Dreaming

Writers: Devin, Halyonix
Date Posted: 4th December 2024

Characters: Saedyna, Oriene
Description: Oriene and Saedyna catch up on weyrlinghood
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 2 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Tirraze, Cirina

Oriene

Saedyna usually ate with her fellow Weyrlings these days but when she spotted her friend she waved and headed over to slide into the seat across from Oriene. "They did warn us, but shards weyrlinghood is a lot of work. I hardly see anyone outside my class." And she wanted to keep her friendships. Saedyna hadn't truly realized how desperately lonely she'd been until she started making friends at the Weyr.

"Saedyna!" Oriene said brightly. She hopped up to hug her friend and then sat back down. "Oh, I can't imagine how grueling it is. I mean, we always talk about it. We always hear it from the other weyrlings. But now you're _in_ it, experiencing it and...I bet that's different than just us talking about it."

Saedyna nodded. "How have you been?" she asked before taking a bite. She could talk about Avarith and weyrlinghood training forever, but she felt a little guilty about Oriene being left behind.

"I've...been okay. The usual, I guess," Oriene said. Suddenly, her life as a Candidate seemed so...dull. Lacking shine like the weyrlings. But that couldn't be true. She was probably just being sensitive, overreacting. She pushed away her feelings and summoned a saccharine smile. "Chores, chores, and more chores. Waiting on eggs. Getting to know the new Candidates that are being brought in. Not nearly as many cute ones yet. Hopefully that changes."

"Just wanting to enjoy the view, or are you hoping for romance?" Saedyna asked.

Oriene opened her mouth to give a sunny reply but it fell flat. "I...okay, can I be honest with you for a minute, Sae?"

"Sure." Saedyna forced a smile, feeling a stab of guilt that she could never be fully honest, even with friends.

"I'm struggling with it," Oriene admitted. And then everything came out in a rush. "With you and Tir Impressing. Me and Cirina behind. I...it's like a dream that got dashed or something. And I don't want you to think that I'm mad! Please don't think that I'm mad. I'm not! I'm just...I don't know what to feel and it's weird and I hate it and I'm trying really hard to be happy for you and Tirraze but it's harder than I thought it would be." Her eyes were wide, begging Saedyna to understand. "Am I a bad friend for that? You can tell me. I'm sure I'm being a bad friend somehow."

Saedyna shook her head. "I feel bad for leaving you behind. I . . . figured I'd be the one left Standing and I guess I'd made peace with that. Maybe you'll find your dragon next time. And you're not alone. I mean, I'm still your friend of course, but Cirina is still a Candidate too. If we couldn't be all together, at least one of us wasn't left all alone."

"True," Oriene sighed. At least she and Cirina still got to hang out as Candidate. "It's also...it's also the blue dragon thing with Tirraze. Does she act weird in weyrling classes too? Like she's not really there?" Shells, Oriene felt bad talking about her friend like this but surely it wasn't just her!

"Oh, yeah. She's feeling a little disconnected." Saedyna frowned. "Hopefully she'll feel better soon. I don't think it's about Riamorth being blue, exactly. I guess people react to Impression differently. Avarith makes me feel more grounded and steady." Safe.

Oriene exhaled in confused defeat. "I guess." She poked around at her food for a moment. "But I'm glad Avarith makes you feel more grounded. That's good. That's what a dragon is supposed to do. Make you feel loved and surrounded."

"You'll have that," Saedyna said gently. "You still have plenty of time to find your dragon."

"I know," Oriene said with a forced smile. "I'm just...it's just hard to let go. And I know I should let it go. I'm just...stuck. Taking my time, I guess." She stabbed at a bite as though it had insulted her. "Okay, enough moping from me. Tell me more about weyrlinghood. And Avarith. Get me ready for when I _do_ Impress."

"It really is the most amazing and strange thing, having someone else inside your head." Saedyna smiled fondly. Avarith was napping in the sun with some of the other weyrlings. "It can be hard. Every time you're worried or mad, they feel it too. But she sees every part of me, and loves me in a way I . . . I don't even know how to describe it."

It sounded like how every dragonrider described it, which made Oriene smile because she honestly was happy for her friend, even if she was struggling with her own feelings. "Does she listen in on your thoughts too? Like all of them?"

"She did at first, but I learned to block her out," Saedyna said. "Not all the time, just sometimes. I don't want to worry her or confuse her, you know?"

"I mean, that makes sense. You wouldn't want someone _always_ commenting on your thoughts, right? It would get annoying. I would think, anyway."

"I've heard some dragons can be really nosey. And weyrlings are curious of course because everything is new, so they listen to your thoughts a lot at first." Saedyna sometimes worried that Avarith would reveal her secret and she did her best not to think about it much.

"So, they're definitely like two Turn olds?" Oriene teased. "Or maybe five Turn olds, since they can ask questions."

"They are, except they're in your _head_," Saedyna laughed.

"Good thing it doesn't get _too_ annoying," Oriene chuckled. "Does...Avarith sound like you? In your head? Every dragonrider says that. Well, most do."

The weyrling frowned thoughtfully. "I guess she does. I haven't really thought about it before. She just sounds like . . . Avarith to me."

"It should weirdly make sense. Because you sound like you," Oriene pointed out. She started giggling. "So I guess it's a silly question for me to ask. She sounds like you because you sound like you."

Saedyna laughed. "I suppose."

A companionable silence followed their laughter. Eventually, Oriene said, "Thank you for letting me vent. I've really felt like I'm a terrible friend in all of this and I don't want to be."

"No, no. Two of us Impressed and two didn't and I think that's hard for all of us," Saedyna said. "But things will get better when we graduate and have a little more time. Or you'll have your own dragon by then!"

"I really can't wait for that. We're going to have so much fun together," Oriene replied. "A little green and blue quartet."

"We can go to Gathers together all over Pern!"

"And we wouldn't need to bum a ride!" Oriene giggled. Well, at least that would be a good thing now. She and Cirina could ride with Saedyn and Tirraze instead of asking someone else. "But first! You have to graduate. And _then_ we can party."

"A party sounds _so_ nice." Saedyna loved an excuse to show off her new dresses and jewelry. "Lately it's just been work, work, work. Which reminds me I should hurry up and eat before I have to get back to class."

"You wouldn't want to be late now," Oriene teased. "Avarith will tell on you."

"She would _never_," Saedyna said before she started bolting her food.

Last updated on the December 15th 2024

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Dreaming