Trying to do the Right Thing

Writers: Devin, Estelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 4th April 2020

Characters: R'fal, N'vanik, Y'gel
Description: R'fal confesses to the Weyrleader.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Corowal

N'vanik

Y'gel

As he followed Y'gel to the Weyrleader's office, R'fal tried to console
himself that he had not actually disobeyed the Weyrleader's orders, nor
had he lied. He just hadn't volunteered the information about where he'd
gone the night of Turn's End. Still, he didn't think that would make
much difference. His worst fear was that not only would he be unable to
help his father, he'd be prevented from seeing the rest of his family, too.

Regardless, it was too late now. If he didn't own up then Y'gel would
tell N'vanik anyway. He stared at the floor as the bronzerider knocked
at the door, wishing he'd kept his stupid mouth shut.

"Come in," N'vanik called.

"Weyrleader," Y'gel nodded as he led the boy into the office. "We have
something to discuss." he said soberly but with a twinkle in his eye
only N'vanik could see. It was important to impress on the boy the
gravity of the situation without causing rebellion and ruining a young
rider. "May we have a moment of your time?"

"Of course." The Weyrleader looked curiously at R'fal.

The young brownrider glanced at Y'gel, as if for support, before turning
back to N'vanik. "Master Y'gel says that I should tell you about what
happened at Turn's End, sir. Marlath and I went out of the Weyr, when
everyone was coming and going, and I thought no-one would notice." He
swallowed. "We went to the prison mine at Black Rock Hold."

N'vanik jumped out of his chair. "You did _what_? After I explicitly
told you _not_ to?" Then he realized the boy had said Turn's End.
"Wait, you went to the mine before I talked to you, and you thought
you shouldn't mention something like that to your Weyrleader?"
N'vanik's glare could char Thread.

R'fal flinched, but he somehow managed to summon the courage not to look
away. "We weren't seen. I thought that it wouldn't make any difference,
and I'd only get in trouble and wouldn't be able to help my family..."

"How do you know you weren't seen? A brown dragon is pretty sharding
noticeable. What were you _thinking_?" The last thing N'vanik needed
was a Dolphin Cove dragon lurking around the Black Rock mine.

"It was night N'vanik, brown dragons are nearly invisible at night
unless you see their eyes."

"And we landed a good distance away, and I went the rest of the way on
foot," R'fal added, with a grateful look at Y'gel. "I just wanted to see
what it was like, and I thought maybe I'd see him. My father. But I
didn't. I saw the guards, though. They didn't act like they'd seen a
dragon." His jaw tightened as he remembered. "I saw them beating a
prisoner. He was defenseless, he couldn't fight back, but they kept
going until he wasn't moving. It's not right!"

"That doesn't mean _you_ can defy the Hold laws." N'vanik hoped R'fal
was right about not being seen. "Since you can't be trusted, you're
not going to be leaving the Weyr for a while. No sweeprides, no
transport duty, nothing. You and Marlath are stuck here unless you're
flying Fall. You're going to be pulling night watches and cleaning up
after injured dragons."

R'fal stared at him, feeling as though he'd been punched in the gut.
The Weyrleader thought he wasn't trustworthy. Maybe it wasn't so
surprising. Everyone thought his father was a thief. Resentment and
shame burned, deep inside him. He'd agreed to tell the truth, and now
he was cut off from his family, just as he'd feared.

"But what about those guards?" he demanded. "Isn't anything going to
be done to stop them?"

"Unfortunately I can't report them because I can't tell anyone there
was a dragonrider snooping around up there." N'vanik gave him a hard
look. "And you can't say anything either."

Y'gel put a hand on R'fal's shoulder. He half smiled at N'vanik from
behind R'fal's shoulder. The boy's father had brought the whole thing
on himself but he son was loyal and that spoke volumes about the young
man. "He's doing well in his dragonhealing studies," Y'gel nodded.

"Thank you, sir." The gesture, and the fact that he'd committed himself
to the path of telling the truth, gave R'fal courage. "Weyrleader, I've
got to say something. I was wrong not to have told about it right away.
It doesn't matter if I get in trouble, those men committed a crime and
the Lord Holder has to know about it."

"There's a lot of tension between the Hold and the Weyr," N'vanik
said. "How well do you think it will go if you explain to Lord Corowal
that you spied on the mine with the intent of trying to rescue a
convicted criminal? And do you think Lord Corowal will be able to
reprimand the guards? They work for Hircine, not Corowal. Will Corowal
assert his authority, risk angering one of his holders, based on your
report?"

"But I can't just do nothing!" R'fal protested, forgetting for a moment
who he was speaking to as the strain of the past months overtook him.
"Why should they get away with it, when my father gets punished? He
didn't hurt anyone. He's _not_ a criminal."

Y'gel squeezed the boy's shoulder gently. "But he is R'fal," he said
gently. "He broke that law and was tried and convicted." He shook his
had gently. "I'm sorry son."

"Considering the strain you're under, I'm going to let your attitude
slide. For now." N'vanik gave the young brownrider a warning look.
While he was much more casual than many Weyrleaders, there were
limits.

R'fal stared back in defiance for a moment, but then common sense - or
perhaps a word from his dragon - caused his gaze to drop. Earning more
punishments wouldn't help his family. "I apologize, Weyrleader. I was
out of line."

N'vanik gave him a nod of acknowledgement. "You're confined to the
Weyr for two months, and for the next month you'll be on night
watches, and you'll report to Y'gel for dragon infirmary duty whenever
you're not doing drills or flying Fall."

"Yes, Weyrleader." R'fal couldn't look at either of them. He'd lost his
last chance to help his father, and now he couldn't help his family
either. He was a failure, and everyone, even Master Y'gel, thought he
was the son of a thief. Life seemed bleak and hopeless. "Can I go?"

"You're dismissed, brownrider." N'vanik hoped nothing more would come
from R'fal's little excursion.

R'fal turned and left, shoulders slumped in despair, his only thought to
get back to his weyr and the comfort of his dragon. Why had he said
anything? He should have kept quiet. Telling what he'd seen hadn't
helped anyone.

Y'gel nodded at N'vanik. "I'll keep the boy busy," he half smiled. He
wasn't any happier than he thought the Weyrleader was. He shook his
head and followed R'fal out.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Trying to do the Right Thing