Motherhood and Dragonriding (Attn:Antonia)

For herself, Ashrah had picked a weyr with close access to the ground and near a group of small caves that could serve for weyrling barracks with some maintenance. She had set up a rudimentary desk area with a chair and a wood crate she had draped with plain linen. They did not have much and it showed but with her first hide records on the desk it looked almost professional. She had recorded the names of all the candidates, listening them by age, gender and extended family members. Her finger now rest on on name and she hummed to herself. Without another thought, the Weyrling Master rose to her feet and left her weyr, heading for the dinning hall.

It was in the evening, around what would have been supper time back at Eastern. Ashrah hopedto find Antonia and speak to her. The young woman was only four turns younger than Ashrah herself and if she Impressed, she would have been the same age the Weyrling Master had been when Hesriath had hatched. Ashrah needed to speak with Antonia on the matters of motherhood and dragonriding before the youner woman had a six turn old and a dragonet to contend with. In the soft light, she spotted someone who looked like the candidate she was looking for.

"Antonia?" Ashrah questioned, coming around a table.

Antonia raised her eyes and smiled. "Weyrlingmaster Ashrah," she said. "What a pleasant surprise. Hang on a moment... " She leaned back a bit, revealing a young boy with a mass of black curls to rival her's. "Noaja, this is Weyrlingmaster Ashrah, rider of scarlet Hesriath. She's who has been teaching me."

The boy looked up at the Weyrlingmaster with giant brown eyes, a little frown on his face. He studied her carefully before he gave her a tentative smile. "Hello," he said in a soft voice. "My momma has told me about you. Thank you for taking care of her."

The last part surprised Antonia, and she gave a little laugh with a hint of sadness behind it. She kissed the top of his head and turned back to her Weyrlingmaster. "Am I needed Weyrlingmaster?" she asked. "Noaja has been spending time with some of the other children from the community, and I think he may love them more than me." She smiled sweetly at the boy, tweaking his nose playfully.

"I have new friends!" he said proudly to Ashrah, forgetting for a moment that she was new and an unknown. Antonia liked that he was settling in so well, and adjusting to his mother being so busy, but at the same time it saddened her that he was doing so well without her there constantly.

Ashrah look down at the young boy, dark of hair and eye. Just like Z'ash. She offered a smile and raised her hand to greet the lad.

"You are most welcome, Noaja. Your mother thusfar as been an excellent student. If it isn't too much trouble, I would like to speak to her." Ashrah said to the young boy. She turned to look at the candidate who was only slightly younger than she was.

"I have no desire to steal you away from him but if you could meet me in my office after you are done here. It is down the hall and last on the left. Right before you get to the exit on the south end. Hesriath will be out on her slab basking. There are some things I would like to speak to you about in private, concerning your future...and his."

Ashrah nodded to the young boy and gave him another smile. "You mother is standing for a dragon. Do you want to ride a dragon someday, Noaja?" the Weyrling Master asked of the child.

"Of course, ma'am," Antonia said, smiling. "It's close to bed time, I should be returning him." She gave the boy a little tickle, the words teasing and gentle.

Noaja nodded enthusiastically at the Weyrlingmaster's query, a big smile on his face. "Momma has told me about everything. When I'm old enough I'm gonna be a candidate, too!" He stole a glance back at his mother, then shyly said, "I can help wash your dragon anytime you like, we all talk about it."

Antonia chuckled, having heard this before. "Apparently the children are more than willing to form a task force to clean the dragons daily," she said, straightening Noaja's color. "I'm sure Weyrlingmaster Ashrah will pass the message onto Hesriath and the other dragons," she assured the little boy.

"Thank you Weyrlingmaster!" he said without prompting, bouncing a little. He did require a small cough from his mother to remember the rest. "It was very nice to meet you," he finished, even giving a little bow that surprised his mother.

"I'll be with you in a matter of minutes," she said to Ashrah, and lead Noaja out of the cavern.

* * *

A little later Antonia was standing outside the office, and she coughed politely to announce her arrival, even though she was certain Hesriath had noted it. It was still polite, after all.

"Hesriath would be delighted. In fact I think it would be a good idea. It would help get the other children used to having dragons in their lives." and Ashrah smiled at the thought. For this to be a true Weyr, the populace would have to get used to having dragons around them.

"I look forward to seeing you, Antonia." the Weyrling Master said, bidding a temporary farewell to the candidate and her son.

****

"Come in." Ashrah called. Hesriath was at the entrance and the scarlet dragon rumbled warmly at Antonia as she passed. There was a chair before the Weyrling Master's desk and Ashrah gestured to it with a kind expression.

"Thank you for coming, Antonia. I wanted to tell you how pleased I am you have decided to Stand for a dragon and wanted to share with you some of my experiences being a dragonrider and a mother." Ashrah explained.

Antonia took a seat with a mild amount of apprehension. She hoped that she hadn't committed some faux paus that had offended the dragonriders. So Ashrah's words were a great relief to her, on several levels.

"Thank you," she said with a relieved sigh. "I've had so many questions about it." Her smile was wry while she made that confession, and she fussed with her hands in her lap just a bit. "Noaja and I are getting used to spending less time together but I'm sure I'll have even less time if I were to Impress."

"An accurate anticipation on your part, Antonia and I am somewhat relieved to know that you have already taken the initiative and started limiting your time together. A gradual separation is best for both you as well as you son." Ashrah said in approving tones. She leaned forward on the desk, folding her hands together.

"When I was sixteen, my lover got me with child. I was a candidate at the time and I stepped down to raise our child. My lover and I espoused and I raised our son, Zashfellen. My son was the same age as your own when I Impressed Hesriath from the Stands at Eastern. I had to foster Zashfellen because the demands of training a dragon. Which are all encompassing for the first Turn but that does not mean you can slack off after twelve months. Training is eighteen months long. It will be at the bare minimum of six months before your beast can hunt for his or herself, eight is more likely especially if you Impress a smaller dragon like a quartz, green or a blue. " Ashrah told her and then her expression softened.

"I know you were found on the road and thus, may not know anyone here any better than we do. However, have you considered who you might foster Noaja to?"