A fine man someday

Writers: Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 8th October 2005

Characters: J'an, M'galec
Description: J'an and M'galec discuss their different ideas of how to train a young weyrling
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 6 of Turn 3

"Do you have a minute M'galec?" asked J'an of his fellow bronzerider.
"I'd just like a word about the upcoming night drills."

"Of course, Weyrlingmaster." M'galec put his hidework aside and stood to offer his new boss a seat. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine," he said as he sat down. "I'd like to talk to you about young N'lies? Have you met him yet?"

M'galec frowned slightly. "I confess, I have not learned many names.
I'm sure I have met him, I just don't know which one he is yet."

"Brown Hecath's rider. He's very young, just thirteen turns. Not very tall for his age either."

"Ah, yes, the young brownrider. I remember now," M'galec said with a nod.

"He came to me earlier, and I wanted to mention the important parts of our discussion, so you are aware of it."

"All right." M'galec folded his hands and prepared himself to dispense advice as needed. That was, after all, his responsibility as the Weyrlingmaster's Second.

"Basically, the short version is that he's not sure about the dark, I think it's because he is so young. Now, I've told him to take things slowly, and to tell us if he feels uncomfortable with anything."

"Sir, do you think it wise to coddle the rider?" his Second asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm not 'coddling' him, merely providing him with a safe atmosphere in which to train. He's young, and won't be going to the wings for almost three turns. That's more than enough time to learn to cope."

"Respectfully, J'an, /between/ is also dark. It's the blackest black the boy can imagine. You cannot ease him into that part of training.
There is not halfway /between/. He has to learn to face his fears bravely, sir."

"And he has learnt to handle that, but I don't want to push the lad too far. What if he gets upset and scares his dragon? /Between/ is only a brief thing. Night drills involve candlemarks out there."

M'galec nodded calmly. "And he would see that there is nothing to be afriad of in the night. The mindhealers call it 'immersion'. It is a tactic by way of helping someone get over their fear. Immerse them in the situation they are afraid of and they will find that there is nothing to fear but their own imagination."

"I'd rather let him take it slowly," said J'an. "To do otherwise might break the trust and confidence that he has developed in us to be able to tell us of his fears."

"Of course, it is your decision," his Second nodded. He knew he would not always agree with the Weyrlingmaster. It seemed J'an was more interested in being _friends_ with the weyrlings than their leader, but that was his choice. M'galec would keep an eye out and make sure it didn't effect their training too much.

"He will go through this again, as an assistant to us with the next class. When he has to lead others, he may find it easier to face his fears then. And if he needs to, he can speak to the mindhealers before that time comes." J'an made his point slowly and clearly. His feeling was that if the lad was given an incentive, rather than having to work himself into a state doing something he did not like, he would perform better in the end..

"I certainly hope it won't come to that, sir," M'galec said with an indulgent smile.

"He may be a dragonrider, but he is still very young. Let him grow into this at his own pace."

M'galec considered that a moment. "A dragon chose him young, Weyrlingmaster. Would a dragon chose a child who was not ready for the responsibility?"

"Nobody truly knows why the dragons make their choices, perhaps Hecath can see the man he will be in a few turns time."

"Yes, I'm sure he will be a fine man someday." **If he doesn't have his courage coddled out of him...**

"I'm glad you can agree with me on something then," said J'an. He couldn't help feeling a little disapointed that M'galec felt so completely opposite to him on this.

His Second was also disappointed in the Weyrlingmaster's inability to see the sense of M'galec's point. He was, after all a journeyman, an educated man. "Was there something that you needed me to do for N'lies?"

"Just keep an eye on the lad, make sure he is okay."

"Yes sir." M'galec frowned a bit. "Sir, have you thought that this favoritism towards the boy might cause a bit of resentment towards the boy? What do you intend to do about that?"

"Whether it's seen as favouritism depends on how we all handle it. Be discreet, thats all I ask." J'an had always maintained an open door policy for the youngsters, and he knew that they appreciated that fact. "You can trust that I will be." The second didn't want all the weyrlings to know that he was treating the brownrider any different from the rest of them. They might see that as an invitation to slack off in front of him.

"Good." The tone suggested that this conversation was over.

Last updated on the October 8th 2005

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A fine man someday