Men

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 14th January 2010

Characters: Zharesti, J'ren
Description: J'ren congratulates Zharesti on the Hatching but they soon disagree.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 18 of Turn 5

"Congratulations on a fine clutch, Weyrwoman." J'ren approached Zharesti at the feast and raised his cup to her. "You should be very proud. They will make fine riders."

"They'll make fine dragons," Zharesti corrected, inclining her head in acknowledgement of the toast. "Veyeth's only responsible for the quality of the dragons. I'm afraid it's more complicated turning the newly Impressed into fine riders."

"I suppose a better term would have been teams." J'ren took a sip of his drink and turned his attention to where the new Weyrlings rather huddled together as person after person came by to congratulate them. "Some much needed dragons. A fine, fine clutch indeed."

_That_ was a compliment that Zharesti could accept wholeheartedly and her smiled was wide with pleasure. "Thank you. Veyeth remains in fine health and she and I are both pleased that she has proved herself in her new role here."

"I don't think there was any doubt of that." Well, not by him, anyway. There was some scepticism from others, especially after they found out about the history of the gold, but not J'ren.

The Weyrwoman chuckled. "Oh, there are always doubters, J'ren. That's the nature of people. Of course, they tend not to doubt _themselves_ nearly as often ..."

"Of course not." J'ren drank the last of his wine and glanced back over at the weyrlings. "Either that or they hide their doubt very well."

"The weyrlings, you mean?" Somehow she could never get over how many of them there were, even after all these Turns. Her own weyrlinghood was almost solitary by comparison. "Hopefully the Weyr will get a decent number of riders out of them." They'd left her care, really, with their Impression, though she supposed if she cared to she could argue that _only_ the fighting wings were the Weyrleader's, which meant that the Weyrling Wing was still hers. As tempted as she might sometimes be to say such a thing she understood the purpose of both tact and diplomacy, even if neither suited her particularly well.

"We'll get a good amount, I'm sure, and we're glad for them. The Weyrlingmaster has his hands full, that's for certain." J'ren didn't envy the man, and not simply because he had to deal with a bunch of youngsters. There were other aspects of weyrling life and things the Weyrlingmaster and his assistants had to deal with that J'ren wasn't sure he could handle. It was certainly a difficult job - to put it mildly. "So now that your life isn't revolving around the sands, what are you going to do?"

The Weyrwoman's face lit with amusement. "Anything I want?" she suggested.

J'ren laughed, this sound deep and hearty. "Anything? And what exactly, my dear Weyrwoman, do you want?"

"I wish I knew. I _had_ wanted some shelves in my office but I carelessly allowed the journeyman who had promised to do them to Impress. That might have been a mistake, because I suppose I'll have to find somebody else to do the job." She thought of the sorting through her papers that would be needed once the shelves were in place and decided that what she wanted to do was anything but that. "I do want to get Veyeth back into fighting fitness ... But I would have done that anyway."

"Maybe you should take some time to relax." J'ren suggested, though he had a feeling the Weyrwoman would do no such thing. That was how she was, how most goldriders he knew were. It was one of the reasons the golds probably chose the ones they did.

"I've relaxed my backside off over the last few sevendays, J'ren, and I've had more than enough of it."

"Really?" J'ren chuckled as picked up another drink from a passing drudge. "Looks like you did a lot of running around over the last few sevendays to me."

"Not nearly as much as I would have if Veyeth hadn't been with her eggs. A Weyrwoman's work is never done and all that sort of stuff. It's similar for Wingseconds, I imagine."

"It never ends, that is true." The piles just kept on renewing themselves and there were always problems to sort. "Or a Weyrlingmaster's, either." J'ren cast a glance over to R'syl who mingled near the new weyrlings. "He's been swamped lately."

Zharesti wondered if there was implied criticism in the comment, but then decided it wasn't in her nature to worry about _implied_ anything. If somebody had something to say to her, they needed to come right out and say it. "Does he need more staff?"

"I think that might help with matters." Perhaps his mentioning it would really make it sink in. J'ren hoped so, though at the same time he didn't want to make the Weyrlingmaster seem incompetent. "R'syl's a great Weyrlingmaster, but the amount of candidates is so much that all of the Weyrling staff are stretched thin."

"Should leave them to the Headwoman," she grumbled. "That's the old rules. Dragonriders for the Weyrleader, everybody else for the Weyrwoman." Her face lit with a smile. "Whereupon I would delegate to the Headwoman."

"So you'd teach the Weyrling classes or the Headwoman would?" J'ren was beginning to think the Weyrwoman wasn't in her right mind. "The Headwoman wouldn't be able to teach the classes, so I guess that would mean you'd have to do it."

"Teach it? No, no. I was thinking about taking care of them. Supervising them. Doing what Weyrwomen and Headwomen do."

"That wouldn't really help the Weyrlingmaster staff much, though. They would still be understaffed for the classes." J'ren took a sip of his drink, then made a vague gesture. "Besides, the Headwoman already supervises them to an extent."

"Used to supervise them more and send them for a few classes with the Weyrlingmaster. And that only on their first cycle Standing." Zharesti shrugged. "Perhaps it's better to regard them as future dragonriders than as new residents. Who knows. It was different for us - Search was almost non-existent and so were clutches, but when one was there everybody Stood."

"That _still_ doesn't help with the over abundance of candidates in the classes and the under abundance of Weyrlingstaff." J'ren was generally a laid back man, but really, did the woman just not _get_ it? Maybe _she_ should start running the classes, and then she would realise how hard it was, especially with so many.

"Then perhaps he'd better think of different ways to get the Candidates taught, then," Zharesti said, exasperated. "And then come and see me about them." She could think of a couple of ideas and if anybody else started going on about the subject she'd just implement those, too.

"Why don't you talk to him about that?" J'ren was beginning to think the woman was full of it and was getting a mite irritated. "He's not said a word to me personally, but he hasn't had to. I've just got eyes. I'm sure he'll be up for something that solves the issues he has." Frankly, the Weyrwoman to get over herself would be a good start. "Honestly, I think not forcing every single person of age in the Weyr would one way."

"And if I think you have 'issues' should I come and talk to you about them, Wingsecond? Interfere in the Weyrleader's domain because I _think_ a wing-ranked dragonrider might not have the wherewithal to speak up if he has a problem?"

"That is completely up to you Weyrwoman." J'ren shrugged. "I'd rather you be honest with me so go right ahead. I believe people have spoken to you though - you just refuse to listen."

"I'm not deaf, J'ren, I'm just not doing what others want me to, which is something quite different."

"Perhaps, but maybe you ought to think whether or not what you're doing is really what's best for the Weyr, or what's best for you." J'ren shook his head. "Good evening to you Weyrwoman." He didn't give her a chance to even answer, but stepped away to approach the new Weyrlings.

The sandy-haired Weyrwoman sighed. Men. They were idiots to start with and then bronze hatchlings Impressed them and they lost what little chance they might have ever had of developing any sense. It was a wonder Pern had survived so long.

Last updated on the January 15th 2010

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