't quite push it away. Had leaving his children behind in Telgar been the best thing to do? Maybe he should have stayed, had tried harder to reach them, to reestablish what they'd once had. There was another Hatching at Telgar coming up, and Thorom would be Standing, assuming that he hadn't changed his mind about doing so in his father's absence. R'syl intended to sneak off to the Hatching whether his children wanted him to or not. Maybe they would be willing to talk to him this time.

He swallowed, his head bowing as he ridiculed the faint hope that had emerged. They wouldn't want to see him. He was chasing a futile dream trying. They had all three demonstrated quite conclusively that they wanted nothing to do with each other, and by consequence, him. He was just another reminder of the sordid and painful past. Why should they want to see him? He'd done the right thing in leaving. They knew where he was and how to find him if they wanted to. They weren't children anymore. Even his little Sairyl was fighting Thread now. His old life, his children, were gone.

But maybe...

**No.**

He sighed, and patted Usaeth's nose when his lifemate nudged him encouragingly in the back. He would go to the Hatching. He had to. He couldn't deny his heart that much. But he knew it wouldn't do anything. He had done everything he could to try and hold his little family together, and they had drifted apart anyway. With Thread falling, after Rosair's conviction and his scoring and Oroma's death, he couldn't blame them for trying to save themselves more pain with a little distance. If they wanted more contact, if would have to be his children's decision.

He would go to the Hatching if he possibly could. If Thorom was left Standing, he would make himself available and try not to be hurt when his overtures were rejected. And if Thorom Impressed, he would rejoice, and grieve, alone.

Last updated on the August 2nd 2007