Bright and Early

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 21st March 2024

Characters: R'ayl, R'lor
Description: R'ayl begins his first day as a weyrlingstaff assistant to R'lor
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 18 of Turn 11

R'lor

Delorth landed near the weyrling barracks and the young bluerider
dismounted lightly with a little bounce. They were nearly ten minutes
early, but R'ayl had been up since dawn and he couldn't wait any longer.
His dragon's riding straps were freshly oiled and his sea-blue hide
gleamed in the morning sunlight, and his own gear was no less neat and
well turned-out.

While he waited, R'ayl watched as the newest group of junior weyrlings
straggled back from the lake. The dragonets were freshly bathed and
waddling along with bellies full of meat, while their lifemates, still
growing used to the early hour, were yawning and rubbing their eyes.
R'ayl hadn't had much chance to watch them since they'd hatched a few
sevendays before, as he'd been so distracted by preparing for
Threadfall. Now that he'd made it through that and survived, everything
at the Weyr seemed bright and clear and fascinating to his eyes.

"R'ayl, you're here early!" R'lor said as he approached. His gaze
skimmed over the young rider and his blue. "You're both looking sharp
today."

"Thank you, sir!" R'ayl thought Delorth did indeed look very impressive.
His pride was echoed in the young blue dragon's bearing - he arched his
neck and rumbled softly in greeting. "We wanted to be ready in plenty of
time for our duties."

The Weyrlingmaster Third smiled at his eagerness. "Why don't you help
M'calk make sure all the weyrlings have been fed and bathed? Then make
sure their riders wash and feed themselves."

"Yes, Weyrlingmaster!" The bluerider saluted, turned and hurried over to
where the older brownrider was meeting the first group of weyrlings as
they arrived back at the barracks. He was so keen to help that he forgot
to be shy about talking to the older weyrlings, and there were a few
nearer his own age. Soon the dragonets were settling down and finding
patches of sunlight to doze in, while their riders hurried to the
bathing rooms to clean themselves up before class began.

R'ayl ran back over to R'lor, if possible with even more energy than
he'd had before. "They're all back, sir, and the dragons are all fed."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Oh!" R'ayl shook his head, looking abashed. "I forgot. Please don't
tell the healers."

R'lor chuckled. "Why don't you join me? I'm heading to the dining cavern
now."

R'ayl brightened. "Yes, sir!" Now that most of his classmates had gone
on to join their Wings for meals, he'd been wondering where he would fit
in. Would he have to eat with the weyrlings still? That wouldn't be so
bad, he got on well enough with the younger ones in the junior class,
but he couldn't help but feel pride at the thought of sitting with the
Weyrlingmasters sometimes, and curious about what they talked about.

"I'm glad you seem so eager," R'lor said as he led the way to the
dining cavern. "Some of the young riders are bitter when they become
weyrlingstaff, feeling as if they're being left behind, or even
punished for their age."

"As long as I'm with Delorth, I don't mind what I do. I know I'm not
ready yet." R'ayl was stronger and a few inches taller than when he
first came to the Weyr, but he still didn't look anything like a grown
dragonrider. Perhaps, he thought, it would be harder for the weyrlings
who were only a few months short of the required age. "If we can't
fight, I think we'll like helping the weyrlings. Only - I do wish I
wasn't holding Delorth back. _He's_ big enough."

"It's hard for a mature dragon not to fight Thread, I understand.
Kularth seems to be as recovered as he's going to get, and I think
we'd last maybe a third of a Fall if we tried. I'm just grateful he
can fly again." R'lor had spent several sevendays not knowing if his
dragon would ever take to the skies again.

"Do you want to go back to the Wings, sir?" A worried line appeared on
R'ayl's forehead. Although he knew everyone had to serve where they
must, the best part of being on the weyrlingstaff was that he got to
work for R'lor.

"I do miss it sometimes," R'lor admitted. "But I love training
weyrlings. That's why I left my home and came all the way here for a
promotion. And Kularth loves it too, even more than I do."

}:It feels good to teach the young ones. When Thread comes I want to
fight, but then it passes and I forget. Instead I will train the
weyrlings to be strong fighters,:{ Kularth said.

"We appreciate it," R'ayl said, remembering the times Kularth had
reassured his Delorth, and relieved that they wouldn't be leaving the
weyrlings' wing any time soon. "If you don't mind me asking, where was
your home?" Since he'd only ever known Emerald Falls and the Weyr, he
couldn't help but be curious about the different places weyrfolk had
come from.

"I came here from Rising Moons, and before that my home was Far Island."

R'ayl's eyes went round. He only knew those locations from brief trips
to practice his visualizations of the Southern Weyrs. It was hard to
imagine living anywhere but Dolphin Cove. "You've traveled so far!"

R'lor smiled as they made it to the line for food. "You can travel far
now, too. Your dragon can take you anywhere on Pern."

"Really?" R'ayl had heard his classmates talking about where they'd go
first once they graduated - beaches, snowy mountains, Gathers and the
Northern Continent had all been mentioned - but it hadn't occurred to
him that he might go himself. "Would I be allowed?"

"Of course! You're a full fledged dragonrider now!" R'lor clapped him
on the back. "Just because you're too young for the fighting Wings,
that doesn't mean you're under any other restrictions."

"Wow. I hadn't thought - I wouldn't know where to go first!" R'ayl's
mind was in a whirl. He'd never been anywhere else but Emerald Falls,
and he definitely didn't want to go back there. "I'd like to take my
mama and sister somewhere nice."

"You absolutely can." R'lor grabbed a tray and started filling his
plate. "Just make sure you get a good image from someone." Certainly
after what that family had been through they deserved to have some
pleasant days together.

R'ayl followed suit, making sure to take a large helping of leafy
vegetables and meat as he'd been told by the healers. "Do you know of
anywhere? Somewhere peaceful, where they could relax." He rarely saw his
mother just resting. Even in the evenings at the cothold, her hands had
been busy with mending or cleaning.

"I'm afraid I haven't been out much myself," R'lor admitted. Which was
a reminder that he should probably take some time off. Maybe once the
new juniors were a little more settled in. "But I can ask the other
Weyrlingstaff."

"Thank you, sir. I'll ask around, too." R'ayl followed R'lor over to one
of the dining tables, carrying his tray, and took a seat. "Is there
anything else I can do to help with the weyrlings this morning?"

R'lor thought for a moment. "You can help make sure they get to class
on time I suppose, but there won't be much for you to do while they're
in class. You were weaver trained, right? Have you considered taking
up your Craft again?"

"I'm not sure. I was only an apprentice for a short time." R'ayl stared
down at his plate and pushed at the vegetables with his fork, without
eating, as if he'd suddenly lost his appetite. "I liked the work,
but..." He thought of the boys at the Hall who'd teased him for his
small size and his family, and of how he'd trusted Master Shuvan.
Sometimes he still heard the Master's rich, enticing voice in his
dreams, how he'd pressed his fingers to the loom and told him he was a
special part of the weaving.

"R'ayl, nothing that happened was your fault."

R'ayl didn't look convinced. "Maybe the others were right, though. Maybe
I really wasn't much use, and Master Shuvan only paid attention to me so
I'd do what he wanted."

"I find it hard to believe you weren't any good at weaving. You tried
harder than almost anyone else in your clutch. You were an example to
your classmates." R'lor had half a mind to fly to the Weaver Hall and
tan the hides of those other apprentices for speaking to R'ayl like
that.

"Really?" R'ayl had never been told he was an example to anyone before.
"I guess I could try going back to weaving, if you think it would be a
good idea?"

"I certainly think it's worth a try. If you give it a chance and don't
like it, you could try another Craft. You have plenty of options at
the Weyr."

"Okay. I could go and find the master weaver today, while the weyrlings
are at class?" It made him a little nervous, but an idea had occurred to
him which made him determined to try. "I'll be back to help the
hatchlings with their next meal."

"That sounds good." R'lor hoped that if R'ayl really did like weaving,
he'd be able to enjoy it without it being overshadowed by what had
happened at the Hall.

"All right. I'll try it," R'ayl promised. In the past Turn, he had stood
before the queen on the Hatching Sands, gone /between/ with Delorth, and
flown firestone to the Wings. He could face the weavers. And if they
didn't want him, he would still have his lifemate and his job as a
weyrling assistant.

Last updated on the March 24th 2024

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Bright and Early