Anywhere But Here

Writers: Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 27th October 2019

Characters: Yanley, A'ten
Description: After hearing about L'keri's accident, Arten makes a request of Yanley.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 2 of Turn 9

Yanley

Arten first had a feeling that something was wrong when he noticed the
whispers. He'd never been that close to the other weyrbrats, missing
his friends back at Ista and preferring to spend his free time alone,
and now that he wasn't in classes with either the crafters or the
Candidates, he didn't see so much of them. They did still have to do
chores together, though, and he noticed the others lowering their voices
and hushing each other whenever he was nearby.

He didn't find out exactly what it was until he returned to his foster
mother that evening and she told him about the incident at Dolphin Cove,
but he'd had a feeling from the start that L'keri was at the bottom of it.

The next day, he threw himself into his work, scrubbing pots in the
kitchens until his fingers ached, mucking out the beasts in the rain,
fetching and carrying and running errands. It didn't help. His back
prickled as though folk were staring at him wherever he went. **That's
the boy whose father got so stinking drunk he broke his leg climbing the
weyrling barracks. Put himself and his dragon out of action for a month.
What an idiot...**

Finally he couldn't bear it any more. Once the morning's chores were
over, instead of going to the dining hall for his lonely noon meal, he
volunteered to take the Headwoman's tray to her office.

"Hello Arten," Yanley greeted with a warm smile when the boy came in.
Her firelizards were more interested in the tray he was carrying.

"Good day, ma'am. I brought your lunch." Arten set the tray down on the
desk. His little blue popped in from /between/, greeting the other
firelizards with a trill, and the boy had to send him a stern **No** to
keep him away from the Headwoman's meal. Distracted, he nearly lost his
nerve and turned to go, but then hesitated in the doorway.

"Thank you," Yanley replied. Sensing he had something on his mind, she
decided to draw him in with some light small talk. "So, how's your new
firelizard? What do you call him?"

"Winter." The blue firelizard landed on Arten's shoulder, creeling and
beating his wings to keep his balance, then wrapped his tail around the
boy's neck and settled. "Cause it was snowing the day he hatched, and
his hide's pale blue, like ice." He raised a hand to stroke the blue's
head, and was rewarded with happy thoughts that restored his courage. "I
never realised he'd eat so much. He's hungry all the time."

"That's a good name and lovely shade of blue too. Ah, yes, that's babies
for you, always eating," she said with a small chuckle.
"So, have you decided what to do now? Join the candidate classes or pick
up some craft?"

"No, ma'am." The boy swallowed. Sensing his distress, the little
firelizard chirped in concern and nudged his cheek with his head. "I was
thinking of leaving the Weyr. Of going to work in the holds." He
stared down at the floor. "No offence, but I'd rather be anywhere but here."

"Why?" Yanley asked, her tone gentle.

Arten tried to think how to explain what he meant. He didn't want to
whine or complain about his father to the Headwoman. "I don't think I'd
be good at any craft and I don't want to be a dragonrider any more. I
just want to make my own way, without it mattering who I was born to."

"You can't know if you're good at a craft until you've tried. Although
there's plenty of work here that does not require training," Yanley
pointed out. Considering who his father was, maybe the boy just wanted
away from him? "It would be possible to arrange transfer to another
Weyr if you so wish. Barrier Lake needs plenty of manpower, for
instance," she offered him an alternative. To her, a weyrbrat moving to
a Hold did not sound like a good idea.

The boy shook his head. "I'd rather go to a hold." If he went to another
Weyr, there'd be people there who'd heard of his father. A lot of
Dragonsfall riders were transferring to the new Weyrhold. If he was
really unlucky, L'keri's Wingleader might get sick of him and have him
sent to the same place.

"That's not a good idea, it's very different there and you're still so
young. You wouldn't have parents or fosterparents taking care of you,"
Yanley warned him.

Arten shrugged. "It's not like I have parents who care about me here. I
can do without them. I'm used to it."

"How about your fostermother?" Yanley asked. Of course, the boy hadn't
been long with her yet, so he might have not developed an attachment.

"Ohanna's nice, but...I've lost count of how many fostermothers I've
had." She meant well, Arten thought, but she couldn't really understand
him. "Besides, I'm twelve now. I don't need a fostermother any more."

"Being twelve is not same as being legally adult, you still have few
turns to that. You can't even marry yet," Yanley said.

"I don't want to marry." Though he didn't know it, his stubborn gaze was
much like his father's when he was in trouble with the bronzeriders. "I
just want to leave."

"No one's telling you to marry, the point is, you're too young to go on
your own, especially to a place like Hold. Trust me, this comes from
former Lady Holder."

"Fine. I guess I'll just keep on doing chores with the drudges, then."
Arten felt a lump in his throat. It was four more Turns until he was
sixteen. Four endless Turns of drudge work and being humiliated by his
father's behaviour. Maybe he should ask to go the Weyrhold. He needed
time to think. "I've got to go. Enjoy your lunch, ma'am."

"Thank you, Arten. If you want to talk about it," Yanley offered. He was
really melting her heart and she felt sad for not be able to help him.
You couldn't choose your parents.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." There wasn't anything she or
anybody else could do to make L'keri care about his children. Winter
made a worried chirping noise and he stroked the little blue's head to
comfort him. At least he had one friend, who loved him without question.
"Thank you for listening, anyway." Then he turned and left the office,
shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Last updated on the November 1st 2019

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Anywhere But Here