Chapter 13

Jessenia's next challenge came after the noon meal; when, after a suitable rest for digestion, the candidates were to engage in exercises. J'ton had been seconded by the Weyrlingmaster to help with the boys now the acrobats were gone; and Roban to help J'ton. Jessenia was to lead the girls, for it would be inappropriate for V'sheren to lay hands on any of them to help them achieve an exercise.

Jessenia planned to start with some simple stretching exercises, then organise the girls into leap frog to start the fitness programme with something that as well as increasing their strength could be a fun game too.

The first trouble was the way Silaya was dressed. She was wearing a skirt.

"That's unsuitable costume for exercises; as it was for bagging firestone," said Jessenia, crisply. "Go and put on trews."

Silaya shuddered.

"My good kiddy, just because YOU choose to lark around being half boy doesn't mean the rest of us have to," she said.

Jessenia swallowed. She was in charge; but how was she to cope if the awful girl would not obey?

"Silaya, why do you think I am teaching this class?" she asked.

The Ranking girl raised a bored shoulder.

"Because you're some kind of keen over acrobatics, I suppose," she said.

"Quite. I am knowledgeable; so the Weyrlingmaster asked me to lead the girls. So whose place do I stand in?"

"What, trying to say you're acting Weyrlingmaster?" sneered Silaya.

"For this class, yes. And by disrespecting me, as his deputy in this, you are disrespecting a Bronze Rider, as my tuition of you is at HIS direction. Go and change; or after this class, I will ask for help to pack your things for you, and I will ask a Rider to take you home," Jessenia was controlling the shaking in her voice firmly as she spoke.

"They'll not take orders from you!" Silaya said.

"They will – since I temporarily stand in place of V'sheren. NOW MOVE!" Jessenia moved up close and bellowed in the girl's face in imitation of her grandfather.

Silaya was so startled that she went meekly to change.

"Nicely done, Jessenia," V'sheren moved from where he had himself from the rocky side of the Weyr behind her, from where he had been watching.

Jessenia gulped.

"You – you heard? Was I too free with your name, sir?"

"Not at all; your reasoning that you were acting Weyrlingmaster was quite correct, in terms of your authority for this class."

"I feel quite sick," said Jessenia.

"Not unnatural; it gets easier," he grinned and patted her shoulder. "Carry on, acting Weyrlingmistress!"

oOoOo

The girls were clumsier at leapfrog than ever Jessenia might have imagined! Bracing themselves to receive a leaper was something that seemed to be a problem enough, with those being leaped often falling over and crying that they were hurt; and as for getting the idea into their heads that they should use the backs of their fellows only as a vaulting aid and that their whole weight should not be pressed down seemed impossible to communicate. Jessenia sighed, and asked to borrow Roban to demonstrate with, as well as Carya.

Leealla was trying hard; the run up was hard and painful for her, but she made a fair job of it, having been exercising with Carya, Jessenia, J'ton and Roban for more than two months.

"Leealla has every excuse for making a bit of a heavy landing; but she manages better than most of you!" said Jessenia. "The touch to the back is to add to your jump only, and should propel you forward, NOT be a means to get you up! Let's try again!"

It was going to take a while for them to get the idea, it appeared.

"Huh, reckon you're going to have to make the vaulting stools kneel on the ground for an easier jump, like one does with babes of five or six turns," opined Roban.

"I may well need to make them do it in such a way, at that," replied Jessenia. "I think we need to do press-ups to strengthen your arm muscles, girls; for it's vital for tossing firestone for the Impressed. I just hoped to make the exercises more fun. Ah well, back to basics; my mistake to assume you might be capable of anything."

oOoOo

Jessenia broke up the class and was sending the girls to bathe when the next female candidate arrived. She was a golden girl, tanned skin, eyes almost amber and fine, gold hair. She knew how to make the best of herself too, wearing silver and amber jewellery, and dressed in a silver grey tunic over black leather breeches, the former embroidered with silver and amber beads.

"Well, missed the exercises, have I? er, Weyrwoman?" she said to Jessenia.

"I'm Jessenia. I'm a candidate too; but I am skilled with acrobatics, I was asked to train the girls," said Jessenia.

The newcomer sniffed and pulled a comical face.

"I wager THAT went down well with some of your better stuffed candidates," she said. "Telara, from Keroon. I'm Ranking, but don't let it fool you into thinking I'm a useless article. They breed us hardy in Keroon, no worries!"

As the girl was well muscled, Jessenia believed it.

"Runnerbred?" she asked, glancing at the girl's well muscled thighs.

"Even so," replied Telara. "Oh, Silaya's here… met her once or twice. Poor us!"

"She's suffering most," shrugged Jessenia. "She'll learn, or she'll quit."

"Ah, a fellow cynic… bonza! Show me around, huh?"

Jessenia did so. It was to be noticed that Silaya gave the girl the barest of nods of recognition; Telara definitely Ranked her, even if Silaya was unwilling to admit that Carya's Hold counted.

oOoOo

Four more girls arrived that evening. Gentle Lailla was also Ranking; and she was glad to see Carya, whom she knew from social gatherings. She was here specifically for the Queen egg; but Carya realised it was worth while working on Lailla to suggest she stood for a Green as well. The whole concept of being a dragonrider appealed to the rather romantic girl, and Carya meant to work on that!

Weaverbred Dessa was also soon thick with Carya; a chance remark from Lailla about one of Carya's practical jokes against a would-be girlfriend of Carya's brother led the apprentice weaver to admitting a liking for pranks too.

Jessenia thought Dessa to be several turns older than herself and Carya; and was shocked that a girl so old should still be playing tricks and jokes. Maybe that was why the girl had not progressed to Journeyman, though she must be at least approaching the age of twenty turns, when no further instruction was given in crafts without good reason such as illness. When Dessa admitted to being Turned twenty, Jessenia was even more horrified!

"Maybe being around dragons will make her grow up," said Nadeena, quietly, seeing Jessenia's disquiet.

"One can only hope so!" said Jessenia.

Of the other two of the four newcomers one of them was also craftbred, from the Healer Hall; and Jessenia labelled Melvi in her own mind as a little brown weesweet, in need of bringing out. Her hair, eyes and skin were all an indiscriminate shade of brown, and she seemed half scared all the time, though her glance at Leealla's foot held compassion and approval at the built up shoe and metal brace that the weyrsmith had fashioned to help pull it straight. Jessenia was of the opinion that Melvi was easily put upon; and resolved to make sure that the girl did NOT end up meekly drudging for the likes of Silaya – or the fourth girl who arrived.

Nilis was not a direct descendent of any Holder, but she had some pretensions to Ranking; and was plainly proud of her fine, pale skin and blue eyes, whose colour she reflected in her gown. Introduced around, she raised her eyebrows at Carya, and said,

"Oh yes, your father is the one with the acrobat for a mistress. Are you one of her brats?"

"Wish I was," said Carya, "She's a better mother than my own was… oh, but she was your cousin of course, darling, so being useless is quite to be expected."

There was history apparent between Nilis and Carya that Jessenia knew nothing about.

"NO more of that," said Nadeena. "Making mischief is not permitted; nor gross insults."

"My aunt is Carya's father's mistress," said Jessenia, conversationally, "and I'm fond of both of them. Our family is extremely skilled; G'narish told my grandfather that he was going to try to get the other legitimate entertainers recognised as a Crafthall. The Weyrfolk recognise him as a Mastercraftsman; so try to be clever and avoid being poisonous. It'll get you nowhere, Nilis."

"Really?" Nilis sneered. "I fail to believe that the Weyr would so respect itinerants whose daughters are no better than loving wenches!"

Jessenia clenched her fists to resist the urge to slap the girl.

"Oh, you'd know about loving wenches, would you, Nilis?" she asked sweetly. "I'm a little hazy about the nature of their profession, but I'm sure you are FAR more knowledgeable."

"Fair comment, but that's enough, Jess," said Nadeena. "Nilis, are you stupid? I told you to avoid making mischief. As for doubting the word of another candidate – almost calling the lie direct – I put you on warning. The Weyr respects the Lee family, and I will let you know that Jessenia and her brother have respect personally for being responsible for saving the life of a dragon and his Rider."

Jessenia flushed.

"There's a story there!" said Geetta, "tell it, please, Nadeena!"

"It was no big thing that we did," muttered Jessenia.

"Oh, I think it was," said Nadeena. "Sorry, Jess; you're overruled. It took real guts to hang onto the side of the Weyr unroped to help a panicking boy climb away from his injured dragon, then climb up beside him still unroped while he flailed unhandily. I heard all about it from V'sheren, you know; he reckoned you showed sense and calm worthy of an older youth by far, in addition to your courage," she proceeded to tell the story in some detail and Jessenia fled, embarrassed.

She ran straight into V'sheren.

"Sorry, sir," she said.

"Trouble? You're almost crying, child!" he twitched her face up to examine it.

"Oh, just embarrassed… Nadeena insisted on telling them the tale of Dath and his rider, er, S'tend."

V'sheren laughed.

"You could almost be a Rider already, remembering the dragon but finding the Rider harder! Any reason she's telling the tale?"

"Oh one of the girls… no, that's telling tales," said Jessenia.

"How about you tell a friend and I ask the Weyrlingmaster not to listen?" asked V'sheren, gravely.

She gave a half grin.

"Oh, if the Weyrlingmaster isn't listening…" she said, "…she tried to mischief-make over Carya by talking about Uncle Ranyer's acrobat mistress, and implied that Carya was a bastard, probably not even of Ranyer's get, which is silly, her being the only one who's almost as dark skinned as him, though Carra and Ranis are close; and I was angry, and said how proud I was of my aunt and family. Not that Carya has been backward about coming forward either," she added, "and I said we were respected by the Weyr and Grandfather called Master, and she effectively called me a liar and a loving wench. So Nadeena tore her off a strip – and me a bit too for answering back, though Nilis hadn't got the insult I gave her, and quite rightly for getting too hot about it – and then Nadeena told her about that little venture over the edge."

"For which you earned a place as Weyrfolk whether you Impress or no: because we DO count it something," said V'sheren. "Yes, you used skills that are easy for you; but the situation was NOT controlled as your tumbling usually is, and you never lost your head. And that's what's worthy more than anything else. Permit us to be proud of you now you're one of ours; for you would be proud if it were one of your siblings."

Jessenia flushed.

"I suppose so," she said.

"Good girl. Don't boast; but don't flinch from having done something worthy, either! Now, I need your skills with people; in fact I was coming to find you when you found me rather abruptly first."

She flushed but laughed ruefully.

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Jessenia was all ears.

"I need your help with another candidate. She has a slightly humped back and she thinks people stare at it and hate her. If you can work your magic on her, I'll be glad."

"I can only do my best to be friendly," said Jessenia, "but I'll try to put her at ease. I may be brutal about it for kindness sake, though."

"Good girl! I've told her I have an expert on exercises who can advise her, and who she can talk to before she meets the others; she's planning on being difficult, I think, to get her retaliation in first."

oOoOo

Bannoria was one of the loveliest girls yet to arrive, in Jessenia's opinion.

"Shells!" said Jessenia, "I thought Telara was like a golden figurine, but she pales into insignificance next to you! Your complexion is truly golden, and your hair is richer than hers… but Telara's generous enough, she won't mind!"

Bannoria gave a bitter laugh.

"She won't mind if she's not got a twisted, ugly body like mine!"

Jessenia blinked, and peered.

"Sorry – it's not awfully noticeable, you know," she said. "Not half so much as Leealla's club foot, though we're getting that straighter. Do you really want advice on how to help it, or do you want to wear it loudly like a chip on the shoulder? 'Cos if so, say now, and I won't waste my time and yours troubling to help."

"You've got a cheek!" gasped Bannoria.

"I have skill – but I can't help someone who's too bitter to help themselves. If you let your head be twisted more than your body you'll always see something that doesn't exist when you look in a mirror. I'm happy to do all it takes, but I can't do it alone, you know," said Jessenia, frankly.

"And what can you do?" asked Bannoria, sceptically.

"Help you to strengthen the muscles around your raised shoulder so you can be almost as active as if you didn't have it; and help your posture so it shows less. And maybe if you can manage to forget to label me 'the acrobat' and yourself 'the hunchback', and girls stupid enough to make unkind comments as 'the tunnel snakes' we might even get on well together. I guess that's a bit radical id you're trying to hate people without giving them a chance; but putting girls to Greens is radical too. We live in interesting times!"

"You are a most extraordinary girl!" Bannoria was torn between anger and curiosity. "I see no pity in your eyes!"

"Pity is for the pitiful," said Jessenia. "You're well fed, fit looking in other ways, pretty, well dressed. Pitiful is the starving, snivelling, unwanted brats orphaned by the Holdless who never asked to be Holdless themselves, covered in sores not quite hidden by inadequate rags, lopsided because they've been beaten by suspicious Holderfolk when they beg so they've bones broken that heal crooked. Are you in that category? No. Do your parents care for you? presumably, or you'd have been exposed. Are you in danger of whining like a tightarsed Ranking brat? Yes. Grow up and get a life, and that'll take the hump out of your mind."

"WELL!" said Bannoria, "you – words fail me!" she shook her head and then laughed a rather snide laugh. "I suppose I can't moan about not wanting to be pitied and then complain because you tell me why I should not be," she said. "Do you truly not find it noticeable?"

"Not from the front," said Jessenia, walking round her. "From side and back, I can see it. But it's not bad; certainly not enough to stop you doing anything you want to do."

Bannoria put up her chin.

"Then it won't stop me," she said.