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

Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall

Story Listing
Series Listing

Weyrling Training

Writers: Emma, Kastaka
Date Posted: 17th April 2008

Characters: Vasha, Rondera
Description: Vasha borrows a spare hide from Rondera, and learns a little in the process
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 4

Vasha still smelled somewhat of redwort as she sidled through the doorway of the room where the class was being held. Looking around for a place to sit, trying to avoid making too much noise and drawing attention to her slight lateness, she spotted a space near Rondera and made her way over to the other girl with some relief.

"Hey," she said, settling on the bench. On further inspection it looked like the class hadn't really started yet - everyone was just fussing with writing implements and the notes that they were meant to have made.

"Oh. Hi Vasha! How're you?" Rondera moved over a little to make enough room for the other girl to sit down properly.

"Great," replied Vasha happily, "we were just cleaning up after someone spilled an entire bowl of redwort on the floor and..." she pauses for a moment as she roots around in her bag, her face taking on a slightly less enthusiastic cast, "...and it looks like I'm going to have to borrow your notes again," she finished in a somewhat discouraged tone as she fished out some soggy, redwort-scented hides with the ink smeared into illegability.

"Ummm, that's quite a mess there," Rondera's words were an understatement.
"You are not going to be able to study from those at all."

"I figure I know most of it anyway," replied Vasha, returning to her normal cheery tone as she fished around trying to find something that wasn't soaked to write on. "Um, I don't suppose you have something spare I could write on today?" she asked hopefully, wiping the outside of a pot of ink (thankfully well-sealed) and a stylus on her shirt to dry them off.

"I think I might have a spare hide." Rondera rummaged in the pile she'd brough to class with her, finally finding one that looked well scraped. "Try that," she said.

"Thanks," replied Vasha with a self-deprecating smile, putting the stylus and ink on the table and trying to wipe her hands again before accepting the hide. "I'll get you another when these have dried out and I've seen if they're worth saving or if I have to go and beg for spares."

"I doubt you'll have to beg if you explain it was an accident."

"Aww, Rondera, I'm just exaggerating," said Vasha in a friendly tone.
"I can probably just pilfer some more from the storecupboard anyway.
Not before the instructor gets here, though."

Rondera grinned. "You'll be able to get some more hides later."

"At least we didn't have any..." began Vasha, then trailed off.
"Shards! My dragon anatomy drawings were in there, too. I'm never going to get them done again by the morning."

"My Da might be able to help you there, he has some books in his weyr that have some diagrams in them," offered Rondera.

Vasha looked at Rondera with a new curiosity. "Who is your father, anyway? I don't think you've mentioned your parents much before."

"My Da's a brownrider, he's Wingsecond in his wing. Ma, she was a greenrider."

"Was?" asked Vasha curiously, before she realised what she'd just said. She clapped her hand to her mouth in what looked like an attempt to shove the words back in. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, I just get curious about things, you know?" she gabbled.

"She's not a greenrider here anymore, she transferred North when I was a baby."

Vasha nodded, relieved that Rondera didn't seem to be offended. "Does your father do dragonhealing at all, or are the books just something he has left over from weyrling classes or an interest of his?"

"They were his weyrmate's books."

"Did she have to share a weyr or not have space for them when she transferred away, then?" asked Vasha, getting entirely the wrong impression.

"She, she wasn't my mother, and she died."

"Oh..." Vasha looked very uncomfortable for a moment. She didn't know what to say to that. "Um. I'm sorry." It was unclear whether she was expressing regret over the death or over bringing the subject up in the first place.

And that was the point at which the class was called to order.

Last updated on the May 1st 2008