Culture Shock

Writers: Erin Smith, Rochelle
Date Posted: 3rd August 2006

Characters: Vir'en, D'rue
Description: Virnoren meets up with one of his candidate peers, Daiirue, and the two discuss how Holds and Weyrs differ.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 5 of Turn 3

Virnoren had just settled down in his favorite observation point with his most recent carving when he realized he wasn't alone. He scowled, studying the approaching figure. He was rather proud of the hiding spot he'd found turns ago as a young lad. It was a small cliff, which protruded from the outer face of the Weyr, and gave a nice view of both the ocean, and some of the seaside weyrs. Virnoren studied the boy carefully, recognizing him from his Candidate lessons. **Daiirue,** Virnoren thought to himself.
The boy wasn't weyrbred, but he didn't grate on Virnoren's nerves like many of the Hold and Craftbred candidates, who occasionally had the most absurd concepts about what really happened at the Weyr.

Virnoren shrugged mentally. So what if someone found his secret spot. He had others. And perhaps Daiirue would be amusing diversion from an otherwise boring day, if nothing more. Virnoren stood, revealing his location. "Candidate Daiirue?"
He queried, although he knew his memory was spot on. He rarely forgot names.

Daiirue blinked at the sound of his name. He'd been so intent on his search for a quiet place to read that he hadn't noticed the other candidate
-although he might need his help to figure out how to get _back_. The weyr was huge.

"That's right." He said with a formal smile as he approached. "It's...
Virnoren, right? I've seen you in classes." He offered his hand, more out of habit than expecting the other candidate to take it.

Virnoren took the proffered hand, not wanting to be offensive. Some Holds had some weird ideas concerning etiquette, and if there was one thing Virnoren hated, it was rudeness. "Yeah. I've seen my fair share of candidate classes in my day," he replied with a crooked smile. Virnoren wouldn't have been surprised if the Weyrleadership asked him to _teach_ candidate classes at this point, having been enrolled every time there was a hatching in the past 6 turns.

"So, how do you like it at the Weyr?" Virnoren had only been out of the Weyr in the past for short periods of time, and couldn't imagine how it would feel to be lost in such a massive place.

Daiirue felt oddly calmed by the handshake. The little bit of formality was a welcome and familiar change from the open casualness he'd found in most of the weyr. He kept his smile on as he answered, opting for polite honesty. It was generally the safest course with strangers. "It takes some getting used to. The activity here never seems to stop, does it?"

Virnoren nodded. "No, no it doesn't. Between wing lessons, sweeps, harper classes, candidate classes, crafters, green flights... day to day life at the Weyr is pretty hectic. I learned as a weyrbrat the best policy is to try and watch from afar and wait your turn." Virnoren paused, thinking for a moment. His expression turned to one of shock as he briefly considered something. "You've... never been around the Weyr when a gold was rising have you?" Virnoren wondered if anyone had warned Daiirue of gold flights when he'd first been brought to the Weyr.

"No, I haven't." Daiirue said frowning. Virnoren's expression was making him uneasy... "But I haven't been here long. Is this a problem?" His brain started wheeling. He felt Vree when his flit flew greens of course, and the occasional gold, but it wasn't like he gave in. Why should he be affected by the flight of a dragon that he didn't even have...?

Virnoren had to fight not to laugh, but he thought he recovered himself well. "Gold dragons just have a way of... affecting... everyone in the area.
The entire Weyr is sort of..." Virnoren stopped his sentence while he searched for a delicate enough word. "friendly... when a gold rises."
Virnoren decided to leave it there. "So, what did you do before coming to the Weyr?" Virnoren asked, feeling a need to change the subject.
Hopefully the candidate classes would cover that aspect of Weyr life soon.

Daiirue didn't like the way Virnoren had said "friendly," but since the other candidate had changed the subject, decided to let it drop and ask the candidate classmaster later. "I just walked the tables a few months ago at the Weaver Hall. I was Searched on a visit to my foster parents, for my brother's confirmation as heir. I'm assuming from your comment that you're weyrbred?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

Virnoren nodded, thinking his words over carefully. "Indeed. Nineteen turns at the Weyr. Six turns standing." Despite the fact that the latter number made him feel pathetic, it also was a mark of his "experience." He picked up the small figure he was carving into some wood he'd had left over from a furniture project. "And a Senior Apprentice Woodcrafter as well. So your brother's an heir you say?" Virnoren shook his head, as if contemplating a foreign concept. "I can't imagine being an heir to something. But then again, I've no idea who my parents even are."

Dairue managed not to stare, although he didn't quite manage to cover all of his shock. Not know who his parents were...? His entire existence until he reached the hall had revolved around his bloodline. "I...I'm not sure I can explain." He said finally. "You see, both my parents and fosterparents are small holders. Rugaii inherited Windy Spire when my father died, and now Gaiiteure will have Crooked Rapids. I can't imagine _not_ knowing who my parents were. The bloodline is... was..." He gave up, shrugging. "I can't say I know what being an heir is like either. I was only a potential heir, and my brothers did not appreciate the competition."

Virnoren nodded. "I guess that's the interesting thing about being a weyrbrat. I don't have a mother or father, but rather the entire Lower Caverns raised me. I mean, I have a foster mother and all... I don't know if any of the weyrbrats I played with were actually related to me, but many of us didn't know our parents, so it was as if we were all siblings.
Let me tell you, we had some fierce rivalries." Virnoren chuckled at the memory. "But it's pretty common. A greenrider doesn't drink her tea, gets pregnant, and can't care for both baby and dragon. They obviously don't get rid of their dragon, so the child goes to the foster mother. At first everyone knows which child belongs to whom, but after a while..."
Virnoren shrugs. "No one but the greenrider knows. And she's never contacted me, so she might or might not know or care I'm hers. She may have even died, with the Threadfall accident. It just makes Weyr life easier for the riders."

Daiirue shook his head, unable to comprehend the idea of simply...
forgetting who your children were. No matter who raised the child, no matter what your responsibilities, that just seemed inexcusable. Oh, he'd heard of it before, generally in cases of bastard children, but he always figured the parents had a responsibility to know who the children were!

"I can't imagine what that must be like." He said finally. "In the holds, there is so much emphasis on the bloodline and the marriage contract that a child out of wedlock is practically unthinkable."

"Wedlock?" Virnoren queried. He knew that that was a common process for Lord Holders to enter into, but he didn't realize it was common of all Holdfolk.
To be quite honest, the concept of wedlock scared him. He understood weyrmating, and that was acceptable, but weyrmating was hardly monogamous.
There was no predicting mating flights, and while some dragons did fly their weyrmate's dragon, many times that was hardly the case.
"Contract?" He finished. "Wow. I can't imagine being forced to spend my life with one woman..."

Daiirue fought the urge to make some kind of comment along the lines of What?, and forced himself to think for a moment. He knew that marriages were dissolved with Impression, and with so many dragons in a weyr he could see how it would be nearly impossible to have true marriage and there was no need to have marriages of alliance. The thought was oddly exciting, but it was hard to accept. He felt like the ground underneath him had suddenly become shaky. Finally, he said cautiously. "Many people can't, but it's not as bad as you think. A lot of marriages are friends, and most people agree to the marriages first. They don't always work, but it's not like..." He fished around for an analogy the other candidate could understand. "They're being locked in a cave for life with someone they don't know or really hate from the start."

Virnoren fought back laughter. "I can't believe how different it is at the Holds than it is here." He shook his head. "No wonder Holdbred candidates have some funny ideals." A brief scan of the weyrbowl showed that it was getting later in the afternoon. "I think we have classes this afternoon don't we? We'd better get there if that is the case..."

Daiirue nodded, deciding not to comment on who had the funny ideas since he was reasonably certain holds had existed before the weyrs. "It is getting late, isn't it." He agreed blandly, and picked up his book again, smiling apologetically to hide his embarrasment at realizing he was truely lost.
"Lead on. I'll follow."

Last updated on the August 4th 2006

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Culture Shock