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She listened to Sylfie's worries, brows slowly furrowing. To think that a rider could be made to feel so inadequate...it felt wrong. Every rider was a hero to Pern, and had a part to play. Even if Sylfie was a greenrider, she was still really important and should be treated with respect! "You're not," She suddenly interjected, cutting into the other girl's barrage of self-attacks. "If it takes you a little longer, it's fine. You're still trying, and that's what counts. You're here, and you and Hesperith are fighting. That's more than a lot of riders are doing, you know." Her hand on Sylfie's arm firmed, holding onto her gently as if she could just give her a tug into position to make her see herself in a better light.

"And that's exactly why you would be the perfect person to learn from." Everything about her expression was genuine. She really meant every word she was saying. "It's fresher for you, more recent. And since you came from somewhere else, you know the sorts of struggles that come for those of, of us who...who weren't born to this life." Like her. "And I bet you ask questions that no one from here would think to ask." Of course, a moment later she realized she was effectively criticizing the Weyrling Master's teaching style if it was enough to make poor Sylfie feel inadequate. She resisted the urge to glance frantically around to make sure she'd not been overheard...she really was sure the Weyr's lessons were entirely adequate.

...But that didn't change the fact that learning to be a rider from someone who was almost just like herself, fresh and green from elsewhere, might be nice.

Now, you know, Zelaya could very well understand how hard it was to take your own advice, and to feel worth reviving the praise of others. No matter how many times she told Sylfie that she seemed very nice and would surely get there, and that if she hadn't been just right her dragon wouldn't have picked her...it would still come down to the woman to decide it for herself. Zelaya knew enough to know that she struggled with the same thing about herself. It felt, some days, like she was an impostor, come to steal some other, more worthy person's place as candidate and child of...

"It's still better to ask than to not know." Surely the rest of the Weyr's golds wanted Sylfie and Hes to be in top shape, well trained to fly beside them. An untrained rider could be dangerous, and though she knew Sylfie would never intentionally endanger anyone, it could happen. "But Alumet was born here, wasn't she?" She insisted quietly. "You weren't. And that's fine. You're teammates...not rivals." Her brows furrowed just slightly. "Besides. I'm sure there's a lot you know that she doesn't. You're exactly what you're supposed to be too."

"You're a good person, and a good rider. And a good friend."