Dragons and Dreams

Writers: Chelle, Len
Date Posted: 10th November 2010

Characters: Rhosyn, A'shel
Description: The Weyrwoman makes it a point to check on the boy.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: K'sedel, Solieira

Finally, everywhere Angshel looked were dragons. After
sevendays in the infirmary he had felt well enough to
walk around and to be allowed some fresh air. When the Healer had
given him the okay, the boy all but hobbled as quick as he could out
the door. The fresh air was lovely, but the dragons! Everywhere,
flying, walking, sunning themselves on their ledges. And the
colours; he knew the basic five but never knew that they came in such
diverse shades. Just when he thought he had just seen the most
beautiful green, another one showed up that was even more dazzling.
And the bronzes were simply breathtaking. Surely this had to be the
best day of his life.

Rhosyn had heard from K'sedel and the Headwoman about the boy that
had been picked up. Things like that made her angry to her core. Those
holders were lucky K'sedel had gone. If she had, she'd have landed Orlaith right on all their heads or worse. The Weyrwoman recognized that diplomacy was not her strong suit. Walking towards the infirmary, she saw the young adolescent sitting on a rock outside in the Bowl. Approaching him quietly, she made a slight noise to clear her throat. "Pretty, aren't they?"

"There's no word to really describe just what they are," the boy replied in an awed murmur. "I never thought I'd ever be so lucky to see even one. And to be surrounded by them. And them!" he pointed to a darting firelizard.

"Those can be pests sometimes, but they're useful in their way. You're Angshel, aren't you?" she said it casually, still not wanting him to turn around and realize who he was talking to. She liked unguarded moments like this. Anyway, it was very possible he didn't know how to read dragonrider knots just yet.

"That would be a pest I'd love to have!" he said, still watching all the antics of the firelizards with fascination. "I've seen some gold fire lizards but no gold dragon yet." He shivered with excitement at the thought of the huge beasts.

"Well,we have three of those at River Bluff. Tell me, have you decided if you want to stay here?" The exuberance of youth was something Rhosyn
enjoyed. The look on his face as the wonder of dragons reminded her of
when she'd come to the Weyr as a young girl.

"Yes, the Weyrleader came and talked to me and said I could stay." He turned to look at her. "Is that okay? He also said I could start a craft...? But...you know..if that's not true, I'm a good worker, I can help in the kitchens and with cleaning and watching the little ones. I won't be a problem, I promise." He didn't know who she
was but he hoped she wouldn't override the Weyrleader's words and send him back.

"Whatever the Weyrleader says goes. So I guess you'll be staying then if you want. What kind of craft would you want to do?" That would be something she could speak to Solieira about since she was the one who dealt with the craftmasters.

He looked confused. Being offered a craft was never something that happened to him. "I...don't know. Maybe a Harper? I like to sing, but I've never played an instrument. Or maybe a Healer? That way I'd get to work and help the dragonriders. There wouldn't
be a more noble craft to do than that. Do you get to heal the dragons too?"

"Sometimes I get to. I'm Rhosyn, by the way." She put her hand out to him.

The Weyrwoman! Hastily he stood up and bowed his head to her. "I'm so sorry Weyrwoman, I shouldn't have babbled on."

"Shhh... I was enjoying the conversation. I'm glad you're doing better. Maybe some other day you can meet Orlaith when you can go farther." Rhosyn knew it would be bad to make him do too much too soon.

"Really? I'd_love_to see a gold dragon. They're bigger than the bronzes, right?" He pointed to one bronze laying on his ledge. He couldn't imagine how_anything_could be bigger than that fellow.

"She's actually the biggest dragon in the Weyr," Rhosyn
said without a small measure of pride.

"Really??" How big would_that_be? Angshel couldn't even begin to imagine. "What's it like? Riding dragons, I mean." He hoped she wouldn't think him too forward to ask, but there was something in her, something that said
she wouldn't mind all his silly questions at all.

"Well..it's hard to describe. It's hard knowing that so many people depend on you, but then when you're with your dragon flying, it's the best feeling in the world." Measuring Orlaith in her head, she tried her best to think about it. "I'd say about 2 dragonlengths long."

Angshel couldn't even wonder just how big that would be. And to be the rider of such a creature! She must surely be a powerful woman. He whistled through his
teeth, trying to imagine what the queen must look like. Well, if everyone_was_right
and he would be allowed to stay, then maybe he would get to see her one day.

"So, how long are you supposed to be out?" She didn't want him to get in trouble with the healers
so soon. The boy had been in a bad way she'd heard.

"Oh, not too long. I think they were just getting fed up with me asking when I could see the dragons," he said, grinning. "So I really get to stay?" He just couldn't believe on that horrible day, laying there bleeding and broken in the woods, that it would all end up like this.

"If you want to." If he became a crafter, he might end up somewhere else. Still, the decision would be his.

He grinned in happiness. To imagine that one day someone like him, a nobody, could not only get to live in the Weyr but also be allowed the opportunity of going into a Craft was
beyond his wildest dreams. And all for being punished for being gay! How could being _that_ be perverted when it gave him all this? He felt like hugging the Weyrwoman, he was so happy.

"Well you should go back inside I'm sure, but I'll try and check on you again when I have time in the coming sevendays." Rhosyn had other duties to attend to.

"Okay." He allowed himself to be led back into the infirmery, his head full of dragons and dreams of the future.

Last updated on the November 20th 2010

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Dragons and Dreams