School Never Ends [Future Designs Weyrling Class. Open!]

"Shards, they're coming this way,"

Seijin and Araith talk to everyone. They are both very friendly. Khaduceth understood the reservation, though. Excessively friendly people made Talian uncomfortable; the healer had trust issues that ran deep, and he generally regarded optimism as a trait of the unintelligent. Tal didn't know enough about Seijin to make such a cruel claim, but optimistic dribble bothered him just the same. He couldn't understand it, and no one else could understand him.

Well, no one but Khaduceth.  The yound dragon's outlook was more positive than his bonded's, but unlike those silly idealists floating around in humanland, Khaduceth knew that lecturing Talian about it didn't do any good. Khaduceth didn't want to change his poor bonded, who so few took the time to understand! Instead, khaduceth preferred to supply silent support. He may not have shared Talian's trust issues, but he understood them, possibly more than even his bonded realized.

Therefore, Khaduceth did nothing to discourage Talian's attitude. Talking him into thinking differently wasn't the solution. Tal's mind was fascinating but very rigid. It was hard to convince him to use the other side of the pillow when he slept, much less anything else! If any one law distracted it's workings, it's that Talian would remain Talian no matter what happened to him.

I'll take care of it Khaduceth said sweetly. Talian shook his head and proped his elbows on the reclining dragonet. "No, don't worry about it," he whispered, not entirely sure what Khaduceth meant by that...and not intending to find out. Talian suspected the dragonet was willing to go to unnecessary extremes to appease him, but he'd yet to see it. If that was going to happen, it didn't need to be aimed at an innocent!

Besides, Seijin wasn't a bad guy. Talian just wasn't sure why he wanted to be his friend so bad, or why he was so damn happy all the time. It was unsettling! It didn't necessarily occur to the young man that some people were just wired to be cheery and friendly.

"Hello," Talian said as they approached. He sighed a little at the comment on size, looking Khaduceth over and frowning. "Disgustingly fast," he said. The faster they grew, the sooner lessons would progress to less-nice things. Khaduceth remained quiet, though he did purr a soft greeting to his sister.

Tal was admittedly fascinated. Araith hadn't been much smaller than Khaduceth on the first day, but now the brown was noticeably bigger. Talian had no idea what to do about that. He wasn't supposed to be a dragonrider at all, much less the rider of a big dragon. Brownriders had power; not like a metallic, but they outranked greens and blues...And it just so happened that Talian's only dragonrider friends fell into those categories.

He wasn't so stupid to think that it wouldn't cause problems one day. He didn't want it too, though. He didn't want to make anyone feel the way he felt when his friends became riders and he remained the lowest of the low. He didn't want to be trated as superior to anyone, but from what he'd seen of weyr life...

Ugh.

He cut his eyes back to Seijin and frowned. "She's cute," he said, referring of course to the green dragonet. Before he could say much else, however, B'jin arrived.

Talian immediately fell silent and turned his attention towards the greenrider, watching attentively as he spoke. The lesson sounded simple enough. A mental exercise? No problem.

This will be easy Khaduceth said with almost too much pleasure. Talian smiled at him and gave him a light pat on the side. "Okay. I guess we're giving it a try." He arranged himself in front of the dragonet, who lowered his head to meet his bonded's gaze.  They stared deep into one another's eyes for a minute or so before Talian so much as twitched.

He had a problem, though. He wasn't sure what exactly B'jin was trying to get him to do. Get into Khaduceth's mind? How was he supposed to do that? Tal had always been a visual learner, and B'jin's descriptions were vague at best.

Talian knew he had loud thoughts, too. He wasn't looking forward to being scolded by Larrikith, but well...Here goes nothing.

That was probably wrong. Khaduceth, can you hear me?

I don't think I'm doing it right

This is stupid


Khaduceth rumbled softly and nosed Talian's arm. Keep trying. You do not have to reach far; I am right here

Talian frowned. "Easy for you to say," he said, putting his hand on the brown's nose and pushing it back so he could better see into his eyes. Talian took a deep breath and leaned forward, peering into thew dragonet's eyes and trying to place himself inside the creature's head. It was hard for someone so linear to comprehend something so abstract, but Khaduceth's encouraging presence was enough to keep him calm. How long had he been trying now?

All right, Talian...you can do this. You can cut someone open and rearrange their guts and bring them out of it alive. This is nothing.

Shards, he was getting a headache. But Khaduceth was right there, mentally caressing him, doing everything he could to ward away the pain. It was so comforting, and so easy to drift away in, like some sort of wonderful waking dream.

Talian closed his eyes and slumped a bit. I love you so much

I love you, too

Talian gasped.