Weyrlinghood Sucks Sometimes

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 24th December 2014

Characters: F'lin, Riveenata
Description: F'lin cheers Riven up.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 10 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: D'lorn, M'galec

Being up two candlemarks early to wash herself and her green and do
the extra practice drills had been bad enough. Savith had been sulky
and fighting her, not understanding why she had to do extra work. And
then when they'd been on the ground in drill formations, and she'd
gotten glances from the others in her nine - because of course they'd
have to know about the punishment. She thought the judgement of her
class was worse than anything the Weyrlingmasters could have heaped on
her.

Now that she was in the privacy of her weyr, Riven felt safe to cry
about it. She buried her face into her pillow and let herself sob it
out. She hadn't been nearly this upset yesterday, but the isolation of
drills today had brought it home. D'lorn had been right, if she'd
mucked up like that in Threadfall, she could be killed. And dealing
with Savith today had been just awful.

She hated everything right now.

"Hello? Is this a bad time?" a voice called from the entrance of Riven's
weyr. "Savith says it's a bad time..."

Shards and shells, it was F'lin. She'd...totally forgotten, with the extra
drills. "No, you can come in," she said, grabbing a cloth and rubbing her
face.

"Everything okay?" The bronzerider entered a moment later, looking concerned.
"Savith _really_ didn't want Seneth to drop me off..."

"Is she causing trouble again?" She'd been so wrapped up in her own misery
that she hadn't been paying attention to the green.

"Don't worry, you're fine," she told him. "We're on extra lessons...and I
can't fly with my group till next seven day. It's tiring."

"Aww." The bronzerider put the bottle in his hand on the bookshelf,
then came to sit on the bed next to Riven. He put his arm around her.
"Extra lessons stink. I'm sorry to hear that. But it's only a sevenday.
You'll catch up quickly."

"I hope you're right. It's so frustrating - she's so willful. We messed up
our first flight," she admitted. "And now it's extra practice grounds at
the sixth candlemark of the morning."

"Like rider, like dragon?" F'lin asked lightly. "And first flights...
they're pretty intense. But the important thing is that you did it,
and you'll do it again."

"We can fly with supervision next sevenday. And then it'll be time for
/betweening/." She couldn't stop the faint shudder at the thought.
"Once we can go out on our own, you'll have to take me somewhere
exciting."

"Exciting. I can arrange that." And by the time she could /between/
somewhere, she'd be a senior weyrling... F'lin tried not to think too hard
about that last part. He gave her a little squeeze. "It's only a little
while longer, and what's anyone's weyrling experience without some
trouble? Remember the problems I had with M'galec?"

"Yeah," she said. "At least he's just Healing again, for awhile."

"Which is fine as long as nobody ever gets hurt." F'lin shook his head.
"But in the mean time... I brought wine? It's got to help some, right?"

"It definitely will. So is you being here." She beamed at him.

The bronzerider shrugged. "I said I'd be here, didn't I?"

It was true. She pulled out glasses and set them on the tiny table.
"Have you gotten to go outside the Weyr for anything besides fall and
sweeps?"

"No. I should go visit my mother, but..." F'lin flopped backward on
Riven's bed and put his hands beneath his head. "I got busy, I guess. More
exciting things to do here!"

"Like what?" she quizzed, curious for anything but weyrling gossip.

"Anything!" F'lin shot back. "She's still mad at me for Impressing. It's
been three turns and she is still awkward about Seneth every time I bring
him home with me."

Riven shook her head. "I can't believe she can hold a grudge that long.
How would she expect you to visit?"

"I think she'd prefer it if I just stayed home." F'lin sighed and rolled
onto his side. "The only way she'd be happy is if I rejected my dragon somehow and
became a Seacrafter like my father." Nevermind that his father had been lost to the
sea and all his dragonriding relatives were still alive, save for his granddad.
The sea was clearly safer.

"Well, if Seneth could turn into a boat." She laughed at that image.

"Yeah... I don't think so." Seneth as a dragon was much more preferable.

}:You think too silly,:{ Savith scoffed.

"Hey, was the Weyrlingmaster really involved with your group?" she asked
after a moment. "Feels like D'lorn's doing almost all of our training."

"It was the same for us, although I saw a _lot_ of M'galec." F'lin made a face. "I
was worried for you, when you impressed. I didn't know he was stepping
back then and I didn't want you to go through the same thing I did."

"Oh I'm so glad I Impressed before he got back to the infirmary. I
remember him being a pain for you. A'kades is about as strict," she said,
referencing one of the assistants. "He used to be a wingsecond I think and
he acts like we're all trained riders. If he's taking over Orlaith's
clutch I feel bad for them."

"A'kedes? I did hear that he's pretty strict, although I can't say
I've heard much else about him. I'm not sure that cracking down is the
best way to train new riders..."

"Maybe some people react well to it. I'm too old for that," she joked.

"I don't think it's an age thing. I think it's about knowing what
you're capable of, and how you learn. Being too strict with new riders
doesn't give them time to develop confidence," F'lin said confidently,
as if he had any experience in teaching. "Teachers should make you
feel smart and comfortable because that's the sort of rider you want
in the air with you. Not riders who are fearful and won't take the
initiative because they're always sure that they're messing up, which
is what will happen if he's treating weyrlings like they have the
experience to make judgement calls."

"Let me guess, that's how M'galec treated you?" she asked. "Every time
I do anything with initiative - or Savith does, rather - we get in trouble."

F'lin shrugged. "Give it time. Weyrling training doesn't last forever.
It just seems like it."

"I hear it all becomes a rush after we /between/," she agreed. "I just
hope we don't wind up somewhere else when we try. I remember somebody
doing that last Turn."

Though where would they go? River Bluff had always been home to her.

"You'll do fine," he said reassuringly. "You're already doing better
than you were when I walked in, which means that /between/ will be an
easy step for you."

"And then we'll have to have a party," she said with a smile, glad
F'lin had confidence in her.

}:And I will eat a whole herdbeast,:{ Savith boasted.

Last updated on the December 26th 2014

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Weyrlinghood Sucks Sometimes