An Impromptu Lesson

Writers: Curious, Yvonne
Date Posted: 18th February 2022

Characters: K'aur, H'run
Description: K'aur gets an impromptu lesson-- although he doesn't like it much
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 12 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Ashela, Saibra, K'mai, Kadira

H'run

Hides were heavy, and H'run was in no mood to work in the Archives. Anyone could find him there... Ashela, Saibra... and Red Star forbid it, but even K'mai. He staggered out the door with his arms full of birth records from half-ways through the Interval and immediately spotted a young man rushing past with the knots of a weyrling. "You there! Come take this," he commanded.

K'aur has _thought_ that impression would be a one-way ticket to the good life. Unfortunately, it seemed that he had failed to account for the unforgiving period of near-drudgery that was weyrlinghood. He allowed rampant displeasure to show on his face as he turned to face H'run, but plodded over to him all the same.

"What are those for?" He asked as he reluctantly held out his arms, a hint of curiosity leaking into his grumble.

"Genealogies," H'run answered. Then he paused. By his knots, this handsome young man was one of Kadira's clutchmates. Sour expression be flamed, he could be useful. The bluerider gave him a charming smile as he unloaded the pile of ledgers into the young man's hands. "Congratulations, by the way. And welcome to dragonriding."

"Thanks," K'aur said. His tone and expression lightened for a moment. However, when he looked down down at the hides, his brow furrowed. "What do you need genealogies for?"

"For research, of course!" H'run gestured for the weyrling to follow him. "Bloodlines and family history are important as dragonriders. As you know, those with dragonriders in the family tend to Impress dragons. Not always, but often. Do you have dragonriders in the family?"

"No," K'aur said, a flicker of pride making its way onto his face. "I'm the first."

The bluerider beamed at the weyrling. "Oh my. Congratulations! Your family muct be very proud."

K'aur grinned. "Thank you; my mother is very happy."

As she should be. After all, he'd finally have a chance to help the family now.

"And your father?"

K'aur's smile fell. "So, what exactly are you looking for?" he redirected. It was obvious enough that it nearly made him wince, but it was still better than the alternative. He'd come to the Weyr in part to /escape/ the title of 'bastard', the last thing he needed was to go around spreading that information.

**Interesting.** Another candidate with father problems. It was so common. H'run sighed and lay a hand on the heavy hides. "Evidence. Confirmation. You have a very interesting clutchmate, my handsome young man."

K'aur scowled. "Ugh. You don't mean the woman bluerider, do you?" Except of course he did. She was enough of a freak that there wasn't really anyone else he could be talking about.

"Very perceptive of you." H'run turned right down a hallway and gestured for K'aur to follow. "It's a rather curious matter, isn't it?"

K'aur rolled his eyes as he followed the bluerider. "If by 'curious' you mean 'unnatural', then yeah, it's plenty curious."

**Interesting.** H'run had so far thought of Kadira as a curiosity, not a freak. For the first time he wondered how her Impression would be percieved at the Holds. "What's your take on the matter?" he asked.

"It shouldn't have happened," K'aur said, blunt and without hesitation. "It's bad enough that there are women on greens - we don't need them on blues as well. It's unnatural."

"I suppose that Kadira's dragon would beg to differ. The dragons decide and we comply," H'run said with a shrug. "I know I certainly had no choice when Calcifeth came for me. You Impressed a brown dragon, did you not?"

"I did, but I was aiming for a bronze or brown. And everyone knows that men are _supposed_ to be brown. If I was a girl and impressed Remiath?" K'aur snorted and shook his head. "I'd never be able to step foot in a Hold again without getting torn apart."

Clearly this young lad had no idea that he was speaking with a bluerider. **Holdbred thing,** H'run thought. "If men are supposed to Impress brown and bronze, then why do you suppose there are blue dragons?"

K'aur blinked. "Blues are there to take orders, right?"

Wait, no, context. That probably wasn't what H'run meant when he asked that. He quickly backtracked to clarify, "I mean, blues are good for some men." 'The ones who don't fit in Holds', he almost said. Except, well, he didn't exactly fit at Amber Hills either, did he? It was probably best to stick to simple explanations in this case. "I just knew I wasn't one of them. But girls have golds, and greens if they're absolutely determined to ruin their life. They don't need to go impressing blues."

"I would encourage you to ask that question to greenriders, my fine young man. You can never understand a person's reasons until you ask." H'run stopped at the door to his weyr and took the hides from K'aur. "Such as you. If I may-- why did you come to the Weyr when you were Searched?"

K'aur clenched his jaw and looked away. "It's complicated. My family - there were circumstances. Me impressing was our only reliable way up in the world. But that's different - I'm a man. I don't see what it had to do with women standing when they shouldn't."

"Ah-- so you are doing as you _should_." H'run nodded thoughtfully. "I am sure that you've heard the phrase, 'the dragons decide, and we comply'?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what that has to do with some freakish girl impressing blue."

"Because Ishath made his choice, and we- and Kadira- must comply. It's not as if we can undo an Impression that does not meet our very human standards. If that were the case, I'm sure that there are many parents who would arrange things to their own liking." H'run shrugged. "I cannot begrudge a dragon his choice, even if it is extrordinary. I hope that you will be able to do the same."

K'aur snorted. "I don't know how you could see it like that, but I sure as shards can't. It's just... _wrong_." Was it unwise for him, a weyrling, to speak so freely in front of a fully graduated rider who clearly disagreed with him? Probably. But the words escaped his mouth before he could think better of it, and now that he had gotten started, he wasn't about to _backtrack_. "I mean, it's bad enough that there are women standing for and impressing greens. Blues are male dragons, for men. Getting a blue like that... she's basically ruined her life!"

A tiny part of K'aur that knew his words were _off_ even as he said them. After all, there was nothing in the world that could make him think that impressing Remiath ruined his life. However, he quickly pushed that part away. He was different. His circumstances were different. Maybe the bond between them and their dragons was different. Besides, he was a man who had impressed a brown and had been in such a position where the only way he could go was up. Kadira? Her impression had made it so that she would spend the rest of her life as a freak even among the weyrfolk. It would be sad if it weren't so _weird_.

H'run's lips quirked into a smile. This boy would have a hard time at the Weyr, and wouldn't that be interesting to watch? "And why would that bother you, hmm? Unless... are you envious of her fame?"

"Not even," K'aur said, a hint of disgusted disgruntlement leaking into his voice. "Better to be unknown than a total pariah. I'm upset that there are more women forcing their way into men's places and work, and that more misguided girls will probably throw their lives away trying to follow in her footsteps. It's not _right_."

"I am _so_ glad that you are here, then, to punish those who are not _right_," H'run drawled. "How very _dare_ someone live their life according to pre-Plague traditions. Very long, very solid traditions." He eyed the weyrling up. "You do seem to have a very good understanding of Pern's history, my lad."

"Have you ever considered that maybe things changed for a reason and it wouldn't have gotten so bad if it was like this from the start?" K'aur countered.

"No," the Harper said flatly. "Look at the Holds. Think of who has benefitted from all the death and misery that the Plague caused. It's been men, and only men. And only _some_ men-- the wealthy men and men of the Blood. There used to be so many opportunities for people to live their lives to their lives to the fullest and contribute to Hold, Hall and Weyr, and now so many people are unhappy living lives that they _should_ instead of lives that they _want_, and we are poorer for it. We have reduced half of Pern's population to merely breeders when they are capable of so much more. A waste, and I abhor waste."

K'aur sighed. "Right," he said, his voice the flat, bored tone of someone who just wasn't willing to listen. "Are we almost to where you need to be? Or will you want to lecture me some more first?"

"Mmm." A sly smile tugged at H'run's lips. The boy thought he had claws. "Perhaps you missed it. I abhor waste, and that includes time." His eyes flicked up and down K'aur's frame, making it clear that the waste in question was standing right in front of him. He took the books from K'aur's hands with a bright smile. "Thank you _ever_ so much for carrying my books, my sweetness. It's been such a pleasure."

K'aur scowled. "That's one thing we can agree on." He passed the H'run his books before turning around and storming away, not even bothering to try and hide his scowl. Sharing bluerider.

And H'run laughed.

Last updated on the July 15th 2022

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An Impromptu Lesson