The Grapevine

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st March 2014

Characters: Alina, Ikalis
Description: Alina catches up with a friend
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 10 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: L'pin, Sh'del

Alina

"Phew!" Alina collapsed onto the bench beside Ikalis and handed the other girl a citron from her pocket. The day's candidate chores were done, and she had a little bit of free evening time to spent before it was lights out at the candidate barracks. The days at the Weyr were too structured-- she'd had far more free time back at Nadol Cothold. And more people to spend that time with. "I had a long day, and I hate it when I get assigned dish duty right after dinner. My feet are just killing me. How was your day?"

"Ooh, thanks. That's the _worst_ time to have dish duty." Ikalis began peeling as she chatted. "Mine was depressing. Cleaning out a rider's weyr and figuring what stuff could go into general storage."

"You mean, like someone who _died_?!"

"Yeah." Ikalis stopped before biting into the fruit, and looked at Alina. "You knew that happened, right?" She was Weyrbred and her older sister already rode a green, so it was a fact of life for her. She hadn't considered that others might not know.

"Of course I did," Alina said haughtily. Of course she _knew_-- everyone heard the dragons keening after Threadfall sometimes. But Alina hadn't really thought about the consequences much, and who would have to deal with them. "I'm just glad that it's not the sort of job that they give to candidates. It would give me the creeps."

Ikalis shrugged, remembering when she'd felt freaked out about it. "It's got to be done, and I'm sure they don't mind that their things are reused once they're gone. It's a shame when it's just a weyrling, though. Those are the worst."

It was amazing that the Weyr got as many Candidates as they did. If her parents had known... If they'd known, they'd probably have sent her off anyway. "How often do the weyrlings die?" Alina asked casually.

"There's some in every clutch," Ikalis answered. "The most get lost to /between/, Blooding, or flaming practice. It burns out Weyrlingmasters pretty fierce." She paused to study the girl. "That's not to say it'll happen to you," she added.

Alina waved her hand negligently, although there was a niggle in the back of her mind that it might happen to the others from Nadol Cothold. And she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. "How long has Sh'del been Weyrlingmaster, then?" she asked.

"A Turn or so?" She counted on her fingers. "We had a bronzerider, then he left, then we had L'pin and G'len running things without a formal Weyrlingmaster as Second and Third. Pretty cool, huh? Not a lot of Weyrleaders give that much power to chromatic riders. Then L'pin stepped down and D'naz stepped up, and then we got Sh'del."

"Wait, wait, wait." Alina put up her hand, palm out. "L'pin was the Weyrlingmaster? I actually know him. What's the story?"

"Sorry, is it too much information? I tend to ramble." The other woman sounded contrite. "He was Weyrlingmaster Second for two Turns. The Weyrleader before last didn't like the breach of Tradition, tell ya, but even he had to admit that the man is good with the younglings. Then his son Impressed and died in training, and he stepped down."

"Wait-- his son _died_? That's awful." No wonder L'pin seemed so sad.

"I guess he thought after he lost his own son, nobody would want him training their kids, so he stepped down." Ikalis sighed. "R'min was cute, too. My sister had a crush on him."

"Poor L'pin." Alina chewed her lip as she began to peel her citron. The orangey yellow peel came away with a sharp, sweet scent. "He's so nice. He offered to lend me some music..."

Ikalis' eyes widened. "He did? I didn't know you were musical. You should take him up on it."

"I'm not really. I just like to sing. But it's good to know that he's not some creepy old man. You never know," Alina said primly.

"The weird old uncle? Everywhere has one of those. Well he's not one of them. Don't think I've ever heard of him being involved with anyone here. Now, some of the browns and bronzers you have to watch out for, like F'garus. 45 Turns and he still chases after the teenagers," she said disapprovingly.

"Oh, creepy!" Alina made a face. "Who does he think he is? Honestly."

"An entitled brownrider who doesn't think women know any better, that's who. But L'pin isn't like that, so you should talk to him."

"Yeah," the candidate said softly. The opportunity for music-- something other than the endless chores and oddities of the Weyr, taught by someone who was already a teacher. It might make staying at the Weyr a little more palatable. "Maybe I will."

Last updated on the March 3rd 2014

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The Grapevine