Protective Parents

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 8th December 2024

Characters: Alyena, R'lor
Description: Alyena has a word with R'lor about R'ayl's lessons with Ç'pier
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 8 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: R'ayl, Ç'pier, B'lyse, Saedyna

R'lor

It wasn't until the afternoon that Alyena found the time to spare from her duties, but as soon as she did, she went in search of the Weyrlingmaster. There was a weyrling class in the final sevendays of their training, so she headed outside first and sure enough, she saw the young dragons overhead, moving between formations and flickering in and out of /between/.

Soon enough, the drill was over, blues and greens and browns landing lightly across the Bowl. Alyena kept her distance while the riders gathered around the Weyrlingmasters, but when they were dismissed, she hurried over to intercept R'lor.

"Weyrlingmaster. Could I have a word, please?" She spoke politely, but the tension in her voice was unmistakeable.

"Of course. Is something wrong?"

"You could say that." Alyena kept her voice low, not wanting the weyrlings to overhear. "Yesterday evening, I came back to my rooms to find R'ayl teaching his sister hand signals, the kind for people with hearing problems, not just dragonriders. So I asked him who he'd learned them from, and he said someone in the weyrling class, but he looked guilty. I pressed him, and eventually he admitted that he had been talking to that brownrider Ç'pier, but that it was all right with you."

"Ah, yes. It turns out that Weyrling B'lyse doesn't hear well, which he failed to disclose." R'lor frowned. He was angry about another youngster lying to him but he had far more sympathy for B'lyse than he did for the boy's former friend. "C'pier knows signing, so I asked him to teach R'ayl in order to help B'lyse with his training."

"You asked _him_." Her frown deepened. "You didn't think it might be dangerous, for a young boy to spend time with someone like that?"

Of course his mother would worry, and R'lor couldn't blame her one bit. "As much as I'm still angry at him, C'pier hasn't shown any further signs of violence. And besides, his brown would never allow him to hurt another rider."

"Are you so sure about that, that you'd risk my son around him?" Alyena felt her voice rising in anger and frustration, and she bit her lip, forcing herself not to shout. "What if his dragon's distracted, or falls asleep? What if Ç'pier deceives him into thinking it's a game? You know he's a liar. How could you take that chance?"

R'lor hated being put in a position to defend C'pier. "His reasons were . . . not out of cruelty. He owed marks to some terrible people who threated B'lyse and belived he had to do their bidding to protect him. But B'lyse now has the full protection of the Weyr and C'pier is aware of that. So no, I don't believe C'pier is going to harm anyone else."

"You may not believe he's a threat, but I'm not willing to stake my son's life on your opinion." The bitter resentment burned in her. Dragonriders always got a second chance. A chance that no one had been willing to offer to her eldest son. "I don't want R'ayl spending any more time with Ç'pier. If you want him to learn sign language, find some other teacher."

R'lor pressed his lips together. He liked Alyena and he certainly didn't want to upset the new Headwoman. "I can make sure someone is with them. One of the older weyrlingstaff."

"How much older? Not some bored fifteen-Turn-old who's waiting to join the Wings." She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. Weyrfolk were so...innocent. They saw more good in people than was really there, and missed the darkness and the violence. Perhaps it wasn't the Weyrlingmaster's fault that he didn't see the danger that was so obvious to her.

"Several Turns older. A rider who's chosen to be on the Weyrlingstaff rather than placed there due to being underage for the Wings," R'lor assured her.

"A good deal older," Alyena countered. Shells, she couldn't believe she was even contemplating agreeing to this. "It needs to be a grown adult who can tell if anything untoward is going on, and protect R'ayl if needed. I'd sit with them myself if I had the time."

R'lor tamped down on a flare of anger. "I understand a mother's protectiveness, but R'ayl's safety is my responsibility. If I tell you I'll have someone watch them to make you feel more comfortable, it's going to be someone who knows what they're doing."

"All right." She took a moment, trying to recover her calm. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to question your competence as Weyrlingmaster. It's just that this isn't a matter of keeping him safe when he's flying with the Wings. R'ayl is very trusting, and he's been taken in before by someone who wanted to use him for his own ends."

"I know, I was the one he confessed to," R'lor said gently. "And C'pier lied to my face while Saedyna was lying there barely alive in the infirmary. I'm very aware of what he was capable of, both the deceit and the violence. But I truly don't believe he's a danger to your son."

"I hope you're right." Alyena sighed. "I'm proud of him for learning a new skill, but..." She wished R'lor could have chosen anyone else to interact with Ç'pier. "What about B'lyse? Will R'ayl be safe around him, when he's helping him?" She didn't know anything bad about the other weyrling, but hoped he wasn't anything like his friend.

R'lor blinked, but of course she wouldn't know all the details. "B'lyse didn't know anything about what C'pier did. He learned about it after I did, and he's furious that C'pier did something so horrible in his name. From all I've seen B'lyse is kind and gentle."

"Good." The tension in her posture eased a little, and she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm glad he'll have some more young people he can talk to that way. It can't be easy for him." More than anyone, she knew what it was to learn that someone so close to her had done something unimaginable.

"I should be angry with B'lyse for hiding his hearing issues, but instead I feel sorry for making him struggle."

"You weren't to know. And if he had told you, and hadn't been able to stand, who knows what might have happened. Perhaps it's turned out for the best." Alyena knew that the candidates had to be healthy, though she wasn't certain about B'lyse's specific trouble. "Will he be able to graduate to a Wing, with the others?"

"That's up to the Weyrleader. If he thinks B'lyse's difficulty hearing is too much of a liability in Fall. . ." R'lor shrugged. He wasn't quite sure what to hope for. He wanted B'lyse to be accepted and succeed as a Wingrider, but on the other hand he'd be safe if he didn't have to fly Fall.

Alyena nodded. "If there's anything I can do to help, I will. I'm sorry if I sounded abrupt, before. I know you're doing your best to look out for all of them."

"It's a mother's right to worry." The Weyrlingmaster smiled. "I chose R'ayl because he's so bright and eager to learn."

"He seems to be enjoying it." Alyena felt a glow of pride. It was hard to stay angry when she heard her son being praised. "Though I do wonder about him and his sister sharing a language that I don't understand." She smiled. "Who knows what they'll be talking about, right under my nose."

R'lor laughed. "Why don't you ask him to teach you too? I know you don't have much time, but you can pick up a few things and learn more over time."

"I might do that. You should too," Alyena suggested, only half joking. "R'ayl might be the first, but it won't be long before all the weyrlings are learning it."

"I plan on learning as soon as I get these kids out of my hair," he said with all the fond affection of a parent.

"Hopefully there'll be a little less drama in the next clutch." She couldn't see how there could be more, when one weyrling's friend had tried to murder another one.

R'lor let out an exasperated laugh. "I certainly didn't expect Saedyna, B'lyse, and B'lyse's boyfriend to all Impress while I was making C'pier repeat weyrlinghood."

"But the hatchlings had other ideas. I'm glad for them, though, particularly Saedyna." If anything could help to heal the poor girl, it was a dragon's love.

"Me too. I told her first thing if she was too uncomfortable I could postpone C'pier's second round of training until the next clutch came along. But she said she was fine." The corner of his mouth turned up. "That girl is made of pure steel."

"She's come a long way since she arrived here." Alyena hadn't known her well when she'd been a candidate, but she had recognized the quiet and cautious manner that she'd had herself when she first came to Dolphin Cove, not knowing if Weyr life would treat her any better than what she'd left behind. "I'd better get back to work, but I'll tell R'ayl I don't object to the lessons if he's accompanied by another rider."

R'lor nodded. "Thank you for speaking with me." He would much rather discuss things than have someone stay angry at him.

Last updated on the December 16th 2024

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