You'll Get It

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 9th March 2006

Characters: R'alt, R'mer
Description: R'alt decides he will help his friend learn how to read
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 3

All the Weyrlings were dragging from their day's hard work chopping meat, classes, stamina building exercises and cleaning the barracks. In another candle mark they would be back with knives in hand to chop meat for the last feeding of the day. Many were also feeling the effects of the party from the night before. Had it only been a day since their lifemates hatched? Some were falling asleep in the meeting, others rubbed tired muscles. All were relieved when the Weyrling Master excused them.

R'mer was doing better than most. The farmer was accustomed to a long day's hard work. His muscles and mind seemed to have energy to spare. He sought his friend R'alt out as soon as the meeting had finished. "Ria...
R'alt, can I ask you a favor?"

R'alt unsuccessfully tried to hide a yawn behind a hand, then grinned apologetically at his friend once it had passed. "Sorry, R'mer. What's up?"

"Can I get you to help me?" He leaned in and whispered, "I want to write a letter to my family and tell them about Hanunth."

"Oh. Yeah, yeah. No problem, Rey."

"Thanks. I know you might be tried, but it would be really great." Wait till his family heard the good news!

"It's no problem," he smiled. The note wouldn't take long, and R'alt couldn't _wait_ to collapse on his bed and sleep as soundly as his handsome brown dragon.

}:I am to be fed first,:{ Tieranith sleepily informed his lifemate. }:Remember?:{
**Of course I remember. I'd never forget.** How could he? He could feel Tieranith's hunger pains as acutely as Tieranith himself. "C'mon, R'mer.
Let's get to the barracks."

R'mer fell into step with his taller friend. "It won't take a candlemark, will it? I would love to have it finished before the last feeding of the night. Or rather, Hanunth would," the bronze's lifemate smiled.

R'alt grinned at his friend. "Nah. It won't take that long. Is he asleep?"

"For the moment. But I can already tell that he's gonna wake up soon hungry. I can't believe just how much he can _eat_!"

He laughed. "And I can't believe how sharding hard it can be to chop up their meals!"

R'mer shrugged. "Well, that doesn't bother me too much. I had to do all the butchering on my family's farm. At least the animals are already killed and chopped into manageable pieces."

"You were born to be a dragonrider, my friend."

R'mer shrugged and they walked in silence a few paces. Finally the bronze weyrling asked, "So, do you think there will be a lot of... reading? I mean in weyrling classes?"

"I think so." R'alt glanced at him. R'mer's not knowing how to read could become a very serious problem. "I mean, we're going to have to not only listen to what our teachers have to say, but we have to actually study and write..."

"Shards," R'mer breathed. "I can barely remember how to read and write my own name!"

"I can help you out, Rey."

The bronze weyrling looked at his friend hopefully. "Would you be willing to read and write for me?"

"Up to a point. But you know, eventually, you're going to have to try it on your own." R'alt gave him a reassuring grin. "Don't get that look on your face. I'm not going to leave you in cold water. You'll get it.
You're going to have to. You ride a bronze. You could be Wingleader someday. Or even _Weyrleader_, huh? Your bronze could catch that senior gold! And Weyrleaders and Wingleaders have to write, R'mer."

R'mer frowned. "I'm too old to really learn much, R'alt. I can accept that I may never be a Wingleader or a Weyrleader. Shards, I never expected I would be one day anyway."

"You're forgetting that this is Dolphin Cove, Rey. We're not just any ordinary Weyr. We lost so many dragons to that scorching Threadfall accident, and the bronzes and browns are so valuable right now. J'darin is going to be picking all you bronzes out of the lot to train you to be Wingleaders. Count on it. I'd be shocked if he doesn't."

"I can fly, and I can fight, R'alt. I just can't... read."

"You're gonna learn. And I'm gonna help you."

"I'll find a way to repay you some day," R'mer promised.

R'alt just grinned at him. "I've told you before that I don't need payment from you, R'mer."

"I always repay my debts, R'alt. Even debts of kindness. I'll find a way."

Last updated on the March 9th 2006

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You'll Get It