Saving Pern

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 13th September 2009

Characters: T'kob, Ri'len
Description: Ri'len talks to T'kob after a scheduling mistake.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 4 of Turn 5

"Excuse me, sir." Ri'len approached the Weyrlingmaster and stood at attention, hands clasped behind him. "I was assigned with a dragonrider for sweepriding, but it seems he is in the infirmary."

T'kob looked up from his desk, surprised, especially since he'd checked the roster just this morning. "Really?" He pulled out the listing of who was to go with whom and tried to recall if there were any available alternates. "Hmm, well, you might just have to go with someone else tonight then."

"Yes sir." Ri'len hadn't thought he was going to get out of sweepriding duty, but it was certainly not something he was supposed to do alone.

He set the scroll back down. There weren't any alternates listed for tonight, but he had time to hunt one down. "It's not a problem though, I'm sure _someone_ will take you later." He said with a grin.

"And hopefully bring me back in time for drills." Ri'len returned the grin with a smile of his own. He liked the Weyrlingmaster, T'kob was easy to talk to and fair in his dealings with the Weyrlings.

"So," T'kob drawled, "Since you've got nothing else to do right now, have anything on your mind? I'm free for a bit if you want to chat."

"Nothing at the moment." There were issues that still hadn't been resolved with Sorsha, but those were between him and her. He wasn't about to discuss his problems with someone outside of the situation.

T'kob nodded, unfazed. "How about with that Timing discussion we had. Any temptations to tell Sorsha about it?" Personally he thought the rule outdated. With R'haren's jump to warn of thread, everyone _knew_, even if they didn't really _know_. He'd never argued the point before, but after giving the instruction to this class, he'd wanted to. Perhaps later.

Ri'len shifted. "To be honest sir, yes." It was a command that Ri'len was having a great deal of trouble following. "Forgive me sir, but I don't like being able to keep secrets from my wife. It's not something that should be done. We're not supposed to have secrets."

"It's for their own good though." T'kob reminded him. "Timing isn't something we want _any_ of you to try, but you and the other bronzes might be Weyrleader someday, and it might be something that's necessary to save Pern. Sorsha will never have that burden placed on her shoulders, and the knowledge could endanger her if she attempts it." It was the same line he'd given them in the class, but it was a thin explanation.

"Sorsha will never be a Wingleader or a Weyrleader." Ri'len conceded. He took a stance, his hands behind his back and his brow furrowed. He couldn't understand it at all, but he was respectful of T'kob. "But I think it's underestimating her to say that she or another greenrider or a bluerider would be incapable of saving Pern. They do it every time Thread falls. Bronzes and browns are not the only ones who make up the wings. What would we do without the blues and greens? We'd be a sorry sight fighting Thread without them. Forgive me for correcting you, Weyrlingmaster, but you are wrong. Sorsha _does_ have that burden on her shoulders. She had it the very moment Roseth chose her."

T'kob grinned up at the weyrling, despite getting admonished like a child. "Settle down, Ri'len. I didn't mean any offense to Sorsha, though I commend you for trying to defend her. I simply meant that as far as _timing_ it went, it would be a Weyrleader's responsibility to make that choice."

"I understand sir." Well, partially anyway. Ri'len didn't understand why it was being kept a secret, but he could understand T'kob's position. "I can't promise that I won't tell her if she asks, though." Shards, Ri'len wasn't sure he could promise he wouldn't tell her period.

The Weylingmaster considered becoming harsher with the man, but what was the point. Ri'len was being honest, it was one of the things T'kob respected about him, and it was better than being lied to. If he told Sorsha, well... it wouldn't be the first time somebody told their weyrmate.

"Come on." T'kob said suddenly, standing up and making his way to the door. "Walk with me while I get a refill on klah, and we'll figure out what to do with your schedule."

"Yes sir." Ri'len respected T'kob and while he was bluntly honest, his tone never indicated anything less than that respect. He turned and waited for T'kob to lead the way, then walked beside him, though ever so slightly behind, a silent deference to the Weyrlingmaster's higher status.

Last updated on the September 13th 2009

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