Gossip Spreads Rapid-ly

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 10th March 2016

Characters: Uetia, So'nji, Im're, B'jon, K'ran, L'ris, S'rito, Ahira
Description: Some Rapids wingriders have thoughts on the new Weyrleader.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 22 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Orlaith, U'das, Vilarth

K'ran

"Do you really want to go to tell Orlaith that you think she picked
out a wrong bronze, So'nji?" Uetia's voice easily carried along the
corridor. "We'll have a nice wake for you," she snorted.

"I heard he was a Wingleader in Dragonsfall, so he has to be
qualified, right?" Im're's voice sounded uncertain.

"Right, they don't just hand out those knots to any dolt," B'jon said.

"I don't know about that," Uetia said with drawl. "Neither one of you
has met my cousin..." She snickered. "I'm surprised he has any time to
lead the Wing between drinking and having sex. Wait, was that my
brother...Ah, bugrit, they both like that."

"He's short, too!" S'rito complained to his wingmates. "He's short and
his bronze is tiny. Orlaith's gone cracked."

K'ran was heading down the halls towards the outside when he started
to hear the voices. At least he was pretty sure this was the right way
out. He'd mastered his weyr to the Dining Hall to the office rooms,
but he was trying to figure out the rest of the layout of the Lower
Caverns. At first he was going to call out and greet people, and then
he processed the initial statement and decided to slow his pace and
listen.

**So people are unhappy.**

}:They should not be. Orlaith knows what she is doing,:{ Rogueth huffed.

Despite his dragon's confidence, he'd expected there to be grumbling.
He had been a visitor to the Weyr, a stranger at the wrong place at
the wrong time. They'd probably all wanted one of their own men to
win, someone who they knew his capabilities and trusted him. There had
been similar grumblings at Dragonsfall when the new Weyrsecond had
wound up winning. But somehow he'd expected the complaints to be made
in more private settings, like in weyrs or quiet conversations at
dining tables, not out in the hall where anyone could hear.

**Well, they probably aren't expecting me to be right here,
overhearing it,** he reminded himself.

"My uncle's bronze is small to, that didn't prevent him winning
Tabanirth, twice. As far as short goes, you're all shorties," Uetia
said. She was over six feet tall and quite used to look downwards
around men too.

"I'm not that short, I'm five and nine," B'jon protested.

"If I put you next to my brothers, you're short," Uetia was teasing him.

"That's because you come from a family of giants," L'ris rumbled.

"Tabanirth had sense in her choices. Orlaith's was fine when she was
sticking with someone she knew could do the job, but why'd she have to
choose a _foreign_ bronze? There were plenty of solid choices around
here," S'rito said.

"She's a foreign queen, maybe she wanted a change," Ahira said
quietly. She wasn't happy with how the conversation was going.

"Yes, maybe she was bored with the same old faces...erh, muzzles. Or
she wanted to bring some fresh blood to the Weyr," B'jon agreed with
her. "You know, to avoid stagnation or inbreeding."

"Well, it certainly stirred up things," Uetia remarked.

"Does anybody know which Weyr Rogueth Hatched?" someone asked. "I mean
Orlaith and Vilarth are both Vista Point's line?"

K'ran had decided that the conversation was becoming a bit milder, and
probably less scary for them for him to show up on, so he had cleared
his throat and gone back to walking down the hallway, making sure to
walk loudly enough his footsteps were audible. He turned the corner
right as the last question.

"We're from Far Island, actually," he said.

Ahira jumped and nearly fell over twisting to see who'd spoken.
"Weyrleader, sir!"

"Like most of my family?" Uetia said, wondering if K'ran knew any of
them. Then she looked down, and further down. He had to be at least
foot shorter than she was.

Im're startled and blushed although he hadn't said anything embarrassing.

"Rogueth Hatched about 18 Turns ago. I think I've met at least one of
them," K'ran said. Her height and coloration did remind him of people
he'd met. They were tall and distinctive looking.

"At least Far Island isn't Vista Point. That'd be too much closeness,"
S'rito said, trying to cover his general displeasure by pretending
concerns with bloodline.

"18 Turns? Must have been around when my cousin Seluda Impressed,"
Uetia was delighted. "She's tall too, but not as muscular as I am.
More beautiful and has dark hair," Uetia continued.

"She was in my class," K'ran said, pleased that he'd
found something in common with one of the riders. "Her eyes were that
color between grey and blue, right? Everyone argued about them."

"Yes, that's very common eye shade in our bloodline," Uetia replied.
Her own eyes were more grey but they did look bluish in certain light.

"I know I'm glad to have anyone from that family in my wing and Weyr."
And didn't saying it like that sound pretentious? He tried to cover it
with, "Where are the rest of you from?"

"Born here, Impressed here," S'rito said somewhat snottily.

"Turquoise Bay, Impressed here," Ahira said.

"Sunstone area, Impressed here," B'jon replied.

"Amethyst Cliff Hold originally, born in Woodcraft Hall. I was
Searched for Dragonsfall but ended up Impressing here," Im're replied.

"I got Searched and Impressed here, while I was visiting uncle U'das,"
Uetia told them. "Otherwise, I'm Far Islander."

"River Bluff weyrbrat," L'ris informed, followed by a few me-too's.

"That's a pretty diverse mix. I think it's healthy to have some
change-up in bloodline and perspective."

"But don't you think transferring too many times makes you disloyal?
My uncle says you should stick to the Weyr you Impressed in," S'rito
said.

One of the blueriders winced. S'rito was going to get them _all_ in trouble.

"If that was the case, the North wouldn't have any Weyrs re-founded
and who would we fly Thread there?" K'ran asked. He realized the
brownrider was trying to pick a fight, but he really didn't want to
have to discipline him this early.

"Does staying in one place whole your life make you a hide-bound?"
Uetia retorted back at S'rito.

"It means you know what life's like here and you're not just waltzing
in like you own the place. Both our leaders are foreign, and they
don't know anything about River Bluff, and doesn't that bother you at
all?" S'rito snapped before he realized quite what he was saying.

Silence fell for a moment as everyone processed it. Ahira broke it
with a nervous cough.

"Why don't you go back to your weyr and calm down?" K'ran asked
S'rito, in a tone it implied it really wasn't a request.

Saying nothing, the brownrider slunk off.

"Anyone else want to say something negative about me to my face? I
think I'd rather that then the backbiting," the bronzerider said.

The was a round of head shakes. Uetia grinned. This guy may be short
but he was going to do all right.

"In that case, I think we've got places to be," K'ran said, continuing
down the corridor.

Last updated on the March 13th 2016

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Gossip Spreads Rapid-ly