A Costly Tirade

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 31st October 2010

Characters: M'galec, Rhosyn
Description: M'galec speaks with Rhosyn about a candidate and it turns into a fight.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 11, day 20 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: R'syl, K'sedel, Solieira

"Excuse me, madam, but may I speak with you?" M'galec asked, standing
outside the Weyrwoman's office door.

He had actually caught her as she'd returned from a trip so she was
mostly dressed for once. "Aye sure.." She moved about the office, slowly
removing her flight gear. The jacket came first, then the heavy pants,
and finally the boots.

M'galec averted his eyes so she could undress without ogling her. He
found it highly inappropriate that she would just strip down in front of
a man when he was trying to talk to her. For all that this was a Weyr,
and he was a healer and she had nothing he was intimately familiar with,
it still struck him as highly unprofessional. Would she do this in
front of a Lord Holder, one might dare ask themselves! "I would like to
speak with you about one of the Candidates."

"Please do. Would you like some wine? I was just about to pour some."
After her clothes were put aside, she moved about freely in a light
tunic and the shorts. Rhosyn headed for the wine she kept and dug for
glasses.

"No, thank you." He frowned slightly and decided that he would rather
get this meeting over with than watch the Weyrwoman prance around in
beach attire. "I would like to speak with you about a young woman named
Yonani. Apparently you gave her your permission to Stand."

"Go ahead." Rhosyn finished pouring, then took her usual seat, listening
as he explained his concerns.

"I would like you to remove your permission," the bronzerider stated
matter of factly.

"Why?" Rhosyn expected him to state his case. She did nothing without a
reason. Sipping her wine to make it easier to relax and focus, she
listened. **I am so tired of men who think they know everything. It's
like babysitting brats all day**
}:Welcome to my world:{

"She does not have the proper attitude and I think she needs to mature a
bit before she is allowed on the Sands," he replied simply. In his
mind, that should be sufficient.

"Tell me, what is the proper attitude, M'galec?" Her tone was still
conversational so he had nothing to warn him of her thoughts.

His eyebrows raised, slightly. Did she really not know? It wouldn't
surprise him considering the casual and careless way she seemed to
conduct her affairs in this meeting. "Having respect for those in
authority for one. A dragonrider must be able to follow orders, not
question them at every turn and try to rebel against them like a common
adolescent."

She had let him speak and now she would. "I've heard your concerns
and while I agree to some extent to what you're saying, here is what I
am going to do. She will be allowed to Stand. Even though she may not
be the perfect epitome of a rider at this juncture, I think she deserves
a chance. If she does manage to Impress, then she was meant to,
regardless. If not, then her candidate courses should serve to help
moderate some of her habits. She *is* an adolescent, just like most of
the others. That's common behavior."

"I'm sure I could offer up plenty of examples of problem candidates that
ended up being great riders." Rhosyn had N'vanik back in her mind.

"And I can offer up several that have proved a danger to themselves and
others." He doubted that she had ever worked as closely with Weyrlings
as he had. "Some with the most permanent of consequences."

"As riders, we roll the dice everyday. Chances are part of everything we
do. I've spoken with her and had reports from the Headwoman and I think
she should Stand." In the end, if it turned out to be the wrong decision, then Rhosyn would stand by it. "When I look at her, I see someone who
doesn't let fear color their choices."

"No, she lets stupidity and bad judgment color her choices." Which is
perhaps why this goldrider liked her so much. They have something in
common. "And exactly what do you think the Headwoman knows? She is not
a rider. She has not spent Turns working with Weyrlings and training
them to fight Thread. I am sorry, but I put little store by the
Headwoman's opinion in this case. In matters of chore schedules and
discipline around curfew for sure, but not when it comes to matters of
life or death in the sky."

"She can attest to her behavior and her character because she spends
time with all of them. And anyway, I've not had reports from R'syl
saying otherwise." On the one hand, Rhosyn liked the fact that M'galec spoke his mind around her. She recognized her own obstinacy when she came
across it. On the other, she didn't like the fact that he, unlike her,
didn't listen.

He was thinking that the lack of listening could be applied to the
Weyrwoman as well! "As I said, madam, she is not a rider. She can
attest to her behavior outside of Candidate training, but that has
nothing to do with the young woman's ability to be a good rider. I may
think a person is fun and witty outside of drills, but a stubborn fool
when they get into the sky. I would be far more comfortable if it were
the reverse. But I am afraid this girl will prove a stubborn fool who
does not listen to her instructors and could potentially kill herself or
others when she decides she knows best and takes matters into her hands.
I would like to believe I am wrong, but I personally am not comfortable
with the idea of taking that chance."

"I respect your opinion, M'galec." She was quiet for a bit, then she
began again. "However, in this instance, I am going to disagree with it.
This doesn't mean that I don't want you to come to me when you have a
problem. I'm going to allow her to Stand. I would like you to share your
reservations with R'syl, however, if you haven't already. If there is a
serious infraction, please inform me and she may lose the privilege."

"Obviously, madam, I cannot come to you when I have a problem. Do you
honestly think I would have come to you if I did not think this was
serious?" Was the woman even _listening_ to him? "Your job merely is
to watch your queen lay her eggs and say yes or no to a Candidate
Standing. That is your only involvement in the process. All you do is
pass them off to others and expect them to train them how to Fight
Thread without killing themselves or others. Do you really think you
know better than I when a Candidate is fit to Stand or not? After the
Turns of experience I have had training Weyrlings from the moment of
Impression to when they are to be released to the Wings, are you _truly_
going to sit there and assume you know more than I what tendencies make
a Candidate a danger to themself and others?"

"I never said it wasn't serious." The moment he allowed his arrogance to
overcome his conversation was the moment Rhosyn lost her temper.
Standing up, she looked down at him. "Bronzerider, my job is to do my
duty to this Weyr. I've had my harper lessons so I know _exactly_ what
my duties are. One of them is to ensure that my Queen's eggs have the
best candidates to choose from. And turns alone don't make you right,
M'galec, believe me."

Frowning at him, she refused to shout. "Now, whether you like it or not,
I am your Weyrwoman. That means I outrank you. That also means unless I
die or my Queen stops rising, I will _always_ outrank you. You speak of
duty-well you have a duty to me so you better remember that. I will not
be disrespected in my Weyr." He was only 14 turns older than her. She'd
been fighting thread since the Pass began, the same amount of time he
had.

"Madam, you may always be a Weyrwoman, but that does not follow that you
will be a _competent_ one. And I may have to obey you, but I certainly
do not have to respect you. Those two things are not the same," he
pointed out, feeling completely justified in his impression that she was
not a good fit at this Weyr. "Now it is _all_ of our duties to ensure
those Eggs are provided with the _best_ candidates, as you say, and I am
telling you for the last time, madam, that this girl is _not_ one of
those. And you, never having sat atop a flaming, never having faced
Thread from the top tier, should learn to defer to those who not only
done both in their life, but have trained others to do the same. Just
because you happened to be paired with the Gold who happened to Rise
first does not make you an expert on things, and you should learn to
listen to those with more experience than you if you ever hope to be a
_good_ Weyrwoman!"

"I did listen. Just because I hear you doesn't mean I am going to buy
into every little word you say. I have a brain and I will use it.
Frankly, if I just sat by and let everyone have their way, this place would go to between in a turn. Believe me, if I could be up there flaming I would. But Orlaith was not made for that." Rhosyn would never change her
dragon, not for anything. What she could do was precious and it made her special. **If this creton can't see that, well then he can just go jump off the Rim** "I don't respect women who sit by, M'galec, and I will never allow myself to be one of them. So you might as well just give up on that one. Besides, odds are I'll outlive you anyway."

}:Do you want me to eat him? He shouldn't speak to you like that. You're
mine:{ Orlaith's tone was nonthreatening, but Rhosyn knew better than
that.
**No love, we can't crack his neck. K'sedel would be mad**

"You, madam, will outlive most of the Weyr, because we risk our lives
everyday to protect you. All we ask is that you lead us with some
measure of intelligence. But if we die, at least we will die with the
knowledge that you have given us some very pretty Eggs in your day, but
little else." He stood to his feet. It was obvious this woman was
stubborn and unreasonable. "I will be bringing your lack of sound
judgment in this case to R'syl's attention and if he cannot make you
see reason, I am sure we will take our petition to the Weyrleader. It
is unfortunate that your ineptitude must be broadcast throughout the
Weyr, but that is not my choice. Take comfort, Weyrwoman, for I know I
shall, that you will not ever have to listen to my 'problems' again, for
I do not waste my time with incompetent people. Good day, madam."

"My ineptitude? Be sure that I'll share this conversation with K'sedel
myself. I'll give you this-you have balls, M'galec. Problem is, this
time I've got bigger ones. You're dismissed." **The sharding gall of the man! Had no one ever made him realize how much of an arrogant arse he was?
Apparently not**

Last updated on the November 7th 2010

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A Costly Tirade