A Bit of Advice

Writers: Dana, Yvonne
Date Posted: 23rd January 2006

Characters: Tsaera, Traelyn
Description: Tsaera gives Dolphin Cove's Weyrwoman some advice
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 3

Drills were finished and the prospect of hidework or cleaning her flamethrower wasn't appealing, and so Tsaera persuaded Tabanirth that they needed to leave the Weyr for a bit.

}:But why?:{ Tabanirth banked, her golden wings flashing in the sun above the Weyr. River Bluff was spread out beneath them in multiple shades of green and blue and brown, like dragon wings. The sea sparkled in the early afternoon light. Tsaera grinned into the soft wind and patted her dragon's neck. }:This is _our_ Weyr, and Calyth and Jaela are no longer at Dragonsfall Weyr.:{ Tsaera lost her smile at the mention of Jaela's name; the loss of her friend and collegue still ached. **You're just being lazy, love. We need to see a different horizon.**

~*~

Even 'at play' Tsaera couldn't quite let go of her sense of duty, which is why she and her dragon came out from /between/ over Dolphin Cove. The Watchdragon on duty bugled a welcome which Tabanirth replied to, and she preened a little as the setting sun turned her wings rosy. **Ask Nyith if Traelyn is free for a visit. Tell her that it's a social call and can be put off, if need be.**

}:Nyith says to land on the Sands so that we may admire her eggs. She and the Weyrwoman will meet us there. Do you want to land now?:{ Both she and her rider were a little reluctant to land just yet, so soon after taking off. The sunset and the unfamiliar shore begged to be exlored from a height, especially now that there were _two_ Halls sharing space with the Weyr.

But neither were they tardy, and Tabanirth landed gracefully at the entrance to the Sands and greeted the now-senior queen of Dolphin Cove pleasantly. Tsaera undid her riding straps and dismounted as the two queens settled in to amuse themselves while their riders talked, and turned to see Traelyn sitting in the stands, watching her. She pulled off her riding helmet and ran a hand through her iron grey hair. "Sorry to drop in on you unexpectedly, Weyrwoman, but Tabanirth and I had a moment and I couldn't resist."

Traelyn smiled, albeit a little nervously. This was River Bluff's Weyrwoman, after all! "No need to apologize, Lady Tsaera. I'm glad you had a chance to drop by. And you couldn't've picked a better time. It's beautiful this evening!"

"Yes, it is." Tsaera squinted to help her eyes adjust to the gloom of the Hatching Cavern after the brilliant sunset. And to study Traelyn they'd had a passing aquaintence before she'd opportunistically taken Dolphin Cove for her own. "Congratulations on a fair sized clutching. Dolphin Cove Weyr must be happy to see eggs on the Sands again."

"It has put a lot of minds at ease," she agreed, standing to meet the Weyrwoman halfway. "Though I hear I am to congratulate you on a successful Hatching! I apologize again for not being able to attend..." Nyith had clutched that same day.

Tsaera waved the apology away. "It can't be helped. I know perfectly well how it is to be Weyr-bound."

Traelyn inclined her head. "If you'd like, I have some refreshments in my weyr - and a nice, comfortable couch." A grin twitched at the corners of her lips. "It would sure beat sitting on these hard benches!"

"That sounds fine. After you?" Tsaera stepped aside to let Traelyn go down the steps past her, even though she knew the way to the Dolphin Cove Weyrwoman's weyr perfectly well. She pulled off her gloves and stuck them into her pocket as she followed Traelyn out of the Cavern and into the hallway. "Truthfully, the less I see of Hatching Caverns, the happier I am. After being stuck in my own for so long I didn't particularly fancy a visit in one."

The younger woman laughed. "I don't blame you one bit. I feel the same way after each Hatching. But what goldrider doesn't?" she smiled, opening the door for Tsaera. "Make yourself comfortable, and I'll get us those refreshments. Would you prefer wine? Klah? Though it may be a bit too warm for that... Water?"

"Water's fine." The older Weyrwoman glanced around the room. Some of the furniture was different, as were the wall hangings and several of the rugs. A few stray hides and an empty glass on a table made the room look a little more lived in. "You certainly seem to be settling in quickly."

"Quick enough," she replied from the corner table. After pouring them each a glass of water, Traelyn came back over and handed one to her before sitting.

"Thank you." Tsaera sipped the water to be polite before setting it aside.
It tasted slightly different than the water from her Weyr. "And how are you adjusting to the title?"

"The adjustment has been...well, it has been a trial. But things are getting better."

The older Weyrwoman raised an eyebrow. "Was it not what you were expecting?"

"To be honest, my whole situation has not been what I've expected it to be." Traelyn took a sip of her water. "But as far as the duties expected of a Weyrwoman, those were as I expected them."

"And yet you brought a gold dragon about to rise to another Weyr," Tsaera said gently. Her eyes were hard. "How did you not expect it?"

"If you're implying that I knew Nyith was proddy and brought her here to usurp Kalina, you're wrong." Traelyn looked up from her water to meet Tsaera's eyes, which wasn't easy to do.

"I'm asking how an experienced goldrider who should be aware of her responsibilities and her dragon's cycles, _didn't_ know what she was doing. I'm asking for honesty, Traelyn. I've heard enough rumors and outright lies to last me a lifetime." Tsaera set her glass aside and folded her hands over her knee. "I want to hear it from you. The truth."

"The truth? The truth sounds as foolish to me now as it will to you. And I don't excuse myself for my actions. I know what I did was dangerous. I know that not only did I put myself and Nyith in danger, but I put others' lives in jeapordy as well." Namely the goldriders native to Dolphin Cove.

Traelyn set her glass aside as well, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy. It never was. "The afternoon I arrived here, I'd followed my sick friend to the Dolphin Hall, fearing that the worst had happened to him. We were all afraid he developed heart problems from timing it too much...and in my mind, him going to Dolphin Hall had confirmed it for me."
Shards, she sounded so sharding foolish, and so sharding young. "And it was too late to take Nyith home when I realized her state."

Tsaera gave her a hard look, but Traelyn didn't seem to be lying. Turns as Lady Weyrholder - and as a mother - had given her a pretty acurate idea if someone lied to her. Perhaps Traelyn was just... young, and as thoughtless as young women were wont to be. Maybe there was hope for her, and Dolphin Cove. "And now you're Weyrwoman." She offered her a small smile. "What do you plan to do about it?"

"I plan to help aid my Weyrleader in all the ways I can in bringing this Weyr out of devestation." It was true there were now more riders filling in the gaps of the Wings, but they were a long way from full recovery.

"May I offer you a bit of advice?"

Traelyn nodded.

"Whether you wanted Dolphin Cove or not, you're Weyrwoman here now. And if you're serious about putting it back together you're going to have to do more than 'help your Weyrleader'." Tsaera glanced around Traelyn's weyr, then sighed. "No matter what you say, people will wonder whether or not you're just another power hungry goldrider with a chip on her shoulder.
You can't change that. But what you _can_ do is make them believe in you.
You need your Weyr to trust you, since in all liklihood you'll be around here for a lot longer than J'darin will be."

A moment passed. "You're right," she said softly.

The older goldrider allowed herself a small smile. "Of course I am. I've been Lady Weyrholder for longer than you've hand your dragon, and I didn't have to grow up with that nonsense that the Craftban enforced. You're Weyrwoman now, and you have to be more than a figurehead if Dolphin Cove is going to progress."

Traelyn inclined her head respectfully. "I'll do everything in my power to see that progress is made."

"And you're going to have to show a little more backbone than _that_ to do it." Tsaera smiled to soften her words' sting. Even though Traelyn _was_
acting like she had a piece of string for a spine. "And if you ever need to talk, I'm only as far away as a trip /between/."

She stiffened slightly from Tsaera's first words, but then forced herself to relax. She'd prove everyone wrong. She would. Traelyn rose to her feet. "Thank you, Lady Tsaera, for the advice."

Tsaera also knew when she'd outworn her welcome. She set her glass aside and stood as well. "I'd been meaning to visit before, and I'm sorrier that I hadn't done it earlier. It was good to meet you properly... and be able to discount a rumor or two."

She offered the older Weyrwoman a smile as well as her hand. "It was good to meet you as well."

Last updated on the January 23rd 2006

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A Bit of Advice