Planet Zar: Nexus

Mostly kind.

"Weyrling master A'sen is a little odd," said fellow weyrling Danya while she carried buckets of meat to her own young dragon. "He's a bit rough around the edges but I think he means well enough."

"What does 'a little odd' mean?" T'lon followed her with his own bucket of meat.

"A bit mean, really. I heard he used to be wingsong to wingleader J'ram but he doesn't fly thread anymore."

T'lon couldn't imagine staying grounded if he had the chance to destroy thread. "Is he hurt? Or his dragon?"

"Briroth is lovely! And I don't know if weyrlingmaster A'sen is hurt, I don't think so?" she paused, screwing her face up in thought. "Not physically at least."

They reached the weyrbowl where their young dragons roused from their early morning nap and bounded toward them.

Danya's green, Herinforudith, was a few months older than Paizainth and the two were nearly the same size. It had been a while since Shigan's resident queen rose and there wasn't a proper weyrling class. T'lon had yet to meet weyrling master A'sen and was expected to manage Paizainth's basic needs on his own schedule. Fine by him, life was a lot calmer like this than it had been before he bonded but T'lon hoped he'd be back to regular lessons soon. There were only so many hours in the day he could spend oiling Paizainth's speckled hide.

:: Are we going to start lessons again today? :: Paizainth asked, slowing to a trot as he reached the riders.

"I hope so," said T'lon. "We don't want to get rusty."

T'lon and Danya dispensed the breakfast meat and stood back to let the dragons gobble it down.

"Right, so..." T'lon turned back to Danya, frowning. "What's 'not physically' mean?"

"You know I'm not from Shigan either, right? People don't seem to talk about it much so I'm just piecing bits together. He's really mean a lot of the time, like... shouts a ton and gets mad when we get things wrong in lessons. I try not to judge everyone too harshly, we all have our own hurts to bear, but I think something's really broken in him."

"Or he's just a surly old bastard that likes to bully people."

Danya shrugged. "I just wanted to warn you, so you knew what to expect. Some of the younger riders say his lessons are really valuable but they don't like him very much."

T'lon snorted and crossed his arms. "We'll see."

Sounded like a shitty teacher with a grudge to him.

:: Someone's coming. :: Paizainth lifted his head, mouth bloodied from breakfast, and followed a massive white shape nearing them from the sky.

Danya gasped and urged Herinforudith to hurry up.

"What's wrong?" asked T'lon.

"That's him, that's his dragon."

"Well... good. I want some lessons."

:: Is he really going to be mean? ::

"I don't know, Pai, but we'll do our best anyway."

Paizainth finished gorging himself and stumbled to T'lon's side, watching as the great white dragon swooped into the weyrbowl. T'lon was used to the notion that whites were all tiny, barely big enough to ride, but this one rivaled a bronze. The man that swung off his neck was middle-aged and out of shape, deep bags darkened his eyes and his silver hair was in disarray. His expression was sour and he smelled of old sweat and bitter klah.

"You the new kid?" the man, weyrlingmaster A'sen, grunted.

"T'lon of Paizainth, recently transferred from Isla."

The man waved him off with a grunt. "Hope you had breakfast, kid. We've got lessons and I've let you slack."

Danya exchanged a quick look with him, her eyes wide as if trying to convey something.

:: Herinforudith says he's been on a bender. I don't know what that means. :: said Paizainth, his mind-voice sheepish.

T'lon choked back a laugh that threatened to shock out of him. A drunk on top of a bully? This man was a mess. It was his duty to protect the people of Shigan and its holds, to get the next generation ready to do the same, and this is how he showed up to teach T'lon? T'lon would be better off trying to figure things out for himself.

:: Don't think like that :: said Paizainth, bristling concern as he leaned his substantial weight into T'lon's hip. :: Danya said he's a good teacher. He's just... ::

:: broken :: T'lon whispered back.

"Not like that," Ansen growled.

A sharp thwap struck T'lon's bare wrist, smarting all the way up his arm. T'lon hissed, baring his teeth, and ripped the blindfold from his eyes. "Paizainth's barely more than a hatchling, he can't do this."

"It's not your dragon that's messing up, it's you."

"Maybe if you gave better instructions-"

"If you didn't come at this with something to prove-"

"I just want to learn!"

"You're trying to anticipate what your dragon's about to tell you instead of actually waiting and listening to him."

:: I'm sorry, T'lon, I'll try to be a little faster with my instructions. ::

:: It's not your fault, he's just an ass. :: T'lon shoved the blindfold back over his eyes and resumed his position tiptoe between two stones.

"No, look at me," Ansen snapped.

T'lon felt t he shadow of him looming but refused to remove the blindfold again. He set his jaw, stubborn, hands clenching to fists at his sides.

Ansen tugged the knot loose and let the strip of cloth fall. "You're not going to win anything by acting up. You want a lesson or not?"

"A want a lesson from a teacher that doesn't smell like week-old alchohol," T'lon snarled.

Ansen's expression to stricken ghost-white for a flash before crumpling into something dark, angry. "I'm here to do my job but I can't do it with a student that refuses to listen."

"Then give up on me."

"I'm not going to let you become a waste to this weyr or your dragon."

"Like you are?" T'lon spat.

Ansen snapped his mouth shut but his teeth remained bared, seething.

:: T'lon :: Paizainth pleaded. :: You're not like this, why are you so angry? :: He bounded clumsily across the stones to reach his bond's side, bumping his head into T'lon's balled fist. :: Let's just try again? We want to learn, right? ::

Damage was already done, though. T'lon could see the anger broiling in every fiber of Ansen. They were both ready for a fight.

With sudden finality, Ansen's shoulders drooped an he exhaled like he'd been punched. He turned away from T'lon, navigating his way across the rocks. "I'll get you in an hour. Cool your head and figure out what your problem is. If you don't want to end up like me you need to start acting better than me, instead of showboating about it."

Once Ansen was out of sight, T'lon's shoulder slumped.

:: I think he's right :: crooned Paizainth.

"I know." T'lon cursed and snatched up the blindfold. "Just got caught up in my own head. We'll do better next time. I'm sorry I was a dick."

Paizainth nuzzled T'lon side and bounded off ahead of him. :: It's okay, let's just not get mad next time, okay? ::