Polar Views

Writers: Anika, Len
Date Posted: 27th October 2014

Characters: Sh'del, R'taran
Description: Sh'del and R'taran discuss their opposing views on how holders treat women.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 11 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Alina, J'ackt; Mentor Approved

As the harpers played, R'taran found himself enjoying the relaxing
music more than he usually might and decided to linger and have a cup
of ale. Normally, he was quick to seek his weyr after the evening
meal, but not tonight. Noticing that Sh'del was sitting alone, he
approached the Weyrlingmaster who had once flown in the same wing.

"You look harried. Are the weyrlings more distressing than flying thread?"

"You don't know the half of it." Sh'del grinned at the man who used to
fly with him in N'vanik's wing.

"Oh? Enlighten me," R'taran replied as he took a seat, curious about
what the other man had to deal with. "I was already nineteen turns
when I was searched and I impressed immediately. I was always fairly
straight laced and on point as a weyrling."

Sh'del glanced over at R'taran and snorted. "Actually, it's not so
bad. We've got a fine group of greenriders in this bunch, a lot of
potential wingthird-types." He thought of Alina and S'gan and smiled.
He couldn't wait to begin training the two of them for future roles as
wingthirds. J'ackt too, but that was a slower, more careful case.

The younger brownrider gave a nod and took a sip if his ale. "That's
good to hear. They make up such a large proportion of the fighting
wings. I'm glad you're seeing good potential." One truth that R'taran
accepted absolutely was that dragonmen (and women) were honor bound to
protect Pern from thread. No rule or tradition could usurp this
essential and fundamental ordinance. Being a true holdbred Southern
man, he had struggled in adapting to aspects of Weyrlife. Accepting
the relationships between male riders as well as some of the more
promiscuous and forceful female riders had been difficult. He was
pragmatic enough to understand the crucial role they played, however.
Knowing of his own challenges, he wondered about others of his ilk and
how the Weyrlingmaster coped. "Do you find it difficult for the hold
and craft bred to integrate? Or does their dragon bond and the
workload take care of most of it?"

"Craft, no, not really. The craft kids are good kids." Sh'del shifted
around in his seat and took a sip of his beer. "For the most part, the
Holds kids are good too, it's just some days it'd be nice to knock
some of the Hidebound ideas out of the boys, and give the girls a bit
more confidence."

R'taran cocked his eyebrow at the older rider's comment. "Those
hidebound traditions are what brought me to the Weyr. Both my father
and I felt honor bound to comply when I was searched, despite the fact
that I was sorely needed at home. Traditions, customs, laws...they
have their place and serve their purpose."

Sh'del's bland facial expression belied what he was feeling underneath
it all. Instead of getting angry, he instead asked, "And if your
lifemate had been blue or green, would they have still stood by their
duty to Weyr?"

With furrowed brow, auburn hair falling into his eyes, R'taran took
a sip of his ale as he seriously considered Sh'del's question. "My
father was in agreement that it was my duty to come and he knew full
well there was no guarantee what color I would impress. Hold
traditions _are_ very different, so to be honest, I know he would not
have been pleased had I impressed green," the younger man finally
admitted, remembering his family's reaction to his cousin who had been
searched and impressed green. At the time, he had felt the same shock
and aversion. Somehow he thought his family might have had an easier
time with blue, probably because they truly did not understand much
about Weyr culture. He paused trying to collect his thoughts on the
matter so that he could voice them in a logical way.

"Though it was difficult for me to adapt, I have come to understand
the needs of the Weyr. Many of the customs and culture here are vital
to dragon kind. All I'm saying is that the traditions of the holds
also developed out of need. My family's hold was almost completely
wiped out along with a good half of the entire population with the
plague. Woman were direly needed to fill an essential role that only
they could. Male/female relationships were of great importance to
keep the Pernese population of the South alive. Smaller holds like my
father's are still struggling."

Sh'del shrugged his shoulders. "I understand duty and all that but why
at the expense of the rights and wishes of women? We as dragonriders
have the greatest duty to Pern yet we live free lives. I just wish
Holders here in the South let women have those same rights."

"The Weyrs and the holds are faced with different challenges. Woman
are desperately needed to fill roles that _only _ they can." R'taran
knew that Sh'del would never change his opinions, but he wondered if
he might at least be able to understand where the holders were coming
from. "And though we have certain freedoms in the Weyr we also face
restrictions...limitations. When has there ever been a female
Wingleader or Wingsecond? Or Weyrlingmaster?"

"I'd be up for one, though I doubt a bronze would follow the orders of
a green. But we have a woman leader. What would happen if dragons
didn't listen to their queen?"

"True, but the Weyrwoman is not the Weyrleader, their roles are
distinct. And a queen is far too valuable to risk in a fighting wing,
though she does have her own important role in the Queen's wing.
Still, her most critical role for dragon kind is her ability to
provide future generations. A bronze would not listen to a green, so
greens and thus their riders do not fill those leadership positions.
There is a natural order that has developed to meet the needs of the
Weyr. Just as a certain order has developed in the holds for distinct
reasons."

"Yes, but not for the right reasons. Trust me, mate, women will still
have babies even if you let them_also_fulfill their own dreams. Why is
not allowing a woman to join a Craft somehow limiting them as
mothers? Why can't they do both?" Sh'del shrugged his shoulders. "I
take care of Loranth, am basically a babysitter to loads of kids and
their baby dragons_and_still find the time to work on my old smith
stuff, so why can't a woman do the same?"

Appreciating the fact that Sh'del was discussing the matter with him
calmly, not just lambasting him for his holder beliefs, R'taran
carefully considered the man's words while he took another drink of his
ale. "My mother gave birth to eight children, seven of us survived.
She cooks, cleans, sews, directs drudges, sees to minor illnesses or
injuries, and does other tasks around the hold." The fact that R'tarn
respected his mother was evident in his tone. "Every moment of her
day is filled. I can't see how she could possibly take on any more.
She easily works as hard as my father and her role is integral to
keeping the hold running."

"And maybe she's happy in that role. But what about another girl who
is about to be forced into a marriage with a man over twice her age,
and will be beaten by that man dare she voice an opinion? Why is it
right that she be forced into what is pretty much slavery? I know my
mother and my cousins would have been miserable in the role of a
Holder's wife, so I can imagine there are many woman women trapped in
that same role. Why is that right?" Sh'del took a sip of his beer and
nodded to the young woman playing the violin for the night's
entertainment. "Why should that girl there not fulfill her talent? Why
is it any less right for her to do so than a man?"

Actually, R'taran would not decribe his mother as a happy woman, but
she was dedicated and loyal and fulfilled her responsibilities without
complaint. The harper playing tonight certainly appeared more content
and he thought about what the Weyrlingmaster had said. He was
aware that some men beat their wives, though that had not been
modeled in his own hold. Domestic violence was considered a crime
now in Emerald Falls after all. As a boy raised with very few options,
pressed to work hard to rebuild a family holding from the time he could
wield a tool, individual choice was a luxury few had.

"Hold life can be a hard one and many find themselves with limited
choices, not just women. Responsibility dictates that people consider
the greater good of the whole community not just act upon their own
selfish desires. If that were done there would be anarchy, the holds
would crumble. I might still have an affinity for holding, but my
responsibility lies here at the Weyr fighting thread. Just because I
have a talent and an inclination, I cannot defect to go found a
Weyrhold and ignore the fact that I am needed to do a job not everyone
can do."

"Yes, but what about the women who can fulfill the need of being a
harper or a healer or any other Craft? Why is it okay for men to do
those duties, yet it's not for women? And why do Holders sometimes
hide their girls away whenever we come on Search? How is that helping
us here in the South?" Sh'del sighed deeply. He knew he wasn't going
to change this man's mind, but all the same he was taking this stand
for all his women friends and lovers over the years, and for all those
uncertain green weyrlings who's upbringing made his job that much
harder. And he was making the stand for even J'ackt, for how would
that boy's mental state be if only he had been accepted into Hold life
as a child and not left to fend for himself?

R'taran sighed as well, pushing away his half finished ale. This was
why he so seldom socialized. Other riders just couldn't understand
him or the traditions he'd been raised with. People brought up in the
Weyr expected holders to toss off their upbringing and family values
and wholeheartedly embrace the views that they held. He'd tried to
explain the reasoning behind the holders views, the importance of
woman as mothers and homemakers being nearly as crucial to sustaining
the holds as the protection of dragon riders. The man wanted to know
why some hid their daughters away. How could he possibly explain to
Sh'del that the very disdain that Weyrfolk had for a holder's
traditions was why.

"Fear, " he finally whispered, "They fear us. They need us to
protect them, but they fear that we wish to destroy the traditions
that have kept them alive. Just a you see the holders as the root of
all evil and predjudice, they believe the same of us. I suppose the
best you and I can do is agree to disagree and know that we at least
agree on our duty as dragonriders to protect Pern from thread."
R'taran stood, then, ready to bid Sh'del farewell.

Sh'del repressed rolling his eyes at the last remark, instead opting
for the more polite nod of the head. Already his thoughts were turning
inward, towards his charges most troubled by the attitude of the man
turning to leave.

Last updated on the November 16th 2014

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