To Stand or Not To Stand (2)

Writers: AL, Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 11th December 2008

Characters: F'gol, Eshmeir, Sheste, Cerra, Jestyn
Description: Eshmeir finds Cerra with some of her friends and the group chats about the hatching and their future.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 13, day 10 of Turn 4

"Are you ...?" He remembered what Cerra had said about them all being allowed to Stand because they now lived within the confines of the Weyr. "Are all of you going to try to Impress?" he asked, looking around the group.

Figol snorted, "I'm not. You all are crazy wanting all that responsibility. Not only is a dragon like taking care of a child, but then you get conscripted into fighting Thread for the rest of your life."

"You just don't get it." Sheste rolled her eyes. Her father was a dragonrider and while she didn't understand exactly what it was like, she got a sense of the type of relationship dragons and humans had. "Well, no one is _making_ you stand you know."

"Are the rest of you going to?" Eshmeir prompted again. "Other than Figol."

"I am." Sheste stated, turning her attention to Eshmeir.

"I am too." Jestyn stated emphatically, grinning broadly.

Cerra shook her head. "No, I'm happy where I am, though I won't begrudge anyone who wishes to stand." She paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to request to be able to stand?"

"I don't know," Eshmeir said, though his mind was almost made up. "Do the masters here mind their apprentices Standing?"

"Yes." Figol said gruffly when no one spoke up. "And wouldn't you? You spend turns training up a good voice or a steady hand and then they just jump ship for a dragon. They just can't say anything about it since we're living here and all."

"I think it depends on the Master, and on the apprentice." Jestyn commented dryly, lightly kicking Figol. "If you really want to stand, they won't stop you. Are you interested, Eshmeir?"

"I _am_," the new apprentice admitted. "It seems like a chance too good to pass up. What do I have to do to be allowed to Stand? Talk to -?"

"The headwoman I think. Or would it be the Weyrwoman?" Cerra glanced over at the other candidates. They had been the ones to go through the procedures, not her.

"The Weyrwoman and our Masters." Jestyn piped up.

"Though the Masters will let you whether they want you to or not." Sheste shrugged. "They may not like it, but they can't stop you."

"The _Weyrwoman_?" Eshmeir squeaked. "Really?"

Figol grunted at his discomfort. All this talk about Impressing was annoying him, didn't they realize they'd be leaving music behind if they had to take care of a dragon? "If you can't get the courage to stand before the Weyrwoman, how are you going to have the courage to stand before the Queen and her eggs?"

"I suppose so." Eshmeir sighed. He felt brave enough for ordinary things like travelling far away from his family to apprentice at the Hall. But knocking on the Weyrwoman's door and _suggesting_ that he thought himself good enough to Impress one the hatchling dragons? That was something quite different. "Perhaps I should leave it until I've been here a while."

"Suit yourself." Sheste shrugged. "There will be other hatchings. You could always try for the next one."

"She's right, this won't be the last." Jestyn said around a bite of his bread.

"That's a better idea. Wait until I've been here longer than a couple of sevendays," Eshmeir said, rather relived he wasn't to be put to the test of seeking the Weyrwoman's permission right away.

Figol leaned back down over his notes, "You never know, you might decide that being a harper is better than being a dragonrider."

"I did." Cerra stated with a smile leaning over to pat Eshmeir's hand.

"I love being a harper." Sheste piped up, casting an annoyed glance at Figol, "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't love being a dragonrider too."

"If I had a chance to save Pern," Eshmeir said thoughtfully, "then I'd think I should do that before ..." He tried to find the right words. "Before doing something for myself."

"But not everyone is meant to be a dragonrider." Cerra pointed out with raised eyebrows. "After all, if we were all dragonriders, there wouldn't be so many healers, harpers, smiths, and other crafters."

"I still want to be a dragonrider." Jestyn stated with a shrug and took another bite of his food. Maybe not everyone, but he hoped he was.

"And that's perfectly fine." Cerra crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips. "But I suppose I rather resent the indication that because I don't feel like I'm meant to be a dragonrider, then I'm doing something selfish."

"But how would you know you weren't meant to be one?" Eshmeir asked, "Without Standing?"

"Because I just _know_." Cerra set back in her chair and laced her hands over her stomach. "Just like some people know they were meant to be dragonriders, I know I'm not one of them."

"To each his or her own." Jestyn stated, his voice rippling in a manner he hoped came across as 'wise' but probably just made him sound silly. "Besides, Cerra's too good of a singer to give up her training."

"You're too good of an instrumentalist, but that's not stopping you." Figol interjected, sticking his tongue out at his friend.

"I'm not as good as some." Jestyn muttered softly. "And anyway, I feel like I'm supposed to be a dragonrider. Maybe I'm wrong. If I'm not, then I won't impress."

"I hope I'll be some sort of adequate 'something'," Eshmeir said, his expression a little downcast. He was the same age as these apprentices but very much behind them in their craft.

"Don't worry." Cerra stated, leaning over to pat Eshmeir on his hand. "You're more than adequate. Some day, you'll either be a fine Harper or a fine Dragonrider."

Last updated on the December 12th 2008

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To Stand or Not To Stand (2)