Falling On Deaf Ears
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Clancey, Len
Date Posted: 10th September 2010
Characters: J'darin, G'wen
Description: J'darin lectures Galwen about fighting with one of the Holder boys
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 5
"Enough!" The Weyrlingmaster snapped, taking one of the younglings wrangling at each other just before class was to start. His assistant grabbed the other, presumably to have the same conversation J'darin was about to have with the smaller Candidate.
It had been a quiet morning. J'darin was conversing with one of the older assistants about the days schedule in the hall outside the classroom, trusting that the children would keep themselves until he could actually get inside the room.
But then loud shouting had erupted, and what sounded like cheering on from a crowd of Candidates. Grumbling, the Weyrlingmaster turned from his companion, and had flung open the door, only to find a scene that he found often enough that it made him roll his eyes and react without thinking. He was followed into the fray by K'lid, the brownrider he'd been talking to just moments before.
He hadn't grabbed the Candidate roughly, but the two boys had been about to leap at each other, fists flying, so he _had_ tugged his shirt, pulling the youngling off to the side.
"Galwen, is it?" He frowned at "his" weyrling, noting the expression and the set of the shoulders of the slight lad. "What were you about then, with Nadden?"
"He started it! Going on about us Weyr boys" He tried to wrench out of J'darin's grasp. "He's always going on, bloody Holder lout." He glared over at the much heavier Candidate.
J'darin just tightened his grip and frowned. "Hold still. K'lid will take him out of view." He added the last at a louder tone so the brownrider would do just that.
"Now, you listen to me, Galwen. Just because he's "always going on" and he was most probably wrong, does not mean its alright to fight him. Sometimes you have to be the bigger man, and thats hard for a stripling boy like you to learn. Sometimes, of course, you don't." the bronzerider added with a faint gleam in his eye. "But you don't learn the when and why until you're older."
"IN the meantime, I expect you to learn to get along with "Holder louts". It will be your job to protect them should you Impress, and you have to put personal feelings aside. All that matters, then, is protecting those who cannot protect themselves."
He paused then, letting all of that sink in.
"Then tell them that!" Galwen gestered to the other Hold boys who had also been nasty towards the more effeminate Weyr boys. "Why are they allowed to put us and all the girls down with their backward Holder ideals of what it is to be a man, while we have to bite out tongues and keep protecting their sorry hides? It's not fair!" With that he did manage to wrench out of the man's grasp despite his small size.
He let the boy go and crossed his arms, his elegant eyebrow arched at the burst of feeling from Galwen. J'darin, for one, was glad to see the lad caring about _something_ and showing it, though his choice of topics left less than to be desired. Galwen was always so shy and self-effacing that this display was welcome, and for a moment he wished he could encourage it. But he couldn't. "K'lid is telling the other Candidate exactly that as we speak, Galwen. As far as the other Candidates go, protecting them is part of being a dragonrider. And its a part you have to embrace."
"We're the teachers here, Galwen, not you. And, we generally don't let nastyiness go unnoticed or uncorrected, but there is also a certain amount of freedom in living at the Weyr that we don't want to impinge on. You leave the teaching to us, is that clear?" It was very rare someone being overtly nasty would be allowed to continue without correction. Part of being a Candidate was learning to leave as much of those "ideas" behind as possible. Galwen would learn that, too.
His frown deepened and his eyes narrowed, being one of those "Holder louts" himself. "Besides, I'm sure you've never put down anyone, you or any of the other weyrbrats, right? You're all absolutely perfectly behaved?"
Galwen looked up at the much taller man, and sighed, all his passion deflating with that one sound. J'darin didn't seem to care about anyone but the browns and bronzes, or so two of his friends who were weyrlings had said. No doubt Nadden would get off with only a stern word or two. And the realization of his words on the bullies ears were sinking in. He'd have to make himself invisible for weeks to come, or risk being beaten soundly. He wished the ground would open and swallow him whole.
In fact, Nadden returned just then, looking extremely chastened. K'lid would have taken him apart quite nicely, thank you. Galwen's misconception about J'darin caring only about browns and bronzes was misplaced, as well. These were Candidates, and even if he might suspect he had a future male greenrider here, it wouldn't change a jot of how he would discipline him. Fighting was just _not_ acceptable. Besides which, J'darin's attitudes had moderated over the turns. Very much so. If the boy couldn't tell that, well, its not like he went around advertising that he was less prejudiced than he had been.
"I remind you, Galwen, that we care about every single Candidate here, and we certainly won't let bullying just continue to go on, nor can we allow fighting over it. Sometimes it just happens and thats fine; you're all young, but you've both been warned now, hey?" His tone was gentler now, disappointed that the boy who had been so lively before was now back to ... not. Well, being soft on him wouldn't help either. Fair talking to for both Candidates - that was the only way.
At the last, he raised his head and turned his gaze on Nadden. Happy to see he still, at least for now, looked as if he was sorry, though who knew how long 'sorry' would last? He stepped away from Galwen and turned to address the entire group.
"Holder or Weyrbred, it doesn't matter to the dragons. It doesn't matter to me, or the Headwoman, or any other member of the Weyrlingstaff. Its helpful to your training to learn to get along with each other, though we certainly don't expect you to all be friends. That, in a place full of so many different people and personalities, would be impossible. To adapt and live at the Weyr and be a dragonrider, you have to take us how we are, though, and not try to make us into 'your' way. Okay?" He waited, hoping they understood what he was saying. He wasn't sure he understood it himself.
Galwen watched J'darin's back as the older man gave his speech. Not for the first time did he wonder if there actually was any place for him here, anywhere in the South. What was the North like? It couldn't be any worse, what with Holder men and their backward ideas taking over everywhere.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Nadden glare at him and mouth, "you're dead." He sighed helplessly. Maybe he could catch a hitch on T'bel's lovely green and bunk with her and his dad's tall blue for the next few weeks, until Hatching. The men wouldn't want him in their weyr but sleeping with the dragons would be okay. He wouldn't hear or see anything from there. And he'd be safe from the Hold bullies.
J'darin sighed and shook his head as he stepped to the front of the class to actually begin it. Sometimes, he didn't feel like he got through to any of the younglings. "Now, class, that our excitement is momentarily paused... lets begin, shall we?"
Last updated on the September 25th 2010