A Quiet Word Pt 2

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 4th August 2016

Characters: K'ran, Lanniya
Description: K'ran talks to Lanniya to get some perspective on her decisions.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 20 of Turn 8
Notes: Follows Facing the Music; Pt 2 of 2; Mentioned: Pierka, Rhosyn, Y'gel, Lenala, K'sedel, A'kades

K'ran

Lanniya

Now that it was out, some of the resentment faded from her face and
she just stared at the cup in her hands. She turned it about in her
hands for a few moments, then looked up at K'ran. "Sorry to cause you
all the trouble."

"It sounds like this was brewing well before you went on your journey.
I wasn't here during your training, so I have a question. Has Rhosyn
always treated you like this?"

She took another sip and nodded. "Yeah. I don't think she's liked me
from the moment I spoke to Orlaith without her permission."

"Was that before you Impressed?" K'ran asked.

He was beginning to get a picture of why Lanniya had seemed so
defensive when Rhosyn had laid out her complaints with Lanniya's
actions, and then handed down the punishment. **If she was already
nervous around Rhosyn, and Rhosyn reacted so badly to what she did,
then of course she's going to be predisposed to assuming the worst.**

Lanniya nodded. "Yeah. When we went to touch the eggs as Candidates."
She finally reached to pick up some fruit and meat, laying a few
pieces on her plate.

"I don't know exactly how being a hears-all works, but does it feel as
natural to talk to any dragon as it feels to talk to Anaeryth? Talking
to Rogueth feels like to part of myself. If it's just something you
do, I can see why you'd be upset if she was punishing you for it."

Lanniya took a bit of fruit, chewed and swallowed, then answered.
"It's hard to explain. It's like...having a conversation with someone
else and then having one with yourself. It's like the other dragons I
can almost hear with my ears, but Anaeryth is all in my head. It feels
natural to talk to them. It always has. But Anaeryth is more personal,
I guess." She frowned. "Plus, I hear them all the time and have to
tune them out. It's like closing walls in my head. If I don't then I
get completely distracted." She took a sip of juice. "I ran into a
wall once. I'd rather not do _that_ again."

While he waited for her to explain, K'ran spent some time with his own
meal, picking at the rivergrain and wherry and contemplating what she
said.

"It sounds interesting and I wish I could do it," he said. "When you
came back, did that mean you heard the way all the dragons were
feeling?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. I was so tired that I couldn't block them
out, plus Anaeryth was hurt and I felt that too. That's why she got so
upset. I couldn't manage it all."

So she'd had a direct sense of how worried everyone was about her. And
yet Rhosyn had treated her like she hadn't known that she upset people
or caused a problem.

"And then it didn't help when Rhosyn started yelling at you," he guessed.

"I don't remember her yelling at me when I came back." She admitted.
"I was just so tired and worn out. All I wanted to do was rest and get
Anaeryth help." Her brow furrowed a bit. "But the meeting..." her
voice trailed off and she picked at a piece of fruit. "Look, I know
everyone was mad at me and worried, but it felt like I was about to
pounced on." Facing down the entire group of experienced riders on her
own had been intimidating, especially since she liked the majority of
them and they had all been upset at her. "And then Rhosyn was trying
to make me feel more guilty and that just made me mad."

"I understand," he said. "Rhosyn is your Wingleader and as such, I
can't take over her role in supervising you without causing a problem.
But how do you get along with Lenala? Or K'sedel and A'kades on the
Weyrlingmaster side?"

"I like K'sedel and A'kades. A'kades really tries to help and K'sedel
always treated me well when he was a Weyrleader, even though I only
spoke to him a few times." She seemed to consider him for a moment.
"Lenala...well, we don't really have much in common. She's more
concerned about appearances and things and I'm really not. She's nice
though."

"I'm glad you like the Weyrlingmaster. That will help since you're
assigned to them. And as for the goldriders..." He thought for a
moment. "It's still Rhosyn's decision, but I can offer to be there
when she meets about your progress. Would that make you feel better?"

Lanniya peered at him and then nodded. "Yeah. That would."

"Then I'll do so. It's my right as Weyrleader to know, and you deserve
a sympathetic face." He stopped to take another forkful of greens.

Lanniya visibly relaxed, the muscles in her shoulders losing their
tension. "I'd like that."

He was glad it seemed to relax her. "And any time you want to come
talk to me about something, just ask Rogueth. I promise I'll do the
best I can for you."

She nodded and her appetite seemed to immediately return as she popped
another piece of fruit in her mouth. "Thank you. That's means a lot."
She paused and felt her bare toes under her bottom. "I've got a
question though. Why does it bother people when i don't wear shoes? "

It was such an unexpected question that he laughed at it, before
pausing to consider it and give it the thought it deserved. "I think
it's because we're used to shoes. Almost everyone wears them at the
Weyr, and at the Holds. They are useful - they protect your feet from
hazards. And they can signify status. When we see someone not wearing
them, it's different and we think it's unusual. So it's probably a mix
of not conforming and worry for your health."

When he laughed, her own smile spread across her face and her eyes
sparkled merrily. She stuck out her bare foot and wiggled her toes. "I
wear them when I have to, I just don't like to. Bare feels better. "
She tilted her head and wrinkled her nose. "Status shmatus."

"You haven't cut yourself anywhere in the weyr yet? I used to go
barefoot a lot, but got a foot infection after a bad cut one time," he
said. "As for wearing shoes when you have to, why not talk to a Tanner
about a special kind of shoe just for you, less restrictive than
traditional ones? It would cost marks but it might be worth it."

"A few times, but my feet are actually pretty tough." She admitted. "I
hated wearing shoes on the caravans and I used to lose them all the
time, so they kind of gave up on making me wear them except on cold
days. I just like the feel of the ground under my feet."

"Tell me a bit more about your time in the caravan. I'd like to hear
stories about current trader life," he invited, hoping to make her feel a
little more at ease.

Last updated on the August 13th 2016

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A Quiet Word Pt 2