This Behaviour
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Emma, Jane
Date Posted: 7th January 2007
Characters: K'sedel, K'reyel, Jh'slaen
Description: Jh'slaen is taken to task for his comments by the Weyrleader.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 19 of Turn 4
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Jh'slaen asked as he approached the Weyrleader. He nodded to the wingsecond standing beside the older man and wondered fleetingly what it would be like working so closely with one's father. It took only a moment to remember that he had done so himself before being Searched, even if they were just working the fields at the cothold.
"Yes, yes we did." The Weyrleader gestured to a seat, indicating that the younger man should sit.
The greenrider sunk into the chair, wondering what he had done that needed this sort of long conversation - and guessing there was probably one thing more likely than any other. His theory about dragonriders who Impressed in the Pass; who was talking to him about anything else, lately?
The youngster didn't look well, thought K'reyel. A bit drawn, and perhaps a little unkempt.
**Erdenth, ask Saradath if her rider is well, and tell me and Nikornath's, okay.**
The bronze relayed the question, and waited for the reply as K'reyel spoke to Jh'salen.
"Are you feeling okay, not sick at all?"
"I'm fine, sir." Jh'slaen said firmly, hearing from Saradath that they wanted her opinion too.
}:I told Erdenth that you were hungry, sometimes,:{ Saradath informed him, pleased that her opinion mattered.
Jh'slaen would have laughed at her pride in that fact had he not been facing the Weyrleader.
"Do you know why we called you here?" asked K'sedel.
"No. Yes. About what I said? That's upset people?" People upset themselves over things, in his opinion, but since most of the upset people were senior to him as the Weyrleader was he thought it best not to say that.
"It has indeed upset people. Yes, us riders are a breed apart, we have to be, but your words offended some people," began K'sedel. "We had choices to make as well when we stood on the sands, and for some of us it was not an easy decision to make. There may not have been thread fall, but there was a lot of prejudice, more than there is now."
Jh'slaen nodded. "I am old enough to remember that."
"And you should know better as a result. Think what the holders see, when they see your knots," reminded K'reyel.
"Er -" What did they think? He'd faced a variety of reactions, but people were endlessly variable so that was only to be expected.
"While some may think of you as a brave man defending Pern, others will see only the colour." The point that the Wingsecond was trying to make was that the young man needed to think a little more before he spoke, and that appearances may be deceptive.
"Exactly," Jh'slaen said, pleased the Weyrleader understood. "Everybody has opinions."
"But most people know when and where to mention them."
"If you mean me, I was speaking to another greenrider - somebody about my own age." It wasn't as if he'd brought the subject up with the older riders.
"Do you know what the one thing to travel faster than /between/ is?"
asked K'reyel.
"Apparently anything I say," Jh'slaen grumbled.
"Exactly, and with those words reaching people, and perhaps being twisted in meaning..."
That was the worst of it. "People get so angry about what I said they don't even listen to me."
"It isn't what you meant, but the way that you said it."
"I think I was quite reasonable, especially compared to some of the angry ones." He had always been peaceable by nature though that had been tested over the last sevenday.
"Words are a very powerful thing Jh'slaen," stated K'sedel.
"I guess they are, sir."
"And while you are entitled to your opinion, you need to learn how and when to express it using those words."
Jh'slaen was still of the opinion that others needed to learn to shrug things off more than he needed to keep his thoughts to himself, but there wasn't any point in voicing that - so perhaps he had learned something. "Yes, sir."
"Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir." Jh'slaen repeated. After all, if the Weyrleader said it was so, then it must be.
"Now, this will be put on your record, but for now, it stays between us.
If there is any repeat of this, there will be disciplinary action."
"Repeat?" Jh'slaen was surprised out of agreement. "Of _what_?"
"Of this behaviour," stated K'reyel. To him at least, it was obvious what the Weyrleader had meant.
"This _behaviour_ was voicing an opinion," the greenrider said indignantly in the Wingsecond's direction.
"Jh'salen," K'sedel said, a note of warning in his voice. "Calm down."
"I am calm." Nothing could be further from the truth but he managed a smile. "Surprisingly. You're telling me, sir, that I can't say anything, ever, that might offend somebody?"
"I'm saying that you need to think a little. And perhaps I can afford you some time in which to do that. How does a sevenday of nights on watch duty sound?"
Belatedly Jh'slaen's brain caught up with his mouth and the young greenrider just nodded. A sevenday? That sounded like way more thinking time than anybody would ever need.
Last updated on the January 9th 2007