The Trouble With Weyrlings

Writers: Len, Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 30th October 2014

Characters: Sh'del, Alina, J'ackt
Description: Weyrlingmaster Sh'del discovers that J'ackt's homework does NOT have his handwriting on it...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 11 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned N'vanik

Alina

J'ackt

Sh'del sighed deeply, fingering the parchment of paper before him. His
mind lingered over the hundred and one horrid things he wanted to do
to his friend N'vanik since he brought that infernal boy into the
Weyrlingmaster's care. Trouble, his tiny flit, tried to nibble on the
corner of the paper but he shooed her off just as the door to his
office knocked. Sighing again, he shouted out, "come in!"

This was not a meeting he was going to enjoy.

Alina entered, her expression a little haughty but the nervous twitch
of her fingers as she fidgeted with the hem of her tunic making a lie
of her composure. There was no reason she could think of for Sh'del to
have summoned her. "You wished to see me, sir?"

Sh'del smiled not unkindly towards the girl. "Have a seat, we're still
waiting for J'ackt." He shuffled the papers before him and snorted
when his green flit pounced on them. "How are you feeling these days?
Are your cuts healing up nicely?"

She nodded and slipped into one of the wooden chairs in front of the
desk. "Well enough. The healers say I should be able to be fully
active in another sevenday."

"That's good news, good news indeed."

J'ackt came in, already with a furrowed brow; his expression darkened
as he saw Alina sitting down in the extra chair. "Oh for feck's sake.
So I carried the girl. I was only trying to help."

Shdel blinked and, on the desk, Trouble squawked. It was obvious he
didn't know about what J'ackt was moaning about.

Alina had a bad feeling about the meeting before J'ackt arrived; now
she felt as if she'd swallowed a stone. **Imarith-- tell Zith to tell
his rider to shut _up_!** She cleared her throat. "Why are we here,
Weyrlingmaster?"

Sh'del slid all the homework that had been assigned to J'ackt but
obviously had Alina's handwriting all over them. "I was hoping you two
could explain this to me." His expression was neutral.

As soon as Zith passed the word, J'ackt's lips pressed together and he
sat in an indolent sprawl, legs stretched out in front of him and his
body slumped in the chair. He glanced at the paper, then at Alina.
"She helped me. I can't write good. Reading gives me a headache and
the letters get all jumbled. She writes faster than I do."

Sh'del pressed his fingers to his eyes. "J'ackt, that's what we're all
here for, to help you. Alina has her own duties of care to her green."

He hadn't even asked, she'd offered; it wasn't as though he had chased
her down and bullied her into writing down his answers. The muscle in
his jaw twitched and he shrugged. "I'll not ask her next time." He
shrugged. "That it?"

"He didn't _ask_." Alina didn't look at J'ackt. "We all have dragons
to care for and he was spending all his time writing, so I offered to
write what he dictated. It's faster than finding one of the
Weyrlingstaff, and it--" A flash of inspiration hit her. "It helps me
remember my lessons too." Which was true, and also sounded good.

Sh'del looked from her to the boy, his mind thinking the whole thing
over. It was obvious J'ackt needed more one on one time with one of
the tutors, and if Alina felt like taking on more responsibility than
just her and her dragon, well then...

He shuffled the papers into a tidy pile and let Trouble pounce on
them, looking more like a feline with a ball of string than a
firelizard. "Okay then. Alina, I'd like you to take over leadership
duties of the weyrling wing formations this next sevenday, and J'ackt,
I'd like to get you more one-on-one time with one of the staff. You
getting along with Tiania?" She was one of the weyrlingstaff, an older
woman who enjoyed working with the kids. "If you do, I think she'd be
a good fit for you. And her green might be good for Zith, as they were
wingthirds in their day." Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. He
could find out for N'vanik early if these two had any leadership
abilities.

"J'ackt doesn't need a tutor-- if anything, he needs a scribe! He
knows the answers, he just writes so painfully slow that he's up late
trying to finish, and when we only have a candlemark of free time a
day that's hugely unfair." Nevermind that she was being punished for
helping-- how was she supposed to lead a weyrling wing drill!? That
was the _Weyrlingmaster's_ job.

"Anything to do with J'ackt's writing is between himself and my
staff." Sh'del held a warning finger up to the girl. He wasn't going
to embarrass J'ackt in front of anyone, not even one of his friends.

Alina cast a glance at J'ackt, but finally mumbled a "yes sir." It
still wasn't fair, though. And she had to lead a weyrling drill!?
There was no _way_ she could do that. There was so much she didn't
know, and nobody would listen to her-- this was going to be a
disaster.

**Have Imarith apologize to Alina for us and thank her. Tell her that
we'll owe her a favor.** J'ackt's lips tightened slightly as he
listened. Did it even matter if he got along with Tiania? He didn't
answer Sh'del, just sat back, face set in tension.

Last updated on the November 16th 2014

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The Trouble With Weyrlings