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Alianar was one of a double handful of students currently studying wherhandling at Benden Weyr, and part of an even smaller group of apprentices who knew that they wanted their final assignment to be in the mines. Preferably the mines of his home hold. He'd been studying for Turns to be ready when the time came, to prove to the Master Wherhandler that he was well-versed enough in mining and the safety risks of mine wherhandling to be considered a candidate for one of those positions. His wherhandling potential was one of the few things he felt comfortable claiming was a strong suit for him and he didn't intend to let himself be talked into a guard position.

He took a break from hunching over his slate to look at the several other wherhandler apprentices in his vicinity, some working, some looking as if they were sleeping. It wasn't exactly warm this time of year, even at mid-afternoon, but they seemed to be managing all right. Alianar shook his head, but minded his own business and moved his eyes on to the other apprentices, the ones who were still awake during their sort-of study session.

Alianar glanced over as Lynd spoke. She was several Turns older than him, but he was almost sure that they both shared a passion for mine wherhandling, as he usually ended up sitting somewhere near her. He wasn't sure if she was addressing him or not, but he didn't want her to think he was being rude if she was. She didn't usually talk to him much, but they'd had a few short conversations during class, so it was possible that-- with him being the closest awake participant of their study group-- she was, in fact, addressing him.

"Then they'll find out they should have worked harder," he replied equally as quietly. It was that simple. Queens gave eggs to those who were ready, who showed off what they'd learned in their lessons. The right approach, the right look, the right sounds if they were good enough at mimicing them, which Alianar thought that any wherhandler could be if they tried hard enough. Or, at least, he'd learned different sounds and their meanings and could replicate them well enough.

"We're all up for the Clutch, though, whether they work or not." Alianar didn't begrudge the other senior apprentices their chance at getting an egg, but he wasn't sure that Lynd was wrong. He'd been raised on hard work; the idea that he wouldn't work hard at his Craft was unthinkable.

Alianar really looked at Lynd for the first time when she shuddered. It was an excellent point. The mines were dangerous. Someone who wasn't willing to be serious about the work shouldn't be placed in a position where other people's lives were constantly at risk. What kind of oversights would they make? Miss the signs of a cave-in? Ignore their wher telling them there was an odd odor, one that usually meant toxic gases? Usually Alianar wasn't one for worrying needlessly, but that was a horrible thought. He looked at his sleeping classmates again. One study session didn't a wherhandler make. Alianar almost sighed in relief. It was possible that they already knew the work. Sleeping didn't mean they were . Of course not. Where had all of that anxiety come from?

Part of it, he thought, came from exactly what Lynd was changing the subject to. The amount of eggs.

"Not enough for all the senior apprentices, I'll bet," he replied, looking back to her. "Even if we all perform perfectly, there can't be enough for everyone. Then again..." His eyes traveled back to the sleepers. If they didn't really know what they needed to, there might end up being smashed eggs instead. "Any solid information about the number? Seven? Eight?"

Alianar nodded. It wasn't as if the Gold wher would let anyone near her Clutch to check the number of eggs, so unless she was feeling gracious towards her handler, it was possible he didn't know either. It had been a long shot, but worth asking about anyway. Alianar thought he was ready. Even if he had only been studying for a few Turns-- less than some of the other apprentices-- he thought he knew what he needed to to move on to the next step. Actually training a wher of his own.

"It feels like we're ready," Alianar admitted. "I guess the Gold really tells us that, though. If we mess up at all, we won't get an egg from this Clutch, at least." And not getting one this time meant waiting again, though Alianar would do it if he had to. Another Turn of waiting wasn't that bad, and at least then people wouldn't consider him so young, though he was on the cusp of turning 17. A wher egg would make a nice birthday gift.

He looked over at Lynd and debated how other people might approach the Gold, as opposed to how he was planning on approaching her. "Are you going to try speaking to her?"

Alianar nodded again. "I've practiced plenty of wher sounds, both ones the Master showed us and ones I've heard some of the whers around the Weyr make. There's one that the wher at our minehold used to make that I think I'm going to try. It's like a soft trill, with a chirrup at the end. More a question sound than anything, I think. I figured I would start with that."

He gestured at their sleeping study mates and then nodded when the one other person awake looked their way. "We could find somewhere else to go where we wouldn't wake anyone, if you wanted. We'll have a lesson in a candlemark, anyway. We could just go early, get some extra practice in."

Alianar shook her hand as he replied, "I'm Alianar. Also a hopeful for mine wherhandling." He gathered his slate and things and led the way across the Bowl.

It occurred to Alianar that even if he and Lynd were just getting around to official introductions now-- obviously both of them had been more focused on their studies than worrying about their lack of social life-- it wasn't likely they'd be together for very long. Actually, he'd probably know Lynd longer than their compatriots who were going for guard positions or wouldn't get an egg from this Clutch. Getting their eggs didn't mean they were leaving for their posts right away. They still had to wait for their whers to grow and learn before they were assigned elsewhere.

"Did you want to return to your home or do you just want to work in the mines in general?" He'd found that most apprentices didn't have his strong drive to return to their homes-- some even came to get away from there, rather than for the whers-- but there was always a first time.

It was funny to hear her voicing what he had just been thinking, and he smiled widely at her. "Of course. After, though, they can use us in the mines. I know that even for a hold as small as mine, we need more than one wher. There just never seem to be enough of them to warn of all the accidents that can befall as, hard as they try."

And the wher at his hold, at least, did try. He owed that wher his life, and he intended to repay the favor in spades by bringing another back to ease the workload. Whers often didn't look for companionship; they tended to be very much one-human partners and didn't appreciate others encroaching on their space. Of course, a lot of that was based on guard whers, so who knew how much of that would apply to a wher trained for the mines. They still might be temperamental, but maybe not so badly. Alianar could hope, anyway.

"It would be interesting to see other places," he agreed. "But I know we could use the help. We were expanding the tunnels when I left. One wher can't handle that area. If I'm not allowed to return, hopefully someone else will."

As they descended the tunnel that led to the wherhandling buildings outside the weyr, Alianar glanced over at Lynd. The semi-dark obscured her looks and his looking, but his eyes were used to adjusting quickly. His father said that would change as he got older, but for now he was young enough to enjoy that benefit. She had the looks of someone stubborn enough to get an egg on her first try. Maybe some of her luck would rub off on him.

"So, we'll try talking to one another instead of just rote memorization? Practice for not feeling weird about talking to the Gold?" He hadn't had that opportunity, just talking to himself. Maybe Lynd, since she seemed interested in practicing vocalization, would be interested in that aspect as well. It would definitely come in handy.