Almost Grounded
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Shawna
Date Posted: 12th December 2024
Characters: Cirina, R'lor
Description: R’lor calls Cirina in to discuss her dangerous activities
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 18 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: O'rosin
A young greenrider wearing Weyrlingstaff knots stepped into the classroom. "Cirina? The Weyrlingmaster wants to talk to you."
Cirina looked up from her work in confused surprise, but quickly gathered up her items and the confused Digger who'd been napping on her desk, giving her classmates a shrug before heading to follow the greenrider. After she was let into the Weyrlingmaster's office, asked, "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Cirina, please have a seat," R'lor said. "I've heard you've been getting rides on Aeoluth, sometimes _without_ O'rosin."
She sat down dutifully, still looking confused, "Just like back and forth between his weyr and the barracks. A couple times up to my mum's weyr, but I never bother him when he's busy and he doesn't seem to mind."
"I have some concerns about your safety. Aeoluth is . . . not the most obedient dragon." Young people often thought they were invincible and R'lor had seen far too many injuries and deaths. "He won't even listen to his rider sometimes and I'm worried he might hurt you. Not deliberately of course, but he just doesn't think of others."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that, sir," Cirina said earnestly. "I heard about that first lesson and obviously I didn't get any rides until a lot later, but Aeoluth's never done anything to make me feel unsafe. And I've had to get rides from a lot of weyrlings." She wrinkled her nose, adding, "Dolphin Cove isn't exactly the friendliest weyr for those of us still dragon-deprived. Aeoluth isn't bad, just eager."
"_Over_ eager is about the nicest way I'd phrase it," the Weyrlingmaster muttered. "I have no problem with you riding the other weyrlings' dragons, but I don't trust Aeoluth with his own rider, let alone someone else. Until he gets a better grasp of discipline, I'm afraid I can't allow you to ride him."
Cirina straightened in her chair, meeting his gaze evenly. "Will you be assigning me a personal transportation weyrling to take me to and from study sessions with O'rosin, sir? I should point out that this is all during free time, which I believe is mine to do with as I wish. Respectfully, I think you're being unreasonable. O'rosin's taken me to Barrier Lake Weyr several times and Aeoluth is just fine. O'rosin's worried enough about messing up and not graduating that he wouldn't let me fly with him if he had even a hint of worry."
R'lor bristled at her earlier comments but looked at her thoughtfully as she finished. "Has Aeoluth been rough with you? Taken off before you were fully strapped in or done other dangerous things?"
"No," she said vehemently. "He doesn't do it to O'rosin anymore either now that he knows how the straps work and how not to sit there like a sack of tubers. That first flight was O'rosin's second time on a dragon. It's not fair to hold it against him that he wasn't good at it, and Aeoluth was just a little too excited. I don't know why you don't make sure the holders get some practice riding dragons before they're tossed up in the air on baby dragons excited for their first flight. I'm surprised more of them don't throw up. Or faint," her words got faster as she talked and then she ended with a belated, "sir."
The Weyrlingmaster arched an eyebrow. "Other hold and hallbred weyrlings didn't have the same difficulty. However, you do have a good point. I did plan to make sure all Candidates have at least some experience going /between/ before they Impress, but I hadn't considered flying itself as something they need exposure to."
"Most of the hold and all of the hallbred kids can also read," Cirina pointed out, "they aren't trying to learn everything all at once. O'rosin was a little extra behind, but you can't say he isn't trying. I don't think he's taken a rest day since he was laid up with stitches." Frowning, she added, "Which probably doesn't help with Aeoluth's energy since he's not really getting any time to just fly around and play with his rider."
"O'rosin needs to learn quickly, yes. But if he truly isn't taking any time off on the rest day, that's a concern." R'lor knew children and adolescents were prone to exaggeration. "When O'rosin is busy studying, Aeoluth should be playing with other dragons if he needs to burn off energy."
A particular gleam came into Cirina's eye and there was a little too much intensity in her tone when she said, "So you agree that Aeoluth doesn't need O'rosin's constant supervision to keep from hurting someone?"
R'lor gave her an unamused look. "I trust the older dragons to sit on him if he's being too annoying."
"Hey, he's already bigger than half of them. Really though, he's fine, and it's not like I'm taking him anywhere not within immediate sight of half the weyr. Besides, if he were doing something reckless, you would have heard about it before now, right?"
"I've _seen_ him do reckless things. Several times," the Weyrlingmaster said.
"Other than the first time he was learning to do something?" Cirina pressed. "I'm just saying, I haven't seen it. He crouches down, he lets me climb up, he goes where I point him, he crouches down, he lets me off."
The Weyrlingmaster looked thoughtful. "He seems to behave better for you than he does his rider. Maybe if you join O'rosin in his lessons Aeoluth could learn to improve his patience and control."
Cirina tried not to let her shoulders slump as it became clear there would be no talking R'lor out of his negative opinions about Aeoluth, "Sure. I can do that. You want me to show up for lessons tomorrow?" At least it would be a change of pace, and it wasn't like she had more pressing things to do with her time. "I can let O'rosin know, if you want. That way it sounds more like helping and not like punishing. And hey, it'll give me an advantage when I finally get my green, right?" the girl added, always trying to find the silver lining.
"Tomorrow is Fall, but you can come the day after. Instead of accompanying a senior rider he can work with you and one of the 'Staff," R'lor said. Then he added with a little smile, "It'll get you out of Candidate classes you've been through a million times."
"I think he's already with N'tan this afternoon; he told me he didn't have time to study today. Was that all, sir? Can I go back to class? After all, maybe this time the lesson is just what I need to hear to Impress next time." From her wry tone, she didn't think the millionth repeat of candidate classes was nearly as useful as the first.
"I'm rooting for you, Cirina. I would love to have you in the next weyrling class," R'lor said. "Thank you for your willingness to help. You can be dismissed."
Last updated on the December 16th 2024