A Gold Lesson

Writers: Allison, AmajoS, Jane, Paula, Rochelle, Vix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 6th September 2007

Characters: Tsaera, Ariau, Benna, Kiala, Tamaca, Viriana, Uetia, Tey, Lhara
Description: Tsaera holds a class with the female Candidates to discuss Impressing a gold.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 19 of Turn 4

Tsaera eyed the candle in the corner as Candidates trickled into the classroom she'd co-opted for herself. It was almost time to begin, and from the looks of it, all the female Candidates were present - she was unimpressed by tardiness. She gave them a few extra minutes while the rest of the class shifted uncomfortably in the quiet, or whispered to the person sitting next to them, before shutting the door and turning to face the group. "Welcome, ladies. I'm sure that you all know who I am, but I'm still a little unsure of who you all are. When you're answering questions, please preface your reply with your name."

"I'm going to be talking to you about Impression - we've got a gold egg on the Sands and one of you will be her lifemate. Many of you will Impress green instead, though, and some of you will not Impress at all. Both the latter options are valid and valuable - greenriders fly Thread just like every other dragonrider no matter what colour dragon they fly, as well as transport people, Watch, Sweepride the smaller Sweeps, and go on Search if your dragon is so inclined.
Non-riders are just as welcome at the Weyr since dragonriders could hardly do what they do if they had to worry about cooking, tithes, supply chains, and laundry on top of Thread. If you do not Impress and wish to stay at the Weyr, you are welcome to."

The Weyrwoman paused then and looked over the girls before her. Some were young, barely into puberty, and some were old enough to be married and have children themselves. An echo of a conversation she'd had with K'sedel crept into her mind. **Goldriders can be anyone...**
Which was U'das' niece? "But mainly, I'm here to talk to you about Impressing gold. Can anyone tell me what a junior goldrider does at a Weyr?"

Kiala raised her hand, stood up and said, "Weyrwoman, my name is Kiala and I'm a Candidate from Dragonsfall Weyr. A junior goldrider, in my mind, acts as a backup to the Weyrwoman and Weyrwoman's Second.
She will take over extra duties from the two and, of course, provide clutches to supplement the Weyr's wings. She will also fly in the Queen's Wing as a wingrider." Kiala finished her statement and sat back down, looking straight at Tsaera.

"Thank you, Kiala, and welcome to my Weyr. The gold in that egg will choose the best rider for her, but whether or not that rider is the best goldrider for the Weyr is up to her. I usually assign my junior goldriders record keeping duties, such as maintaining the birth and death records, weather, and transfers in and out of my Wing. Once she is out of Weyrlinghood, she'll be returning to help train the next batch of Weyrlings, and I'll be sending her on some minor diplomatic duties to speak on my behalf. Only a dragon knows what she'll look for in a lifemate, but if the junior goldrider is going to be assuming those duties, what do you think _I_ expect?"

Benna felt her spirits sink just a little bit as the Weyrwoman explained what junior goldriders commonly did for the Weyr. From that description, a nearly illiterate farm girl probably wasn't what the Weyrwoman was expecting at all. Not that Benna had pinned all her hopes on the gold egg like some of the girls had, of course. She just wanted to be a dragonrider. The idea of Impressing the gold was awfully appealing, though.

She stood up with her hand slightly raised, feeling more unsure and nervous than she had the entire time she'd been at the Weyr. In her mind, she suddenly pictured her brothers and how much they'd tease her if they saw her right then. It had the same effect her brothers' goading always had and she rallied her determination and courage.
"Weyrwoman, I'm Benna, from a cothold in Garnet Valley and I guess you'd want someone smart," she answered simply.

Tsaera smiled. "Smart is a rather subjective term. I'd prefer someone who is willing to _work_. Riding gold isn't just about mating flights and knots on your shoulder. The instant a goldrider graduates from Weyrlinghood she'll outrank most of the Weyr, and she'll have to set the example for good behavior and work ethic. Like it or not, every detail of a goldrider's life is examined, and she's watched, and judged, and people will follow her lead." The Weyrwoman shrugged.
"It's unfair, but that's what rank brings. Why do you think a junior goldrider has to assume all that responsibility in the first place?"

"Because riding a gold is about leadership, like you just said. The gold dragons are responsible for populating the Weyr, plus all the dragons listen to them. Therefore, their rider has no choice but to accept the duties that go along with it. I suppose if someone weren't truly suited to being a goldrider, the dragon wouldn't pick them," Kiala piped up from her seat.

Tey sighed silently. There were days she wasn't very sure she wanted to be a dragonrider at all, and the thought of being a goldrider was just plain awful. It would be nice, though, if she was going to Impress, to Impress in the clutch that had the gold. That would be good - going through weyrlinghood with the gold dragon and her weyrling.

"Because she's so visible." The words were uttered aloud before the candidate even realized that she was going to speak. She rose, clearing her throat. "I'm Tamaca, born and raised here at River Bluff Weyr. Riding a gold, a rider is noticed, both for the color and size of the dragon. It's up to the rider to represent that gold, the Weyr, and dragonriders as a whole. Those inside and outside of the Weyr develop certain ideas about dragonriders of any color, and the goldrider can either strengthen or dispel those beliefs." She sat down, wondering why she was suddenly taking such interest in a class that had seemed a waste to her.

"Very nice, both of you. And both of you provided very clear answers about why a goldrider must be aware that she is very much in the public eye. But I was thinking along slightly more practical lines."
Tsaera smiled and sat down behind the desk at the front of the room.
"A junior goldrider must be prepared to _lead_. While Tabanirth or Vilarth are Clutching or heavy with eggs, she would need to help lead my Wing. And if anything happened to Lenala or myself she would become Weyrwoman's Second, and would likely have very little warning.
People need to have confidence in her ability to lead, and when the goldrider is drunk every night or shirking her duties... well, what sort of message does that send?"

Tam hugged her arms around herself to still the chill she felt at that pronouncement. She had been close to her brother, before and after Impression, and had felt the loss of both T'din and his dragon. But to think of anything happening to a gold? She shivered and tried to shut that possibility from her mind.

Kiala nodded silently to herself, her thoughts drawn inwards. It seemed like a goldrider had to have as little fault with themselves as possible. That was a tall order for any person, let alone whoever was chosen out of the group currently gathered here. Just let me Impress, she thought to herself, while glancing around at the other females. Ever since the day turns ago when she'd been Searched, all she wanted to do was walk off the Sands with her own dragon.

Lhara's attention was drifting, though she tried not the let it show.
The last thing she needed was to be in trouble with the Weyrwoman. All the same what goldriders got up to wasn't something that applied to her or her family and her interest wasn't held by the lecture.

Ariau watched the Weyrwoman intently, drinking in her words and hiding her uneasiness. Listening to the Weyrwoman, she wasn't sure if she wanted to Impress gold or not! The duties were different than the ones she'd been learning about the last few turns in candidate classes. Automatic expectations of leadership... She wondered if she could handle that or not? "It doesn't sound like someone anyone would want to trust, ma'am." She admitted, adding "I'm Ariau. I just transferred in from Fort Weyr."

"Thank you, Ariau. It's not. Now." Tsaera laced her fingers together as she looked at the class. "Being leader is a skill that is learned, just like Crafting or cooking. The only way to learn it is to _want_
to learn it, and to work hard at it. Being smart doesn't count for much if you're not willing to work. I don't expect perfection, since I certainly don't embody it," Tsaera smiled briefly, "but I do expect that whoever Impresses that gold egg will realize that there's work ahead, and is willing to accept that. That gold will believe in your ability to fulfill your potential, and I trust her judgment. Dragons never choose wrong."

The Weyrwoman paused. The majority of what she'd wanted to bring up with the potential goldriders had been dealt with, and there were more than a few sobered faces in the class. **Good,** she thought.
**A gold isn't just a big weyr and impressive shoulder knots.** "I think I've spoken enough. Does anyone have any questions about Impression or goldriding?"

"Is it - Ooops. I'm Tey, weyrbred here," the brown-haired young woman said, rather surprised to find herself on her feet asking a question when she had no interest in the answer. Perhaps the silence had dragged on just too long for her to stand. "Is it true that gold dragons prefer their lifemates to come from outside the Weyr?"

"Not at all. Dragons choose the right person for them, irregardless of where you come from. We've brought in Candidates from other Weyrs this time because we want to give our little queen the widest possible selection of girls, so that she has a better opportunity of finding the one person she's most compatible with."

The lower caverns worker grinned across the room at her sister as Tey sat down again. Dimglow! Now her name was in the forefront of the Weyrwoman's thoughts - and that didn't ever sound to Lhara like it could ever be agood spot to occupy.

"I have another question." Tamaca's eyes met the Weyrwoman's with open curiosity. "I've been on the Sands for more Hatchings than I can remember, and I always wonder, 'Am I truly worthy of a dragon?' And when my brothers Impressed, both told me that they couldn't believe that they had been chosen. Does anyone ever come to that point where he or she feels worthy of that Impression - of any dragon, let alone a gold?"

Ariau leaned forward slightly, not wanting to miss the answer. She'd wondered that herself since her brother had Impressed. Even if she didn't have as many Hatchings under her belt as the older candidate did, she was just as curious about the answer.

Uetia had chosen a place to sit at the back and hand tried to stay as inconspicuous as a over six feet tall woman could. She had said nothing but listened very carefully. She thought she had no changes at a gold. But it was all very interesting still, and she hadn't yet stood for once.

"Everyone in here is already worthy. But..." Tsaera thought for a moment - that wasn't a question she'd been expecting. "I suppose that no one feels worthy at first. I didn't, and there was no Thread when I Impressed. Dragonriding is a very important job, but also a high-risk one. A misstep can mean injury or Thread on the ground, which is a very intimidating thought. Until you're confident and experienced in the air, I think that everyone wonders just why they, out of everyone who Stood, was chosen by a dragon. For me, when I Impressed, I was hoping for a green and had no interest in riding gold. I am a Crafter, not a Lady of the Blood. But you have to trust in your dragon and their judgment. I think that when they are looking for their perfect match, they somehow... look into the heart of us.
And then it's up to us to live up to that potential."

**Everyone worthy,** Tamaca reflected. **She doesn't know me or she'd not say that.** But the young woman forced a smile. "Thank you, Weyrwoman."

The Weyrwoman's words made Uetia wonder if she had leadership qualities or not. They have never been really tested. She could she why she could make a good dragonrider: she was strong and could stand up to most man.

The Weyrwoman's words eased Benna's worries a good deal. To her, they simply restated the conviction she already had that whatever dragon was meant for her would find her if she left herself open to it. She wouldn't worry about her chances or doubt herself. Perhaps she wouldn't Impress the gold, that was fine. It would be nice, but mostly she wanted to find her lifemate and what color the dragon was didn't matter. One dragon had already apparently seen something within her that made her worthy, all she had to do now was find the one meant for her.

The silence and the thoughtful looks of most of the girls' faces made Tsaera smile a little - even if it had been an unexpected question, the answer seemed to have made an impression. **And if we're lucky, eased a few anxieties...** "Does anyone else have any questions? The only stupid question is the one that's never asked."

Kiala shook her head, smiling in the direction of the Weyrwoman. She was ready for whatever life was going to be throwing at her at this upcoming Hatching, and she only hoped that she was worthy of the dragonet that just might choose her.

Uetia had few questions, but she planned to present them to her uncle.
They were the kind she didn't want to voice if front of roomful of strangers.

"In that case, you're dismissed. You have the rest of the candlemark free but be sure to be at your next class on time." Tsaera smiled as the girls rose and headed for the exit. "And remember: my door is always open."

Last updated on the September 8th 2007

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A Gold Lesson