Disclaimer: Dragonriders of Pern belongs to Anne McCaffrey...we're just helping her finish the story
A/N: We've been busy haven't we? And yes, at the High Reaches, girls sleep with the boys in the Weyrling Barracks. This is because the people in the Weyr are stupid.
Livana remembered her candidacy, when she'd been treated with respect as a prospective Queen Rider. She'd not taken advantage beyond acquiring a brand new gather dress, one that had been worn by no one before her. Now, as she worked on her essay and struggled to ignore the ten boys who shared the Weyrling barracks, she wondered just why she had wanted the transfer from Benden to the High Reaches. The eighteen turn old woman flinched as she heard something fly through the air behind her and reminded herself that she had come to see if her dragon was here after the winter sickness had claimed so many of the young women of the Lower Caverns the winter before. Of course, now she had Aurenth and that made being so far from her home in Nerat bearable. One of the boys, probably S'vero, shouted and she frowned and turned back to her essay. They would probably wait until the last minute to do it, but Livana wasn't that sort.
"Hey Livana," A'zon said, "stop studying and come play."
Livana sighed and turned, "No, but thank you for the offer." She glanced over her shoulder at the room and noted that most of the noise seemed to come from a group of blue riders on the other side of the barracks. She wasn't sure, but it looked like they had one of their number pinned down.
"You never spend time with us," A'zon said, moving to lean against her desk and drawing her away from trying to figure out what they were doing, "you're always studying or sewing."
Livana looked up at him and frowned, "I spend more time with you than I often want, A'zon, between classes and the relative isolation we live in." Not to mention that A'zon was the one who was always trying to talk to her in the evenings. She'd suspect that he had a crush on her if it weren't for the marks that changed hands every time he talked to her. She hadn't given up on getting him to go away, though.
A'zon glanced up as S'vero shouted in outrage and sighed, "Look, I'm just worried about you, ok? After R'kor's speech." He trailed off as Livana's eyes narrowed.
"You fear that I will share my dragon's first flight?" Livana said and snorted, "Not hardly, A'zon. They warned us at Benden and a nice young man who later impressed Bronze had the honor. I might be holdbred, but I've lived a few Turns in the Weyr."
"Oh," A'zon said. "Still, why don't you ever want to spend time with us?"
"Because you are boys and I am a girl," Livana replied, "and I like sewing. I also like to get my work done in a timely manner."
"Which essay are you working on?" A'zon asked.
"The one about firestone," Livana replied. "I wanted to get as much done today while the information was still fresh in my mind." She wanted to ask him what was wrong with him, but she didn't want to be completely rude, her mother would never have let her live that down.
"Yeah," A'zon said, "I wrote down some thoughts on that too. I can't believe R'kor won't let us take notes in class."
"One day, we're going to have to be able to call up visuals to travel around Pern," Livana replied, "I see it as training for that."
"Maybe," A'zon said. "S'vero, are you dying over there?" He asked in irritation as the blue rider yelled again.
"No," S'vero replied. Livana turned and saw that he was the one the blue riders had cornered.
"Then what's all the yelling about?" A'zon said.
"I'm giving him a hard time," Z'rat replied with that smirk of his that made Livana want to just punch him. "Seeing as I know his family and all."
"He's a mad man," S'vero said, "and he's annoying."
"Excuse me," A'zon said, "I need to go save those two from themselves."
Livana grinned, "Go right ahead." At least A'zon tried to keep some semblance of order in the blue riders. He wasn't always able to keep them from going insane, but he did try. Livana had heard that he was a Lord Holder's son, which meant he'd had some training as a leader. It was a shame R'kor ignored that training.
She started to write again. "Livana?"
Livana turned to find J'ron standing behind her, "Yes, J'ron?"
"Could you help me?" J'ron asked, "I'm having trouble with some of these drills."
Livana hesitated, but she liked the younger boy all right, he was nice. He wasn't the brightest glow in the basket, but he was sweet and tried his best and he didn't seem to fall for the madness that the blue riders seemed to encorage. "Ok," Livana said. She rolled up her hide and put her utensils away. "Let's go sit outside," she suggested, "I think it might be quieter."
"Ok," J'ron replied with a shy smile.
They found a spot where the setting sun gave them good light not too far from the Weyrling barracks. "What's giving you trouble?" Livana asked.
"I'm trying to remember those crosswind stagger positions," J'ron replied, "and I can't seem to keep the images clear in my mind."
"Oh," Livana said, "I see." She located some stones and began to explain.
"What's going on here?" R'kor asked.
Livana jumped, and J'ron jerked back, "R'kor, sir," Livana scrambled to her feet, J'ron right behind her.
"She was helping me," J'ron said. "I was having trouble visualizing those crosswind formations you talked about today and Livana was explaining it, sir."
"Why aren't you in the barracks?" R'kor asked.
An especially piercing yell came out of the barracks. "It's too noisy, sir," Livana replied. "It's hard enough to study alone, but almost impossible to study together."
"You're going to have to learn to deal with it," R'kor snapped. "Get back in there."
"Yes sir," Livana and J'ron mumbled.
"You both know you still have nearly a turn before you can be alone together," R'kor continued.
"But," Livana protested but fell silent.
"I know kissing seems harmless," R'kor said.
"We weren't kissing," Livana said, "we're both green riders."
R'kor fell silent for a moment, staring at her, "She's right," J'ron said. "I just needed help with the formations."
"Get back inside," R'kor said, "and don't let me catch you two sneaking around again."
Livana turned and headed inside, J'ron right behind her. They entered the barracks and the doors shut behind him. "The nerve of him!" Livana said, "Like he couldn't see that we were doing nothing."
"R'kor's like that," J'ron said softly, his voice nearly swallowed in the noise of the barracks.
"He shouldn't be Weyrlingmaster then," Livana replied. "Come on, let's go over by my bunk and I'll see if I can't finish explaining that to you."
"Thank you," J'ron replied.