Returning to the books

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 10th April 2014

Characters: G'dori, L'pin
Description: Geddori brings L'pin some books and the bluerider remembers how to talk to Candidates
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 3 of Turn 7

Being apprentice meant you get to run all kind of little errands. Like now, Geddori had been asked to deliver some books to a one of the Weyrling staff's member. The boy wasn't sure why, perhaps he needed to books to prep for a class?

"You L'pin?" he asked, finding a man that fit the description he had been given.

"Good morning. I am indeed," the bluerider said with a smile. "I take it those are for me?"

"Yes, they are. From the dragoninfirmary. What you need them for?" Ged replied and asked curiously.

"Next sevenday I'm going back to teaching classes for the Candidates. It's been two Turns since I last taught any."

"Oh, yes, the candidate classes. I could recite them in my sleep," Ged had taken part of those since he was twelve.

"So you'll complete all the hides in record time, I bet? It's good to be prepared." He smiled at the boy. "Looking forward to this one, or is it all routine by now?"

"It's boring," Ged answered honestly. "Besides, I'm dragonhealer apprentice. All that stuff was covered during the first Turn of studies."

"It will help to know all that. I was newly posted to a Weyr, hadn't been a candidate but a sevenday when I Impressed."

Ged nodded sagely. "It's different for holdbred candidates."

"I'm hoping to do a little more work with them before this upcoming Hatching."

"I am hoping I Impress this time around. Otherwise my career as a dragonhealer with be a short one." You needed a dragon to be actual journeyman in Dragonhealing.

"We definitely need more like you." L'pin liked to see experienced Candidates, especially ones with relevant Crafts.

"Tell that to the eggs, " Ged grinned cheekily.

"We'll both say it at the egg touching and it'll double your odds." His hands ran absently over the books. "I'm sorry, your name was..."

"Geddori, most people call me just Ged," the boy replied.

"Nice to meet you, Ged. Are you a senior apprentice?"

"Yes, very fresh senior apprentice," Ged answered proudly.

"That's excellent." The boy's pride in his work was clear, and it reminded L'pin of how his son had felt about his work. Quickly he substituted the image of his own pride in his craft. "You'll be an asset to my class for sure. We'll just have to convince the hatchlings of it."

"Yes. Maybe if I talked to them really fast," Ged grinned impishly. If he didn't Impress, he wouldn't be able to make it to the journeyman.

L'pin laughed. "So why'd you pick dragonhealing?"

"It's my fostermother's fault. I did try beastcrafting first. But them my mother died...her dragon got so badly scored," Ged fell silent for a brief moment. His mother had been uninjured, but when her dragon died, she lost her will to live. Some dragonriders survived death of their lifemates, she didn't."And Yuria said I would make wonderful dragonhealer and I could help to prevent deaths like my mothers...it helped me to get over it."

That was a completely understandable motivation. Loss drove men to a lot of things - Geddori's method was more productive than his crawling into isolation had been. He wondered if he could be a worthy teacher if the dragonhealer did Impress, or if he'd fail this bright young man, too. "I see how it could," was what he said. "I'm sure the hatchlings will reward you for it."

"I hope so. It's kind of downer to watch your siblings Impress while you don't," Ged replied.

He nodded. "Do I know any of your siblings?"

"Possibly. Malyna was weyrling not long ago, she's recently graduated," Ged answered.

He recognized the name. "Your family's a good one. You'll do them proud." He paused. "I'm not keeping you from anything important, right?"

"Well, I probably should get back to the dragoninfirmary," Ged replied with amused smile. Besides he had enjoyed chatting with him.

"You do that. And thank you for indulging an old man," L'pin said with a slightly self-deprecating smile.

"No probs," Ged grinned and started slouch away.

Last updated on the May 4th 2014

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