Our Weyr (2/2)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Corrin, Sia
Date Posted: 17th April 2025
Characters: Q'vettan, Veytra
Description: Q’vettan is summoned to visit his dear, sweet, old mum-- who is fretful about the current Holdless situation
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 10 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Qelhelias, Saibra, I'serin
Soon they were settled before the fire with two steaming mugs of klah and a plate of gooey nutcakes. Veytra took a bite and then a sip-- and then got down to business. “Well, you’re here. So you must have gotten my letter… have you been to the “camp” yet? What a mess. Scores of holdless, right in the heart of our Weyr. They’re causing trouble already. There was a fight in the camp just after they arrived and a couple of the weyrling dragons got curious -- can’t blame them, it’s so close -- and went over to check out the tents and there was a big hullabaloo over that as well. One of them was our new gold too, so we’re just lucky that turned out alright.”
"I flew overhead and skirted around it." Q'vettan answered, "Nasty business, but at least the gold is all right. She probably scared them more than they scared her. There were plenty of fights back at the reopening of Igen, too. Are they starting to move people inside? I heard there were some being moved into the Lower Caverns."
Veytra’s expression darkened. “There’s apparently only a few units available in the Caverns. Word is they’re going to move them into empty weyrs with ground level access-- and as you know, the weyr next to me has been empty ever since N’toll passed. It has an inner walk-up, just like mine.” Her eyes were positively stormy now. “I swear if Oselle tries to move any of those holdless in, I’ll have my Iokath flame them out. I have the grandbabies here all the time. We’d be running into those ruffians in the hall!”
Q'vettan arched a brow and took a sip of klah, letting the heat warm his hands while his mother simmered. The nutcake was already half gone but he'd barely tasted it. "Iokath won't flame anyone." He said mildly once she'd paused, "Unless you're spry enough to steal firestone from the stores. In which case, that's a story I want to hear. Keep her on alert, though, if they do move anyone in N'toll's old weyr. If they don't respect dragonriders, they'll at least fear a dragon's claws." Not that he ever knew the old green to do anything but let children climb all over her, but the holdless wouldn't know that. "And get a lock for your door, if you don't have one already. If there's nothing in stores let me know, I'll nab one from Barrier Lake for you. It's a nuisance and nearly useless with the ledge open the way it is, but it could prevent someone from seizing an opportunity."
Veytra let out an indignant scoff and set her mug down with more force than necessary. “A lock? In all my Turns, I’ve never needed a _lock_ on my door. What sort of Weyr is this turning into if a rider needs to bar their home like a Holder’s storeroom?”
But it was just angry bluster. She frowned and tsked and fought for a few minutes, before relenting. “Yes, yes. I’ll do it. For the grandbabies’ sake at least. It’s just a travesty what’s happening to Our Weyr. The smiths should be making buckles and rings for riding straps, not wasting their time with _locks_.”
"They should, but here we are." Q'vettan agreed with a nod. "Who knows how long folks will stay. Winter's coming, and winters are harsh this far up in the mountains." He looked thoughtful as he sipped his klah, "Do you think they'll allow the youth a chance to Stand if they decide to stay? We had Searchdragons check the holdless kids at Igen first for any potential and threw them into stricter candidate classes. We didn't want any surprises with half-feral children Impressing our dragons. Chioneth has been rising late in the turn, hasn't she?"
“They better not,” frowned Veytra. “Impression is an honor, not a charitable obligation. We have good, weyrbred children. Children who’ve grown up knowing what dragons are-- what they _mean_.”
“But if they’re indeed going to winter here… They’ll likely see a clutch or two,” she admitted. “Leadership will bar them if they have any sense, but stars if I know what they’ll do. You’re likely to hear before I do. With my retirement and both the weyrwoman _and_ the weyrleader being foreign transfers now, I’m sadly out of the loop. They have no aunties or grandparents I can go ask to feel out their inclinations. I hear less now than I did as a junior greenrider.” She sounded truly offended by this. She missed being in the wings.
"Every kid is less work for a Searchrider." Q'vettan added. "Suppose they might think the Weyrlingstaff can civilise them if they stay in the barracks long enough. That puts them in the same space as our little ones. Veyric is in the barracks now, isn't he? Keep an eye on him." He probably couldn't pick his nephew out in the crowd of candidates, being only just old enough to exercise his right to Stand within the last turn or two.
“I will _certainly_ keep an eye on him.” There was a determined glint in Veytra’s dark eyes. “But the Weyrlingstaff should be concerned with rearing riders, not reforming renegades. And if they’re worried about saving their Searchriders some work-- ha. The Search schedule is nothing these days compared to what it was at the start of the Pass. If they need help, they’ve only to ask. Iokath still has the sense for it.”
"She's found quite a number of future dragonriders, hasn't she?" Q'vettan agreed fondly, looking out towards the ledge where the dragons lounged. Tzenketh was prattling on about something. "We need kids who understand the sacrifices we make, what it means to be here and to wear these knots. We don't hand out white robes to any kid with a sad story and two feet. Hopefully the dragonets won't take any kind of interest."
“_Hopefully_ it won't be left up to the dragonets,” his mother said, appalled. “There are plenty of good weyrbred children on hand. Veyric, of course-- and our Qelhelias is still waiting for his bronze.”
She paused for a moment, before honesty made her admit: “There _was_ that one dragonet that failed to bond at Chioneth's hatching a few Turns back. Tragic, but a fluke, I think. No need to muddy the water with criminals when we have our own waiting to Impress-- I hope you tell them that, if they seek your advice. And they should.”
"I doubt it. I don't live here anymore." Q'vettan pointed out. "And the leadership doesn't know me from Faranth. I'll poke around. The Weyrharper and I go back, at least. They'll have an idea of what the leadership is planning. Let me know if you hear anything, too. This will test them, that's for sure. If it goes horribly, Chioneth flies once a turn."
}: Poking at fires just to see the embers. :{ Tzenketh supplied.
“I certainly will,” Veytra promised, and there was no bluster in her tone. Just a crisp certainty that said she’d been paying attention to the Weyr longer than half the people now running it.
Last updated on the April 25th 2025