A Bronze Aspiration

Writers: Aaron, Duskdog
Date Posted: 10th November 2024

Characters: T'lonas, Z'renh
Description: With eggs soon to be on the Sands, T'lonas checks in on Zorenh
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 27 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh

T'lonas

A new Weyrleader, a new clutch... the excitement never quite got old for T'lonas. Soon there would be eggs on the Sands again, and not long after that, some of these bright young candidates would become bright new weyrlings under his care and tutelage. It was his calling and his passion, and though he enjoyed (almost) every minute of it, he also took his responsibility seriously.

Part of that responsibility was ensuring that every potential weyrling was as prepared as possible for the Hatching itself, and for the reality of what would come later, should they Impress. It was far too easy to assume the weyrbred already knew what they were doing, when they might not, or to overlook difficulties that the hold and craftfolk might have which might be entirely foreign to him as weyrbred lad himself.

There was a method to the order he chose for interviews; however, he liked to keep that method to himself. It was more fun that way.

"Zorenh," he said, as the candidates got their chore assignments and filtered out to tackle them, "Join me in my office for a few moments, please." He caught the look that a couple of the younger candidates gave them, and added, for their benefit, "You aren't in trouble. Not that it's anyone else's business, eh...?"

The two boys got the hint and scurried off.

Zorenh relaxed perceptibly at the reassurance. He would have to make it a point to tell the boys what he had actually talked about later -- suitably embellished, of course -- as long as it was something he could spin as impressive.

"Of course, sir." Once they were alone, he said, "What can I do for you?"

"Well, with eggs on the Sands now, I thought it's high time I started conducting interviews again, just to assess everyone's readiness, see what we may need to work on. Etcetera. Please, feel free to have a seat." T'lonas gestured to one of the chairs, as he rounded his desk and sat down in his own. "I know this is probably all old hat to you at this point, but I don't like to assume anything. First: how are you feeling? I know there's a lot more attention on the eggs this time around, with a gold involved. Of course we expect the girls to be under pressure, but I think you boys feel a little extra scrutiny in a clutch like this, too, hmm?"

"Oh, perhaps." Zorenh smiled. He faced scrutiny at every hatching-- from fewer people, perhaps now that he had moved, but it was different. Heavier. His father was watching again. "I rather think it's a little easier with some of the pressure falling elsewhere," he lied. He was running out of time either way. A few Turns felt like no time at all.

"Hmm! That's true!" T'lonas agreed, oblivious to Zorenh's inner thoughts. "Perhaps this time around you can benefit from that. I know people have expectations for the sons of bronzeriders... is it hard for you?"

Zorenh's smile wavered for a moment. Was he really that transparent? He had been fairly confident that he was... well, you know, confident. No bronze was going to want him if he was not.

"Well... I've had five Turns' worth of practice being left standing," said Zorenh. "It's all the same every time, isn't it? Better luck next time? Good try, but your dragon is in another clutch? This time, more folks will be worried about consoling all of the poor lasses who knew that gold egg was for them, and I won't have to worry about it as much."

Of course, he was going to Impress this time, so he would be receiving his long-awaited congratulations instead of poking around looking for someone who would give him another glass of wine.

T'lonas nodded slowly, his smile sympathetic. "Indeed. I know that even well-intentioned words of comfort don't always land when the hurt is still raw. For what it's worth, I do hope that you'll be able to look back on all those platitudes and agree that your perfect dragon was, actually, just waiting in another clutch after all. You've a good few turns yet, but I always hope for sooner rather than later for candidates your age. You're no longer so young that you might be unprepared, but not yet old enough to have become desperate or bitter... at least, you don't seem to be either of those things. Anyway. Do you feel prepared to be a dragonrider, should you Impress? No matter the color?"

These Weyrlingmasters always wanted to hear you say you were ready to Impress any color. There was nothing _wrong_ with those other colors, but that was beside the point. Zorenh was going to Impress bronze, so all those other colors did not matter to him. And any bronze would be the perfect bronze, because it would be _his_ bronze.

"I know how to wash and oil a dragon," said Zorenh. "I can cut up raw meat, I can shovel dung. So, I'm prepared to be weyrling." Of course, he was prepared.

T'lonas didn't miss that Zorenh hadn't fully answered the question. He certainly wasn't the first candidate to avoid the topic, but T'lonas had found that their reasons for doing so differed quite a lot. Some had their hearts set on bronze, some had their hearts set on another specific color or anything _but_ something that would put them on the spot, and still others just weren't sure how to answer that question at all because they honestly didn't know what they wanted or what they would be okay with. Usually, it wasn't any reason to panic. Most weyrlings, once their lifemate found them, couldn't imagine Impressing any other dragon, no matter what they thought they wanted before.

Every so often, however, someone would have a bad reaction, or bottle up their feelings, or their _families_ would have a bad reaction that would put stress on the weyrling. Was R'enh the type to find fault in his son if he didn't Impress bronze? T'lonas couldn't claim to know him well enough to say. But it likely wouldn't be as bad as it could be for some holdbred children, who might have to face outright disgust and dehumanization rather than just some disappointment.

Still, he chose to make a note of Zorenh's avoidance, so that he could keep an eye on things. Just in case.

"Well," T'lonas said finally. "There's certainly nothing in your work that tells me you shouldn't Stand. I didn't expect there to be, but you know -- it's vital that we make sure, for the sake of you and the hatchlings. Do you have any questions, or any concerns you'd like to bring up? No judgment, nothing you say leaves this room unless you want it to."

"Is there anything you wish I would ask you?" Zorenh had heard this spiel enough times that he never had much to ask, but sometimes, old people were just fishing around hoping to get you to ask them something in particular. It was easier just to make sure there was nothing specific they wanted to know.

T'lonas blinked. No one had asked him that before, and he couldn't decide if Zorenh was sincere, indecisive, or just being cheeky. Because he couldn't decide, he chose to go with the best possible reading: sincere. "No! Nothing in particular. I just like to make sure that nobody leaves this room with lingering worries, fears, or uncertainty. It's easy to assume the weyrbred don't have any of that, but I know sometimes we do."

He stood and held out his hand. "Thank you, Zorenh. If you don't have anything to ask, you're free to go. Best of luck on the Sands -- should you Impress this time around, I'll be pleased to see you in class."

Zorenh happily shook T'lonas's proffered hand.

"Likewise, sir," he said.

Last updated on the November 18th 2024

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A Bronze Aspiration