Feeling What They Feel

Writers: Clancey, Emma, Jelena, Miriah, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th April 2014

Characters: J'darin, E'naer, Genna, Ninaine, Gelira, L'ger, T'lat
Description: The newest weyrling class begins to learn to handle their dragonet partners.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 17 of Turn 7

J'darin

Genna

Ninaine

T'lat

"Alright, settle down, younglings." J'darin smiled at this lovely class of
weyrlings, including a new gold for his Weyr. While Hasaarth had not
caught Onnyth this time, he still felt a little bit of pride that a queen
his bronze had caught had borne a gold, even if Hasaarth hadn't sired her.

"As you learned in your Candidate classes, your dragon's emotions and your
own are bound together. They feel what you feel, especially now when the
bond is so fresh. Also, because the bond is so new, they have no idea what
all these ...human... emotions are that are suddenly running around in their
heads. They do _not_ feel the same way we do. They might feel the same
_things_ but not the same way. Everything is so different when you look
through a dragon's heart."

"To help you understand, for the next candlemark, we're going to practice
trying to control your own emotions in conjunction with your dragonet's.
Before we get started, I want you all to take a moment to think of some
times in your life when you've experienced different emotions ... like
sadness, happiness, fear, even anger. "

He paused and looked around and added, "I've got some hides of pictures of
things that can evoke emotional responses in you, as well, so that will
help."

He raised a finger in warning, "Remember, your bond is still new and you may
have some trouble enforcing your own control over your dragonet. Once they
start feeling what you're feeling, it will make it worse for you too. But
part of this is learning to tell your own emotions from your lifemate's..
And the other part is learning to control yourself, and your lifemate."

He turned his gaze toward Genna and her gold dragonet. "There will be times
in all of your lives where you need to exert your own willl over your
dragon's. Especially you, Genna. But for all of you, to some extent."

"Today, we are just practicing, and the Weyrlingstaff's dragon's will help
your dragonet's calm down if you cannot."

"Ready? As a start, try to remember the nervousness, even fear, you felt
standing on the Sands waiting for your lifemate to Hatch, and watching other
pairs get connected. Begin!"

If there was one thing that Ninaine did not want to do, it was to open up to
the emotions that were associated with the hatching. At the very rear of the
class, she looked down at Luneth who pressed close to her leg. The little
green was ignoring the rest of the class in favor of snuggling as close to
Ninaine as possible. As J'darin spoke to Genna, Ninaine withdrew a little
more, unable to stop a small surge of resentment. Little Luneth picked up
immediately on it and hissed towards the gold, but Ninaine quickly shushed
her.

L'ger couldn't help but glare at the green pair, some of them wanted to
learn from this class... Really, he thought, and to hiss at gold Lissath
too. And with that Sondrath picked up on it. He puffed up his chest, and if
he could have yelled at Luneth, he would, instead he had to content himself
with a rumble of his own, while L'ger tried to concentrate on what was being
said to them.

T'lat pressed his lips together and tried to suppress the fit of
giggles that came over him as the little green tried to hiss at the
gold weyrling. His own tiny green looked up at him with whirling eyes
and a puzzled expression. That just made things all the funnier and
the boy had to slap a hand over his mouth as his sides spasmed.

E'naer tried to suppress his smile. These class could be so hilarious.
His amusement died out when Luneth hissed.

**Luneth doesn't like Lissath or Luneth's rider doesn't like?**

}: Luneth's rider, :{ Eillispeth replied after briefly touching the
little green's mind. }: That pair needs to be watched. :{

Genna was paying close attention to the lesson, but Lissath distracted
her by looking back at Luneth with a deep, annoyed rumble. }: What is
your problem, little green? :{ Genna felt her irritation rise just the
same, not helped by the fact that it was Ninaine's dragon that was
distracting Lissath. Obviously the girl had issues.

"Excuse me, we're trying to focus here," she said as she turned back
in her seat and whispered at Ninaine, mirroring the same annoyance her
gold had just displayed.

Embarrassment immediately caused a flush to darken Ninaine's cheeks as
not only one but two of her peers glared at her and another was
laughing at her. Luneth hunkered down in a half-crouch and her eyes
locked on Lissath, but before she could shriek her reply, Ninaine
stopped with an inner voice that was a whipcrack of will. **_No_.
Whatever we think, whatever we feel, we don't show it like that. We
don't act like that.**

Luneth shifted from foot to foot. }}: I don't like them. I don't like
them at all. Can we go? :{{

Ninaine laid her hand on Luneth's head. **I know, but we have to stay.
Ignore them.** With that, the little green promptly turned her back to
the gold and leaned against Ninaine's legs.

**Hasaarth make sure Lissath is alright will you? ** His dragon would
have been 'listening' as much as he could to all the little ones.
**And then check in on Luneth. She seems to be ... not enjoying her
clutch mates. Any of them. **

"That was pretty good. I see that some of you are figuring out its
much harder to control your own emotions when your dragon butts into
your head.

"You did well, Ninaine. Luneth was going to react badly, and you
stopped her. Nicely done. But remember, we don't want any dragons
to fight, especially when one of them is a gold. We cannot afford
to lose any golds."

He turned his attention to everyone else. "The rest of you should
realize that everyone will adjust differently to weyrlinghood and have
different emotions, feelings, and questions. You are a family...
and you will be spending alot of time together over the next several
months, plus be in Wings beside each other for turns. Try to get
along, hmm? And don't laugh at other people's misfortunes. It could
be your turn next!"

Lecture over, he went on.

"The next test will be over their hunger. Everyone go outside and
grab a bucket of sliced meat. For this class only, we sliced your
meat for you to save time." He grinned - that was an unexpected
benefit when you had to slice it up as many times a day as they
currently did. And get up as early to do it!

"I want you to bring the meat back in, but force them to wait.
They will be getting hungry about now and they can be very whiny and
demanding when they are hungry. Or anything. "

}:I am not whiny. :{ Hasaarth snorted. **You are demanding. And
you know it.**

He looked around, watching their faces for what emotions they might be
feeling _now_. They'd been yelled at and some had been laughed at and
some growled at and some just... irritated.

"Over the length of your lives with your dragon, you will never want
to deny them food when they are hungry, or Flights when they want to
chase, or baths when they want to wash; they are more important than
you all the time. But, for the next few moments, you need to try
controlling them with your mind alone. There will be times when you
will have to stop your dragon from doing something that he or she very
badly wants to do. They can be very single-minded. " He paused,
thinking of Hasaarth trying to get him not to drink and he laughed.

"Well. They _are_ very single minded. It is your job to know when
its the right thing to do, and when its not. One example for hunting
is not to eat so much that you can't /between/ home. Sometimes
flying straight is fun and good exercise, but not always. Another is
when a relative of yours is Rising. You will have to force your
dragon out of the Weyr. And they never like that... they don't
understand relationships the way we do."

He saw they were ready and nodded. "So get your buckets and set them
by your dragons, but keep them from eating until we say. Myself and
my staff will walk around and help you if you need it."

Ninaine remained silent, keeping her gaze down towards Luneth. She
was not part of their family. She wasn?t part of any family. Luneth
looked up at her and crooned softly. }: You have me and I have you. We
have each other. :{ She paused as Hasaarth mentally nudged her }: I do
not have to like them. I just want Mine. :{ She turned back to Ninaine
and leaned against her legs.

**And that?s all we need.** Ninaine replied, just as softly and
listened to J?darin continue on with his lecture. At his command, she
rose, retrieving her bucket. Her face remained absolutely
expressionless as she set the bucket down.

}: FOOOOOD!:{ Luneth?s attention was caught and she lunged at the
bucket, suddenly excited. }: Foodfoodfoodfood :{

**No.** Ninaine was firm.

}: But...:{ Luneth?s heartbroken expression nearly caused Ninaine to
buckle. }: I?m hungry...please? I used my manners! Please? :{

**No...**

Luneth plopped on her bottom and wailed.

Faucheth's head was almost into the bucket when T'lat snatched it out
of her reach. "Not yet," he said to her firmly and reinforced in his
head even as he was stung by the Weyrlingmaster's reprimand. He looked
at Ninaine apologetically. He hadn't really meant to laugh _at_ her
but he realized now that she hadn't taken it that way. }:Mine! I'm
hungry,:{ his pretty little green begged. **I know and I'll feed you
soon.**

L'ger and Sondrath weren't faring that much better. }:It smells soooooo
good,:{ drooled the little brown. }:I want some, I want some now,:{ he
whined mentally.

**Just wait one moment, you can do better than that silly Luneth, can't
you,** L'ger assured him.

Genna grinned confidently. Here was something she and Lissath could
excel at. She remembered vividly Lissath's behaviour on hatching day.
She hadn't been too concerned with food then, so hopefully that hadn't
changed. As she put the bucket down next to Lissath, the gold did
indeed chose to continue her glaring at Luneth instead of paying much
attention to her rumbling belly.

T'lat didn't look at the others at all. His concentration was fully on
his green and helping her relax and wait for the food patiently.

"Well done, weyrlings. Well done." He had watched them battle with their
lifemates for a little while, and had decided it was long enough.

"Now that you have all learned a little bit about your emotions and your
dragon's emotions, and how to tell them apart, remember to practice some of
these things as you grow your bond with your lifemates."

He paused and then said, "Alright let them eat, and then you are all
dismissed for today. Well done."

He smiled at the class, shaking his head. A few things of note from
today - their gold weyrling and one of their green weyrlings needed to be
watched carefully.

Last updated on the May 6th 2014

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Feeling What They Feel