End of the World

Writers: Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 11th January 2006

Characters: J'an, Kustaava
Description: J'an consoles Kustaava, who failed to impress.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 3 of Turn 3

Kustaava had thrown herself into her bed without even removing her white candidate robe or boots. She was crying, bitterly and uncontrollably, full of disappointement. She had been left behind. There had been hatching, and
she had entered it with rest of them, filled with hope. And when it was over, she had been left standing there alone, facing the broken, empty egg shells. No dragon for her. (There had been few others not impressing but she
didn't notice it.) She had been filled with terrible loneliness and bitter disappointment.

This was the part J'an hated. Going in to the barracks to comfort those that had not impressed. Some would put on a brave face, other would seem crushed, and just want to go home. And it never got easier, not at all.

Kustaava noticed the Weyrlingmaster comming. She tried to stop crying but just couldn't.

"Lass, you okay?" he asked gently.

"No, I'm not. I didn't impress! What happens now? Do I have to go home?" Ava wailed between sobs.

The Weyrlingmaster saty down on the edge of her bed. "Nobody will make you go home, not if you don't want to."

"I want to stay here. My father hates me," the girl said. She was starting to get her crying under controll and wiped her nose with the sleeve.

"Then you can stay," said J'an it was as simple as that. No weyr would force anyone to leave, but then this girl had only been here a few days and might not know that. "You do know that there will be another hatching in a couple
of months, don't you?"

"Really? I can stand for that too?"

"Of course, a dragon searched you, and that means that you have the potential to become a rider. It might just been that the dragon for you hasn't been clutched yet."

"I just hope she get clutched soon. I feel terrible," Ava muttered.

"It will be the month after next," said J'an. "The Weyrwoman's second gold rose a couple of days ago, and soon, there will be more eggs. Hopefully one
of those will contain the dragon for you."

"That means I just have to wait," Ava sighed. "I've never been very patient."

J'an could sense that there was no use in platitudes now. Most candidates didn't want to hear them. The main thing is that none of them would be too old to stand again in a couple of months. He gave her a smile, "Wait a while
longer, and I'm sure you'll find your green."

Kustaava nodded. "How long you can stand?" she asked.

"Until you are twenty two, and I'm sure you have plenty of turns before that."

Kustaava felt little more encouraged by that. She was only fifteen. She blew her nose. "So, what happens after you're too old to impress?" she wanted to know.

"If you want to stay then, you can. You'll find quite a few people like that here. And they all find useful jobs."

"Thank you, sir," the girl said with serious voice. It still stung, her failure to impress, but at least it didn't feel like end of the world anymore.

"You'll do just fine," he said rising to his feet. "Soon enough I'll see you as a weyrling."

"I'm certainly hoping so," Ava said with a faint smile.

"That's the attitude," he smiled back.

Last updated on the January 11th 2006

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End of the World