History

Benden Weyr

Niece of G'then and blue Toraveth of Benden, Telavi was raised in that Weyr's lower caverns and later worked there as a seamstress.

Weyrlinghood at High Reaches

Month 1: What a Cute Dragon, I Will Carry Her Around

• Month 4 of turn 31:

It's hard to say how much Telavi had changed since the hatching, since she was Searched so very soon beforehand, but she certainly acted as though she hadn't had to acclimate to much. Yes, there were the occasional episodes of shy observation, but mostly she was friendly enough, self-confident and good-humoredly pleased at her luck. There was the traditional soft look in her eyes when she spotted her dragon (and the exasperation when Solith woke her up by licking her face), but mostly she carried Solith around on her shoulders nearly everywhere she went, much as a little girl might carry her doll or an older woman wear her marriage mark on a chain.

As for Solith herself, she remained small, with those insubstantial-looking wings she's so careful of when playing with the other hatchlings, and with an airy mind-sense that notices but glosses by nearly everything without particular remark. Maybe she really is an airhead?

Month 2: Exams... What?!

• Month 5 of turn 31:

Telavi was not a fan of exams. She didn't like being evaluated, and it wasn't a secret that she didn't really see the point once she proved she's not illiterate. Her handwriting wasn't bad, though it failed when she's in a hurry, and it's littered with abbreviations and run on sentences. Here's how her tests fell out:

• Math was her strong suit... to a point. Calculations, conversions, algebra and geometry, she could usually pull off in her head and quickly, too. (Even if she mentally translated it into figuring out fabric for a dress.) Anything beyond that, though, she had never learned.
• History was her weak suit, for although she worked at it, there was a lot to learn in a short time. She approached K'zin and C'wlin, but they seemed to be pretty much opposites in terms of knowledge and pretty much the same in terms of usefulness. She hadn't yet been convinced what the point is about this either (beyond just passing exams), especially since High Reaches seems to be changing everything anyway.
• Reading and writing were just fine for her in terms of understanding. Telavi showed she could learn things through reading and could express her opinions through writing, and that she knows her way around a persuasive argument. However, she wasn't the best at gauging the right amount of details to use to support her assertions, especially if an answer seemed obvious (she didn't like to show her work in math either) which was related to how she had little to no sense of formal structure. Essentially, her writing was a matter of transcribing what she would say out loud.
• When it comes to geography, let's just say that Telavi could place the major Holds, Crafts and Weyrs on a map, and a few more in the Benden coverage area... but that's about it. What might not have come across in examinations is that she also didn't have the best sense of direction.

Solith was often off wandering around, doing her own thing, or else sleeping (or 'sleeping') in somebody's couch, not necessarily her own. She liked to pick up things and bring them home. However, while Telavi took diligent care of her, the two just did't seem to be as close as a lot of other pairs.

Month 3: Boom-THUD

• Month 6 of turn 31:

The accident that landed Telavi, Alida, K'zin, and associated dragons in the infirmary was the major event of Tela's month, followed by a further report to Quinlys. Other than that, there was some studying (thanks to breakfast-mate Sabs' prodding), some hunting (Solith really, really likes hunting), and even some behaving.

Month 4: Silver Thread

• Month 7 of turn 31:

This month saw Solith excited about flying for real (if this were a drinking game, you could have taken a gulp every time she fluttered), which led to her getting into things even more. She listened closely to other dragons who seemed to know what they're doing (even if they didn't), especially the older ones, and learned as best she could.

In contrast, Telavi's easy energy thinned with all the extra work she'd been given along with the silver thread (also in the group: E'sren and Sabella, who became her regular study partners, though she hung out with Quielle and N'gan as well). She'd never anticipated needing such skills, and she hadn't the drive and ambition of some of the others, to the point where she probably wouldn't have made it even that far without their encouragement; the divisiveness in reaction to the selection of a few didn't help either. Though she continued to regularly receive messages delivered from other places, Tela was replying with fewer and shorter missives in return, and some of the arrivals continued to get stuck in her clothespress unopened.

Month 5: Flying and Issues with Solith

• Month 8 of turn 31:

Telavi and Solith were looking forward to flying as a pair, and since Solith learned how to fly and Telavi knew how to ride, of course it was going to be as easy as pie. Right? Tela settled into her workload better, living on little sleep and actuallly relishing some of the new information and even more so the arguing (as well as getting to be a vtol on the wall while the wingleaders met). Solith also began to be lessoned by Rasavyth in how to get information from her rider, but she was still quite the neophyte. They could often be found around the lake, Solith in the lake and Tela haunting the diving cliff, with or without a variety of fellow weyrlings and occasionally others.

In the immediate aftermath of Sabella's fall, Solith's distress at Ghislaith's distress was more short-lived and easily calmed, while Telavi, not present at the time and then kept out of the infirmary, was left to wring her hands and promise that she'd take notes for Sabs, really she would. (E'sren's would probably be better, though.)

Partway through the month, Tela stopped overlooking I'zech so much. Near the end, she and Solith flew for the first time, something that could easily have been overlooked since so many of their clutchmates were already busy flying on their own... and it didn't go nearly as well as anticipated. The next day, Tela was called in for an end-of-lunch meeting with Meara. Wasn't she lucky that it wasn't Quinlys?

Month 6: The Incident of Infamy

• Month 9 of turn 31:

Flying wasn't as awful this month for Telavi and Solith, though playing elevator (with its opportunity to both gossip and get a glimpse of a variety of weyrs) ranked high above aerial drills in both their minds. Getting their weyr, and its sanctioned freedoms, was anything but awful. Feeling awful with cramps was awful, but at least it wasn't in the barracks, and getting a day off (C'wlin, favorite wingleader this month!) made it slightly less awful. Too bad about that 'contagious disease,' though!

Losing Quielle (okay, she wasn't lost, she was still around even if she got put on restrictions and everything) was pretty awful too, though with the wing split and information that hadn't immediately emerged, it took a while to really sink in. Tela deeply appreciated Sabella and E'sren's company and stability during the shifts in dynamics and workload as K'zin joined the group and she agreed to help him catch up, Quielle was kicked out, and N'gan started acting weird. Giving those things a high priority while trying to catch up in aerial drills meant that even fewer letters got answered, and she still didn't get any furniture except for the temporary clothespress that had joined the bed already in her weyr. At least there were visitors and visiting various ledges (including Rasavyth's) in turn, for reasons including studying and socializing, and even short excursions to the Snowasis to find other entertainment about once a sevenday. It's something, right?

Month 7: We Hate N'gan

• Month 10 of turn 31:

Telavi had been keeping track of who said what about Quielle, and shortly after the truth finally came out and N'gan was finally kicked back into the barracks, Quinlys caught Tela getting on J'madri's case about it... which led to a talk in the weyrlingmasters' office. Since then, the chaos around Ysavaeth's subterfuge was derailing in its own way.

Month 8: Solith is Singed

• Month 11 of turn 31:

This month was largely spent shadowing wings, notably Boreal, and learning to flame. Telavi would like to have been able to say that the second most exciting part of the month was getting a couch at last (and an armoire, thanks, D'kan!). However, duking it out with the HRH pirates for the top spot was day 27's flaming accident in which, under I'zech and Rojeth's oversight (amid a brown dragon's distraction), Solith got her left flank singed. Things had been going so well, too! They would have had to only spend a short time in the dragon infirmary if it weren't for Solith's later getting her burn dirty and having to go back in for a second night. It was during that second evening that Telavi bargained with C'wlin for drum code lessons in exchange for some sewing work on his wardrobe.

Overall, the pair had been continuing to work hard for yet another month; maybe that's why Telavi had been choosing less spicy or bean-y food of late. A few people who saw (or overheard) her might also occasionally have heard her admit to a stomachache in the evenings, but not that she wound up seeing the weyrhealer about it.

Month 9: Wingsecond... and PIRATES!

• Month 12 of turn 31:

Telavi was wingsecond to E'sren's wingleader this month, a team that worked together smoothly with Tela pleased to be his conscientious second-in-command and far too cheerful enforcer. Everyone who tried between made it safely through, though there were both delays (K'zin from pneumonia, C'wlin and N'hax from punishment) and close calls (E'sren at a minimum, though his wasn't public knowledge), and of course Quielle wasn't allowed to go at all. Tela was additionally assigned by Acting Weyrwoman Aishani to report to Lady Edeline about the progress of Quielle's pregnancy, whether the Lady welcomed it or not.

Perhaps more exciting than visiting Lady Tillek was bloodying N'hax of all people (he surprised her! then she surprised him!) and definitely more exciting was C'wlin and N'hax's getting caught sneaking into HRH and having to go back to the barracks, though the resulting fallout was not at all exciting in a good way. Between all that and attempting to keep up with friends and wingmates, healthy and otherwise, the respite from extra classes was a real relief; soup and crayfish figured on the menu, at home and abroad. However, the end of the month wasn't so fun when their wing lost the scavenger hunt to Cirrus, not that it was a surprise given Flurry's handicaps; she tried not to mind.

Month 10: Senior Weyrlinghood, end of turn 31... Shadowing!

• Month 13 of turn 31:

Senior weyrlinghood! Sabella was appointed wingleader of the combined Flurry/Cirrus wing for the rest of weyrlinghood. She appointed D'kan and Alida to be her wingseconds instead of a former Cirrus wingrider or, for that matter, either E'sren or Telavi (who's been heard to joke that why would they be, they're Sabella's henchmen anyway). Though Tela was exceedingly busy what with extra classes kicking back in on top of wing-shadowing, she made time to not only turn 20 (admittedly, she didn't have much choice in the matter) but celebrate it memorably with the help of friends, as well as such activities as snooping around Vintner and later getting fitted for new riding leathers with one of her wingseconds (one guess which one). Yes, she's heard the story about fitting leathers prior to between being a waste...

Turnover was spent flying about with friends, sometimes with one group, sometimes with another, and if Tela disappeared for a couple hours in there... it's easy for each to imagine she was with another.

Months 11-13: Senior Weyrlinghood, beginning of turn 32... Scavenging!

• Months 1-3 of turn 32:

In month 11 of weyrlinghood, Tela had to buckle down and shadow those wings with an eye to which she and Solith would actually be suited... and quietly impress those wings if she could, while still representing well with the others. Aishani's stepping down as Acting Weyrwoman made the job of finding a fit more difficult, thanks to all the politics that crawled out of hiding.

Early in month 12 of weyrlinghood, the weyrlings were on a trip to the Southern Continent to forage for the Weyr. The day after a huge storm, they found a ship wrecked on the rocks nearby, and salvaged what they could. It all amounted to personal drama, emergency-related drama, scary dead men drama, ethical drama, and basically more drama than Tela could possibly shake a hatchling firelizard at, though she tried.

Other trips down South were considerably more fun, leading to Jo's weyr being decorated with flowers.

On day 20 of month 3 of turn 32, Solith rose for the first time, was chased by Jo's Tacuseth, K'zin's Rasavyth, Quinlys' Olveraeth, and R'co's Deveritauxth among others... and was flown by her weyrlingmaster. Quinlys was, of course, smug. Telavi was relieved.

On day 28, graduation! Telavi was not picked by Mielline of Snowdrift the way she wanted, but it turned out to be quite a celebration anyway.

Boreal Wingrider, Turn 32

Z'ian approached Telavi to offer her the knot, nicely given that he knew she wanted another one, while Telavi tried to stay positive. He told her that while he appreciated she would have liked to have gotten her first choice, he wanted her more than Snowdrift, so he pulled some strings and hopefully she'll settle in and like the wing. If not, they can talk about a transfer at a much later date. Telavi was aiming for a calm, accepting demeanor but silently liked that he pulled strings.

Other weyrling wingmates were C'wlin, E'sren and N'hax.

Once in the wing, Telavi appeared to be enjoying Boreal, diminishing any rumors of having wanted a different wing. She made a habit of listening to more experienced riders and not getting snotty about her former silver thread status, though her love of questions analysis did come out sometimes, along with a definite sense of humor. She worked hard, dressed as girly as she can efficiently get away with, and liked to have a good time with the wing. Solith remained more of a lightweight, but a cheerful lightweight.

Z'ian's 'accident' troubled the young wingrider quite a bit, though she didn't dwell on it in public. She made even less public that she wasn't so thrilled with Oisa as wingleader, though particularly attentive people might have noticed anyway.

Assistant Weyrlingmaster, early Turn 33

Quinlys offered Tela the job in late Turn 32, but Oisa waited until a few days before the hatching to officially let her join, which meant not as much advance training as she might have liked. Since the hatching, she focused on being helpful and cheerful and finding solutions. As for Solith, she was generally happy to play (and/or to kill things), as long as nobody's too rough, and was more fearless than one might have expected from her seeming fragility.