A Chat After the Hatching

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 19th October 2025

Characters: Alyena, R'lor
Description: Alyena and R'lor catch up.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 20 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: I'thralos, Zaidi, Tindral, Cirina, Chandrany, R'ayl, Vianne, N'vanik, Z'kim, H'yazi

R'lor

~*~

The first sevenday after the Hatching was a quieter time for the Headwoman. Once all the leftovers had been packed up and put aside for the next few days' meals, the extra tables and chairs for the guests returned to storage and the dining cavern scrubbed and mopped until every surface shone, there weren't so many calls on her staff, and the small group of leftover candidates went about their chores in a subdued mood. She had time to catch up on her record-keeping, adjusting her schedules and planning what supplies they'd need to replenish over the coming months - until the next queen rose and they had to do it all over again.

She knew the Weyrlingmaster's experience would be the opposite, with a large clutch of new weyrlings and dragonets to supervise, so she waited until the next restday eve before she headed for his office with a jug of fresh klah and tapped on the door.

R'lor braced himself for a weyrling with a problem. "Come in!" He broke into a smile when he saw who it was. "Alyena, good to see you."

"Weyrlingmaster. I thought you might need a short break from your duties." She held up the jug as she entered, her eyes glinting with amusement as she guessed why he might look so relieved.

"I would very much appreciate it." He leaned back in his chair, trying not to think about all the work he had to do, or if a weyrling might need him. He had a 'Second and 'Third. He had a staff.

"Of course, my motives aren't entirely pure." Alyena found some mugs and poured out the klah before taking a seat. "I'm curious to know how the new weyrlings are getting on. It was quite the eventful Hatching." A bronze choosing his rider from the Stands, a holdless boy Impressing and another young lad injured by his own new lifemate - no wonder the Weyrlingmaster looked tired.

He muttered his thanks and took a sip of klah. "Some of the recent Hatchings have skewed my perspective," R'lor said with wry humor. "I thought it was relatively calm, all things considered. There's been a few struggles, personality clashes -- between both humans and dragons, as well as between new lifemates. Every class has its own unique struggles."

"I'm glad to hear there are no more difficulties than usual. I was anxious about Tindral and Zaidi," Alyena admitted. "They're both so young to be away from their families, and hadn't even been at the Weyr a month." She'd half wished that Cirina or Chandrany, who'd been waiting so long, would have Impressed instead of them. But it was the dragons' choice.

"I have some concerns about them also. Zaidi's green has quite a forceful personality, and with her so young, well . . . And Tindral is a little too meek for her strong-willed dragon, but we'll work on that," R'lor said. "And both of them have some time before they're old enough for the Wings, so they'll have extra training if needed.

Alyena found it hard to imagine either of those two shy little girls riding their dragons against Thread, any more than her own son. He had grown up a great deal in the past Turn, but was fortunately still a way off from joining a fighting Wing. "At least you'll have plenty of help in the coming Turns. R'ayl is getting to be quite senior among your assistants," she said, smiling. "What about that young holdless lad - Hayazi? Is he settling in all right?"

"He's a bit uncertain and I suspect sometimes he's telling me what he thinks I want to hear rather than the truth." R'lor frowned thoughtfully. "I was . . . hesitant when he was Searched, given his background, but he hasn't caused trouble and he seems like a gentle lad."

"That's good to hear. Perhaps he needs time, to build trust," Alyena said thoughtfully. She'd been reticent herself, when she'd first come to the Weyr. Even now, there were some thoughts and feelings she kept to herself, not believing the weyrfolk would understand. "I would have hesitated too, once, but after coming so close to holdlessness myself - it changes your perspective."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to live like that, or to have the threat of it hanging over your head." R'lor had never had to consider losing his home, outside some cataclysmic natural disaster.

"Or what it does to a child." Alyena felt a chill at the thought, and cupped her hands around the warm klah mug. Living without shelter from Thread, without knowing where the next meal was coming from, without a future... she'd have done anything, even move to the Weyr which had brought so much ill fortune to her family, to keep her daughter from that fate. "I wonder what happened to his parents. Well, he's safe now, and he has his dragon."

"Indeed. How are things in your world?" R'lor took a sip of klah.

"Calmer, now the Hatching celebrations are over. It's hard on the remaining candidates. I've been doing my best to keep them busy, but even the best jobs aren't going to compare to a baby dragon. Fortunately there weren't any who reached the age limit this time, but there's a few who are getting close and of course, they start thinking that perhaps it'll never happen." She sighed. "I'm most worried about Vianne at the moment. That situation with her husband - it wasn't what I expected at all."

"A bronze Impressing from the Stands. You don't see that every day." R'lor shook his head. "I feel bad for her. I hope she has someone she can speak with about it. I keep expecting her to knock on my door, but I've barely seen her since the Hatching."

"It can't be easy, with her little girl, and the father suddenly a dragonrider..." Alyena shook her head. "I must admit, it was hard for me to understand why she accepted the Search, with all it would mean for her marriage and her family if she Impressed. But the way it's turned out, it wouldn't have made any difference. The bronze would have chosen as he did, whether she was on the Sands or not."

"I appreciate any Candidate who's willing to put their duty to Pern above all else," R'lor said. "I hope I'thralos can adjust. At least he's weyrbred. A hold or hallbred kid Impressing from the Stands is always a challenge."

"There is that." Alyena tried to imagine it. To come to the Weyr, expecting only to celebrate a Hatching, and suddenly to find yourself chosen for a new life, destined to fight Thread, your hold no longer your home. She had some idea of what it was to be uprooted, but at least she'd been grown and had her family with her. "Well, I'm sure they'll all thrive in your care. You've got a few from the harpercraft this time, haven't you? That should make the classroom side easier."

"They do tend to be, on average, a bit better about sitting still and paying attention," R'lor said with an amused smile.

"Or pretending they are." Her mood lightened at the thought, though only for an instant. "Oh dear, that reminds me that I'll have to write to the Printer Hall about a new journeyman. It's difficult enough when they're searched... I suppose there's some who might not mind a little less gossip-mongering around the Weyr after the Hatching celebration, but I have to confess I'd miss it."

"I think the Weyrleader would miss it, too," R'lor grumbled half-seriously. "He seems determined to make himself the top story." He hadn't seen N'vanik kiss his greenrider friend, but he'd heard about it. Several times.

"I didn't see it myself, but I can tell you, it didn't go down well with some of the guests." Alyena had been called on to arrange hasty rides home for a few affronted families, and a guest room for one holder who'd chosen to express his disapproval by over-indulging in drink. "It's not my business, really, but I thought he had a weyrmate, a weaver. R'ayl knows her. It seems a little inconsiderate of her feelings..."

"Relationships are different in the weyr. We don't know what kind of agreement or arrangement they've made." R'lor was still trying to wrap his mind around a bronzerider with a male lover. He'd dismissed the rumors last time, thinking that outrageous dance was nothing more than a show, but N'vanik and Z'kim had made their relationship clear this time. First brownriders, now bronzeriders.

"I hope it really is what she wants. I saw it too many times back at the Hold: a wife 'agreeing' to her husband spending all his time at the tavern flirting with the barmaids. And he is the Weyrleader..." Alyena sighed. Perhaps she was being too suspicious, but she'd never really trusted N'vanik. "People will talk, and say unkind things."

"Their relationship is their business," R'lor said mildly. "Though I do wish N'vanik hadn't made such an . . . exhibition out of it. As you said, some people did not take that well." He felt a bit disloyal for criticizing the Weyrleader, but he'd had to listen to complaints from the families of Candidates and some of the new weyrlings.

"Well, I expect in a few months' time, everyone will get used to the idea and no one will take any notice of them." Alyena sounded more optimistic than perhaps she felt, since there was always gossip about a Weyrleader. "Like it is with blue hatchlings choosing girls. I was almost disappointed there weren't any this time, though it came close."

"Poor Cirina." A few times he'd been sure a dragonet was going to choose her, but they'd Impressed to others instead.

"It can't be easy, but I have to respect the strength of character it must take. To keep on trying..." It must feel like rejection, over and over, and very public, too. At least her own daughter was still young enough to be consoled that her dragon hadn't hatched yet, and most of her friends, weyrbrats of the same age, hadn't Impressed either. "However it turns out for her and the others, I'm sure that'll serve them well."

R'lor nodded. "She has a craft, but she's not very enthusiastic about it. I might need to talk to her about that soon."

"Well, when you're hoping for a dragon it must be difficult to focus on studying." The Headwoman smiled. "I know it is for Evalya. She's not lazy, really, and luckily she's too scared of the Weyrhealer to neglect her work, but she does have her dreams."

R'lor chuckled. "The Weyrhealer can be very intimidating. I've noticed Evalya being very helpful in showing the new Candidates around. I appreciate that."

"I'm glad to hear that." She sipped her klah, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "And I'm sure it has nothing to do with showing off how much she knows about the Weyr."

"Nothing wrong with taking pride in her home," he said with an amused smile.

"True." It filled her with quiet pride, too, how well her daughter had settled in. "It's a good home."

"I'm so glad you and your children have found a home here," R'lor said warmly. They'd all been through so much. "All of you, even little Evalya, are a credit to the Weyr."

"Thank you. I'm still amazed at the welcome and kindness we've been shown." Some of it was to do with being R'ayl's family, she thought, but not all. "But enough about me - do you have any tales from the first sevenday's training? No dragonets trying to fly yet, I hope?"

"Faranth, not _this_ early. Though I hope there's not a repeat of J'lyas and Braxialth's stunt."

"If not, I expect the class will find some other way to make your life more interesting." Alyena reached out to pour some more klah. "And I'll be looking forward to hearing about it..."

Last updated on the October 28th 2025

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A Chat After the Hatching