It's Not Fair
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: 27th August 2025
Characters: Cirina, R'lor
Description: Cirina faces punishment for sneaking onto the sands.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 13 of Turn 12
The Weyrlingmaster was waiting with his arms crossed when Cirinia emerged from the Hatching Cavern. "In my office. Now."
Cirina's shoulders were slumped as she fell into step behind R'lor. She gave a loud sniff, rubbing a hand across her face as she said for what felt like the hundredth time that night, "I wasn't hurting any of them."
R'lor hardened himself against her tears. "That is not the point." He didn't speak again until they stepped into his office and he closed the door behind him. "What were you thinking, Cirina? You _know_ better."
"I thought if I could get in quietly I wouldn't get caught. It's not like anything else has been working." Cirina sank listlessly into the chair across from R'lor's desk.
R'lor took his own seat, brow furrowed. "Disobeying rules, disturbing a brooding Queen, upsetting the Weyrleaders . . . I expected better of you."
"Yeah. well, it's not you I have to convince to give me a chance, it's the dragons in those eggs," she pointed out sullenly.
His frown deepened. Did she not understand how serious this was? "Right now it's me you have to convince to even _allow_ you on those Sands."
"You don't get it. It doesn't matter if you let me on the Sands or not if the dragons won't even look at me. You're not the one I need to convince," her voice wavered a little more and Digger crawled back down into her lap, letting her hug him even if he didn't look particularly thrilled at being restrained.
R'lor sighed. "I know you're frustrated, but that's no excuse to break the rules and anger Panitath and her rider. You aren't the only Candidate who's been Standing for Turns. Candidates are allowed to touch the eggs for nearly every clutch. Did you think sneaking in early would give you some sort of advantage?"
"Yes!" Cirina said, then hurriedly added, "Maybe if I got in first, when no one else was around, I could convince one of them to give me a chance. And I was talking to them and I don't know if they even have ears yet, but maybe they could hear me."
"And you think you can do whatever you want if it might benefit you? Is that the kind of person you are?"
That just set Cirina back to crying, her voice shaky with tears, "I just want a dragon. It's not fair."
"No, it's not fair." R'lor fought the urge to comfort the girl, to get up and hug her. "And it's not about what you want. The dragons choose who they will, and we can guess what might make them more likely to pick this Candidate or that, but no one really _knows_. You invented some advantage and went to the Hatching Grounds in the middle of the night, after Panitath's hatchlings were _poisoned_ not that long ago, after riders have been attacked and _murdered_ . . . Did you even think about what kind of panic you could cause?"
Sniffing, she said, "I figured I'd get caught sneaking in. Once I was in I didn't think I'd get caught."
R'lor rubbed his temple. "The problem is you didn't _think_. You were just being _selfish_. But you are going to spend a lot of time thinking, because you're going to be cleaning out the dragon infirmary for the next month, _including_ restdays."
Cirina winced, but she didn't see a point in arguing. The work wasn't that bad, at least it involved dragons, but a month of the constant reminder that the closest she might ever get to having a dragon was cleaning up after them was going to hurt. She sniffed again and wiped her face on her sleeve. "Alright. Is that all? It's late, I should go to bed." Curl up and cry was more accurate.
"I will also have to discuss with the Weyrwoman whether or not you should be allowed to Stand." If Cyradis felt strongly that Cirina shouldn't be allowed on the Sands, R'lor wasn't sure he would argue against her.
"Of course," Cirina said dully. It wouldn't matter if her ploy had worked; surely if she'd convinced one of the dragons in those eggs to give her a chance, they'd find her anyway. And if she wasn't allowed to Stand... well, at least she'd tried something different this time.
"_And_," R'lor said, "I want you to apologize to the Weyrwoman, and Panitath -- if the Queen will even allow you to -- and write an essay about why it's wrong to sneak onto the Hatching Sands."
"Panitath will forget why she's mad at me in a few days. I'm sure she'll let me apologize," Cirina said with a confidence that probably wasn't entirely deserved at the moment.
"Which is why you'll be apologizing _tomorrow_, before she forgets." Faranth, she was testing him.
"I... I'll try? I mean, the Weyrwoman of course, but I don't know if Panitath will want to..." Cirina scrambled for words because Panitath wouldn't 'talk to her', of course. "I don't know if Panitath will let me on the Sands to talk to her, but if she doesn't, I'll keep trying until she does? But... without bothering her." Somehow. She'd figure that out tomorrow.
R'lor nodded. "You might have to stand in the entrance to the Hatching Grounds and plead your case from there, but I'll leave that up to the Weyrwoman."
Cirina nodded, "I will. I'm... I'm sure she'll let me stand. After I apologize and..." No one had been interested in her explanation, so she just repeated, "After I apologize. Can I go now? It's late."
The Weyrlingmaster sighed. "You may go. Report to me after class tomorrow."
Cirina nodded mutely before rushing out of the office.
Last updated on the September 2nd 2025