Adjustment Issues

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 17th May 2017

Characters: A'be, L'pin
Description: Some Weyrlings have trouble adjusting, some step right up.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 21 of Turn 8

Uljath was settling into his new wallow, while Ailbe...now A'be was
unpacking his meager property to the clothes chest at the
Weyrlingbarracks. He tossed the candidate robe to a laundry basket, he
didn't need it any longer. He stopped to watch Uljath wiggle around.
"What are you doing?" he asked.

}: Looking for comfortable position, :{ the tiny blue hatchling
replied. That voice/presence in his mind was taking some time getting
used to.

"Do you need some bedding or something?" A'be asked uncertainly.
Everything he had been taught during candidate lessons had kind of
disappeared into bewildered haze of Impression.

}: Naah. I itch, :{ Uljath replied.

Oh, yes, he was supposed to oil him. A'be's attempt to remember his
lessons of dragon-care was interupted with shrill voice.

"Am I supposed to share room with that big-nosed bastard? His presence
taints the air!"

A'be recognized the voice easily, the Holder's son from his home hold.
Spoiled little brat. The girl who had been Searched with them had
Impressed on their first Standing. Lucky for her, she didn't have to
share her weyrlinghood with him.

He touched his face. Well, he did have a large nose and he was a
bastard who didn't know his father.

"You've been sharing the candidate barrack for months with me,"
incredulous A'be turned to look at him. "Not only that, sweetie, when
our dragons grow up, we might ended up sharing _more_ than just a
communal bedroom," he added with sultry voice. A part of him was
feeling sorry for the other boy, he had Impressed a green, and
probably had no clue about it before hand. At least A'be himself had
been prepared and Uljath's colour was not a surprise for him.

The Holder's son blushed. "Shut up," he growled, looking flustered.

A'be couldn't resist a one more jibe. "Your father was so delighted
about your Impression that he disowned you." And he realized he was
being too cruel. The boy had enough troubles adjusting without him
twisting the knife in the wound. Not everyone took to Weyrlife as
easily as A'be had. He had been like a fish in water. So he took more
conciliatory tone: "I apologize for saying that. We're going to be
training together for the next six month, can we try to be at least
civil to each other?"

"I'll make you shut up! You have no right to speak to me or breath the
same air!" the new greenrider approached A'be with raised fist. Uljath
sprang up and bared his teeth, his green let out a distressed wail.

}:What is it?:{ Chaneth asked Uljath, hearing the distressed cry. He
was outside the barracks, being too large to fit inside, but he was
listening for all the dragonets in case something was going wrong.

L'pin heard raised voices and stepped into the boy's side of the

barracks in time to see a raised fist. Immediately he leapt forward

and put himself between the two weyrlings. "And just _what_ is going

on here?" he snapped.

"He's being a jerk," A'be replied with a shrug.

"I'm not sharing a room with a bastard!" the new greenrider spat.

}: The riders aren't getting along, :{ Uljath reported to the older
blue, still ready to defend his.

"There's only one room for men here in the barracks, and your green
isn't old enough to be on her own yet. So I'm afraid you'll have to
deal," L'pin said calmly.

"He had no trouble living in a same candidate barrack with me," A'be
pointed out. Admittedly, he had spent more nights out of the candidate
barracks than in them, but at least he was well prepared for the
dragonrider's life.

"There's only one room there, too," L'pin said. He turned to look
directly at the young greenrider. "What's your sudden objection?"

"I think it's the colour of our dragon's hides. Blue and green," A'be
murmured although he hadn't been the one guestion was adressed at.

"He is, he is..." the greenrider suddenly didn't know what to say.
"He's too close!" he was freaking out again.

L'pin gave A'be a little smile. The new weyrling wasn't the real cause
of the issue, it sounded like.

"I can put you at the other end of the barracks, but that's all I can
do for spacing. Do you want to come talk to me?" he said to the
greenrider.

"You're one of them too," the Holder's son replied sulkily to L'pin.

A'be winced, that was not a right thing to say to your superior. He
did feel sorry for the other weyrling. He apparently had hard time
accept the colour of his dragon.

"I'm one of what?" L'pin asked mildly. "Your new instructors?"

The greenrider got his err in that point.

He sighed, wondering how to get through to the boy. "What's your
dragonet's name?"

"Pollith," the greenrider replied.

}: She's pretty, :{ Uljath commented.

**Shh,** A'be sushed him and gave a fond scratch. She did have
particulary lovely shade of green.

"Why don't you focus on Pollith for a moment? How does she feel, in
your mind? She loves you, right?" L'pin asked.

"Yes, she does," the new greenrider couldn't help the adoring look
when he turned to look at her.

L'pin took a stab at what he thought the problem might be. "Dragons
are capable of unconditional love for their riders. Pollith wouldn't
love you if you were broken or wrong. Her hide color doesn't say a
single thing about your worth as a person."

"My father doesn' think so," the greenrider said slowly and thoughtfully.

}: Do you like my hide colour? :{ Uljath asked his rider. He was
following the discussion with interest.

**Yes, I love it,** A'be replied and scratched his knobs.

"Your father doesn't think so, but what does your bond with Pollith
say? She's not wrong."

"Maybe she is," the greenrider mumbled, looking so uncertain it was
heartbreaking. His green whimpered and rubbed her head against his
legs, trying to comfort him.

**Poor thing,** A'be wasn't sure himself if he was feeling pity for
the dragon or the rider.

"She's not wrong," L'pin reassured. "Dragons know who we are and they
love us anyway. So anything your father thinks or says about you -
that may be how he's raised, but it doesn't mean you're wrong. Pollith
loves you, and we care about you."

Chaneth sent out soothing waves to the young green and her rider.

"I'm not some mattress you freaks just can..." he snarled and A'be cut
him out before he could say something that violated the Weyrling ban.
"Babies at the present!" He went as far as covered Uljath's earknobs
which confused the blue a lot. He could still hear.

}:Pollith, are you okay?:{ Chaneth immediately asked, knowing this was
getting sensitive.

"Don't scare her," L'pin warned.

"Or Uljath," A'be murmured although his blue wasn't scared, just very
confused and itchy.

"We don't want any dragons panicking. That wouldn't make you feel
good. Remember that they love you," L'pin said soothingly. He knew he
was repeating the same things, but the boy seemed so upset.

"Sir, I'll just take Uljath outside, he needs oiling," A'be said.
Perhaps the greenrider would have easier time dealing with it without
extra witnesses around.

"Good idea, A'be. Please make sure that you ask Sh'del or a
weyrlingstaff assistant if you need aid."

"Alright. Come on, Uljath, let's fix that itching," A'be replied and
started to usher his blue outside.

Last updated on the June 8th 2017

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Adjustment Issues