Guest Speaker (All Candidates)

[hrsegrl]

The walk to the Barracks was a long one but the Dragon Heaer was well prepared for that. When wasn't he prepared? A small smile lifted his face. Through dark eyes he examined the classroom. Well it would have to work though he doubted that they would be able to see what he was talkking about without diagrams. Luckily he had brought a few with him along with his journal.

Phaedon had enough experience with the young people of the weyr to know that a break of routine would be most welcome. His own apprentices were working on making poultices under the direction of a couple journeymen. No doubt they were enjoying themselves immeasurably.

He was not going to wait long for these kids to arrive. Punctuality was important in this world. He wanted to hit that home when it came to dragons one second off could mean life or death. The candidate master had given in finally t his request on a basic dragonet care class. Dragonets were much more fragile than they seemed.

He took care setting up the two diagrams he had brought with him. They were worn and old but they were very accurate. Besides they were the only ones that he dared to get damaged with this sort of thing. He was about half a candlemark early to set up. Looking down at the seats he rearranged them into a four squares all were still facing foreward for the time being. Phaedon then sat up where the Candidate master usually sat ad looked over some things while waiting for the Candidates to arrive.

[E]

Somadin had been brimming with excitement when the candidates were informed that they would be having a guest speaker. In all honesty he brimmed with excitement at all of his classes, anything that gave him a better chance at impression he was very willing to try his hardest at. Finishing his chores in a rush, he knew he probably should have taken a little more time to sweep the floors a little better but honestly it were the classes that would make the difference, not how clean the barracks floors were.

Sprinting across the common areas, he skidded to a stop just inside the classroom door to find large diagrams set up in the front of class and a man he vaguely remembered seeing around the Weyr sitting where the teacher usually sat. Straightening his shirt, he walked forward slowly, his eyes glued to the diagrams as he moved to take a seat in the front. One thing he had learned in classes was that if he didn’t sit in front – where everyone could unfortunately see him – he was never going to see anything in the class full of taller people.

[hrsegrl]

Master Healer Phaedon smiled as the young man approached. Adults seemed to have already figured out that it was not the size of the man in the fight but the size of the fght in the man. So He looked on the young amn as if he were any Candidate. size was of little importance to drgons and dragons were Phaedon's life.

"Good afternoon." He said pleasntly waiting for the other Candidates to show up. "Can I have your name?" The crafter was not above calling on people's names that he knew. Of course Candidate lectures were far different from Apprentice ones. For one, the Candidate class was much much larger.

Phaedon looked up as a few more Candidates filtered in, all seemed to know eachother quite well and filled in chairs behind the first boy.

----

Havalie and Caselo were linked arm in arm as he was telling her a story. She could not help but laugh as they entered the room. Caselo was the louder of the two though and his voice was heard clear across the classroom. At least he was attending for once.

A guest speaker sounded good to him. Anything but the same old lessons. He got too bored with them to even bother with lessons sometimes. "This is soo exciting!" He said and looked up to see Maser Phaedon watching them come in. "Glad we were early like you said Hava." He giggled and sat directly behind Somadin.

"Hello other early arrival." He smiled and looked about the room, not noticing how loud he was. "OHHH! Look at that Havalie!" He pointed and wide eyed at the diagram closest to them. It was te insides of a dragon and not a big one, the wings looked kind of flimsy to him.

----

Havalie giggled with him, albeit much more softly. She learned long ago that one could not control her foster brother's loud outursts. "Now Caselo, being prompt is always a good thing at the Weyr especially where dragons are concerned. " She added good naturedly.

When Caselo turned his attention on Somadin, Havalie smiled sweetly at him. "Hello, Somadin." She was much more comfortable with Caselo around, like he could scare off anything that would frighten her to being shy. Maybe she needed people more than she thought?

Then Caselo went and had another outburst. "Shhh..." She almost giggled and then turned her blue eyes to the diagrams. "Interesting indeed." She whispered. "Faranth save us." She shook her head at her brother's exuberance.

-----

For his part, Evalos was neither early nor late. He tried to sit where he normally did but the chairs were all, rearranged. He was not sitting at the loser table with Somadin the tiny and Havalie the dimglow...not to mention her silly brother Caselo.
The dark eyed boy would sit anywhere but there. He at in the back corner, not to avoid detection but to avoid the people in the front.

A sneer was on his face as he looked at them. What were they so happy about. It was just a few dragon diagrams. It was not like there was a real dragon in here. Ugh. This really was going to be a hard lesson to get through. He wondered briefly if Iaslia would sit near him. Then they could comment on the loser table without catching this guest speaker's eye.

Maybe he should have given the man another look. Somehow he thought he recognized him and then again he could not remember his name. It was Ph- something. Oh well, the man would tell them all eventually no point in wasting energy on it.

[wonder123]

Out of all the adjustments he had to make to his life at the Weyr, he had to say that lessons were the least welcome. Everyday here Trevan was learning something new, true. But when that came in its sit-down-and-take-notes form....he found himself less enthused.

Maybe it was the whole reading, writing aspect. He'd barely mastered his letters when he began working in the Hold Smithy. There was just never enough time for such trivial pursuits like higher learning there. He'd much rather be sleeping, hunting, getting the money to feed his family....

Voices, or rather a young man's exuberant one, greeted him as he stood in the doorway. There were more Candidates here than he'd seen so far in his short stay. Maybe that's why he'd missed them all...they were in class. His brown eyes scanned the room - Somadin was already surrounded and you'd be hard pressed to get Trevan in the front row. Another, harsher, looking young man was in the back. He didn't like the looks he was throwing over at Somadin and his friends.

Guess Tre would be sitting in the middle.

He took his seat in one of the empty rows, his head just managing to break the eye line of Evalos to Somadin. He stared gravely at the diagrams up front. Well, the sooner it started, the sooner it'd be over with.

[E]

Somadin found the man in the Candidate Master’s seat smiling at him with his greeting. Returning the smile nervously, he answered, “Somadin, Sir” as he took his seat. The noise coming from the common room finally tore Somadin’s gaze off the diagrams in the front, however, as two of the candidates made it into the room.

He had not talked to either of them extensively, but he knew the girl from a lunchtime argument. Havalie her name was, at least he thought it was. He had yet to see Havelie so full of laughter and smiles, the girl had been one of the quiet ones toward the back of the classes thus far. She seemed shy – except for when she stood up to the red haired woman from their classes. Somadin wondered what magic the boy she came in with was working to have her so happy. Perhaps they were partners?

Hearing how loud the boy was being, Somadin found his face warming as the boy greeted him at a similar volume. Looking up toward the guest speaker, the smallest boy wondered if something would be said. Deciding he’d be best off not giving the boy more to speak about, Somadin skipped answering his hello and watched the door as another tall candidate walked in.

This one he recognized, Trevan. Trevan was somewhat of a celebrity by default within the Weyr, being the only candidate from outside the Weyr in nearly 50 turns. After his appearance at the Weyr, Somadin puzzled together that the search riders must be going out again, though very quietly as nobody was informed. Not to mention if they were not doing it quietly more candidates from outside would have appeared by now. None had, however, which only left Somadin wondering if perhaps something had happened in the outside world to lower candidates and their potentials outside of the Weyr..

It wasn’t until he watched Trevan sit down that Somadin realized another candidate had walked in during the commotion Havalie’s friend was causing. A dark young man who’s temper seemed even darker, Somadin couldn’t remember his name after attempting to avoid the man at every possible moment. Something about him scared Somadin as much as the red haired woman Iaslia did. No, he was very happy to see the man had sat well away from him and would hope it continued to be that way through candidacy.

Turning back to the front, Somadin watched the door to see who would arrive before the lessons started and who would not bother to show up. That was something Somadin noticed but couldn’t understand, there were some candidates who didn’t even bother with lessons half the time and skipped chores the other half. Did they really think their chances for impression would remain as good if they didn’t attend? And even still there were new faces popping up every time, like the loud boy behind him…

[LyricalBlue]

As was her usual style, Iaslia slinked in somewhat after the first arrivals. She never liked to be the first into a room, it made her feel like a target and she wanted everyone right where she could see them. Green eyes flicked around the room as she took in its currant occupants. The Healer and the baby, on the other side that brat Havalie and Caselo. She remembered his previous help and promised herself she would not pick on that one too much. He had manners and that counted highly with Iaslia.

The lanky girl walked around the outside and slipped into the seat next to her uncle on the far side. The dragon healer, well this was going to be interesting. If there was one thing she had always been interested in it was that. Actually, she had planned on learning as much about it as she could if she did not ever Impress. If one couldn't ride, one could heal.

She propped her elbows on the desk and leaned her head down on her hands. Her hair for once, was neatly plaited back. And unlike her usual self, the hot tempered girl actually looked controlled. Long wherryhide leggings ended in calf high boots and a loose white blouse was tucked into their top. For once she did not have a sneer or sharp comment for her fellow candidates.

[starshine]

Kess moved silently through the halls, making her way as quickly as she could to the School Room. She was running late, which was very of the ordinary for her. She rushed, nearly bumping into a drudge on the way. "I'm sorry, I'm running late!" Her voice was normally calm and light, this time it was hasty. Her brows furrowed. She did not want to be late today of all days. There was a guest speaker, Master Phaedan from the Healer Hall, and she was very interested in what he was going to be teaching.

Once outside the door she took a deep breath, calming her nerves. The door was heavy and gave an ominous grown when she pushed through it. She had hoped that it wouldn't do that, that she would ultimately be able to sneak in without being noticed. She winced with the sound, then proceeded on into the room. She was happy to see that only a few candidates were inside. She spotted her cousin and Evalos, as well as Havalie and a boy she had yet to have much contact with. Somadin was also present as was Trevan. She decided to take a seat beside him. Middle of the pack seemed fitting. She gave Somadin and Trevan a small smile as greeting before scanning the room.

Noting that Evalos and Iaslia had had their sites on Somadin as a target, Kess had decided that this was a young candidate worth standing up for, at least until he could hold his own, and well if anyone had it in with her cousin it would be Kess. She shot a grin to her cousin. The lanky girl with the red hair Kesstriel admired so much was bread to be a leader, and while she did have a good sense about her her temper and flare for bullying could get her in trouble.

[hrsegrl]

Looking at each Candidate as they walked in he noted this was an older group than he was used to seeing. Not many scrawny fifteen turn olds in here. Heh. Phaedon decided it would be better to skip the introductory things. Stuff that they could learn easily from the Candidate Master.

"I'm sure you are all ready to get started. Let me first say that I'm Master Dragon Healer Phaedon. You have all probably seen me around at one point or another. I don't feel that you need another lecture on the basics of dragon care. What you need is specific information. First things first. You are all here because you want to impress a dragon and lets say your chances are one in four. In every set of four only one of you will impress a dragon this hatching. "

Phaedon wanted to keep their attention so he held up a chart. "Do you have any idea how precious a thing Impression is? Dragonets eat more than you can probably guess. They grow at a rate that puts human growth spurts to shame. Have a look..."

((measurment in meters))


"Now every dragon is an individual some grow bigger than these ranges and some smaller but this is the average for each color. None of you has taken care of a dragonet before so you have to know what is normal and what is not." Phaedon paused to look over the class.

"If you have anything to ask, specific to the topic of dragonets ask now. I would rather answer your questions than simply lecture you."
----
Whispering softly to Havalie and Somadin, "That leaves one of you out then cause I'm getting a dragon." He could have laughed. Why the seriousness? As if half of them were not stressing over impression as it was. The crafter went on but he had already lost Caselo's attention, short as that attention span was.

Caselo's eyes went wide as Phaedon showed the growth chart. That was interesting. The dragon healers must have spent a good deal of time working on it. He did not think that the beastcrafters had a chart like that for runners. Of course one would have to go by type. Did they have charts like that for humans? He should probably ask the infirmiry though they probably did.

He did feel the need to ask the first question. Caselo smiled who would be the inquisitive one today. Havalie liked to ask questions but it was always nice to hear new voices.

----------

Havalie stiffled a giggle at her foster brother's comment and returned in a whisper, "Well I'm getting one too if I can help it." To have a dragon of any color would please her just fine. As devastated as she may be if she did not impress she wondered how someone like Caselo would take it. Maybe his sunny attitude would continue to shine through.

The chart was interesting to her. The sheer size of a dragon next to a human was remarkable. They grew faster than she realized however the math that would be involved to compare that to human growth was beyond her. These dragon healers were very intelligent.

She looked up at Phaedon wondering why he was taking such interest in them if only 25% of them were going to impress? Although she did hear him say this impression so perhaps some of them had a chance still in the next one. Were the odds much different on how many would impress that time? Math was not her strong suit and she did not feel like giving that away about herself with Iaslia in the back waiting to pounce.

-----

Evalos looked at the other people around the room. In a voice quiet enough not to get heard , "If we're both impressing, guess that means that front section isn't impressing at all. No suprise there." He raised an eyebrow at the obvious comraderie going on. Why did they have to be so, so base?

The young man looked over the chart quickly putting the numbers into his head. Dragons were big not that he needed a diagram or a chart to show him that. An almost evil smile played across his lips as he said to Iaslia "Somadin must really be feeling tiny now. I wonder if he'll even be able to get a dragonet to notice him..."

Once that Havalie girl opened her mouth he'd be all over her comments like flies to meat. Evalos never spoke in class unless it was to make it known that he was there or if he felt the need to make someone else's day worse. On the rare occassion he had an opinion that was strong enough to make him contrdict the Candidate Master outloud. Otherwise he was going to keep his mouth shut.

[E]

Somadin knew his numbers well enough and once he put everything together the small boy could not help but frown. He had thought his chances would rise in the classes but from the sounds of it they were getting worse the more he learned. Looking at the chart brought another math puzzle to his head. He knew he could reach five feet tall if he stood up straight, but that only brought him up to a meter and a half, maybe a few centimeters more. If the chart he was looking at was right, even on the hatching grounds he only stood a chance of being as big as a green or blue… the rest would easily stand over him fresh out of their egg.

That brought a sinking feeling to his stomach and despite the two laughing behind him, Somadin fought to stifle a moan. Bringing his hands to his face, he covered it for a moment before running them through his hair. Maybe he SHOULD wait a hatching or two before standing… What were the chances, he wondered, for those smaller than the new hatchlings to be stepped on and never seen? He did not voice his question, just covered his face again. He had not realized the hatchlings were so big – he had always been too far up in the stands to appreciate their full size… And they would only grow.

[LyricalBlue]

The smirk that spread across Iaslia's face was a slow lazy one at that. She was really far more interested in what Phaedon was saying than picking on the other Candidates right about now. That could come later when she had less important things to do. One in four, she rather liked her odds. So, Iaslia laughed softly under her breath as she studied the chart; one in four indeed.

Candidates lacking in height aside, if Somadin did Impress he was going to need all the help that he could get. Even a growing green was no joke and Iaslia had seen Aliath on many occasion, she couldn't quite imagine having to oil all that dragon. The red head raised her hand, for once not being the usual troublemaker in the room.
"Is oiling the only way to keep their hide from cracking?"

Every weyrbred person knew the danger of a dragon will ill cared for hide. Iaslia even remembered helping her mother oil her green when she had been little. Of course, now both were long lost between.

[starshine]

(i'm at work so i can't log in but i can post!!)

Kess reclined in her chair beside Trevan. She focused intently on the dragon healer as he explained the growth of the young dragons. Anything to do with the creatures was something of interest to the youth. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked closer at the chart. It was indeed something to marvel at. The Dragon Healers must have spent much time researching and charting the dragons development.

As she gazed at the diagrams of the different colors her mind wandered to the pending hatching. Aliath being so young, how healthy would the dragonets be? Curtianly she has been getting the best care from pretty much the whole weyr. This hatching meant so much for their futures. What would she impress, if she did at all? She couldn't picture herself with a queen. Leading the weyr was intimidating and she suttered at the thought. Iaslia would be more the type, if only she could learn to control that mean streek. A green would most likely be more her spead and for Kess really the only other option.

She was so far in her own mind that it wasn't until Iaslia spoke up did she return to the real world. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk. Her hands tucked under her chin, legs crossed under the desktop.

[wonder123]

Trevan gave Kess a smile as she took the seat next to him. She made up exactly one half of his friends here at the Weyr. He wasn't particularly used to having anyone to care about that wasn't related to him. Somadin was surrounded by people, safe for the moment. It was nice to have Kess near him.

The guest speaker had their attention again. The man had too many charts and diagrams for Trevan to make heads or tails with. He understood the pictures well enough - shards, he was in a flamin' Weyr, he knew they'd be learning about dragons. But were those measurements correct?! Fall and fire, those things would eat the Weyr out of food! Tre had no idea how he'd keep up with something that big, when he was just getting used to Solo and all the things that came with a firelizard.

Trevan slouched into his seat, thankful that Kess wasn't the talkative type. He'd give anything not to have the old man's attention on his section of the room.

[hrsegrl]

The question presented by the red haired girl in the back was not one of the usuals though nothing they asked would stump him. Master Phaedon nodded and took a moment to give an appropriate answer. He could not say that oiling was the only way but it was the most effective thus far. Scratching the top of his silvering head a moment, he answered,

"We are currently working on an alternative though it seems oiling is the most effective way to keep their hides from cracking. Overfeeding can cause the hide to stretch more which can also lead to cracking hides. This is why while they are growing you must bathe and oil them every day. If we do find a less messy alternative to oiling we will of course be trying it out on adults before Weyrling Dragons. "

Phaedon looked about the room trying to see if they were actually paying attention. Most of them seemed to be a bit struck by all the diagrams and that. The Master was used to that even from apprentices. "I hope that answered your question. Anyone else?" If there were no more questions class was going to be very short which was a bit dissapointing. The future of the Weyr should be more curious.

----------

Caselo looked at the Dargon Healer with keen interest. Oiling was a messy thing but necessary. Bathing a dragonet couldn't be that hard and oiling should be pretty easy too. The blonde young man had no doubt that he would do fine with a dragon and be able to care for one. His optimism might need to rub off on his fellow classmates a bit.

Whispering to Somadin, "Don't worry Somadin. You will do fine with a dragon." Seeing that the size was bothering him Caselo added, "They make even the tallest of us look small in comparison." Maybe that was not the exact right thing to say but Caselo did not mean it as an insult more as a reassurance that they would all seem small next to the dragons so his size would not be important.

Realizing the gaze of the Master was moving about the room he decided not to say anything to Havalie. Did not want to press his luck. Talking had gotten him kicked out of classes before. Not for lack of trying to be quiet. Caselo quite often could not help himself.

----------

Wide eyed, Havalie was still thinking about the size of dragons when Iaslia actually decided to take part in the lesson rather than cause mayhem. Good for her, she thought wondering why Iaslia would pay attention enough to ask a question. It was a good one though the answer seemed a bit more complex than a simple yes or no.

She barely heard what Caselo was saying but she almost kicked him in the shin after the last part. That could be taken too many different ways though Caselo never meant to insult anyone. At least not that she could tell. Havalie's eyes left the chart and went to her calloused hands. Maybe hides were sensitive to things like cracking because they had to be able to resist the cold of Between?

Hava was not about to voice that errant thought. She asked enough questions in a normal lesson that today she had hoped everyone else would be full of questions. Looked like not many people were interested in having the Dragon Healer put them on the spot.

----

Waiting for the response from the Master seemed like a candlemark. Evalos did not much care to ask questions but since it was his neice who had asked he took interest in the answer. Not what he expected the man to say at all though today people were being a bit odd. He was reading into things too much.

When no one else felt like sharing Evalos smiled. Of course not. No one wanted to be the center of attention in the presence of a Master Dragon Healer. Who could blame them? Evalos wondered if the man was prepared to call on people. That could be very very amusing. He may be alone in the wanting to cause misery department but he didn't mind.

The youth was just tired of being around all these "good" young people. It really made him sick that none of them ever got into trouble. With a sigh he ran his fingers through his dark brown hair and stared down the room toward the table at the front. At least Somadin looked miserable.