An Understanding is Reached

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 8th December 2016

Characters: Cyradis, Lanniya
Description: Cyradis and Lanniya have a much needed conversation.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 8

Cyradis

Lanniya

With Anaeryth huddled protectively over her eggs, Lanniya had had
little time to meet with Cyradis more than just occasionally checking
in. But now that her gold was napping, Lanniya found her way to
Cyradis' office and knocked. "Weyrwoman? Are you in?"

"Come on in Lanniya," Cyradis smiled. "How is Anaeryth doing?"

Coming in, Lanniya glanced around the office that she hadn't looked at
other than in passing. Her bare toes curled against the floor and she
wondered for only a minute if she should have worn sandals. She passed
that aside and patted at her gauzy skirt. "She's doing well. The eggs
are hardening and she's letting Aughashyth closer now."

"Oh, that is always a good sign," she smiled back. "And how about
you? How are you doing?"

"I'm just tired, really. I didn't think I'd have to be there so much
after the eggs were laid, but she doesn't want me gone for very long."

"Panitath was very much that way with her first clutch," Cyradis
nodded. "You know I wasn't much older than you when I Impressed."

Lanniya's head tilted to the side. "Really? Was it hard for you to, or
did you just kind of get everything right?" Like it seemed everyone
expected her to do.

"No one ever gets everything right at first," Cyradis winked. "Though
some people would never admit that." She paused for a moment and then
leaned forward. "Right now your primary job here is making certain
your dragon is happily broody. I am sure Aughashyth will care for her
feeding needs so you wont' have to do any butchering. I'll have
Panitath show him where to find the tasty bucks she likes while she's
curled around her eggs."

"But after that we'll need to continue your training. So why don't you
tell me what you were doing at Riverbluff."

She looked a little more relieved after Cyradis admitted it.
"Aughashyth has been great. He's not allowed to get really close the
eggs, but it looks like he's just doting on her, which she really
likes. "

At the next question, Lanniya flushed and rubbed her hands over her
skirts. "Well, I was kind of helping the Weyrlingmasters because I got
in some trouble..."

Cyradis bit the inside of her lip to prevent a smile. "Oh? Do you want
to tell me about it?" Not that she didn't already know but sometimes,
it gave insight into a young person when they were allowed to explain
without feeling condemned by their choices.

Now Lanniya shifted again and cleared her throat. "I figured Rhosyn
would have already told you." She chewed on her lower lip, then lifted
her chin. "I saved my parents. Pierka's parents and mine, I mean. In
the hurricane. I studied the charts and the time tables and
everything. And I got them out of the storm." She looked down at her
hands and wiggled her thumbs. "Anaeryth strained her wings, and we
kind of messed up coming back, but...I got them back and...I guess I
should have told someone, but I was afraid that they'd say no. But I
needed them back. Pierka needed them too and so did my grandparents."

She was already familiar with the story and how significant the impact
had been on the Dolphin Cove greenrider. Of course she had no idea
what had really happened, only that her parents had been found. "Are
you able to keep the secret from your sister forever? Are your
parents?"

"My parents know how important it is. And we've agreed not ever to
tell Pierka. I have to keep it secret." She looked down at her hands.
"Am I going to be in trouble here too?"

"I don't see why you would," she said slowly. "I was just worried
about your sister. Only Gold and bronze riders and some brownriders
know about timing and we really have to keep it that way. You know
that right?"

She nodded. "I know." She looked back up. "And I've told everyone who
knows that I'm sorry that I scared everyone but..." Her chin lifted.
"I'm not sorry for saving them."

"I know how you feel," she sighed. "I'm sure I'd feel the same way if
I had been able to save my family." She shrugged. "But that didn't
work out."

That made Lanniya stop immediately and she stared at Cyradis. She had
been told that she should have been very sorry. But Cyradis wasn't
talking down to her like she had been..she...she actually understood.
"You lost yours? I'm sorry..."

"Thanks," she said softly then took a deep breath. She didn't feel the
need to go into all of the detail. Sometimes it was enough to know
someone else understood. "But someday you're going to have to tell
some young rider they can't do what you just did. Imagine if they were
lost between. We can't lose riders like that, our job protecting all
of Pern is too important to risk our dragons on one or two
individuals, no matter how much we love them."

"I know you say that but..." Her voice trails off. "But how can I tell
them not to if I did it? Is that really fair?"

"You were lucky," she said. "I hope you realize that." She didn't want
to push too hard. This young woman had accomplished something almost
impossible and she had every right to be proud but that didn't mean
that the next one who tried would also succeed.

"How many of your clutchmates were lost during training?"

"I studied hard to do it. I had to make sure..." Her voice trailed off
and she shifted, her brow furrowing. She supposed she had been lucky,
especially coming back. And Anaeryth could have been hurt far worse
than what she had been. With all of that lightning...they could have
been hit. The wind could have tossed them into the ocean. She
shuddered. And she had been so tired by the end of it. "I guess I was
lucky." She bit her lip and paled. "One. They went /between/ and...and
they never came back. The keening and the grief..." She shuddered at
the memory of it.

"There is a very very old saying that goes something like. 'A wise man
learns from his mistakes.' But that pair will never learn because
their mistake cost them their lives." Cyradis' tone showed her
compassion for those who'd never returned. "And while I know you're
very happy you saved your parents. It really was a mistake to endanger
Anaeryth that way. And that is why the leaders were so upset. Can you
understand that?"

Slowly nodding, Lanniya had to agree. "Yeah. I see that. I didn't
think about anything else but getting them back."

That single sentence put it all into perspective and Cyradis felt she
could leave it right there. "So you see, it's not a double standard to
discourage timing, it's wisdom."

"Don't worry," she smiled at the younger goldrider. "There is still
lots to learn. Though I hear you don't like hidework."

She's never considered herself to be particularly wise, to be honest,
but she could see Cyradis' point. And she was certainly glad when the
subject was changed. Lanniya shook her head. "No, no I don't. It's the
most boring thing imaginable. I like doing things, not sitting in a
dusty room writing all day."

"Alright, so how about you come to my office in the mornings. When
Anaeryth can spare you and then spend the afternoon with Chaysea? We
currently have a Tithe shortage and we're having to gather supplies
from around the Weyr. I'm sure she needs all the help she can get."

That sounded far more interesting than hidework. Lanniya nodded,
brightening. "So no going over old tithes and organizing things? Just
helping Chaysea with finding stuff? I can do that. I mean, I bet I can
think of a bunch of things since Traders have to do that too."

Cyradis grinned at her and then said dryly "Well you _will_ be doing
some hidework here with me in the mornings. I'm going to be teaching
you about wing formations and things like that. I'd like you to attend
the Wingleaders meeting as well. So you can get a feel for what we
discuss there. But that's not _all_ day."

"But not all day." That was a relief. She'd sat in Wingleaders'
meeting before and they were a bit boring, because she really didn't
have a lot of input. Most of the time, she'd daydreamed her way
through them. "I can do that."

"Not all day," Cyradis agreed.

Last updated on the December 17th 2016

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An Understanding is Reached