All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.

19-07-02: Job satisfaction
When Lydiere and Ezemial meet again, it's to discuss where he wants to be, in time.

Lydiere's alone for once - babyless and fancyfree, or something - and inclines her head upwards, expressing a quiet smile towards Ezemial. "Go ahead," she agrees, extending a languid limb onto one of the empty chairs in front of her, knee lifted up so that she can all but lean on it.
Ezemial grins and settles down into a chair nearby following suit with the occupation of an empty chair with his boots. He leans on arm against the table as he eats. Not exactly the finest of table manners but, he's cheerful enough in any case. After a few mouthfuls have made their way into his growling stomach, he takes a sip of his drink and wipes his mouth before properly greeting Lydiere, "Good day to you, Lydiere, and how are things with the winged today?"

Lydiere leans backwards, the two front legs of her chair lifting off the floor as she lazily droops, altogether undignified in pose - and, by her expression, in manner. "Same to you, Ezemial," she responds, head inclining, although not too far; she's too lazy for that. "So far as I know, all is good. Spent the afternoon on the radio, organizing a search and rescue mission. It seems blatantly unfair that I must sit at the radio to organize, when other people get to go out and actually rescue."

Ezemial grins at that, trying to finish chewing and swallowing before he replies, "well that's what you get for impressing that shiny one outside" His expression is teasing as he goes on, "but I know what you mean, I want to get out and do things during the day. Even if the work is hard at least you get some fresh air!"

Lydiere grimaces, though it's done so in good humour, "Too true. I would've been perfectly satisfied - no, far more accepting, perhaps - of a cute little green, or blue, or brown. Probably brown. But Llysereth had other ideas, didn't she." Her expression is musing, and she goes silent, finally breaking the reverie with a shake of her head. "Exactly!" she agrees. "We all need to get out and get fresh air. It's the only way to work. How was your day?"

Ezemial chuckles at the response, "every bit of our lives seem to have minds of their own.." He grins and shrugs, "same old same old, but it was interesting today, had some of the breeding stock find their way out of the barn and almost become meals. That was interesting, but luckily it didn't harm any of the unborn calves, just scared their mommas to death. They were quite willing to be herded back /away/ from the feeding grounds.. fancy that" He grins before taking a bit of his herdbeast and a nice steaming tuber.

"Oh dear! The Stablemasters would have been /irate/ if they'd been eaten," Lydiere leans forward, the legs of her chair landing firmly upon the floor again. "I've always wondered whether it was really safe to have the feeding grounds so close to the other pens. I mean, the weyr would be blamed, if something like that happened." Her brow furrows, head shaking, "But at least it all ended well."

Ezemial laughs and shakes his head, "I don't think so, most of the calves they are carrying are destined for the feeding grounds anyway, it just would have made a wrinkle in the stock numbers. They are pretty careful about how many cows are bred when to keep the supply steady." He grins, "another example of the records keeping a herdsman must do, they know down to the calf how many they should have in each season." He shrugs slightly, "I don't think they would have blamed the weyr, honestly. I know the people I work all enjoy being here, it would have annoyed them, but they wouldn't have blamed dragons for catching herdbeasts that escaped into the feeding grounds. That would be silly.

Lydiere ahs, slowly lifting the legs of her chair up again, as she rocks back, "Oh, I see. Not quite as drastic as all that, although I imagine they still would not have been pleased." She nods her head, rapidly, listening with interest - or, at the very least, feigned interest, though it appears genuine. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, then. I know we've had problems at some of the smaller holds, that the dragons have enjoyed a meal of the wrong kind, by accident, and it hasn't gone down well. I admit, I don't really know the people here."

Ezemial nods a little at that, "I would imagine they would have been quite upset depending on what was eaten. I do remember when I was younger a big ruckus that came up over someone's prized stallion becoming and impromptu meal. Luckily the rider was apologetic and paid for the animal" He shrugs a little, "it helped in that case that there was a full brother to that runner at the same farm unscathed." He smiles a bit pausing to take a drink before he continues, "most of the animals from that group though are destined to be sold to weyrs for feeding grounds in any case, that paticular group tends to have fast gaining calves so they are big enough for the grounds much faster.. I think that would have been the only shame from it"

Lydiere winces, nodding her head. "I can certainly understand how frustrating that would be, to have prize breeding stock eaten like that." She tilts her head back to the side, considering as she listens, a further nod marking her interest at random intervals as Ezemial talks. "Ah, I see."

Ezemial chuckles and grins lookind down at his meal, "I can go on.. though" he finishes off his last bit on his plate and takes a drink. He swallows and looks back up at Lydiere, "I'm sure after a day of organization, the ins and outs of working with herdbeasts are not very interesting"

"More interesting by far than organization and hidework!" promises Lydiere, although she does have to admit to a yawn, one hand drawing over her mouth to cover it.

Ezemial laughs at that, "yes, but well you see what you are comparing it to..." He looks quite sheepish at this point, "I guess I'm still a bit of a bumpkin, especially when my conversational choices seem to all involve large smell four legged creatures with the brain power equivalent to a rock"

Lydiere's expression turns somewhat apologetic. "It isn't that it isn't interesting, Ezemial," she promises, again, "More that I'm tired. I don't think you're a bumpkin - you're just enthusiastic about what you do. That's the important thing."

Ezemial grins at Lydiere again, "well, I tend to be pretty into whatever I do, it's not really job enthusiasm." He lifts and arm and pulls his sleeve up to show the sharp tan mark beneath the short sleeve of his tunic, "but at least I get a tan, right?"

"Ah, so you're the naturally enthusiastic type?" Lydiere grins, draping her arm over her knee again in a lazy, body-twisted relaxation. "Impressive tan!" says she, although she's not so insipidly pale herself, grinning, "One thing that Ista is good for, if you get the chance to get outside."

Ezemial chuckles, "well, trying to be cheerful about things helps the day go by, and getting overly upset seems to only make the day gloomy so, really, what's the point, ya know?" He chuckles about the tan, "well, my tan tends to be from the neck up and the elbows down. My dad used to call it a herder's tan and make jokes with how my mother only married him because she liked the tan."

Lydiere inclines her head forward. "You have a point," she agrees, complete with winning smile. She laughs, too, at mention of the herder's tan, noting, "You should try sunbathing nude, when you get a chance, to try and even in out. Tan lines are supposedly awful - so my former-weaver sister tells me."

Ezemial chokes on his drink at the last comment, spending the next few moments cleaning redfruit juice off his arms and shirt. He uses the time to try and regain his composure, "I suppose so" he says in a cheerful tone, "but believe me, I'm not really the nude sunbathing type.." he remains quite busy with his shirt for a few minutes more, his ears all but glowing at the thought.

Lydiere positively giggles, head shaking. "Oh, come now. There are plenty of beaches around Ista where no one goes. Find yourself one, and just lie there for an hour or two. No one will find you, and you'll be home free."

Ezemial clears his throat and seems really intent on his glass, "Oh I think I'm fine, really!" He gives an extremely cheerful note to his voice even if said voice cracks a little. "I think Ista and pretty much all of pern could do without a naked herder scaring the local wildlife" He finishes off his drink and gets up to replenish it, "would you like something while I'm up?"

"Just stay out of Ai-- er, Ilyne's way," notes Lydiere. "I agree with you, and don't see the point, but she's obsessive over it. Says tan lines ruin the best of outfits." She rolls her eyes, shaking her head, "I don't know where she gets it from. Oh - uh, a glass of wine, please? Any kind. I'm really not fussy."

Ezemial looks around on the table, probably looking for the best wine... or something. He finally pours a glass and brings it back with his refill of redfruit juice, "I shall endeavor to stay out of anyone's way when it comes to nude sunbathing, that you can count on" He hands the full glass to Lydiere careful not to spill any before settling back in his own chair, "I have a hard enough time dealing with people when they are clothed.. I can't imagine trying it any other way"

Lydiere accepts the glass, taking a sip - something akin to a gulp, even; she really does have no appreciation for wine - before setting it down upon the table. "Thanks. Good for you. I can see your point. Me, I was an apprentice, so I grew up seeing bodies of all shapes and sizes, male and female, and one gets over it. But it's got to be a little hard, I guess. I'm sure you've found already that we weyr people aren't so... thingy over bodies, too. People walk around nude, sometimes."

Ezemial shakes his head and shrugs a little, "well not every herder is.. thingy about their bodies. Let's just say I'm still getting used to things." He grins over at Lydiere, "don't tell anyone but I'm only 13 turns.. it's not like I'm a man of the world, just /yet/"

"You act older than you are," notes Lydiere around the curve of her glass. "So it's perhaps a little easy to forget that. Thirteen's a hard age, I think - still getting used to all of that. I'm sure you'll get used to it, soon enough."

Ezemial shrugs a little, "I don't know how I act really, but it's flattering you say I act older." He smiles at Lydiere, "Every age seems to be a hard age for me, I think. I try to be confident and assured.. but, there's always that moment." A bit of a flush comes to his cheeks remembering a few, he takes a sip of his juice before continuing, "there are times I wish I could go back to bed and start all over"

Lydiere nods, shortly. "It can be awkward, I suppose," she agrees. "But I bet you'll become more confident, as you get older. So many people do. My-- well, ex-fiance, from turns ago, was like that. Not at all confident as a kid, but he hit his mid teens, and then suddenly became this whole new person. Ended up over-confident, I think, by the time he made Journeyman, and became even worse later." She spares a moment for a grimace, adding, "I think we all have days like those. Shards knows I wish I could just stay in bed forever, sometimes."

Ezemial looks surprised, "you almost got married??" He realizes he's that was perhaps not tactful and tries to soften the sound of it a little. "Well, not that I think you wouldn't get married, I mean you have a weyrmate and a kid and all. I guess it's just unusual to think of riders as getting married in the traditional sense" He coughs and hrms before continuing, "Yeah... definitely have those days" This moment probably being one of them.

"I got very close to it," agrees Lydiere, somewhat wryly. "Long before I Impressed, though. Keivare and I had my son, and I eventually agreed to marry him - and then I went off and decided I couldn't, at the last minute, and broke up with him. We're not on good terms, anymore." She lifts up her glass again, nodding, "But then, the next day, everything is good, and you get over it."

Ezemial nods and smiles, "it's kind of funny, you never really think about the lives people lead before they come to a weyr.. weyrs and riders always seem to be set apart from the rest of the world. A breed apart from all of us common folk." He grins, "I guess that's just silliness from when everyone was a kid and saw their first dragon, seemed as if dragonfolk were born with a dragon at their sides." He shrugs at the last, "and yeah.. usually doesn't even take a new day.. but things always get better"

Lydiere's smile is lively, "I know what you mean, although there are plenty of riders who were holders before they Impressed. My weyrmate, for one. Me, I'm weyrbred, though I grew up in a hold, and joined a craft. But we come from a variety of walks of life. It's that whole 'breed apart' thing that we need to try and get rid of - it can be painfully frustrating." She nods, drawing the legs of her chair back down to the floor, her knee disappearing beneath the table. "Aye, they do."

Ezemial grins more genuinely now, his bit of awkwardness passing as the conversation continues, "Well, people are never going to see dragon riders as 'just like everyone else'. That's just a fact" He sips his juice for a moment before completing his thought, "has something to do with that awesome creature that can talk to your mind, soar through the air and with a wink take you anywhere on Pern you want to go. There will always be those that are jealous, who feel slighted if they don't have a dragon when they are noble born. All that old stuff and nonsense they cling to for power's sake. Having a dragon is a pretty powerful thing. And there will always be those who see it in the wrong light. And who try to judge whether a rider really deserved the companionship of that huge creature next to him, ya know?"

Ezemial chuckles about himself a bit, "not that I know much about having dragons, I've just seen a lot of jealous folks in my time, short though it may be"

"I know," agrees Lydiere, with a wry, somewhat hesitant smile. "And yet, we're almost superfluous, these days, without thread to fight. I mean - sure, we can get places quickly, and we're good for aerial rescues, but in the end, we're not absolutely necessary. I'd say that healers would be more so. Most crafters would be."

"Now that's not exactly true" he points out, "now that dragons aren't dedicated to thread there's a lot of things they do. There's no way regular cargo ships and caravans can transport things as fast as a dragon. And I don't think anything is more intimidating for security than a dragonrider. A dragon can clear forest faster, provide quicker and safer transportation for passengers.. why there's a lot dragonriders can do." He snorts a little, "People are used to relying on them now for so much of that." he glances at Lydiere, "noone is superfluous who is productive in society, you even said yourself that you organized a search and rescue today.. something that is done far more efficiently from the air than on runner back. You have to admit that"

Lydiere's expression shifts from wry to somewhat bemused, and perhaps a little contrite. "I know, I know. But I don't see that we're absolutely integral. Useful, yes, but... It's just another occupation, really." She takes another gulp of her wine, swallowing before noting, "I just feel guilty, I suppose. We take all these resources - tithes, and whatnot - but for the average person, we don't really provide anything on a regular basis."

Ezemial smiles, "so see, you are just like everyone else even if others don't see it that way.. we are all that way, none of us are irreplacable, you just happen to have a really nice.. really BIG friend that others wish they had" He grins then blinks, "drat, I forgot to throw hay in the yearling barn.. I'm afraid I'm going to have to duck out for a bit, hope to see you soon!" he jumps up then grins turning back, "and if you really feel useless, then let me know, I can let you throw feed for me when you aren't busy" he takes off at a run with a grin on his face

Ezemial descends the stairs into the Lower Caverns.