Straying From Tradition

Writers: Clancey, Dana
Date Posted: 18th February 2006

Characters: J'darin, Traelyn
Description: J'darin bares his anger over his Weyrlingmaster's choice to his Weyrwoman.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 4 of Turn 3

J'darin

While he was smiling a bit more lately, Weyrlings and Candidates were stepping lightly around the growly Weyrleader. Ever since Y'sani had appointed a _BLUE_rider as his 'Second, J'darin had been nearly killing everyone around him. Much worse than usual.

He needed something and even Dyaera had been furious with his attitudes.

***Hasaarth, please find out if Nyith will let me onto the Hatching Sands.
I need to remind myself something is good and right in the world!***

The queen took a moment to respond to Hasaarth's query. }:Yours can come in. But he may not touch!:{ This last was accompanied by an airy, light snarl as she shifted once again in the sand, her jeweled eyes whirling faster.

Traelyn eyed her gold warily. She was in a broody mood today, and needed to be watched carefully. Seeing J'darin come striding in, purpose in his long steps, her eyes widened slightly and she put her hides to the side, standing to meet him halfway down the stairs.

Sparing a moment to thank Nyith through Hasaarth and say what a lovely clutch she'd borne, the Weyrleader still turned snapping, furious blue eyes on his lovely Weyrwoman. For once, he wasn't furious with _her_. No doubt she would be shocked and amazed by this revelation.

The words burst forth before he could stop them.

"A _Blue_rider! As Weyrlingmaster Second!" was all he managed to get out around his choked off anger. He did, however, have sense enough not to shout _too_ loudly.

She gestured for him to sit down, warily watching his face. Shards - he seemed so angry! "J'darin, what are you talking about?"

"Y'sani! I trusted him! Even _liked_ him!" He swallowed fiercely, anger making his hands shake. He did not sit down, but continued to pace in the way he had, the way of a caged feline.

"Sharding brought in a sharding bluerider to be his 'Second! It isn't _right_. Its not the _right_ thing! He can't catch falling bronzes or browns.. and he just can't teach them all another color can! Some yes, but not all. It isn't _right_. " That seemed to be his trouble, more than the rest.

Traelyn sat down, her eyes widening. A bluerider as a Wingsecond? She'd never heard of such a thing. Certainly it strayed from Tradition... What was Y'sani thinking? What were his reasons? "Have you spoken to Y'sani about this?"

"I can't stand to look at him right now!" He fumed, stalking again. If he _had_ been a feline, his tail would be lashing away at his sides. "I want to send him right back where he came from.." He muttered, his blue eyes going dark with anger and even some hurt. "He didn't even respect me enough to _TELL_ me!!" and his voice rose again, so much so that he worried about bothering Nyith.

And with good reason. From the Sands, Nyith whined, her eyes beginning to flash with bits of yellow.

**It's all right, dear heart. Hush now, love, it's all right...** Traelyn stood again, knowing that she probably shouldn't touch him when he was in such an angry state, but feeling the need to. Gently she brushed her fingers to his arm. "Maybe we should go somewhere else..." She tilted her head to her broody queen.

Furious with himself and anyone who came close, the bronzerider just nodded at her touch. It was almost as if some part of him was calmed by her touch, although anger still snapped around him like tongues of fire.

"Outside? Or my Weyr?" He managed to get out, distantly regretting upsetting Nyith.

***Please make my apologies, Hasaarth..***

"My weyr is closer. Come on." She kept her voice low as she gestured for him to follow her. Side by side they walked quickly to her weyr, and she glanced at him, his anger making her wary and ready for another outburst once they were inside the room.

J'darin did not disappoint her. "A BLUErider!" He let himself go once more. "What on Pern was he thinking?! And he did not talk to me." The Weyrleader sank to a nearby couch. "Do you have something stronger than wine?" He mourned, looking very pathetic as he glanced up at his Weyrwoman's face.

"I do." Traelyn bent and grabbed a rather antique-looking bottle from the bottom cabinets. She remembered to take a couple glasses with her before heading back over towards him. After perching on the edge of the sofa, she poured him a generous amount of the aged liquor and handed it to him, her eyes searching his.

"I _liked_ him, Traelyn. What did I do to not deserve his respect? And will being Weyrleader always mean I have no one's respect, or friendship?"
He shivered and took a _long_ sip. "I'm lonely." He said softly, and then, "Why a BLUE? And why not tell me?"

"I don't know his reasons, J'darin..." She frowned, trying to take a step back from the issue and see it from both angles. It wasn't easy to do. Taking a sip of her own glass, she leaned back against the couch, tapping the stem with a nail. "Certainly a blue dragon isn't as smart as a brown or bronze. I don't see the logic in his choice, though I could be looking in the wrong place..."

J'darin peered at her for a long moment. He thought it particularly truth-bearing that she did not respond to the self-pity in his voice when he'd said he was lonely, or even the words themselves. A faint sigh as he focused back on her. "I don't see it either... a 'Third perhaps, though we already have a good 'third in Xuxha." He chuckled dryly at his comment. If she heard him say that, she'd never believe him. "I don't know what to do, Traelyn. I promised him freedom to do as he needed."

"And it seems he took that quite literally, J'darin." She looked at him over the rim of her glass. "When are you going to talk to him?"

"Whenever I can speak without yelling, perhaps then I'll consider talking to him." He frowned, sinking back against the sofa. "I am very angry, just now. And I'd hate to deprive the Weyr of someone who _is_ a very good Weyrlingmaster just when we need them the most."

His lips twitched once. "You know how my temper is."

Her dark eyes flickered. "I know." Shards, how she knew. A slight tremor ran through her at the thought of that night after the Harper festivities. Her jaw tightened slightly as she firmly pushed those thoughts and feelings down. And that pang of regret. What good would it do to remember? "Surely you're not planning to demote him? I know you're angry, but there _is_ no one else right now."

He watched her face for a moment, watching the feelings dance for just a heartbeat, then he shook his head definitively. "I cannot demote him without a _very_ good reason, by Tradition. I'm not even sure a Weyrlingmaster has ever been removed from his position by the Weyrleader. But I'll be scorched if I'm going to let him make bad choices. Not _my_
Weyrlings." His anger was beginning to return and he tried to stomp on it. "But he needs to provide a sharding good reason for this choice, and this L'pin needs to show me _and_ Hasaarth that he and his dragon are capable. Hasaarth is not happy either. He is confused, and so am I."

Last updated on the February 19th 2006

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Straying From Tradition