Opposing Opinions

Writers: Halyonix, Sia
Date Posted: 1st January 2026

Characters: I'thralos, R'vkal
Description: R'vkal introduces himself to the newest bronze weyrling.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 18 of Turn 12

R’vkal waited a few days for the immediate rush of Impression to calm down before approaching the sole bronze weyrling of the new clutch. **Want to give them a hand?** he asked of Indrath as he walked over. The growing bronze immediately targeted the wherry herd, brought one down, and deposited it nearby. “Let me help you with breakfast,” R’vkal offered as he took out his knife to start cutting.

I'thralos scrunched his nose at the carcass unceremoniously dropped near the weyrling barracks with a sickening 'thump'. He liked it better when the meat was presented in slabs or pieces. He hadn't ever needed to face where it all came from.

Vorlogoth, however, was already moving, hopping over to nudge the carcass and gnaw on the weirdly feathered skin. He'd only hatched two days ago and his teeth had only just started to break through.

**Undignified.** I'thralos commented blandly. It was enough for the bronze to straighten and sit back on his haunches. An attempt at protest cut through their bond, and a different person might have bowed to it. It made I'thralos dig his heels in even further. **Undignified, impatient, foolish.** He continued. The dragonet snorted a protest. He was none of those things!

"I don't know how to cut through it properly." I'thralos finally admitted as he squatted next to R'vnkal. "What parts are good for them to eat?"

“Haunches, breast,” R’vkal answered simply as he made the first slice right under the skin. He gave it a sharp tug, peeling it back like a glove. Then, he sliced a thick piece off and offered it to Vorlogoth. “I’m R’vkal. That’s Indrath,” he introduced himself.

I'thralos thought he might retch, but all he managed was a low 'bleeegh' sound. Vorlogoth snatched the piece from R'vkal's hand and backed away, content to gnaw on that for now. "I'thralos." He said after a moment. He kept watching R'vkal's hands move for a few moments longer, before unsurely trying to mimic the motion. "That beast there is Vorlogoth."

“Nice to meet you,” R’vkal replied politely. “You from the Weyr?”

"Yeah. Just got back from the Printer Hall last turn, for all the good that did me." I'thralos said. He cut a thick chunk and tossed it in the bronze's direction. Vorlogoth snapped it up. "Where'd the dragons find you?"

“Green Valley Hold. Also an apprentice. Smith though. Might pick it back up again once I’m done with weyrlinghood. Hard to focus on that and a growing dragon. Especially when they’re young like that.”

"I'm not an apprentice. I am-- was-- a journeyman on contract. If I'm lucky I can go back to that once Vorlogoth is grown, even just part of the time." Vorlogoth considered it with the kind of contrary disagreement that was commonplace in their bond so far, which I'thralos took as a good sign. He tossed another haphazardly cut piece of meat in his direction.

“On contract for what?” R’vkal asked as he kept carving up pieces. He tossed one or two at Indrath.

"The Weyrs and the Holds receive crafters from the Halls on contract. It can stipulate the living quarters, stipend to be paid, how long any particular crafter stays in one place."

R’vkal grunted thoughtfully. “Guess we smiths are a little harder to work with on that. Hard to do our job without a forge if the place doesn’t have one. But I like that contract idea. Gets you out to new places.” He nodded his head towards Vorlogoth. “But you won’t have any trouble getting from place to place now that you’ve got him. Well, once you get through training.”

"I wasn't concerned about how I was traveling before." I'thralos said gruffly. He stabbed a little too harshly into the wherry and hit a bone. The jolt and the realization made him gag a little. "We're somewhat limited by our infrastructure, too. I _am_ limited by how much of my time is going to be stuck maintaining this lummox."

}: I am not.:{ Vorlogoth protested. }: You will learn to enjoy it. I am worth it.:{

“Lummox?” R’vkal asked, unfamiliar with the word. It didn’t sound like an endearing one.

"Clumsy, awkward, bungler. Vorlogoth."

The older bronze weyrling laughed. “They’re all like that when they hatch. They get more coordinated though. ‘specially once they start flying. Never thought Indrath here would be such a beaut, but the first time he flew…”

I'thralos has a lot of things he wanted to say. Instead his mouth formed a thin line. "As you say." He said blandly. His stomach protested again as he tossed some of the offal over to Vorlogoth, who quickly snapped it up.

“Don’t worry,” R’vkal assured him, noting I’thralos’s expression. “You get used to it. Time flies by. All the training’s worth it.” He quickly sliced a few more pieces off and then wiped his blade. “You need any help, have Vorlogoth talk to Indrath. Weyrlingmasters are good but they got a lot going on. Sometimes we can help with little things.”

"You misunderstand me." I'thralos said after a moment. "I don't need help. I need Vorlogoth to have picked someone else. Someone who wants to cut up his food and shovel his shit and ride him into Threadfall. He can't have that, so he has this instead."

The elder weyrling paused for a moment, which was the only indication that he had heard I’thralos, while he tried to figure out why the other man was so upset about Impressing. It was nearly every young person’s dream to become a dragonrider but R’vkal remembered how he had expected to live a completely different life before Indrath. And how he would have been happy with that.

“Dragons do tend to throw a wrench into your plans,” R’vkal eventually said. “Not always sure why they pick us but they seem to know something we don’t. May not be clear to you now but maybe it’ll get clearer later.”

I'thralos didn't answer at first. He kept his eyes fixed on the half-dismantled wherry carcass, fingers so tightly pressed against the knife hilt that he would struggle to relax them once the job was done.

Clearer later. Later, as if later made any difference _now_, when the creature gnawing on meat and bone had already broken apart the entire trajectory of his life.

Vorlogoth lifted his head indignantly, muzzle smeared with red. }: I chose correctly.:{ He reiterated, }: I always choose correctly.:{

That didn’t help.

I'thralos blew out a breath. "I doubt that," he said. "If I'd wanted to fight Thread I would have stood as a candidate a long time ago. I had a craft. I had a family. It wasn't perfect, but I was making it work." His jaw tightened, "Vorlogoth does not care about any of that."

Vorlogoth rumbled something smugly self-satisfied in the back of his mind. Of course he didn't care. Why should he? He had a rider now. He was a purpose far more important than typeset and inks.

}: Don’t think he’s going to agree with you right now, :{ Indrath remarked to his rider. R’vkal quietly agreed. After all, it had taken him a bit of time to get used to the idea of being a dragonrider and not a smith.

The senior weyrling shrugged one muscled shoulder. “Babies, either human or dragon, don’t usually care about much else to start anyway. He’ll mellow out though.” And maybe that would give I’thralos time to adjust to this new course. “You need help though, offer still stands, okay?”

I'thralos didn't agree but he gave the smallest nod anyway, more a concession to ending the conversation than accepting the offer. His fingers finally eased off the knife, stiff and aching. Vorlogoth was already nosing through the remaining scraps with unabashed enthusiasm, pleased with himself and utterly unmoved by I'thralos' turmoil. Typical. Of course the little beast was thriving while he was unraveling.

"Fine," he said at last, voice flat. "You can start by helping me get rid of this carcass once they're done gnawing on it."

R’vkal took the small win. “Be my pleasure,” he drawled.

Last updated on the January 16th 2026

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Opposing Opinions