Drudgery

Writers: Jane, Cali, AL
Date Posted: 18th January 2009

Characters: Eohly, Marstyn, Dhom
Description: Three Candidates discuss their continuing Candidacy.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 5 of Turn 5

"I'm leaving."

There was no particular tone in Dhom's voice and the statement he made as the three of them lay on the beach in the warm darkness might have been a comment on the weather, or the time. Perhaps not the time because their free time was almost up and all three of them were concious of the approaching curfew.

Marsten heaved a sigh. "I had a feeling that was going to come sooner or later." He glanced over at his companions, running a hand across his brow, then wished he hadn't. Sand stuck to his skin, despite the fact that he was dry. Well, he'd have to bathe anyway.

"It's just drudgery of the worst kind. I'd be better off at home, to be honest," Dhom continued. "But I don't think I'll go home. I'll stay here until I'm too old - just not as a Candidate."

"But what's the point then?" Marsten turned his gaze back to the sky, peering at the stars that twinkled above them merrily. It _was_ drudgery. He worked harder and did more than he ever did at his father's cothold - and he had thought that was hard work! "Why bother staying if you aren't going to stand?"

"Because I might still Impress. If a hatchling needs _me_ especially, I'll be here. In the Stands, watching, like everybody else. But I'm not going to waste nine Turns of my life living in Candidate barracks, doing the same classes over and over again, and having _almost_ enough free time to realise I'd be better off doing almost anything else here."

Dhom had even gone as far as to wonder if he was smart enough to apprentice to one of the crafts at the Weyr, but that would be a waste of time as a Candidate. With only five candlemarks a day for their craftwork apprentices who were also Candidates fell behind their peers within a Turn and never really caught up. Never mind that he didn't think he had any noteworthy skills that could be turned into a passion for a craft.

"I'm probably going to go to one of the other Weyrs and try at their hatchings." Eohly said quietly. While he didn't like the idea of going away from the only home he'd known, he also didn't want to be a nothing his whole life. "They say River Bluff will be next, but the Weyrleaders have an agreement with a couple Weyrs, so whoever calls..."

"You're going to stay a candidate for another six or seven _Turns_?" Dhom said, incredulous.

Eohly shrugged, "I'm not really good at anything. What else could I do?"

"Even if you worked as a drudge in the laundries -" which was the job Dhom hated the most, "- you'd have a better life. You'd finish the days' work and your _whole_ evening would be free. You wouldn't be confined to one small corner of the Weyr. You could get up when you wanted to, as long as you get to your work on time. You wouldn't have to exercise every day unless you wanted to. No curfew, no inspections. In those six Turns you might get into a room of your own instead of sharing with as many others as were around any given month."

Marsten started to say something, then shut it. It probably wouldn't help matters to bring up the fact that a few, a very few yes, but a few candidates who had crafted before standing didn't have to live in the barracks. Of course, that didn't mean their lives were much easier. "I don't get it. This is the fourth time I've been through these stupid classes. I've heard the same lectures, the same material over and over again. I _know_ everything. Why do I have to take it _again_? Why can't they just test me or something to be sure I remember what I've been taught?"

"Uh-huh. You wonder why they'd want dragonriders who can't remember things they've been taught only six months ago. But apparently that's how smart they think we are." Dhom sighed. "I could probably put up with the whole thing while there are eggs on the Sands - what, two months a Turn, most Turns? But the other eleven months? Why can't they just gather us up when eggs are clutched and get us together then? IN the mean time we could be getting on with some sort of real life."

"We don't have classes as often when there isn't a Hatching coming up." Eohly pointed out. He didn't mind the classes himself, they let him be near the dragons and make friends with those he might someday fly in a wing with. Plus it gave him an excuse to talk to the girls.

"But the problem is, we have them. Over and over and over." Marsten complained with a wince. "And the problem is, no matter how many times you've taken the classes, no matter how well yo know the material or that you can recite all the information backwards and forwards, side to side, they make you take the classes. It's a waste of time."

"Even if we had no classes in between clutches," Dhom commented, "We'd still have all the chores and barrack inspections every evening. For eight or nine Turns of our lives. It's just demoralising."

Their whining was starting to get under Eohly's skin, and he didn't know if it was because of the complaining or because it rang of truth; either way he didn't want to hear it any more. "Well, then good luck at a craft or whatever you want to do. I'm going to keep trying to become a dragonrider. While you're hiding in your rooms during Threadfall, I'll be fighting in the sky."

Marsten bristled at the tone in Eohly's voice. "Yeah? So you're going to be a drudge until you're too old to stand? And if you never impress? Then what?"

"He'll come and hide in our rooms with us and struggle to adjust to a life without barrack inspections," Dhom said, not minding Eohly's comments. He got to his feet. "Come on. I suppose it's nearly curfew time and I don't want to be _kicked_ out of candidacy for all I want to leave it."

Last updated on the January 21st 2009

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Drudgery