Definitely Not Goldrider Material

Writers: Cait, Kastaka
Date Posted: 27th December 2008

Characters: Vasha, Teiluka
Description: Vasha and Teiluka finally have a successful conversation over dinner.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 12 of Turn 4

Triumphantly clutching her tray of food, Vasha looked around the dining hall for someone to sit near. Over on the table where candidates often sat, she spotted Teiluka. She'd been trying to get to know the girl on and off for a while now, but the other candidate hadn't been making it easy for her. Fortunately now she was a captive audience halfway through her dinner. Vasha strode over to her with a smile and asked cheerily, "Mind if I sit here?"

Startled, Teiluka looked up. As usual when eating by herself in the dining hall, she had lost herself in thought. She hadn't even seen the other girl, who looked vaguely familiar. Guiltily, Luka wondered if she should know who she was. "Umm...sure, have a seat."

"Spotted you in candidate class the other day," continued Vasha as she took a place opposite Teiluka. "Thought you'd managed to get out of that, I was planning to ask you how."

Luka grinned at that. "I wish. No, I just waited awhile to Stand so the Headwoman only recently put me into classes."

"Waited a while to stand?" Vasha looked confused, like she just can't get her head around that. "But you've been at the Weyr for ages, right? I'm not somehow talking to Teiluka's mysterious identical twin, who only showed up yesterday from her crafthall?"

Luka laughed. "You sound like my parents. I know I've been a _dragonhealer_ apprentice for five Turns now, not to mention lived here almost my entire life, and that in order to be continue being one, I have to Impress...I just didn't want to Stand." She shrugged, thinking about how to word it. "I guess I was just...afraid. Not just of fighting Thread, though that's certainly scary enough, but of standing out there, hoping like mad that a dragon chooses me and having no guarantee that I won't just be left there over and over again until at 21, I have to pick something new to do with my life." Now she frowned. "And I still don't know if that's going to happen, but I suppose I got tired of procrastinating."

"But..." Vasha was still rather at a loss. "Surely not Standing wasn't going to improve your chances? I mean, not that it works like that, you've been at the Weyr so your dragon would have found you anyway. I guess." She suddenly realised that telling Teiluka she'd done the wrong thing in the past, which she couldn't change, wasn't the most friendly of conversational options. "It's... it's not that bad, being left standing. Lots of people around you get dragons. When you're right there, watching people you know Impress, you can see that...
that you wouldn't want it to happen if it wasn't right, you know?"

As someone who was rather difficult to offend or hurt, Luka understood Vasha's point and shook her head. "Rationally, yeah, my not Standing doesn't really make a lot of sense. I guess I was just never sure. And being left Standing sounded terrible, to be honest. Watching everyone walk off with a creature that is basically their life partner and being left to stand there alone...that always seemed horrible to me.
But I guess I tend to see the negative side of things more. Hopefully it won't be too bad." Luka smiled. "At least I hope not. Sounds like it won't be too long before I find out. How long have you been a candidate then?"

"I Stood for the first time at the last Hatching here," replied Vasha carefully. "I mean, I'd been planning to forever, but the Headwoman wouldn't let me until I was at least twelve. Plus my foster mum wasn't too happy with the idea of me running off to the Candidate Barracks early, even though she has other kids to take care of now."

Luka couldn't help but laugh. "So you're the opposite of me then. Obviously it wasn't that bad or you wouldn't still be here. I probably have just been a baby about it but if I'm lucky I won't be left Standing for the next two Turns. Truthfully though, I can kind of understand them wanting you to wait. After all, it seems like a game of hurry up and wait if you Impress before you can get into the fighting wings. Not that that is bad," she added hastily. The last thing she wanted to do was offend someone else. "So are you looking to Impress green or gold?" She asked curiously. So far most of the girls she'd met had been looking for the gold. Not that it was a surprise, necessarily, just...interesting.

"I'll have whatever dragon wants me," replied Vasha in a heartfelt manner. "Green or gold, I'll be honoured either way." She paused for a moment, trying to think of a response to the other half of the conversation. "I... don't think it'd be a bad thing, being unassigned for a while. That's why I took up dragonhealing, after all. Greens can't fly a whole Fall anyway, and this way there's something useful to do for the rest of it."

Luka hadn't really thought of it that way. "I suppose that's true. You won't ever be bored as a dragonhealer, that's for sure."

"So, is the sudden presence of the gold egg the real reason you've decided to Stand this time, then?" asked Vasha curiously.

Luka laughed. "Oh, Faranth, no. I'd rather be shoved /between/ than Impress that gold." Oh dear, that probably didn't sound quite right. She coughed. "What I mean is that the last thing I'd ever want is to be a goldrider. Not that I don't respect them and not that I would _ever_ attempt to deny a dragon's choice, but I'm definitely not goldrider material. I'm not really a people person and I'm sharding awkward with strangers. I can only imagine how bad it would be if I was supposed to have responsibilities over people."

Vasha grinned broadly. "With strong opinions like that, sounds like you'd do fine with a gold," she teased. "Though it wouldn't leave much time for dragonhealing, with all that hidework and organisation you'd be expected to do..."

Luka laughed. "Truthfully, I'd rather do hidework and organisation all day long than have to talk to strangers."

"So you decided to become a healer, where you'll have to talk to hurt and panicky strangers and try to calm them down?" asked Vasha, curious again.

Luka grinned. "That's why I'm in dragonhealing. I just keep their riders calm and, assuming I Impress, any talking I do to the patient is through my dragon. Distraught riders might be one thing, but they have a good reason to listen and at least I'm only dealing with them for as long as their dragon is hurt. Then off they go. If I was a goldrider, there'd be all kinds of meetings with people, checking up on fellow riders, all those sharding responsibilities." "And trying to keep the nearby Holders happy and tithing, don't forget that bit," teased Vasha.

Luka groaned. "And that. No thanks." Looking down, she realized she'd managed to clear her plate _and_ converse through the whole thing. Amazing. Usually it just ended in awkward silence halfway through the meal. Smiling, she stood up. "It was lovely talking to you Vasha, I'm going to head off but I'm sure I'll see you later."

"See you," replied Vasha cheerfully, setting about the last dregs of food on her own tray.

Last updated on the December 30th 2008

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Definitely Not Goldrider Material