Advice from an Unexpected Source

Writers: Anaria, Len
Date Posted: 8th April 2011

Characters: J'nor, T'bel
Description: J'nor gets advice from an unexpected source.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 20 of Turn 6

"I'd say you look like you lost your best friend, but I heard where
that line gets you these days," T'bel wryly said as he spotted the
tall figure of J'nor wandering over to the feeding pens with his blue
in tow.

J'nor forced up a weak smile at the other rider. "It feels like I lost
my best friend," he admitted. He didn't know the older rider, but he
desperately wanted someone to talk to that wasn't right in the middle
of the situation, so he decided that just telling the truth would
probably be better than laughing off his sour expression.

"Which one? Or are you talking about G'wen crying?" T'bel had heard
all the lurid details of the boys' argument the other night. Gossip
traveled fast around the Weyr, particularly gossip that involved two
very pretty Weyrlings that a lot of blue and green riders were waiting
with bated breath for their graduation. He fell into step with the
young boy. "If so, don't worry about_that_one, he cries all the
bloody time."

'"Heh, he's the lesser of my issues. Now, this is a different
Weyrling. O'ryn," J'nor explained. "We obviously haven't been dating
since Zoranaith is so young, but spending a lot of time together. He's
just been acting so weird ever since it came near to Lyriath's time,
if you know what I mean."

"Ah...well sweetie, welcome to being in love with a greenrider!" He
clapped the boy on the back. Young people...they were so funny.
"You'll get the joy and the pleasure of this sort of company
for..oh..about four times a turn? So just turn the other cheek and
ignore the little sod for the time being. Otherwise, you're just
going to make more work for yourself in the long run."

"I think it's worse this time around since it's her first flight,"
J'nor explained. "I think he's really afraid of who might win, and
what they'll do. I didn't realize until just recently that it could be
that bad for a greenrider. I don't like knowing that he's hurting and
that there's nothing that I can do about it."

"Didn't know that the first time could be bad for a greenrider? Where
have you been living, under a rock?" He stopped and shook his head at
the tall boy. "D'you know how much easier you have it, as a blue
rider? Why are you stressing those two boys out even more?" He
included his weyrmate's son in that question, as he knew that one had
been badly affected by the argument they had had. That happy bubble
G'wen seemed to have been in since the Impression of Neath had been
badly broken these last few days. That made T'bel want to reach up and
strangle J'nor but he was keeping it in, for now.

"I'm _Holdbred_ and I've never been with a man before. Seriously, why
on Pern does everyone act like I should know _everything_ when they
aren't willing to actually be honest and open with me in the first
place!? We haven't _learned_ about mating flights in class, and to be
quite frank, every greenrider that I've encountered has acted like
mating flights were the happiest experience of their life. Seriously,
I am _not_ taking the blame for this any more." J'nor said, walking
off.

T'bel laughed and shook his head. "Listen kiddo, no one's acting like
you need to take any blame. And don't go stomping off like some
little child!_And_no one's acting like you should know everything."
He took a few running steps up to the boy, as J'nor was a lot taller
than him and could walk faster. "Before you go off in a strop,
answer me this...have you talked with other green riders before you
had this run in with the two boys? Have you tried talking with
E'naer? And yes, I know you haven't had the class on mating flights
yet...but neither has Cardella and G'wen and they both took the
initiative to go talk to J'darin about their fears of the mating
flights. That's what the Weyrlingmasters are there for, after all."

J'nor exhaled quickly, "I dunno, it just never seemed like it'd be
that big of a deal. Half the Weyr is made up of greenriders, I just
assumed that it couldn't be _that_ bad. I mean, is it really all that
different than having a bit too much to drink and ending up with a
stranger? Because that's just what I've always assumed."

"Yes but when you do_that_you are never going to end up with some
snotty Hold-bred dimglow that may take an exception to having just
slept with a boy. And those first times...just trust me when I say
this, they can be bad. They can be very bad." T'bel shuddered,
thinking of his first years as a dragonrider. "So where did you leave
it with O'ryn?" He blinked a bit, trying to think how O'ryn had been
acting the last few days and if he had even seen him. T'bel liked the
boy; he couldn't imagine him acting too terribly proddy, it just
didn't seem his nature to be like that.

"We ran in to one another at the Weyrlake last night, and talked for a
bit. He basically told me in no uncertain terms that he didn't want
anything more to do with me," J'nor said, kicking at a rock on the
ground. "G'wen said I should try and go talk to him since he needs a
friend right now, but every time Zoranaith has tried to talk to
Lyriath, it hasn't gone so well."

"Well then, I'd say take G'wen's advice and go talk to the boy. And
don't leave it to your young dragon to do it for you. If you need
someone to go with you, I'd be more than happy to do so." He patted
the boy on the back, and thought to himself, I'm giving these two love
sick wherries three months.

J'nor nodded. "I suppose you're right. I mean, it's not like it could
make things any worse. He's not talking to me right now, so at least
he'd have to _say_ something to me if I go up there," J'nor said. "And
thanks for the offer, but I think it'd be better if I went by myself."

"Just as long as you go, lovely."

J'nor smiled at the older rider. "Thank you very much. I guess I know
what I have to do now."

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Advice from an Unexpected Source