Logs:In Which a Weyrling has a Visit from his Mother and Father
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| RL Date: 14 November, 2013 |
| Who: L'sha |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Vignette |
| What: L'sha's parents come to visit shortly after the hatching |
| Where: Weyrling Training Cavern, High Reaches Weyr |
| When: Month 1 Weyrlinghood |
| Mentions: I'zech/Mentions, Rh'mis/Mentions, Rone/Mentions |
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| "Hey, L'sha!" J'vain's voice carried through the weyrling barracks as he strolled toward the greenrider. Immediately, L'sha snapped to attention, standing ramrod straight, hands balled into fists slightly behind the midline of his body. His bootheels came together with an audible but dull *klock*. "Sir!" The Assistant Weyrlingmaster rolled his eyes and let out a little exasperated sigh. "Y'know, you don't have to do that every time. You've got some visitors, weyrling. In the training cavern." "Oh, um, sorry, sir." L'sha looked down at the tiny green dragonet at his feet as I'zech wandered off. "Hear that, sweetie? Someone's come to see us! I wonder who it is." Rillaeth lifted her head and gazed curiously up at her lifemate, eyes whirling in shades of pale blue and light green. She followed in L'sha's footsteps as he hurried into the cavern, keeping up with him easily. L'sha grinned and lifted his hand in a wave as he saw who had come to see him. "Oh! Hello!" They looked up as they heard L'sha's greeting, a man and a woman on the other side of the cavern, near the door. Through the door to the bowl, the heads of a green and blue dragon could be seen, or at least, part of them could. They nudged each other playfully as they jockeyed for position so that one eye on each dragon could see into the cavern. The man was tall, about six inches taller than the woman next to him, and his face was plain and kind. Age had crept into the face and lined it, but the laugh-lines at the corners of his eyes gave him a merry disposition even when not smiling. Age had begun to grey his close-cropped black hair as well, though it hadn't reached the top of his head yet. He smiled warmly to his son as he turned to him. "Lansha...er, sorry, L'sha! Silly me, where's my head? How are you? We saw you on the sands, I'm so proud!" He clasped his hands over his heart, his eyes already beginning to well up. He passed a hand over what's left of L'sha's hair. "And look at you, you look like a rider already." The woman stood out in most crowds, not for her height but her bright red shock of hair, cut short and bobbed just above her neck. A few white strands stood out here and there, but they gave her a distinguished look. Her eyes were a lighter, brighter shade of blue than L'sha's and her face was even more delicate, with a thin nose and high cheekbones. The toughness beneath the delicacy was made evident by three thin lines of Threadscore on one side, the only flaws on an otherwise exquisite face. She gave her former weyrmate a brief astonished look at his immediate lapse of propriety and shook her head, grinning. She supposed he could be forgiven this time, he had been Lansha for sixteen years and L'sha for three days. "I swear, your memory is worse than Tendrath's. L'sha, dear, how are you coming along?" L'sha's eyes moved from one parent to another, then he threw his arms around both of them and hugged, kissing both of them on the cheek. "Thank you so much for coming, L'drel, Shani. It's so good to see you! I'm doing fine, and Rillaeth is...she's just so wonderful! I'm really happy." Rillaeth burbled happily at L'sha's feet, feeding off his lifemate's mood. L'sha grinned down at the green, then looked past his parents to the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I see two others I need to say hello to." He squeezed between the two riders and made for the door. He stepped outside into the small space between the great blue and green dragon's heads and greeted them as well. "Hello, Tendrath, Ondurith! How are you?" One eye on each dragon whirled green and gazed at the young weyrling for a moment, then their heads shifted a bit as they looked at each other, then their lifemates. L'sha paused, a bit confused at their reaction, then turned as his parents behind him both laughed simultanously. "They don't recognize you, dear," his mother called out. L'sha turned back to the dragons, arms akimbo and brows furrowed. "What? What do you mean? It's me! It hasn't been that long, has it? Well, I guess I was quite a bit shorter last time I saw you, and my hair was longer, but you must remember!" The dragons looked at each other again, then back at L'sha with the same vacant "expression." L'sha groaned and stooped over in frustration. "Curse short dragon memories!" He straightened back up and grinned at the dragons again, regaining his normal unflappable cheer. "That's okay, I understand. I still love you both!" He kissed both dragons on the cheeks as he did with his human parents. A voice from the black vastness of space touched the green and blue then, radiating confidence and pride. « Hey! How can you not recognize my L'sha? He's the greatest, best, strongest rider in the world! » The tiny green at L'sha's feet marched forward and bugled her challenge to the huge adult green and blue before her, but L'sha blushed in embarrassment. "It's okay, love, they're my parents' lifemates. This is Tendrath and this is Ondurith." A lush, verdant field of flowers reached out to Rillaeth, redolent of wildflowers and pure, clean air. « Hello, little one. My name is Tendrath. » This was followed by a cloud passing in front of the sun, rumbling thunder and sending soothing rain to the land below. « And I am Ondurith. Welcome! We meant no disrespect, it has been some time since we have seen your L'sha and he had passed from our minds. » « Oh. Well, that's okay, then. But don't let it happen again! By the way, I'm Rillaeth! » Her chin lifted high and she made a 180 turn back to her lifemate. The dragons in the doorway rumbled in amusement as they watched the tiny green. « She's a feisty one, » sent Ondurith. « Damn straight! » replied Rillaeth. L'sha rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Aheheh. Uh, sorry about that, she's a bit...strong-willed. 'Scuse me!" He returned to his parents, Rillaeth in tow. "So, how are you two, anyway?" "We're fine, sweetie," replied L'drel. "How are the other weyrlings, are you getting along?" "Oh, yes, yes, fine, for the most part. Did you see all the Nabolese that Impressed? That oughta put a trundlebug up Rone's nose. I heard he was furious at the hatching, especially when Rh'mis Impressed. I met him before I was Searched, but he kinda disappeared for a while. Then he shows up and Impresses from the stands! I didn't see it happen, but I was floored when I heard it." "Oh yes, we saw that," said Shani. "Rone tried to interfere, but a wall of riders stopped him. So, this Rh'mis, is he cute?" She knew her son well. L'sha rolled his eyes. "He only has, like, thirteen-fourteen Turns, mother. But maybe when he gets older..." L'drel chuckled. "Don't give him ideas, Shani, you'll get him in trouble. You know weyrlings aren't supposed to be thinking those kinds of things." Rillaeth followed the conversation at L'sha's feet, eyes moving from one human to another as they spoke. « What kind of things? » A sigh escaped the younger greenrider. "Yeah, I think that's gonna be the toughest part of weyrlinghood for me." He silently shushed Rillaeth. « Tell you later. MUCH later. » The green whuffed a great frustrated exhalation. « You always say that. » L'sha ignored that and looked down at his lifemate. "Show them your wings, sweetie." Rillaeth spread her wings as wide as they could go and the two riders crouched to inspect her. "Lovely coloration," said L'drel. "You don't see too many greens with such a dark shade, almost black. Normally, I wouldn't care for it, but on her it's beautiful." "Yes, and I like the stripe, too. She looks fast just standing still," Shani commented. "Look at her proportions, that wingspan and her body shape. It's amazing she's not already taking off and zipping around the Weyr." She crouched low to examine Rillaeth's wings carefully. L'sha grinned and reached down to scritch Rillaeth's eyeridges. "I know, I can't wait to get her up in the air. She'll be the fastest green on Pern, I know it!" Rillaeth warbled happily at all the attention she was getting, eyes whirling deep blue. « Of course I'm the fastest. And the quickest. » L'sha laughed. "She knows it, too. I just hope I can hang on when she does. 'Course, I'll be strapped in, but it should still be quite a ride." "Ohhh yes, if she's anything like Tendrath," said L'drel, "you'll be in for the ride of your life." L'sha clenched and unclenched his hands and bounced a bit on his toes to alleviate his nervous energy. "Can't wait," he repeated. Unconsciously, he scratched at his left arm. L'drel stood and clapped the weyrling on the shoulder. "That's my boy." He looked down at L'sha's scratching. "Something wrong?" L'sha looked down. "Hmm? Oh, no, nothing. Rillaeth always seems to itch on the left side. I just oiled her not long ago, though." Rillaeth folded her wings and gazed at L'sha, her eyes beginning to whirl yellow in discomfort. « It's itchy! » She preened herself carefully. The young greenrider's shoulders slumped. "Okay, love." He looked at his parents with an apologetic expression. "Looks like I need to go take care of her, sorry." Shani put a hand on L'sha's shoulder. He was half a foot taller than her now and still growing. "It's okay, sweetheart, we understand. It was good to see you. You should tell the Weyrlingmasters about that itch of hers." L'drel stepped forward and hugged his son. "Wonderful to see you again, dear. Yes, don't let something like that go, it could be more serious than just an itch or flaky skin. They should have some thicker oil to use for something like that. And remember, hands off the other weyrlings!" L'sha smiled and basked in his parents' love. "So nice to see you both. I'll keep in touch!" Rillaeth's eyes whirled blue briefly, then back to yellow. « Well, that was nice. But you. Me. Oil. Now. » She turned and marched into the barracks. "My lady calls. See you later!" He waved and hurried off after his lifemate. L'drel and Shani waved after their son and headed back out to the bowl where their own lifemates waited. « Were we ever that small? » Tendrath rumbled. « I don't remember, » Ondurith replied. |
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