Troubled Times

Writers: KC Free, Ames
Date Posted: 21st March 2011

Characters: T'aesh, Janani
Description: Taeshin gets a talking too
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 15 of Turn 6

Janani sat in her office reading over the latest report. The frown on her
face showed her displeasure. The weyrlingmaster was _not_ happy with the
candidate and had pulled the boy from all activities pending the decision
she and N'vanik would issue. The decision had been left in her hands and she intended to find out exactly what was going on before she rendered any
verdicts. She'd sent for Taeshin and was waiting for his arrival.

Taeshin walked slowly and purposefully to the Weyrwoman's office. He head
and shoulders were hung low, and his eyes shamefully cast low. He couldn't
believe that he was being called to the Weyrwoman's office, nor that until a decision from made he was barred from doing anything other than drudge work. His entire life and his dreams were now held in the Weyrwoman's hands, and Taeshin had no idea what was going to happen to him after this meeting.

He lifted his head as much as he could and tried to put a brave face on as
he peeked into the office, hoping that the Weyrwoman wouldn't be there,
though he knew she would.

"You wanted to see me Weyrwoman Janani?" Taeshin said, he voice shaking as
if he were a boy of some ten turns instead of seventeen.

She wasn't smiling, but she did look him directly in the eye. "Come in,
Taeshin. Sit. It appears you and I need to talk. Do you _know_ what kinds of reports the Weyrlingmaster has given to the Weyrleader and myself? Do you understand why you are here?"

Taeshin sat in the chair, his hands kneading into his thighs. He thought
about lying to the Weyrwoman, feigning ignorance and innocence; but thought
the better of it. Who knew if the Weyrwoman's Queen was _listening_ in on
the conversation.

"Yes ma'am I do. At least I know that it has something to do with my
attitude" Taeshin replied.

"Tell me what's really going on. I want to hear it from you. I've read the
reports, but now I want _you_ to tell me." Janani sat with her arms crossed
as she stared at the young man. She knew that making him put his own actions into words would make him uncomfortable and for the moment, she _wanted_ him to be uncomfortable, to know he needed to change if he hoped to make something of himself in the Weyr.

Taeshin shook nervously. He looked everywhere but at the Weyrwoman.
"Well..I guess that, I mean that I have been a little rude to some of the
Weyrlings." Tasean said.

Tears formed in the corner of his eyes as anger and shame welled up in him.
No matter what anyone said, he would not admit that he was jealous. He
would _never_ admit that he was jealous of those weyrlings.

Janani watched him almost without blinking. "Treating others so poorly will
not earn you marks or get you far in life, Taeshin, unless your goal is to
alienate everyone around you." Her words were not spoken harshly, but they
carried a firmness to them that could not be mistaken. "Would you care to
tell me _why_ you think you are treating the weyrlings this way?"

Taeshin blinked furiously, trying to see the Weyrwoman but failing for all
the tears welling in his eyes. He scrubbed hard at his face, trying to make the tears stop as he attempted to answer the Senior Weyrwoman.

"It's just that...sometimes I mean I just...I just get so _mad_ when I am
around them. They just make me so _angry_." he said, his knuckles white
from the pressure of the fists he was making. "They all left me on the
Sands...alone." he whispered to himself.

"I see," she replied, her tone softening a bit. "That still doesn't give you the right to treat them poorly." She paused and relaxed her own posture, leaning forward to place her arms on her desk. "Taeshin, I think you and I should spend some more time together. I have a few tasks I'd like you to do for me and some people I'd like you to meet. Then, once we've done that, Angdelouth and I should be ready to make a decision about whether or not you will Stand when the time comes. Do you agree?" In her mind, she could picture some of the individuals she wanted Taeshin to meet, some who Impressed after many attempts and even those who stood but had not
Impressed. He needed to learn how to handle himself and the feelings he was
dealing with better, and what better way to do that than to meet with others who could share in those memories.

Taeshin began to look everywhere but at the Werywoman. It was bad enough
that she knew about the behavior, but now other people were going to know
how childish he'd been acting. Taeshin wanted nothing more than to crawl
under the biggest rock he could find, and stay there for the rest of his
life. He sighed, knowing that he either agreed to the Weyrwoman's request,
or be asked to leave the Weyr probably.

"Yes Weyrwoman Janani" Taeshin said, he voice barely above a whisper. He
looked up briefly at the Weyrwoman before his eyes quickly darted down to
look at his curl fist resting on his thighs.

She nodded curtly. "Alright then, we'll begin with a visit to Angdelouth,
for it is _she_ you must now convince that you are worthy to stand for her
eggs." Janani rose from her chair. "And I'd best warn you that she is very
protective when it comes to what is hers." She motioned for him to join her
as she reached out with her mind to her queen.

Taeshin tried to steel his nerves, to no avail. In all his turns in the
Weyr, Taeshin had seen Angdelouth in passing, but he never actually met her; especially not under these circumstances. He stood up and followed the Weyrwoman sullenly, now his fate rested in the claws of the Senior Queen; and if there was one thing Taeshin knew about Queens, they were very
protective of their eggs.

It didn't take long. As they walked out from her office to the bowl, Janani
called to her queen. The moment Angdelouth took flight it seemed that all
noise and activity in the Weyr had ceased. Her body was already beginning to glow a brighter gold as she began to grow the new dragons within her.

With a flourish she landed only feet away from Janani and Taeshin. }:Is this the one?:{ She asked her rider, eyeing the boy closely.

**Aye, he is the one I asked you to meet.** Angdelouth snorted a puff of air in his direction to let him know she meant business. Janani turned to see the boy's reaction.

Taeshin's knees wobbled with the Queen's snort. Angdelouth looked very
serious and Taeshin looked very scared. It took every last vestige of
willpower that he had to keep himself from embarrassingly wetting his tunic. He bowed, slowly to the Queen, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground as he did.

"Greetings Angdelouth." he managed to say without his voice shaking, too
much.

Her eyes whirled as she studied the boy. }:You do not wish him to stand,
mine?:{ Came the questioning tone of Angdelouth.

**No, love, I think he will make a fine candidate, but he's been tormenting
a few of the others and I want to help him see the error of his ways
first.**

The dragon snorted. }:Whatever you decide, mine, but he will _not_ come near my eggs if he cannot be trusted!:{

Janani looked to Taeshin. "Angdelouth is reserving her judgment until she
and I have a chance to get to know you better. I'd like to speak with you
again first thing in the morning, and then I'll have a few tasks lined up
for you to accomplish. It will be your way of proving to me that you _truly_ want to be among the candidates that stand for Angdelouth's clutch." Janani reached up and skritched Ang's eyeridge when the queen lowered her head. "First thing tomorrow morning then?"

Taeshin bowed again to the Golden Queen and her Rider. "Yes ma'am, tomorrow morning" he said, positively mortified. He backed away, slowly from the pair, and did not turn his back on either until the where both out of his line of sight. As soon as they were he made a beeline for his cot, the tears that had been welling in his eyes finally spilling over down his face.

Last updated on the April 26th 2011

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Troubled Times