Taking to Weyrlife Like a Fish to Water

Writers: Anika, Avery
Date Posted: 2nd February 2015

Characters: L'pin, P'ton
Description: L'pin counsels a candidate who is enjoying Weyr life a little too much.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 9 of Turn 7

Knocking on the open door, Paulton poked his head in. "You wanted to see
me, sir?" The candidate's voice did not carry his normally confidant
timbre. Though L'pin was easily his favorite of the weyrlingstaff and he
often stopped in to visit, this time the boy was slightly concerned about
why the man wanted to see him. The Weyr was everything Paulton hoped
and he had been availing himself of all the new found freedoms, possibly to

the detriment of his responsibilities.

"Come on in, sit down." To emphasize the seriousness of his
disappointment, he didn't have any snacks out. "How have you been?"

"Ah, good. Getting excited about the Hatching," the candidate replied
trying to keep his nervousness at bay as he noted the difference in the
Werlingmaster Third's demeanor. That didn't bode well, and Paulton
mentally went through the list of recent minor infractions.

"That's good to hear. Speaking of things I've heard, I understand you were
very late back to the barracks yesterday."

"Oh, ah, yeah, well there was this girl and, I mean I really didn't want to
be rude and just up and leaving would have been very rude you see," Paulton
tried to explain, though it sounded weak even to his own ears. At least it
was the truth.

"How chivalrous of you," L'pin said as he bit down on the inside of his
lip to suppress a smile. "So at least there's one 'before you Impress'
conversation I won't have to have."

"No, sir, that one's covered," Paulton offered a cocky grin, before
adding, "So if that's what you wanted to talk to me about, today, you're
off the hook."

L'pin settled back in his chair, wondering if he'd been that brash. No, he
had been a quiet youth, or so he recalled. Far more concerned with hides
than women, or men. Unlike Paulton, and unlike - well.

"In general, I wanted to talk about integration. It seems like you're
taking very well to certain aspects of weyrlife. Last night wasn't the
only time you were late, correct?"

"True," the teen replied, "but I always show up to classes and chores on
time." How awake he'd been for them was a whole other question. "There's
just so much to experience here at the Weyr."

"That's true, but you're young. You'll have time to experience it all,
there's no need to rush to get it all in right now," L'pin advised. "It's
easy for young holder men to get dragged in over their head because of the
relative bounty of the Weyr."

Though, Paulton might have been flip had those words come from another
adult, he liked and respected L'pin so he held his tongue, and offered a
nod. "Yes, sir."

L'pin wouldn't belabor that point when he had a few more he could think
of. "You're getting along with women alright. What about the boys. Any
rivalries, anyone tried to push you around? I know Chrenos has been
bullying some of the smaller weyrbred boys."

"I'm not so small," Paulton smirked. He was big for fifteen turns, and had
worked hard at the Hold. He wasn't an easy target. "Chrenos feels he has
something to prove, but if I had to guess, he's trying to prove it to
himself. We've...conversed, but he doesn't mess with me or anyone else
around me." Paulton looked askance at L'pin before adding, "I _might_ have
had some minor disagreements with certain members of the weyrlingstaff,"
Paulton admitted grudgingly, "but come on, some of them are only a turn
or two older than me."

The bluerider was impressed that Paulton had been able to pick out why
Chrenos was pushy. "He's harder on the boys who are likely to be
greenriders. I wonder if that's related," he mused.

As for the issues with the weyrlingstaff... "That's true, some are young.
Some of them Impressed as young as 13 Turns, so they're on the staff till
they're old enough to fly with the wings," L'pin reminded him. "Some stay
on after that, and they do know their business."

Which reminded him, the boy was...15? "When's your birthday?"

Paulton just barely kept himself from rolling his eyes at L'pin's comment
about the weyrlingstaff. In his opinion, some took their positions a
little too seriously, but he didn't share this with the bluerider. Instead
he sat up straight and answered the man's question. "I'll be sixteen by the
middle of month four. If I Impress one of Riyanth's clutch, I could still
join the fighting wings once I graduated weyrlinghood, right?" The young
candidate's voice held excitement.

L'pin calculated in his head. "Assuming you pass the other requirements,
yes," he said, a he was a bit worried by the enthusiasm.

"I will," Paulton said with confidence. "Maybe I've been a bit taken with
Weyr life these past sevendays, but I promise you, sir, I am a hard
worker. I will learn what I must. I'll Impress and I'll be one of the
best young riders you've seen in turns."

L'pin had to smile at that. "I'm sure you'll be an asset to the weyrling
class. Just be careful and attentive when lessons happen...and keep your
eye on others, as well. If someone else around you is struggling, it may
affect you. And It's the mark of a good leader."

"Yes, sir. I will. I know how important teamwork is in fighting Thread.
We have to learn to depend on each other. Some of the Holdbred boys are
still...I don 't know, unsure I guess. I've been trying to encourage
them." The young man thought about his earlier statements concerning some
of the weyrling staff, "And I'll work on being more respectful to _all_
the weyrlingstaff. I realize they could be wingmates as well some day."

"I'm glad you're working with the other boys. I've been so impressed with
your performance that it was disappointing when I heard of your nightly
excursion." Without realizing it, the bluerider was taking on a paternal
tone.

Paulton felt a flush creep up his neck and into his face as L'pin's mild
rebuke served to do far more than any of his father's yelling or
punishments ever had. He dropped his gaze, ashamed to have let this man
down. "It won't happen again, sir," he promised looking up to meet L'pin
in the eyes, his repentant look quickly giving way to a more
incorrigible one. "The coming in late, I mean. I've no intention of
curtailing the other until I have to."

"That's perfectly fine. I know better than to interfere with youngsters
and their needs as long as they're not interfering with their work."

"So, we're good then, right?" Paulton asked hopefully. He wasn't sure
if his infractions would warrant any extra chores or assignments.

"We're good as long as you don't miss curfew again," L'pin affirmed.
He could have dropped a ton of chores on him, but it was once, and the
Hatching was soon enough and then everyone would be over-tired.

Last updated on the February 10th 2015

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Taking to Weyrlife Like a Fish to Water