Drawing troubles

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 6th November 2006

Characters: M'galec, Kustaava
Description: M'galec and Ava butt heads over her lack of drawing skills
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 4

"Now, remember when you are visualizing a place, details are important.
Please take out your hide and your writing implements, and go to work drawing River Bluff as you had seen it from the sky this morning. You should have picked up all the little details as you had been instructed, so it should be easy for you to draw a fairly accurate representation of the view." The bronzerider began circulating around the group of
weyrlings to be sure they got the picture right. They were not going to have any mistakes in their visualizations when it came their turn to go /between/. He was looking for accuracy, not artistic style. Ava's picture was neither accurate nor stylish.

"And just where are you drawing, weyrling?" M'galec asked with a slight scowl as he looked at the picture in the greenrider's lap. "That does not look like River Bluff to me."

"I'm not an artist," Ava pouted. Drawing wasn't exactly where she was good at. Actually, she never done drawing before. She never had time for it between harper lessons and home chores.

"I can see that." **You are not much of a dragonrider either...**
"What is this... mess? There is nothing recognizable about this picture. Where is the sea? Where are the cliffs? Where is the river?"

"That's sea," she pointed a collection of squipples, "and that's the river," a line in the drawing.

"I am not in the mood for your games, Weyrling. You may not enjoy this exercise, but it will save your life. Do it again!" The bronzerider stomped off to look at the other drawings that were being made.

"Sharding bronzeriding prick," Ava muttered quietly but angrily. Did he always have to pick her out? She took the charcoal and coloured the whole drawing black. "Weyr at night," she said rebelliously.

}: Isn't that bit childish? :{ Mindath chided gently.

"Watch that, Sh'vair. Those two ports point west." The bronzerider nodded approvingly of another weyrlings drawing before stopping in front of Ava. "Well Ava, may I see your drawing?"

Ava showed him the black paper. Shards, that man always managed to draw the worst out of her!

The bronzerider plucked the hide out of her hands. "Well, Ava, that's one sevenday of extra chores for you. Next time I walk by and there is not a proper drawing in your hands, I will make it a full month. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Ava took a fresh hide. Maybe she could ask someone give her lesson in drawing. Unfortunately, she didn't know if any of her friends were good drawers.

"A lot of you are forgetting the star stones and there are _two_ bridges, not just the one. Little details like that are important." The Weyrlingmaster Second pointed to a blob on one weyrlings paper.
"If that is meant to be the weyrling barracks they are not that close to the lake. Rethink that, L'wit."

Ava started to draw again. ** Okay, the coastline goes like this...***

M'galec looked over his shoulder and watched the annoying weyrling through narrowed lids. **Just try it, girl. I will make sure you _never_ leave the Weyrling Wing if you think you can mess with me...**
Turning his attention back to the drawing in front of him he nodded approvingly. "That's better Sh'vair. But you do not need to add animals to the pens."

**Pens? Pens! Where the shards are the pens?** Ava thought with a start. She couldn't remember.

M'galec continued walking, flicking Ava with small glances to assure himself the lazy girl had taken his threat seriously. "Chiyari, the Weyrlake is fed by the river, but it is not _part_ of the river. Close your eyes and picture it again. Nice coastline, though."

}: Don't forget feeding grounds, it's important, :{ Mindath interrupted helpfully and Ava growled.

"I am sorry, Weyrling Ava, did you say something?" M'galec asked, his eyes fixing on the weyrling who was making rude noises when she was supposed to be working.

"No, I didn't," Ava replied. Well, it hadn't been a word.

He regarded her a moment through narrowed eyes. "Good. Keep working, I will check your picture in a few minutes." The bronzerider turned back to the other weyrlings.

Ava stared her drawing with a sinking feeling. ** I just can't draw. I can cook, sew, tend children, bake, clean, wash laundry, milk herdbeasts and brew a killer klah but I just don't know how to draw! **

}: Don't give up :{ Mindath encouraged gently.

"Let's see it, Ava," M'galec said after finishing his rounds of the other weyrlings. He wasn't sure what he wanted more -to see her finally obey his orders, or to have her just try and mess with him again.

"It's not done yet," Ava warned when she offered the drawing.

He took it from her hands anyway. "Well, I can see there is an ocean. And a Weyr of approximately the right shape. And some boxes that might be something. But no river, no bridges, no starstones, no piers... Is this the best you can do?"

"I said it wasn't done yet," Ava repeated defensively.

"What is taking you so long?" M'galec frowned as he handed the hide back. "If you are not finished by the time class is over, you will need to stay and finish it."

"I'm not good at this, so I'm being slow," Ava admitted, staring her shoes.

The bronzerider wasn't so sure her being slow wasn't on purpose. "You have five minutes to complete your drawing or you will need to stay behind after class. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," the weyrling replied sulkily.

M'galec nodded curtly. If it took him all night, he was going to make sure Ava understood when he gave an order, he expected results.

Last updated on the November 6th 2006

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Drawing troubles