The First Rule of Weyrlinghood (Raven!)

[Rii]

{desc=Nori/K'var}This was all really terribly managed, you know. No order. No planning ahead. Not even guidelines for what to do when people cannot be moved to go to their lessons.

Nori sighed and rubbed her eyes. Noirath was in an absolutely terrible mood today, and she didn’t quite know what to do about it. This whole being bonded to another living being was complicated, confusing - candidate lessons really fell short of what it really felt like. She hurt all over, from her bruised neck to the punctures and slashes up her back to the deep, stitched-up gouges across her stomach, and the disgruntled burgundy wasn’t making it easier. She could feel his bad mood in her head, like Lanorun - L’nor - at his grumpiest, and he had thus far been impervious to her attempts at cheering him up.

She understood why he was unhappy, at least. The first lesson for the weyrlings had been that very morning, and she’d been unable to get out of her bed in the infirmary to go to it. Consequently, he’d also been unable to go to it, and he knew - she assumed from his clutchsiblings - that it had been about the rules. And Noirath was ridiculously devoted to the rules and the need to follow them, from the moment he’d met the little grey wher that seemed to know them. No, even before that; from the moment he’d hatched and decided that the world was judging him, whether he knew the rules or not.

It is not ridiculous! How are we to behave without rules to guide us? What will the others say when they know what to do and we do not?

“They couldn’t fault us being in the infirmary, Noirath. We’re supposed to stay here til the healers say elsewise. We’re doing what we’re supposed to do right now.”

That is now. What about after? They’ll mock us for not knowing. No, they’ll punish us, because we’ll do something WRONG!

“Well, they shouldn’t get mad at us for breaking rules they didn’t teach us,” she replied sensibly. It didn’t seem to help.

Ignorance is no excuse!

Shoving herself into a slightly more comfortable position on her side, Nori sighed. Noirath was not in a “let’s compromise” state of mind, not one bit. And she didn’t have much energy to devote to cheering him up. Her jokes had fallen on deaf ears - not that dragons had ears, exactly, but she knew he heard her even if he wasn’t listening to her. He was just ignoring what she had to say. At this rate... it was going to be a very long day.

[RavenSong]

Almost as if K'var knew what Noirath was commenting on, the Weyrlingmaster walked in. Of course, Argotath was outside, but he was next to the Infirmary awaiting K'var's cues. Bip and Bit were on his shoulders, tails wrapped around his neck loosely for stability. He stopped by to find out where Norilana and Noirath were, easily gaining that information from one of the Apprentices. All he had to do was mention who he was, and that he had a lesson for Nori and her dragon. Carrying a chair with him, he was all smiles as he wandered on over.

"Norilana, hello," he said. "And hello to you as well, Burgundy... Noirath, was it? Forgive me if I'm incorrect, please, I only recall that your names are similar." K'var sat the chair down next to her cot, parking himself in it shortly thereafter. Bip and Bit looked at Noirath with curiosity, but stayed on his shoulders. They were doing Important Things right now and had to pretend to be Queens. Theirs said.

He's Noirath, Argotath supplied. K'var smiled warmly at them both, offering affection to the Burgundy.

"Since you missed the first lesson, I decided I'd come speak to you and any other injured Weyrling privately, since it's information everyone's going to need. Today's lesson was on the rules, as well as basic draconic care. I'm not sure how well you're able to tend Noirath's needs right now, but I'm aware that we have many Riders in here who can bathe him, feed him, and oil him in your stead until your injuries have healed enough for you to sit up. I'll give you an overview anyways. Are you feeling up to a brief lesson right now? Or did they recently dose you with fellis?"

Do you want me to tell Noirath how things will go? Argotath asked.

Go for it, Lizard, K'var replied.

Hello, Noirath! You can't see me right now, but I'm Argotath. K'varMine should be talking to Yours. I'm a Blue, and we're your Weyrlingmasters. I know a lot of you young dragons don't really like rules, but we've gotta have 'em, okay? A lot of the rules are for your rider, but there are a few for you too. The biggest one is don't ever go outside the Weyr unless we say you can. You also have to go to the barracks in an emergency. If there's an emergency and you're not there, we'll be really cross with you unless you're hurt or something. You also don't have to listen to anybody but Weyrlingmasters and the Weyrleaders, unless we tell you that you have to listen. Right now, you'd have to listen to the Healers' dragons, like Noyth, or Irith, or Eidukth, or Eachuth. Also don't try to between right now. You're too small for that. Okay? If you ever have any questions you can always ask me.

[Rii]

The arrival of their visitor - even if it was the weyrlingmaster - was a welcome distraction to Nori, who was still struggling to figure out how to deal with a grumpy dragonet. She smiled a greeting up at him, lifting a hand to wave although she didn’t try to push herself upright. His name was K’var, if she remembered right, and his dragon was blue… something. Hopefully she’d catch it somewhere in his visit. “Hello, K’var, sir. Nori and Noirath - I guess we do sound alike that way. Sorry I couldn’t get to the lesson, I really didn’t want to miss it, but…” she grinned sheepishly. “I’m not supposed to be moving around and all. I’d like a lesson, I’m not fellised or anything.”

Noirath was less cheerful in response to K’var’s cheer. He viewed the questions as kind of unnecessary, and he was not feeling very forgiving of the weyrlingmaster’s imperfect recall, especially when his authority wasn’t fully established yet. She hasn’t got to tending me herself yet. She’s not allowed to sit up on her own. Which you’d know, if you were smart enough to use your eyes at the Hatching, or your tongue to ask the healers when you came in.

“Noirath!” Norilana did start to sit up at that, healer’s orders or no, because that was rude, and it was the weyrlingmaster, and ow. Her breath hitched and she bit her lower lip, easing back down flat, dark brown eyes fretful at the supreme lack of tact her dragon showed. “I’m sorry, sir, he’s always doing that and I don’t know how to stop him. Noirath, he’s the weyrlingmaster, you can’t do that. He’s in charge of us.”

But is he any good at it? The burgundy was perfectly audible to K’var as well as Nori, and she knew it.

Luckily, that was about when Argotath chimed in, and that settled Noirath down. Others may sneer at the rules. I have no patience for their shenanigans. Ignoring the rules promotes disorder. Argotath knew the rules. He could appreciate that, whatever he thought of the cajoling fashion in which they were delivered. (It was a waste of time; he had no intention of breaking the rules once he’d learned them, so coaxing him to follow them was unnecessary effort.) Very well. We will accept directions from the healer-dragons for now, along with the others.

[RavenSong]

K'var raised a brow at Noirath, then grinned at Nori's apology.

"No, no, stay down," K'var said. "It's excusable this time, I didn't identify myself." He turned to Noirath, brow furrowed, cheer utterly gone. His tone was a distinctly paternal one, a tone that would likely make V'kyr straighten up and take note if he were present. "I'm Weyrlingmaster K'var, little sir, and you should mind your manners. Or learn some, then mind them. You're going to get yourself in trouble if you mouth off to everyone like that. Some dragons, such as your dam, won't tolerate it in the least. Even Argotath won't tolerate being spoken to like that for too long." His eyes narrowed slightly as Noirath spoke up again. "I should think I'm good at it, my son is now a Rider and I just graduated a class of interesting Weyrlings. One of them is now a Searchdragon, like my Argotath. Mind your tongue, little sir." He shook his head.

"You have your hands full with this Burgundy butt here, hm?" he said. "It seems I get the new curves this Weyr has to throw. Between the Sparkstarters in general and these Burgundies, I certainly get to learn things alongside you lot." He smiled at Norilana.

"Anyhow, today's first lesson was a list of the rules. Argotath's already told Noirath what rules -he- has to follow. You have several more. I'll sum them up, instead of give you a long, long speech on them. Your class is named the Nightnamers, by the way. Anyways. Noirath is going to complain a lot these first few months. He's an infant. He'll complain about hunger, tiredness, itching, and he'll grow a lot, eat a lot, and poo a lot. Most of what they do is eat and sleep at this age, which you've probably noticed.

"If you're going to get up to shenanigans, make sure they don't break rules. Bip, Bit, and Argotath have sharp eyes. I will find out. In emergencies, you and Noirath are to report to the Barracks. If you're not there and there's not a really good reason such as being trapped, you're going to be in trouble. I don't anticipate this ever happening beyond emergency drills. You're also not to leave the Weyr without express permission. Not even to go outside the Bowl. We've had dragonets die and get injured by venturing outside the Bowl without their bondeds. It won't happen in my class." He paused a moment to let that sink in.

"If you had a boyfriend before Impression, you need to keep time with him to a minimum. No sex. No kissing. Just platonic, friendly contact if you do have a boyfriend. Noirath is your primary concern. I know you have siblings, if I understood what I caught regarding those gentlemen around you during the Hatching correctly. That relationship isn't forbidden. Just make sure you're not emphasising human bonds over the bond you're building with Norilath. No fellis once you're discharged unless there's a really good reason. No alcohol either. With me so far?" he asked.

Outside, Argotath nodded. Not that Norilath could see it.

Good! I'm glad you're receptive. Another thing we did at today's lesson was introduce ourselves and tell everyone a bit more about ourselves. I already told you who I am. I like to Search, so if you ever want to learn that I can teach you. I like to sit in the sun a lot, and I like to fly. I'm also missing a toe because a Red bit it off when I hatched. You?

[Rii]

Noirath huffed softly, lifting his head to give his bonded a reassuring nudge. It was okay. She didn’t have to get up, he had this. Promise. He’d even try to be nice, because he didn’t like it when she was upset. You are the weyrlingmaster, which means we listen to you first. My dam and the queens, as well. But my first loyalty will always be to Norilana. The acknowledgement of their authority was the closest he was going to come to apologizing without Nori’s insistence.

The young girl grinned. “He already complains a fair streak, sir, but I wouldn’t trade him for aught in the world.”

Of course not. And I don’t complain… I just point out what could be handled better.

“You’re fair rude about it too, Noirath. Be nice.”

Why?

“Because you’re supposed to. It’s the rules.” Hey, it was worth a try.

If it was the rules, then Gabrith would have been in much more trouble last night. But no, no one would stop him beforehand and I wasn’t allowed to touch him after he Impressed.

Nori shook her head and gave up for the moment, listening to the rules intently and seeking clarification for one. “Sir? If an emergency came up that I was supposed to remain somewhere else… like, if one came up tomorrow when I’m s’posed to stay here… does that come first ahead of trying to get to the barracks?”

I won’t have you hurt yourself, Norilana. Not even for the rules. Such was his depth of affection for her. You were almost gone once. We won’t have that again, if you please.

She shrugged. “I don’t have any boyfriend or anything yet, so that’s safe enough. I think my brothers would scare ‘em all off anyway. They’re all fresh Impressed too, sir. R’hia and L’nor in your class and Joshu with the whers.” A grin lit her face. “L’nor was supposed to be for the whers and Joshu wasn’t supposed to be for any of ‘em, but we all of us Impressed close together.”

Noirath huffed a soft sigh. You know I am Noirath. My Norilana almost died before I reached her, thanks to a misbegotten rulebreaker of a wher. I also chased a bad candidate off of the Sands. My mother did not want her there and allowed me to take care of her. She was horrid and deserved what she got.

[RavenSong]

K'var thought a minute about the situation at hand, including Norilana's question.

"Noirath, riders can have rules for their individual dragon," he pointed out. "Argotath isn't allowed to do specific annoying things that we've discovered over the Turns, and he isn't allowed to go Chase certain adult dragons. You'll learn more about Chasing when you're older, Noirath, so don't ask. Norilana's well within her rights to make up rules against annoying things you do if they annoy her enough. Because they're annoying."

For the moment, he conveniently left out the fact that dragons could have rules for their riders, too. Such as Argotath's ban on redfruit because of the Redfruit Effect. He didn't think the arrogant-sounding Burgundy needed to learn that fact of life just yet. Perhaps when he was older, and a bit more responsible.

"As for emergencies coming up when you're supposed to be elsewhere, I'll know where you're supposed to be. Just have Noirath bespeak Argotath if I don't have Argotath poke him first and let us know your physical status, and it'll be fine. For instance, if there were an emergency tomorrow, I'd know you were here and that the healers would be responsible for your safety, instead of me. I'd be checking in to be fully sure that you were okay, but right now the healers have primary responsibility for you." As Nori listed off her brothers' names, he nodded.

"My own brother K'shan Impressed when I was ten and he was fifteen, I Impressed when I was fifteen. Our father was a rider, as was his father and his father before him, back... just a few generations, heh. My boy V'kyr is the fifth in the line. Anyway. Digressing here, sorry. Back to the rules." He smiled warmly, offering Noirath an eyeridge rub.

"Once you're in the barracks, you stay on your side and mingle in the common areas. Siblings get a -bit- of lenience, but you have a dragon, and they have a dragon, so just have your dragons yell at each other. During Threadfall, we'll be doing everyone's favorite chore: bagging firestone. Once everyone's drilled in first aid, you might be assisting healers. And Argotath's already told Noirath, but I'll tell you the chain of command too. It's me. Followed by other Weyrlingmasters, and only the Weyrwomen and Weyrleaders supercede me. If you're assigned to chores, whoever is supervising that is in charge. And, in cases like right now where you're stuck in the infirmary due to injury, the Healers are in charge. Right now, I'm deferring to them in regards to your care. They know what they're doing. I only know first aid." K'var grinned brightly.

"Now, I'll give you the same exercise that I gave everyone else, and I know Noirath's already introduced himself to Argotath. He's going to love it when you're back in class." K'var's grin turned pretty wicked. "Noirath, no attacking your classmates, as a note. Anyhow! The exercise was to introduce yourself. I've given you a bit of my history here, but here's some more. I Impressed Argotath at the age of fifteen, and the first thing I had to do was take him to the healers because a Red bit off his toe. I'm also unable to eat redfruit. Well, I -can- eat it, but the resultant effect drives Argotath and my greens out of the weyr." He grinned dorkishly then.

Argotath, for his part, stayed silent. He was busy listening through K'var's mind.

[Rii]

Noirath swung his head from his careful observation of his rider back to K’var, studying him. This was a new idea and a puzzling one, and he wanted a little more clarification before he decided that it was a set-in-stone truth. If anyone can make the rules, then how do you know which are the real rules to follow and what people say is a rule just because they can? That is a foolish way of running things. His tail flicked with annoyance. He didn’t understand. He didn’t like not understanding, because he was sure everyone was judging him for not understanding.

“Okay, that makes sense.” Nori might not have been nearly so fond of rules and authority as Noirath was, but she appreciated it when they made sense, rather than being arbitrarily set. “Yeah, Noirath can call them. He doesn’t have any problem with talking to other dragons - or other people, even.”

If I didn’t talk to them, how would I tell them what I thought of them? he inquired sensibly.

“You don’t have to tell them what you think of them.”

Of course I do. Noirath looked slightly put out, whether it was from Nori pointing out that he didn’t have to be so openly judgmental or from K’var’s direction that he was not allowed to attack his classmates. So long as they do not attack me, or Norilana, I will not attack them, he promised resentfully.

Nori giggled impishly at the weyrlingmaster’s admittance of the unfortunate effects of consuming redfruit. “Um… about me, huh? I’ve got thirteen Turns, I’m the youngest of my family - Joshu says I was kind of a surprise. I grew up Holdless, til the dragonrider said me’n’Ran… R’hia, could be dragon candidates, that we all had potential, ‘cept Lanorun - L’nor, wow, it’s hard to remember that their names have changed - was too old and Joshu couldn’t ‘cause of his leg.” She grinned. “I like having fun and telling jokes.”

Which aren’t always funny.

The girl gave her dragonet an affectionate look. “Maybe, but they make people smile anyway, so it’s worth it.”

If you say so, Norilana. They made her happier, at least, and had helped keep her alive, so he supposed they were sort of worth it.

[RavenSong]

"Ahh, little sir, you missed a key point. Riders make rules for -their- dragons. Now, as Weyrlingmaster, I can make rules for you specifically, like I did just now regarding classmates. Norilana has the rulemaking privilege, too. She's older than you, she knows how Pern works. But she'll be taking direction from me, you see, for the most part. When you get older, her rules will be to keep you safe and probably to bar annoying things you do. When you're fully grown, though, only your Wingleader, Wingseconds, and the Weyr leadership will be the only people besides your Norilana who can make rules for you. Does that help you determine which are real rules and which are just people saying it is because they can?" K'var asked, smiling at Noirath. "I like how you ask questions. Learning is very important."

K'var listened to Nori, nodding at her story.

"Seems we've got a fair number of former Holdless in our midst with this class. I think, anyway. I vaguely remember who was brought in from that one camp. All four of you were, huh? Interesting. In a good way, mind you. It's good you have a home now, and that you weren't criminals to begin with. It bothers me when children and non-criminals are stuck without protection for reasons that aren't their fault. We'll train you up right. Anyways. You like jokes, huh? I've got a couple.... Two snowmen were standing next to each other in the Bowl. One said to the other, 'funny... I smell fingerroots too!' " He finished his joke with a warm, cheesy smile, anticipating laughter. His expression was likely funnier than his joke could ever hope to be.

That joke smells worse than you when you eat redfruit, Argotath said to all three of them.

[Rii]

Ah. Specifically Norilana, and those in charge of us. That makes more sense. He wasn’t sure that his bonded was very suitable for making rules, as silly as she was, but if the weyrlingmaster said she was allowed to, then she would have to be allowed to. The burgundy adjusted until he was sitting up on his haunches, wings folded tightly against his back. It put him more at level with the humans than lying curled up on the floor.

“Oh no, sir, we weren’t criminals.” Except that once in a while when she was very hungry she might have swiped something small. Shh. That didn’t count. “It was our dad, Joshu and L’nor always said. And our mom went with him, but she didn’t do anythin’ wrong. We stuck together - family’s all we’ve got.”

All you had.

“You’re family too now, Noirath. Mattoth and Jossk and Sekaith too. I wouldn’t separate any of you even if I could.” She caught the look he was giving her. “Don’t you start on them being useless again!”

I didn’t say that. They are not entirely useless. Only mostly useless. They would be less so if they fussed less and did more. Like the one who argued over going to the lesson this morning because he wanted to stay here. As if I couldn’t watch you better than he ever could.

“Noirath…” Nori groaned and covered her face. No, she really wasn’t up to trying to win any arguments with her stubborn dragonet. Luckily, K’var chimed in with a joke, and she chortled; oh, it was horrible, and she appreciated it. Already she decided that she liked their weyrlingmaster, who struck a nice balance between being serious and in command, and being able to laugh and joke. She could tell that Noirath hadn’t yet decided, but he did seem less grumpy than he had before K’var came in. Probably because he’d given them the lesson that the burgundy had been so upset over missing. Argotath’s comment, following close on the heels of the joke, had her holding her stomach as she laughed even harder. It hurt to laugh very hard, but it was totally worth it.

“I have another. Why was the broom late?” She waited a beat, grinning. “Because it overswept.”