Meeting with the Weyrlingmastr (Lan'ae)

[kayla]

After the incident with the tangled blue dragonet, Daevon decided that he needed to meet with Lan'ae sooner rather than later. While there had been no hesistation on part of the Weyrling Rider to allow him to help with the blue, Daevon knew that the next time it was one of the younger ones who needed him, he might not be received quite so well.

Daevon also knew that it was the large clutch size that had determined that Telgar Weyr was the right location for the new Master Dragonhealer, particularly the one who could actually speak with the dragons themselves. While he needed to meet the various wings for the same reason, it was quite clear to him tht his first priority needed to be the weyrlings. As he had done his Journeymanship at a Weyr, he was well aware of the mortality rate among weyrling wings.

And so it was that the salt-and-pepper haired man stood at the door of the Weyrlingmaster's Office about midmorning and knocked. He would be the best way to be formally introduced, not just to the youngest wing, but to all the weyrling wings.

[effluo]

While Lan’ae was most often the sort to be busy at work with one thing or another, this was one of the rare occasions where he found himself jolted out of a nap by the knock on the door. He frowned at the door, wondering if he had really heard someone knock on it or not, perhaps he had been dreaming. Brining his feet back to the floor and letting his chair fall back into place, he remembered he had been planning the next lesson for the youngest class of weyrlings.

Then the knock came again. Well shoot, someone had been at the door! Hurrying to get up, he moved over to open it and found himself looking at, not a weyrling, but another man who’s hair and face showed the same signs of age Lan’ae was growing used to.

“Good Morning, Sir. Can I invite you in? How can I help you?” moving back enough to allow the other man to enter, he wondered at who it was. Being at the Weyr for so long, he knew most of the riders, at least by face – especially the older ones. He attempted to rake his brain for another clue. The man seemed too well off to be a lowercavern man. Perhaps someone had transferred to the Weyr? Was he told about that?

Whether he had been told or not, Lan’ae couldn’t bring himself to remember as his brain was not yet fully awake.

[kayla]

Daevon smiled warmly to the man, and he had to admit, it was kind of refreshing to see someone else who was closer to his own age. While he had enjoyed his own youth, and in some ways missed it, he had been slightly discouraged to not have encountered as many people who had made it to his age as he had younger people. The WeyrlingMaster was a bit of an encouragement to him.

He accepted the invitation into the man's office and chuckled to himself at the man's obvious uncertainty. "I'm Daevon, the Master Dragonhealer. And I believe you are Lan'ae, the Weyrlingmaster and Rider of Bronze Eznorth?" No, he did not have everyone memorized yet, but this man was a ranker involved with a particularly vulnerable group of Riders. Of course he had made sure to get his name and dragon's name before coming to see him.

While the rankers had been told about him, if he had not yet met him, how could Daevon expect him to know him on sight? He didn't. "I'm sure you know that one of the reasons I was assigned to Telgar is the size of the most recent group of weyrlings. While I'm slowly trying to introduce myself to all the Weyr and help Riders know that I'm available should their dragons be in need, you have the most vulnerable group under you. I was hoping we could talk some and get to know each other, and then that you could introduce me to all your Weyrling classes." He would not talk about his own uniqueness, not just yet. He would, but he didn't want to dump everything on the Bronzer all at once.

[effluo]

The name sparked his memory and the weyrling master smiled crookedly. He /had/ been told that they were receiving a new dragonhealer, but he had… umm… been distracted by Anistora to stay and listen to the details. He had told the ranker who was passing along the news that he was sure he’d run into him at some point or another and went off to play with his daughter and bronze. He almost regretted that now as he was face to face with the man he knew nothing about.

“Yes, I’m Lan’ae of Eznorth. Please, have a seat.” Moving over to the hearth, he peeked into the pot of Klah that could always be found there to find it unusually empty. Figures. Shaking his head he put the lid back down and walked back to his seat klah-less. “I’d offer you Klah, but I’m afraid I have emptied the pot earlier.”

Sitting down in his own chair he took a moment to move a number of hides into a pile on one side of the desk before letting out a last, ill timed yawn left over from his nap. “Excuse me I was not expecting company.” Listening to the man, Lan’ae smiled and nodded. He never minded the idea of getting to know more people, even if they were not riders. “Of course! Of course. That be the case, I’ll get us some more Kl-“

I already did.
Oh thank you Eznorth.

Even as he stopped his sentence an older woman opened the door and smiled warmly at the two before winking at Lan’ae. It was Canora and, as always, she had wonderful timing as she brought in a fresh pot of klah and replaced it with the old.

“Oh I can get that Canora.” Lan’ae said as he moved to get up to help his wife.
“I’ve got it Lan’ae, sit down.”

The husband didn’t hesitate a second to sit right back down and smile at his wife. Waiting until they both were offered a cup of Klah with various sweetners in front of them to help themselves did Lan’ae introduce his wife.

“Well I guess that’s a good way to start. Master Daevon, this is Canora, my wife who has always had perfect timing when it comes to Klah.” Canora made a small curtsy as she learned the man was of Master rank before putting two more fresh mugs on the mantle of the hearth and picking up the empty pot before excusing herself out.

“Are you married Master Daevon?” he asked as he watched the door close behind his wife.

[kayla]

Daevon was slightly amused, though he kept it to himself. It seemed he'd caught the man off balance - not something he usually tried to do - especially considering his own abilities. Some Riders tended to be on edge around him because of it, and if he caught them off balance it made them even edgier. Many a black eye had resulted from such an unintentional misunderstanding.

He rose when Canora entered with the Klah. He was not as obsessive about Klah as some, but in this cold setting, he had already noticed that he drank a lot more of it then he used to before.

When the woman curtseyed towards him, he bowed in return. "Its a pleasure to meet you, Canora. And I'm sure you're good at more than perfect timing with Klah." He smiled warmly to her.

"Me? Married... uh... no." He chuckled as he retook his seat. "Its probably rather fortunate that I was weyrbred and became a dragon healer, as the weyr tends to be more open with 'confirmed bachelors' than the Holds and Crafts." And he knew that full well, though he also knew it was not impossible to find bedmates even there - one just had to be more quiet about it.

He sipped the Klah and looked into his mug for a moment. Usually, his preferences were well accepted, and even considered normal, in the Weyr, but the assumption behind the question made Daevon a bit uneasy. Well, it would be as it would be. Hopefully, the man would still work with him.

"Its important that you know that I have a unique ability - one that appears very rarely. I am able to hear and speak with any dragon. I don't take advantage of that ability, but in my position of Master DragonHealer, its an extremely helpful ability." He looked to the man and smiled warmly, "I don't eavesdrop, though. For the most part, the constant conversation of Dragons is like being in the same room with a conversation but not listening to it. I tend not to listen unless directly addressed or I hear a sound of distress."

[effluo]

(((I didn't think Daevon was a dragonrider.... is he dragonless? damn, maybe I have to go back and reread his profile cause I missed that to...)))

Lan’ae raised an eyebrow as the man before him began, but the eyebrow fell back into place as he let out a light laugh. He knew a few men who had the same preference as the Master Dragonhealer was hinting to, in fact he even worked closely with the Candidate Master who felt the same. It didn’t really surprise Lan’ae though he couldn’t help but be slightly regretful that a man who was similar in age to his own had not settled down, even if it would have been with another man.

The bronzer did not linger on the topic, however, as Daevon was obviously into his work. Hearing about the unique ability the smile faultered upon his face. Was the man being serious or was this a joke? If so the man was as bad at jokes as Lan’ae was… But looking at the man for a moment he could only find seriousness in the man’s face.

Eznorth, can he hear you? Can he speak with you? Is it the same way you talk to Canora?

You can hear me can’t you? the bronze dragon sent to the man sitting with his rider’s office. He could feel the man within the office the same way he could feel the presence of a lesser dragon within the Weyr. Certainly the presence was not as strong as a bronze or queen, but there was no mistaking that it was there and the bronze was, surprisingly, not bothered by it.

[kayla]

Daevon shared the regret that he had not settled down, but, at the same time, he could not find it in himself to regret his past. Yes, it meant that he was alone now, now when he longed for regular and constant companionship, now that he was old enough to be willing to make a committment and hope for the same. But he had enjoyed his younger years, and there were not experiences that he would trade.

Daevon rose an eyebrow as he watched the facial expression of the weyrling master's internal reflection on what he had just revealed. To be perfectly honest, it was better than some reacted to this news. He wasn't being summarily sent out of the man's office and told that he would not be allowed acces to the weyrlings at all.

We both know you can make anyone you like hear you. But yes, I can hear you. I could hear you even before you addressed me, but I did not listen, as that would be intrusive.

"I hope you gave your Eznorth permission to speak to me. I really try to avoid talking to dragons without the permission of their riders except in dire circumstances." He smiled warmly, "I promise, Bronze Rider, I do not eavesdrop on dragons and their Riders - or even on dragon conversations with each other. It took me a long time to develop the control I have, but I value it as much as I'm sure Riders expect it of me. Otherwise, I'd go crazy." Literally, actually. Of the few accounts he and his former Master had found on this, over half of the persons who were able to hear all Dragons did go crazy if not removed from the presence of dragons.