Nerves & Reassurances

Writers: Avery, Chelle
Date Posted: 13th May 2015

Characters: D'lorn, Riveenata
Description: A conversation between the green weyrling and the Weyrlingmaster's Third.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 15 of Turn 7

He usually met with all the blue and green senior weyrlings before
graduation. It was one of those things-both to let them answer any
last-minute questions and to assure himself that they were indeed
ready since he had been working with them closely for at least several
months by that time. Today he found himself waiting on one of them,
sipping juice as he made a few notes in her record hide.

It was so close to being done, and this was one of the last times she
would stand before this door. The idea sent a nervous thrill through
her belly. She squashed it and tried to stand up straight as she
knocked on the office door. "Weyrling Riveenata," she called.

"Come on in." He had been expecting her, after all. D'lorn was of the
mind that she wouldn't have too many problems. It would depend on
where she went of course but the girl had a good head on her shoulders
and she wasn't one of the ones that he worried over.

"How are you and Villith today, sir?" she asked as she came in and took
a seat.

"Fine and well and you and your lady?" D'lorn smiled as he briefly touched
his dragon's mind. She was outside in the practice yard, soaking up the sun
while the juniors did ground drills. They would switch to aerial ones soon
enough.

"Savith is great. She's excited about the next Fall tomorrow," Riven
admitted. But she wasn't. She was scared.

"It'll be interesting. I'll be flying with you. Just keep your head about
you and pay attention. If you get stuck, /between/ to the Star Stones." D'lorn knew
it was going to be hard but he hoped they were allright. He had seen worse
threadfighters survive over the turns.

"Even if it leaves gaps?" she asked.

"Better to leave a gap where the queens can get it than for you to lose
yourself and your dragon." They would learn not to panic later, when they
were more experienced. For now, they just needed to survive. That was what
Blooding was about.

She nodded. "Sending the firestone wasn't so bad, but this is just...I'm
afraid," she said honestly.

"You'd be a fool not to be afraid. The thing is you have to remember-this is
what your dragon was born to do. Most of this will be all Savith. You just need
to be her eyes and ears because she will be all about flame flame flame. You
have to say Savith go here. Savith dive. Because she can't do that and pay
attention to where you are." D'lorn didn't mention that at least she wouldn't be
flying the whole Fall since she was on a green.

"So make sure she doesn't get so excited she runs into something." And
wasn't that going to be the problem? She remember how badly their
first paired flight had gone, when she'd let Savith have her head. But
she'd been working so hard on it since then. She thought she'd done better.

"And make sure you know where you are in relation to your wingmates."
He knew they would prove it in practice drills but nothing was like the real
thing. "You can do this. You will be afraid, though. It's getting past the fear
and realizing that you can get the job done."

"When you've been flying for awhile, it becomes easier to just get
past it?" she queried.

"It does, though sometimes things happen that make the fear more real
for awhile. You'll see your friends hurt, your wingmates hurt or killed. Then
again, you've already seen that and you're still moving forward. It's like that." He made
that observation quietly.

As a Healer, she had seen it all, hadn't she? She'd seen so many
friends like S'vai be wounded, die off. But the Weyr endured. New
riders took the place of the old. And now here she was, taking up
that burden. Tomorrow's time in a fighting wing would be the moment
the burden was real, even more so than just delivering the stone.
"I understand."

"You'll be okay. Don't worry too much since Savith will feel that.
And if you need anything, let us know." He put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm proud of you both. Very proud."

After all the trouble she'd given him during weyrlinghood, those words
felt like they mattered even more. D'lorn had been with her class the
entire time, encouraging them, letting them ask questions, supporting
them. "Thank you so much, sir. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher."

He was sure she could have, someone who might have prevented that young
man's death, but he didn't voice his self doubt. She didn't need to hear that.
"Time's up. You'd better get out to the practice yard for rope drills
before you're late."

Last updated on the May 14th 2015

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Nerves & Reassurances