You Can Trust Us

Writers: Avery, Devin, Chelle
Date Posted: 20th July 2015

Characters: A'kades, D'lorn, A'dryn
Description: The weyrlingstaff try to work on A'dryn's fears.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 7

Yet another meeting with the weyrlingstaff.

}:You know they will not hurt you or be mad at you, so why are you
afraid?:{ Nalarith asked.

**Because of what we're talking about.** A'dryn's stomach jittered as
he stepped into A'kades' office.

"Come on in and sit down," A'kades offered to the green weyrling. He
did his best to project a reassuring smile and some confidence. A'dryn
was a nice kid, one who'd been caught up by hold traditions in the
same way the bronzerider had been.

"Thank you, sir." A'dryn took the offered chair.

The older greenrider was already there, seated in a chair catty-corner to
where A'dryn was. He was going to let A'kades handle this but would step
in if needed. So far A'dryn was doing fine.

"I wanted to talk with you about the lecture earlier this sevenday. You
seemed really uncomfortable with the subject matter and I wanted to try to
alleviate your concerns in a less public setting."

Not everyone wanted to talk about it in a big group.

"Yes, sir." A'dryn shifted and tried to gather his courage. "D'lorn
says riders hurt each other during flights. Leave bruises." Although
he'd overheard riders talking about flights as if they were wonderful.
Did weyrfolk like pain? Or did the bruising only happen during bad
flights?

"Aye we were talking about flights and what can happen. A'dryn seems
especially concerned if a bronze should catch Nalarith." He didn't raise a
brow but he hoped the message was clear to A'kades. That was why they had come
here. Then again, he had spoken with the other rider before they came so he was
aware of the conversation D'lorn had with A'dryn already.

So the boy was afraid of being hurt. The bronzerider was pretty sure
he could alleviate that. "Occasionally riders can hurt each other
during the flight. When you're caught up in your dragon, you're not
lways aware of how strong you're being. Accidental bruises can happen
from knocking into something, or your partner holding your arm too
tightly. Sometimes something feels good in the act and you don't
realize it hurts till later. People with long nails leave scratches
down the back," he explained.

"A bluerider might stay with you after the flight's over for another
round. The browns and bronzes don't. We understand that what we do in
the flight is our dragons, not us, and if we have hurt our partner
accidentally we get them to the healers. Sometimes there's a bit of
drama when it's the first time winning a male green, but eventually
even the conservative holdbred men like me learn that we can't be
indecent to the other person and get away with it." There was a bit of
self-deprecation at the last line.

"What about the ones who haven't... learned yet?" A'dryn's voice
shook. "Will they beat me afterwards?"

"They shouldn't. If they do, your dragon will get upset and report it
and they'll be punished severely for it. We don't tolerate mistreating
any other rider at this Weyr," A'kades said severely. If any of the
riders hurt another one, there'd be a huge price to pay.

He wondered if a personal anecdote would get anywhere. "Do you know
R'hys? Volaith has affection for Esryth. I've woken up with R'hys
several times, and my response to the matter is to thank him for the
flight and see if he needs anything. Sometimes we've left scratches on
each other, but I've never hurt him because being with a greenrider
makes me uncomfortable."

A'dryn nodded, looking down at the desk. "Not everyone is as kind as
you, sir." The boys at the hold had beaten him when they only
_thought_ he was a man-lover. A'dryn would have to be content with
knowing that at least a rider would be punished for hurting him.

}:I would not let anyone hurt you,:{ Nalarith said, a fierce tone in
her voice he'd never heard before.

"When you say that, A'dryn-have you come to any harm since coming to the
Weyr?" D'lorn's voice had a concerned tone, but he was also following an idea.
He signaled to A'kades to let him follow it for a moment.

"No."

"So then can you tell me why you have this idea that anyone here would hurt you?
It doesn't make sense right?" **Holders get funny ideas. Thank Faranth
I was a trader.**

"If they wake up next to me after... that..." A'dryn shifted in the
chair. "They might not be able to help it."

"Oh they can. It's during the Flight when you're not in control.
After, you know where you are. And during the Flight, it's about the
dragons so they wouldn't be able to seriously physically harm you then
since the dragons wouldn't be physically harming each other. They'd be
giving each other pleasure." D'lorn wondered if he would ever get
go of his fear or if it would take the experience to do it for him.

"Attacking me after would be a perfectly natural reaction," A'dryn
muttered, looking down at his hands. Maybe he even deserved...

}:You do not deserve pain!:{ Nalarith bugled.

Volaith reached out to the young green, projecting reassurance. }:It
is alright. Our riders will not let yours be hurt. They are not trying
to scare him.:{

"It is not a natural reaction," A'kades said to the young man, keeping
his tone as gentle as he could. "The Weyr isn't like the Hold.
Anything that's happened to you before won't happen again here. We
don't stand for that."

}:He is very scared of flights,:{ Nalarith told the bronze. }:I do not
want to Rise if it will hurt him.:{

Overhearing her, A'dryn sucked in a breath. **I'll be okay, I
promise.** He glanced between D'lorn and A'kades. "Worrying like
this... it's upsetting her. Hurting her. If you say no one will
deliberately hurt me, then... I have to believe you." No one on the
weyrlingstaff had given him any reason to mistrust them.

D'lorn was satisfied with that answer for now. That meant they had made
progress. He would also see about pushing some of the nicer bronzeriders
in the class into making friends with A'dryn later. Perhaps that would
ease things. "Yes your worries will inhibit her which is what we're trying to
prevent. You don't have to believe us, but if you don't believe us about
this, then why should you believe us about anything else? Makes training
you a bit pointless doesn't it?" One of his brows tilted up to indicate
he saw the humor in the situation.

"I suppose, sir," A'dryn said. They were training him and Nalarith to
survive Threadfall. In a very real way, he was trusting them with his
life.

Last updated on the August 6th 2015

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