Being a Pure Dragonrider

Writers: Bree, Jane
Date Posted: 8th February 2007

Characters: J'lai, Jh'slaen
Description: J'lai speaks to Jh'slaen about the greenrider's 'opinions'.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 4

"Still enjoying these free evenings after ... how long was it that you did watch duty?"

Jh'slaen glanced at his friend as they stepped out of the dining cavern and into the pleasantly warm early evening. "I'm so mellow now it's all over that it'll take more than that to make me bite."

The brownrider grinned. It was true. Jh'slaen was all but radiating peace and calm, and had been all day. The punishment watch duties were in the past and as far as Jh'slaen was concerned the subject was now closed.

"And what are you going to do with this free evening?"

Jh'slaen looked around. "I thought I might wander along the river to the beach." He glanced up, assessing the quality of light left to them and nodded. Time enough to get there and back before dusk fell.

"Just to stretch your legs?"

"Just because I can."

The brownrider laughed and matched his pace to that of his friend.

"You sure you're not running away?" a lazy voice asked from behind him.
"Not that it's not a _good_ idea, considering the sort of idiotic things you've been saying lately."

Jh'slaen silently rolled his eyes and kept walking. It was all very well for the Weyrleader to think he was the cause of the trouble he was getting into, but the bronzerider was never around to witness that it wasn't ever him that started things.

F'naren glanced over his shoulder and winced. J'lai. Not the most level-headed man to ever Impress. "Just going for a walk, J'lai," he said mildly.

J'lai's grin had a mean edge to it. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to your loud mouthed friend."

"I can only hear one loud mouth right now," the brownrider muttered.

Jh'slaen stopped walking and turned. There was no point in letting F'naren get himself into trouble with somebody on his behalf.
Especially J'lai. The bronzerider had a reputation for having a short temper.

"Did you have something you wanted to say to me?" Jh'slaen asked tiredly.

"I was hoping you'd tell _me_ a few things," J'lai replied, strolling closer. "Like explaining to me why I'm not a _pure_ dragonrider."

"Because you didn't know about Thread when you Impressed," Jh'slaen said, willing to be reasonable but not willing to pretend he didn't believe something that he did. Of course, he wasn't going to say more than he had to and open himself up to more misunderstandings.

J'lai looked the younger man up and down dismissively. "And you didn't know how to _walk_ when I Impressed. You'll never be half the dragonrider I am."

"Possibly not, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"Do you even _know_ what you're talking about?" J'lai demanded. He wasn't entirely sure the boy did... either that, or he was trying to squirm out of it.

"I do. This isn't about who's the best dragonrider. This about what each ... generation ... knew when they Impressed. _I_ knew I'd be facing Thread, that possibly I would never see the end of the Pass.
When you Impressed, did anybody even suggest that Thread might come back?"

J'lai scowled at him. "Why would it even matter? Anyone who wasn't ready to face Thread is long dead, and little boys like you shouldn't show those of us who are left any disrespect."

"Why would my opinion about differences between those who Impressed before and after Thread's return be disrespectful to you? We are _different_ -" and at that moment he was heartily glad there weren't any similarities between him and the other man except for the fact that they both Impressed "- nothing more."

"Talking about who's _pure_ is disrespectful," J'lai said firmly. "It's insulting, and you need to stop doing it."

"It's _not_ insulting," Jh'slaen said firmly.

"Think what you want," J'lai replied, leaning into the other man until their faces were a handspan a part. "But if I hear you haven't put a reign on your tongue, you may find yourself with more trouble than you can handle. Being a _pure_ dragonrider won't help you in a duel."

"Neither will being a b-bronzerider," Jh'slaen said. It had nearly been 'bully' but some sliver of discretion made itself felt.

"Hey. Break it up," F'naren said, stepping forward. "Come on. Both of you."

J'lai backed up and smiled at both of them pleasantly. "That goes for you, too. You and your friends had best keep civil tongues in your heads, boy. If you don't mend your manners yourself, I'll mend them for you." He didn't wait for a reply, turning sharply on his heel and stalking away as if he couldn't stand to look at them for a moment longer.

F'naren let out the breath he had been holding with a whoosh. "Well, that was fun."

"Yeah." Jh'slaen sighed. "Why do I have the feeling I need to ask somebody for a reminder about the rules of 'rider duels?"

"I don't know," the brownrider said, glancing again after the retreating bronzerider, "but I have that very same feeling."

Last updated on the February 9th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Being a Pure Dragonrider