Not Just Another Weyrling

Writers: Eimi, Rochelle
Date Posted: 23rd December 2007

Characters: M'galec, Ariau
Description: M'galec endears himself to yet another goldrider... or not...
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 16 of Turn 4
Notes: Backdated due to unexpected/unavoidable LOA (stoopid IP! XD)

}:I'm too tired to go there.:{ Alabieth complained sleepily, sitting down where she stood and causing little ripples to spread away from her seat in the shallows.

"Come on, Alabieth." Ariau coaxed, moving in front of her, trying to convince the little gold to move out of the lake. "You'll like the sand better than the water. It's warmer to sleep on."

}:The water is warm.:{ The gold stated in a no-nonsense tone, yawning hugely. Ariau wondered if she would be able to convince her to move, or if she was still light enough to carry out of the water after her bath.
Probably not. The little queen was growing quickly.

"Yes, but the sand is warmer." Ariau told Alabieth firmly, matching her will to the sleepy dragonet's. Alabieth stared at her for a few moment, eyes whirling slightly in muted colors. Her inner eyelids were already drooping. "You can curl up with the others in the sun, and the sand will be warmer."

The gold sighed, the action turning into another yawn. }:All right.:{ She agreed grudgingly, moving forward again, and Ariau breathed her own sigh of relief when the gold flopped on the sand a few feet away between two browns.

The Weyrlingmaster Second had watched the little exchange between rider and lifemate. She spoke aloud, so it was not hard to guess what the little gold had been saying. Ariau had seemed to take control of the situation, exerting her will firmly, but not unlovingly. It boded well for the future - a pampered gold dragon with no discipline could turn an entire Weyr on its head, as that little gold's dam had been known to do.
"Nicely done, weyrling," he nodded approvingly.

Ariau jumped, heat rushing to her face as she realized that the Weyrlingmaster Second had been watching her. She'd been so engrossed in Alabieth... Had she been talking aloud again? She'd been having problems remembering to be quiet when Alabieth's voice was so audible inside hear head... "Th... Thank you, sir." She gasped, trying to regain her composure. "It is good to not pamper her too much. As a gold, she will grow to be rather demanding of you. You need to know when to be firm and exert your will, but you also need to show you love and respect while doing so. Neither of you can lead a Weyr if either of you are weak." Not all goldriders became Weyrwomen, but they certainly held a certain power that even they did not always understand.

Ariau blinked, and glanced back at Alabieth, sprawled face first in the sand with her wings sagging half extended. Wasn't that was what they had been telling her for turns in candidate classes about all dragons? But the way M'galec said it it sounded almost ominous. Especially the part about leading a weyr... "I don't think we'll be leading a weyr any time soon, sir." She said politely, watching the gold snore through the sand.
She smiled to herself. Alabieth looked so ridiculous like that.

"Oh no, of course not. But you cannot expect to easily break a fully grown queen of bad habits once she is set in her ways. It is best to assert yourself now rather than to give into her every whim." A spoiled gold could cause the Weyr nothing but grief.

"I know sir." She agreed, stifling her annoyance. Did nobody listen to the candidate classes? Was that why he was repeating everything? "They covered that pretty clearly in candidate classes, and I helped raise my two brothers, so I'm used to that sort of thing." She nodded at Alabieth sprawled in the sand. "Dragonets are basically little kids with wings, aren't they? You have to teach them good manners while they're young."

"That is a very mature attitude." Such maturity was important in a goldrider. "But I have to say, unfortunately not all share your insight. Some have a bit more trouble separating the feelings of their lifemate from their own, and other feel that they love their dragonet too much to not spoil and indulge them. I am very pleased to see you understand how important it is. It is probably why you were chosen to rider a gold."

She still had problems separating herself from Alabieth, but now that M'galec had mentioned it she fervently hoped that she got better quickly. There was something very disturbing about his criticism that was starting to irritate her. "I'm not sure why Alabieth chose me, sir, and she can't tell me either. They say that no one knows why some people get chosen and others don't, so I'm just happy she did, no matter what color she is."

"Of course. We all love our lifemates unconditionally. But yours _is_
gold, Ariau, and there is a reason why, out of so many girls, the gold chose you. Your destiny will be very different from your other Clutchmates. Few women are chosen to ride the queens. There is something very special about you, whether you understand it or not." Although he had always known it would be his fate to ride a bronze, he had learned not everyone had an inkling of their own potential. He felt it was his job to help her realize hers, whether she was ready for it or not.

Ariau resisted the urge to cross her arms and scowl at the Weyrlingmaster Second. She was aware that Impressing a gold meant that she would have different duties in the end. She wasn't stupid, and she was beginning to resent his insistence in rubbing the matter in her face. "Sir, I am aware that goldriders have different duties and expectations than greenriders." She said as politely as possible and managing to avoid grinding her teeth. "But Alabieth is still barely hatched, and I would far rather be learning to take care of her properly now than worrying about what it was she saw in me. It's not like I won't be learning everything that goes with being a goldrider later anyway. Or at least, that's what I was told."

M'galec could detect the note of impertinence in her voice. Well, it certainly seemed she had not failed to posses the air of goldrider superiority. "Careful weyrling. I still out-rank you no matter what color you Impressed. Take this as your first lesson on what goes with being a goldrider - you do not have the luxury of just being another weyrling. In the eyes of the Weyr you became a goldrider the moment you Impressed. Every rider knows your name and every dragon knows who Alabieth is. All eyes are on you, and they are on you now. That is something you will just have to become accustomed to."

"I know sir." She said simply. It was something she'd already noticed, how everyone knew who she was. Alabieth, she had expected as soon as she realized that Alabieth was the golden queen, and not just her dragon.
Alabieth knew it as surely as she breathed, which had made it a little easier for Ariau to accept. But the fact that she had not had to correct people on her name once since Impression disturbed her. "I'm aware of that. But I'm also aware that as weyrlings bronzes and golds do not get any preferential treatment. I don't want to give Alabieth any ideas yet."

"Officially, that is true. Until you become a full weyrwoman, I outrank you, as does any rider in a wing. But within the Weyrlings, you will be expected to show your leadership skills. That does not technically start until we start drilling and choosing group leaders, of which you naturally will be one. But you need to understand that even now, as you wash your lifemate, other weyrlings are watching you. The Weyr is watching you. They are all wondering 'Why her?'. You do not need to know the answer yet, or perhaps ever. Just carry yourself as though you know something and they will believe in you." One thing M'galec had learned over the turns, everyone just loves a good show, and as long as you give them one they will always come away satisfied. "Now go relax with your lifemate."

"Yes sir." Ariau seized on the opportunity to escape the Weyrlingmaster Second's presence. It was easy to see why no one liked him much. Not only was he strict, but he was also irritating and condescending. She wasn't stupid, and she resented being spoken to like she was. She hesitated a moment, then gave M'galec a nod and dropped into a quick curtsy before she fled. She knew the curtsy wasn't necessary, but if it got her out of M'galec's presence without adding to either of their irritation with the other, she would do whatever it took.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2007

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Not Just Another Weyrling