Adaptation Issues

Writers: Anika, Avery
Date Posted: 17th November 2014

Characters: R'taran, L'pin
Description: L'pin makes a surprising request of R'taran while they discuss how Holdbred weyrlings adapt to the Weyr.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 26 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Sh'del

R'taran carried several hides on Wing maneuvers and fighting Thread
clumps under his arm, intent on returning them and looking for some others
on Weyr history and tradition.

L'pin looked up from the hides he was studying. "Good afternoon, R'taran.
How have you been?"

The brownrider gave a nod to the Weyrlingmaster Third, who appeared to be
the only occupant of the records room at the time. "I can't complain.
Yourself? Have the weyrlings worn you out yet?"

"Not yet, though it certainly isn't for trying," L'pin admitted. "We're
having some adaptation issues in this clutch."

"Adaptation issues?" R'taran asked with note of concern in his voice. He
well remembered having such difficulties adjusting to Weyrlife when he
was a weyrling six turns ago, though he felt he had done well to deal with
them quietly on his on. Of course that might not be what the bluerider was
referring to. He returned the hides to their appropriate locations as he
waited for L'pin to elaborate.

"Every class, there's a few who didn't expect to Impress, and some have a
hard time giving up aspects of their old lives. One weyrling didn't want
to cut her long hair, and nearly lost a chunk of scalp."

"That just doesn't seem sensible," R'taran observed. Granted he was
Holdbred but he was practical and always had been. "I can't say that
I expected to Impress. I truly thought the Searchdragon must have
stayed /between/ a bit too long or something. Change has never come
easy to me either and the Weyr was a big adjustment, but still surely
these weyrlings must be aware of the higher calling - of how important
it is to protect Pern."

"Her hair was an important symbol to her. I understand how hard it was,
and it's better she learned the lesson now then when flaming," L'pin said.

He laughed at that image. "I think several of them came for that reason.
But it's one thing to say it abstractly, and another to face the lived
reality once you have a dragon in your head and no way of going back.
Consider flaming Thread - I don't know about you, but for me it was
something fantastic to imagine from old Harper's tales. But now that I've
gone and done it, it's sweaty, and terrifying, and exhausting, and
heartbreaking. And not necessarily a fate I'd wish on these children, even
if it is their duty."

R'taran nodded his agreement. Fighting Thread had never seemed glamorous
to him and never would he have chosen this life had he not been Searched.
It was his duty plain and simple. Of course now that he had Qharterioth as
a lifemate, everything was different. "When I consider my siblings, I
shudder to think of them facing Thread."

"Exactly. So think about the weyrlings who came here because their parents
told them to, but who didn't want to do this. Those are now going to be
forced to fight Thread, even if they would have rather stayed home.
Satai's parents sent her because they thought it was their duty, but she
was afraid. And now I have to help her settle in and reassure her that
it's not all awful."

"That would be incredibly difficult. I came because both my father and I
agreed it was my duty, but I was nineteen turns, male, and complicit. The
eldest of my sisters is fifteen turns, I cannot imagine her here at the
Weyr," the brownrder shuddered at the thought. "I feel for this young
rider of yours."

"I hope by graduation she'll feel more confident. Are you very protective
of your sister?"

R'taran paused to give that some thought. "Moderately so, I would say. I
was brought up to believe it was my role to protect and provide for the
women in my family. Though I am here at the Weyr now, so that falls more
to my other brothers."

"Do you visit your family often? I'm afraid I don't have much left of my
own," he admitted. "So I miss having close ties."

Remembering when the bluerider had lost his son to Threadfall, R'taran
turned to pull a Hide off the shelf to mask his discomfort. "I get back
three or four times a turn," he replied.

"Good for you. I know some riders who are former Holders never hear from
their family again. I find that sad. I'll never understand why someone
would disown their own kin. Even if they do something you find
reprehensible, they're still yours."

R'haran's mind went to his cousins we had been Searched just before
himself, one male and one female. They had both Impressed green and as far
as he knew neither ever had contact with the family again. Not sharing his
ruminations R'taran just agreed, "Family is important." The brownrder
pulled another hid off the shelf looked at it briefly and replaced it,
pulling another. Remembering his conversation with Sh'del he asked, "Do
many of the Holdbred have difficult transitions?"

"It seems to depend on how closely they hewed to their traditions when
they were at the Holds. Those who were happy at home have a harder time
adjusting. Those who were miserable do much better here."

This made sense to the younger man. He wasn't sure if he would
exactly describe his childhood or life in the Hold as "happy," but it
was far from miserable and tradition was definitely paramount to his
being.

"I guess I fell somewhere in between," he mused aloud. "I did
well as a weyrling because of the clearly defined structure and
because I was old enough to ignore the jibes of the Weyrbred. I was
focused on my duty, I guess you could say. I've always been one to
find comfort in the rules. I'm a good Wingrider," he said
matter-of-factly, not meaning it as a boast though his statement
undoubtedly sounded haughty. "But I do not always relate well to other
riders because my point of view often does not align with theirs. Had
my circumstance been different, I might not have done so well."
Though he did not say it, he thought that Impressing blue or green
would have been immensely difficult for him.

"Fortunately we don't all have to agree to keep the wings running, hmm?"

On the contrary to what others had been saying about him, L'pin thought
that R'taran was being respectful in the way he talked about his views to
others. It was just that the views themselves were problematic to the
weyrbred, which colored how they reacted to him. It also gave L'pin an
idea.

"Imagine how some of the weyrbred folk would feel if they were pushed into
a holder environment at the ages of 16 or so, if the women had to be
married and have children even if they'd started apprenticing back at the
Weyr. The change to a strange structure is hard, and it's harder when
there aren't sympathetic figures there to ease it. Which brings me to
something I'd like to ask you to do, if you don't mind."

Looking rather quizzically at the bluerider, R'taran gave a tentative
nod. "If you think there's something I can do to help."

"I was wondering if you'd agree to occasionally talk to some of the
weyrlings who could use a holder's perspective. I try my best, and I do
well with the craftbred as well, but there are some who just won't take
advice from a bluerider. Since you've kept a lot of your values, but
you're still one of our most solid pairs, I'm hoping maybe you can get
through to the men I can't."

The brownrider had to work at masking his shock at the
Weyrlingmaster's Third's request, but he also felt honored by the
bluerider's faith in him. "I would be happy to," he finally answered,
looking the man right in the eye trying to convey to him that his
confidence was well-placed. "However, I hope you will be open to offer
advice should I need any."

"Of course I will," L'pin said. "I am always willing to help others
out even when they aren't my weyrlings. On that note, would you say
there's anywhere in this territory that's a truly striking location?
There's someone I wish to take to see a special sight."

R'taran's brow knit in thought, and he nodded slowly. "There is a
tiny cove with a rock formation that looks something like a dragon
surrounded with several smaller rounded boulders. When the sun sets
over the rock, especially if it happens to be wet, it brings to mind a
Queen hovering at the waters edge, protecting her eggs."

"That sounds perfect. I'll ask Chaneth to get the visual. I appreciate
the advice."

"Sure thing. He lifted two hides. "Well, I've got what I came for. Good
evening to you, L'pin."

"Good evening to you as well," the bluerider replied.

Last updated on the November 30th 2014

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Adaptation Issues