Assumptions

Jenna and L'nan talk up at the star stones. J'nas is the one that gets her to smile, however.

jenna - Tuesday, May 21, 2002, 3:42 PM
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Star Stones
This is one of the highest peaks of the entire Fort Range. To the north of here are two vertical rock outcroppings. On the left is the Finger Rock and off to the right is its companion, the Eye Rock. Together, they perform three major functions. These are the first landmarks weyrlings memorize when they learn to fly *between*. And more importantly, when Rukbat balances on Finger Rock at dawn, it marks the winter solstice. If at this time the Red Star is bracketed by the Eye Rock, a Pass is due to begin.
Downwards to the west is the volcanic expanse of Fort Weyr. Individual weyrs pockmark the inside of the cone, and dragons are constantly flying in and out, popping in and out of *between* a few dragonlengths away. The Fort Range stretches as far as you can see to the north and south.
Contents:
L'nan
Alirath(#909JOaelps)

L'nan, quite simply, is snoozing. His feet are propped up on a rock, although the rest of him is stretched out. He's on his back, looking up at the fingers laced behind his head. He doesn't seem to be paying much attention, ignoring any comings and goings of various dragons - as it happens quite a bit, obviously - and off in his own little world. Alirath is perched on the ledge, peering out and over the bowl. A friendly, if restrained, whuff goes to Niyath and her rider.

Niyath backwings rather abruptly, talons scrabbling on rock before she settles. Her rider uncoils from her braced position and unclips from the straps. She asks softly, "Is he asleep, Alirath?"

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath unravels silken strands of welcome. << Good evening, little Queen, >> he rumbles cheerfully. << Mine is half-asleep. He is not in a very good mood. He is acting proddy. >>

Niyath cants her head down at L'nan, clearly curious. Jenna swings her leg over to dismount, and then gives Niyath a sharp look. Cautiously she calls quietly, "Lu?" Maybe she'd better stay up here after all.

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath's curiousity rolls off her in waves. << What is proddy? Saneth's and Randoth's rider said my Jenna was acting proddy earlier. >>

L'nan lets out a bit of a sigh and says, without opening his eyes, "Evenin', Jenna. I'm /not/ acting proddy, no matter what Alirath says." A pause. "Huh. So Niyath thinks you are too, huh?" One eye opens and he looks in this way at Niyath, tilting his head up for a moment. He looks oddly like Alirath when the blue is first awaking. "She doesn't look bright or nothin'."

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath is instantly a bit more alert. << Really? Why is that? >> A speculative pause, a wingbeat, and then, << You look lovely, but no more bright than usual. >> His tone is relieved.

Jenna peers at L'nan, as if making sure, before sliding on down.

Niyath raises her forelimb and watches you until you reluctantly use it to get down, rather than a faster way.
Star Stones
This is one of the highest peaks of the entire Fort Range. To the north of here are two vertical rock outcroppings. On the left is the Finger Rock and off to the right is its companion, the Eye Rock. Together, they perform three major functions. These are the first landmarks weyrlings memorize when they learn to fly *between*. And more importantly, when Rukbat balances on Finger Rock at dawn, it marks the winter solstice. If at this time the Red Star is bracketed by the Eye Rock, a Pass is due to begin.
Downwards to the west is the volcanic expanse of Fort Weyr. Individual weyrs pockmark the inside of the cone, and dragons are constantly flying in and out, popping in and out of *between* a few dragonlengths away. The Fort Range stretches as far as you can see to the north and south.
Contents:
Niyath(#999Oae)
L'nan
Alirath(#909JOaelps)

You say "I just didn't want to come on down if you were... um... needing that. And what? Niyath's still just a baby." Nevermind that 'baby' is near her full growth. "Why's Alirath saying you're proddy?"

Niyath> I bespoke Alirath with << They were making fun of her in the barracks. >> A pause and then she sounds contrite, << Though I was not supposed to mention that, so please forget I said it. >>

Cue opening of other eye. "If I were needing what, exactly?" he asks with a frown. A glance at Alirath, as he with a grunt pushes himself up to a sitting position, and then he sighs. "They're /still/ teasing you? M'gonna hafta talk to K'fen 'bout that," he grumbles. "An' he says that because he's a lump of wherry-dung," he adds loudly. Alirath snorts. L'nan glares.

Jenna scowls. "*NI*-yath! I told you not to. And K'fen already talked to me about it. Just let it go, okay? Did you have a bad day or something?" She doesn't answer the first question.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath returns amicably, << Too late. But by tomorrow I will forget, I promise, >> he adds humorously. << You are well today? >>

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath assures, tones whirling in shades of blue and green, << I am very well. We flew much longer today than before. And why would I be bright? I am always bright - My Jenna tells me I am very clever all the time. >>

Alirath shifts, allowing for ample space beside him, should Niyath wish to join him in bowl-watching. L'nan grimaces, then shrugs. "Something like that. I'll let it go as far as talkin' t'you is concerned. Not them, though. S'about time /some/ people learned respect, though it seems that it's not just riders lately." Another glance at Alirath, and then, "What'd you mean, me needin' /that/? Needing what?"

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath basks in those tones of blue and green. << I meant that you are not ready to rise. I did not think you would be, you are too young. Do your wing muscles feel stronger? >>

Jenna again doesn't answer the question. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't. And I'm asking my - well, /you/ as well as the Weyrsecond. I'm going to have to learn to deal with them on my own. And anything anyone says will only make it worse. K'fen agreed. I talked to him and I feel better, so please, just let it go?"

"You don't understand," L'nan says, gently but firmly. "If they haven't learned yet to respect a goldrider above all others, then they haven't learned a sharding thing. It's not that they're teasing /you/, Jenna. It's that they're teasing and making life difficult for another weyrling, a goldriding weyrling. THat's inappropriate, disrespectful, and just plain rude. No. I won't let it go." The Weyrsecond hat comes off, and he says simply, "Answer my shardin' question, Jenna."

Jenna shakes her head. "They're already accusing me of having a big ego. And of getting preferential treatment. Please. I have to learn how to deal with this. On my own. Okay?" She pauses and then says, "I'll answer your question if you agree to my terms - let it go, and if I can't get it mostly resolved in a month, then you can take action. Okay?"

L'nan cocks an eyebrow at her. "Jenna, there's no deal here. If I feel something inappropriate is going on within the weyrling group, it's within my rights to stop, or correct, the problem. Well," he amends, "I'd talk to K'fen first, of course. It's gone on for nine months, Jenna. You're expected to learn to deal with things, yes. Not with little snotnosed bastards who would more than likely maul someone who saluted them, rather than salute back respectfully." He sounds absolutely disgusted as he shrugs and adds, "Don't answer, then, I don't sharding care." Grump. He flumps back, staring up at the sky.

Jenna says firmly, "Well, I might be doing something wrong. So don't just come down on them." She sighs. "I didn't want to talk about this. I came up here - oh, fardles. I /meant/, well, that if you, ah, were needing um, the thing that a proddy rider might, um, need, I likely should go." Niyath moves over to Alirath's side, peering down at the bowl floor.

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath's confusion is evident, << I have already risen. Many times. I did just now to get up here. And yes, my muscles are much stronger. We can glide long distances now. But we still may not leave the bowl. It makes it difficult. I could glide longer when I didn't have to wprry about running into walls, I know I could. >>

The bluerider snorts. "I'm not proddy," he replies. "And I don't need to tumble with someone every fardling time some lass comes up to me, either. Or guy." Where /that/ came from not even Alirath knows. L'nan shuts his eyes again. "B'sides. I wouldn't, with you. Not now, not for awhile even."

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath does his best to hide his amused tones behind warning ones. << You must go at the proper pace, or your muscles will tear and you might hurt. YOu shall fly high and long soon, little Queen, never fear. >>

Jenna's tone is a trifle pained. "Is it J'cob?" Her expression has creased with worry, and Niyath's tailtip stills for a moment, perhaps picking up on her rider's mood.

L'nan looks at Jenna incredulously. "Is /what/ J'cob?" he asks shrilly. "You mean am I sleeping with /him/?"

Jenna flinches back a bit at the tone and hurriedly says, "Well, I mean, it's not as though I should have any say in the matter or anything. I just... you seemed upset..."

L'nan sits back up, leaning back on his hands and giving Jenna a calculating look. He really is grumpy today. "Why is it a rider can't be upset without having slept with some-odd people, eh?"

Jenna stammers, "Alirath said you were acting proddy so I just assumed..."

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath informs you crisply, tones shaded with white ice, << I will not break. Nor will my Jenna. Though everyone believes that we will. We are careful. She is sensible. >> Most of the time. << And I am already larger than most of the bronzes. There is no need to worry or fuss. >>

"Assumed. That's right, you assumed," L'nan sighs, frowning still. "That everyone's problem. Perhaps that's what you should work on, y'know? Work on not assuming everything, work on making your fellow weyrlings not assume everything. You're a weyrwoman, your life can't be risked the same way's everyone else's can. They shouldn't, and you shouldn't assume otherwise. And no one," he adds crisply, "Should assume that I or any other rider is sleepin' around, just 'cuz they're acting like a shardin' proddy greenrider."

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath melts those shades of ice with blazes of orange. << Of course you shall not break. /If/ you listen to the teaching dragons and riders, >> he adds warningly. << Just because you are large does not mean anything. You can go *between* permanently just as any other smaller dragon can. >>

Jenna swallows and murmurs, "It's been right at a turn, Lu. It's not an unreasonable assumption. Even Rodric's letters come less frequently." She looks away and says a trifle louder, "I apologize. I didn't mean to imply, and I did ask you what was wrong. And I'm not a weyrwoman yet. I'm still a weyrling." She comes doggedly back to that point. "I know there are limits on what I'm allowed to do, but that just looks like preferential treatment to the others."

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath brightens, determined to weasel some information out of you. << My Jenna was talking to Azureth's rider about between earlier. He was very mysterious. What is it like? >>

L'nan retorts, "It /is/ an unreasonable assumption, just because you're right away assuming that someone's cranky because of sex. And that's not it at all. Period." He takes a deep breath, then adds, "/I/ apologize. I'm lashin' out at you. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't heard from the Masterharper in a long while, either." A pause as he considers her final statement, then an unhelpful response. "Then they're sharding stupid, and they'll just have to learn that you're more valuable. As a goldrider, you must be protected and respected and honored. Fardles to them if they don't see that."

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath sends dark velvetty curtains, that open to peeks of something before swishing shut again. << It is very cold. It is very quick. It is very dark. >>

Jenna fires back quietly, "It's not unreasonable to assume that you've... had other partners." She siezes on that euphamism. And naturally, her mind jumped to J'cob. Darkest fear, perhaps? "And I asked you what was wrong to begin with. Alirath was the one that said you were acting like you were proddy. And I'm not more valuable. Right now I'm not doing *anything*, other than learning how to keep records and studying herbs in what little spare time I have. I'm /not/ a weyrwoman yet, Lu. There's no reason they should respect me, just because Niyath's hide is gold. I don't /want/ to be different." This last bursts out with surprising vehemence.

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath asks eagerly, << Where is it? >>

"It's a bit late for that," L'nan retorts. "Look, Jenna. It doesn't matter if you want to be special, or different, or puti n a different class. You are. You will be. That's that. There /is/ reason for them to respect you, and it /is/ because Niyath's hide is gold. Don't they realize that without Niyath, they wouldn't be seeing eggs for a very, very long time? That without Niyath, the weyr wouldn't have a backup in case anther weyrwoman were to disappear?" He swears under his breath. "You should be learning the hard stuff in the little spare time you've got. Herbs and record keeping are very tough. And I'm /not/ sleeping with other people. Not many, anyway."

Dragon> Niyath senses that Alirath considers this, then answers slowly, << It is between the moments when your wingtips touch the wind. >>

Jenna backs up a pace from the words, bumping into Niyath's flank. She automatically reaches a hand behind her to touch her hide, steadying herself. Her chin lifts and she says mildly, "As I said before, it's not really any of my business who is sharing your furs. And I apologize for assuming. What has you upset then?" A bit of a mask has dropped down over her features, one that you have have seen glimpses of before. Jenna-the-runner, hiding any emotions that ight give her away.

L'nan crosses his arms over his chest. "If you don't want it to be any of your business, that's fine, Jenna. And I'm talkin' to you as /Jenna/, not Niyath's rider or as a weyrling. I'm jus' tellin' you that the only folks who've warmed my furs lately are flight-lust folk. An' that's the truth." He nods once sharply, then shrugs. "Th' fact that brats seem to be takin' over the weyr is upsetting me," he says mildly. "Disrespectful brats, t'be exact."

Niyath> Alirath senses that Niyath seems to find that rather poetic, and croons her approval of the statement. There is a bit of girlish admiration in that, though she says nothing further.

Jenna tilts her head. "Zak's not in trouble is he?"

L'nan shakes his head. "No, Zak's one've the more responsive and good kids around. In fact, th'other day, he said-" And here, he looks to Alirath, who has lifted his head and warbles at an arriving dragonpair. "Shells. Lady of some-such hold's just arrived, an' I'm told it's my duty t'go deal with her." A gloomy look,a nd then he hops to his feet. "Sorry, Jenna. 'Scuse me."
L'nan climbs up Alirath's forelimb and finds a secure spot on his neck.
L'nan has left.
Alirath leaps off the ledge and spreads his wings, rising above the center of the bowl.
Alirath has left.

Niyath crouches and rather decorously offers you a step in the shape of her forelimb to mount.

You leap off the ledge and spread your wings, rising above the center of the bowl.

You glide to a gentle landing in front of the Weyrling Barracks.
Fort Weyr Bowl, by the weyrling barracks
The Bowl of Fort Weyr, a large, nearly featureless plain surrounded by steep mountain cliffs, stretches out before you. It is vaguely oval in shape, long from the southwest to the northeast; you are standing near the wall northwest of its center. To the west is a cavern, carved into the cliffside, where newly-Impressed dragonriders live with their young dragons before they have been fully trained. When they join a regular fighting Wing, the young riders are ready to inhabit weyrs of their own.
To the south is the fenced off area where the Weyr's herds are kept. Along the north rim of the bowl, to the east of here, are the junior queens and weyrleaders weyrs, and the entrance to the Hatching ground. The center of the bowl, off which is the entrance to the large living caverns, stretches out to the southeast.
Contents:
Hanreth(#3131JOabpqs$)
J'nas
Eishith(#5656OVabepst$)
Varquith
Teth
Tenkanoth(#16972Vapst$)

Niyath backwings, showing off, and touches down with a broad thump. Jenna unclips slowly, her expression distracted.

You unclip and slither down Niyath's side to her forelimb, and then drop to he ground.

J'nas is seated on the ground, leaning against Hanreth's bulk. He is working on another set of riding staps when he looks up. "Hey there, Jenna. Did you have a good flight?"

Jenna starts, not seeing J'nas until he speaks. "Um, uh, sure. You nearly done with your next set?" She turns back to Niyath, working buckles as the queen gives a huge sigh of relief.

J'nas nods with a wry grin. "After going through three failed attempts, I'm pretty sure of what /not/ to do. It goes a lot quicker once you get the hang of it. Have you seen any of the werylingmasters today?"

Jenna nods, unusually taciturn. "K'fen. Not recently though. Valry's usually in the office right about now." A pause and she says, "I'm pretty good at sewing hide, if you want me to take a look."

J'nas regards Jenna with a calculating eye before glancing down at his straps. "I don't need them to look at these. I still haven't had a chance to fly with Hanreth yet. To be honest with you, I'm getting as impatient as Hanreth about it."

Jenna nods quietly, "I'd imagine. Let you in on a secret though - the more he practices his takeoffs and landings the better off you'll be. I still can get kinda queasy with an abrupt takeoff. And when she decides to just come down - like just a minute ago, you leave your stomach up there." She points towards the sky.

J'nas chuckles, "I'm glad he isn't sliding halfway across the bowl when he lands like did at first. The tricky part with him is reinforcing the fact that he isn't as nimble as the greens and blues."

Jenna nods, warming slightly. "Varquith told Niyath she looked like a paniced wherry. That calmed her down a bit and started making her think she couldn't turn on a wingtip."

Niyath> Hanreth senses that Niyath adds succinctly, << I am not a wherry. >>

Dragon> Niyath senses that Hanreth reassures, << Of course you are not a wherry. You are Niyath of Fort! >>

J'nas smiles slightly as Jenna relaxes just a hint. "Hanreth looked completely graceless when he tried to follow Taisoth's manuevers."

Jenna smiles at that, "Oh, not completely graceless, I'm sure. He'll learn more. And be more agile in the air than Niyath. I'm just as glad we do a lot of gliding. Working from the shoulder joints more than the sails. heck, Niyath's fingersail is right about the size of Taisoth's mainsail." An exaggeration, but.

Hanreth stretches his wings as he rises to his feet. He croons to his lifemate, hunger evident in his eyes. J'nas sighs and climbs to his feet as well. "He's decided he wants to go flatten another herdbeast. I guess I'd better go supervise him."

Jenna nods. She glances towards the barracks, and then turns in the opposite direction, apparently heading for the caverns instead. Niyath gives a wistful little croon to Hanreth.

J'nas waves his hand at Hanreth, "Come one, let's get you fed." He smiles warmly at Jenna, "Hopefully I'll see you from adragonback soon." He heads off toward the feeding grounds. Hanreth warbles cheerfully at Niyath before following his lifemate.