VIGNETTE: Happy Eighteenth, K'del
Date: Day 10/Day 11, Month 6, Turn 20
Location: K'del's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr / The family vineyard, Tillek / Some hold in the Telgar Region
Synopsis: Anything would be better than LAST turnday. But this one would be better than most, anyway.
K'del approached his turnday with apprehension.
It was...
That was to say that he was...
Well.
A turn. A turn since that night. A turn since Tiriana, and a turn since the thing with Milani and A'son, and...
Well.
I think I'd like a quiet turnday, this time around, he found himself thinking, the night before, leaning up against Cadejoth as he enjoyed the summer evening on the bronze's ledge. The bowl was quiet and cool, just the right kind of temperature. It'd taken him some time to get used to having more of his evenings free, but he was getting there; they were spending a lot more time together, the two of them, boy and bronze, though Cadejoth still found it hard to sit still enough to be a truly comfortable backrest.
<< Are we going to go and see your family? >> Cadejoth wanted to know, blowing warm breath onto his rider's hair.
Mm. No. Not with all the wedding plans brewing. Rather avoid that, before I get called in to run errands for them again. It's kind of demeaning.
<< K'del! Weyrleader of High Reaches Weyr, and his mother's errand boy. >>
Exactly. Ugh. Not that I don't want to help at all, but...
<< Not on your turnday. >>
There's a gather we could go to. Somewhere around Telgar, I think. Take my knot off, just be... someone else.
<< I could drop you off outside somewhere, and stay to the heights. If you like. So long as you don't ignore me ALL day. Or maybe I'll just have to find some mud to enjoy... >>
Won't. The idea had merit; K'del could feel the excitement growing inside of him.
<< So long as no one recognises you, of course. >>
Surely they wouldn't. Should I take Kash with me, d'you think? She'd probably love the chance to get away from my mother.
He twisted around, glancing up at his lifemate's head, which hovered not so far above his. Another blast of warm breath covered his face. << Do! She's fun, and we can do some fancy flying, first. >>
The idea had merit. Satisfied, K'del leaned back against his lifemate's perpetually moving forelimb, tilting his head so that he could see the moons above the weyr, the stars gleaming around them. Happy turnday, he thought to himself, as the evening wore on, though it was still far from midnight. Happy eighteenth.
---
They left the weyr early, leaving behind instructions with Sisha and B'sil that they were only to be interrupted if it were undeniably urgent. It was earlier still at home, but K'del's father and eldest brother were already out and about, and more than happy to send Nakasha in his direction. "I was hoping you'd show up," she told him, happily, as she clambered on to Cadejoth behind him. "Bren's going to tell Mother where I am, after we've gone. Think they'll want you to stay for a bit when we get back, though."
"If we have time," promised K'del, albeit reluctantly, and then they were off again - circling higher, then, after a warning to Nakasha, disappearing into the icy nothingness of Between.
At Telgar, it was already past lunchtime, and despite it having only recently been breakfast for the High Reachians, Nakasha insisted they'd better eat. So they ate meat pies and fresh berries with cream, and then bubbly pies as well - because a turnday only happens once a turn, after all, and anyway, you're supposed to stuff yourself sick at a gather, aren't you? They perused the stalls with interest, and spent K'del's marks: a hat for Kash, who'd forgotten hers, little baubles for all the nieces and nephews, a set of lovely blown glass goblets for a wedding present for Perris and Esnara. Nakasha insisted on buying her brother some garishly blue socks; "In case your bed gets too cold."
As she went to pay for them, K'del sent a tendril of thought off to Cadejoth: Keeping yourself entertained up there?
<< I found a bunch of kids who've never had a dragon to use as a diving board before, >> the bronze told him, his mental chains dancing in excitement and glee. << It took a little bit of encouragement, but I think they've gotten the hang of it, now! >>
Beat. Trust you. But fondly: very fondly.
<< You're not ready to leave yet, are you? >>
No, no, not yet. Just making sure you're not bored.
<< I'm fine. Shoo, shoo! >>
Somehow, the food had worn off by the time it started to get dark, so they ate again, following up the pork sandwiches with ice cream. Then they danced, whirling each other around the dance square until they were winded and exhausted, and Kash clinged to her brother's neck and beamed: "Happy turnday, Kas. Been a good one, right?"
"Absolutely. The best."
---
When he dropped her back at home, it was still only mid-afternoon; time differences like that always played with K'del's head. Nakasha laughed: "Feels like I've barely been gone, the sun's still up! Are you coming in? Mother'll be upset if you don't."
"Guess so," he said, and she stuck her tongue out at him, as if to say 'hey, you don't have to deal with them ALL THE TIME, so grow a pair'.
Actually, that's probably what she would have said, had the family en masse not shown up right at that moment.
---
Later, flying straight for just a little while before heading back to High Reaches, K'del admitted to Cadejoth, That wasn't actually so bad.
<< It usually isn't. You just complain too much. >>
I'm a teenager. I'm supposed to, aren't I?
<< You're the Weyrleader. >>
K'del went silent. For a few, brief hours, he'd let himself not think about that. Time to go home, I guess.
So they did, making it back soon after dinner... and just in time for one last turnday surprise.
---
As he drifted off to sleep, exhausted from an active day with Nakasha, and an-- extremely energetic evening with Milani, he smiled. Now that? That was what a turnday was supposed to be like.
Location: K'del's Weyr, High Reaches Weyr / The family vineyard, Tillek / Some hold in the Telgar Region
Synopsis: Anything would be better than LAST turnday. But this one would be better than most, anyway.
K'del approached his turnday with apprehension.
It was...
That was to say that he was...
Well.
A turn. A turn since that night. A turn since Tiriana, and a turn since the thing with Milani and A'son, and...
Well.
I think I'd like a quiet turnday, this time around, he found himself thinking, the night before, leaning up against Cadejoth as he enjoyed the summer evening on the bronze's ledge. The bowl was quiet and cool, just the right kind of temperature. It'd taken him some time to get used to having more of his evenings free, but he was getting there; they were spending a lot more time together, the two of them, boy and bronze, though Cadejoth still found it hard to sit still enough to be a truly comfortable backrest.
<< Are we going to go and see your family? >> Cadejoth wanted to know, blowing warm breath onto his rider's hair.
Mm. No. Not with all the wedding plans brewing. Rather avoid that, before I get called in to run errands for them again. It's kind of demeaning.
<< K'del! Weyrleader of High Reaches Weyr, and his mother's errand boy. >>
Exactly. Ugh. Not that I don't want to help at all, but...
<< Not on your turnday. >>
There's a gather we could go to. Somewhere around Telgar, I think. Take my knot off, just be... someone else.
<< I could drop you off outside somewhere, and stay to the heights. If you like. So long as you don't ignore me ALL day. Or maybe I'll just have to find some mud to enjoy... >>
Won't. The idea had merit; K'del could feel the excitement growing inside of him.
<< So long as no one recognises you, of course. >>
Surely they wouldn't. Should I take Kash with me, d'you think? She'd probably love the chance to get away from my mother.
He twisted around, glancing up at his lifemate's head, which hovered not so far above his. Another blast of warm breath covered his face. << Do! She's fun, and we can do some fancy flying, first. >>
The idea had merit. Satisfied, K'del leaned back against his lifemate's perpetually moving forelimb, tilting his head so that he could see the moons above the weyr, the stars gleaming around them. Happy turnday, he thought to himself, as the evening wore on, though it was still far from midnight. Happy eighteenth.
---
They left the weyr early, leaving behind instructions with Sisha and B'sil that they were only to be interrupted if it were undeniably urgent. It was earlier still at home, but K'del's father and eldest brother were already out and about, and more than happy to send Nakasha in his direction. "I was hoping you'd show up," she told him, happily, as she clambered on to Cadejoth behind him. "Bren's going to tell Mother where I am, after we've gone. Think they'll want you to stay for a bit when we get back, though."
"If we have time," promised K'del, albeit reluctantly, and then they were off again - circling higher, then, after a warning to Nakasha, disappearing into the icy nothingness of Between.
At Telgar, it was already past lunchtime, and despite it having only recently been breakfast for the High Reachians, Nakasha insisted they'd better eat. So they ate meat pies and fresh berries with cream, and then bubbly pies as well - because a turnday only happens once a turn, after all, and anyway, you're supposed to stuff yourself sick at a gather, aren't you? They perused the stalls with interest, and spent K'del's marks: a hat for Kash, who'd forgotten hers, little baubles for all the nieces and nephews, a set of lovely blown glass goblets for a wedding present for Perris and Esnara. Nakasha insisted on buying her brother some garishly blue socks; "In case your bed gets too cold."
As she went to pay for them, K'del sent a tendril of thought off to Cadejoth: Keeping yourself entertained up there?
<< I found a bunch of kids who've never had a dragon to use as a diving board before, >> the bronze told him, his mental chains dancing in excitement and glee. << It took a little bit of encouragement, but I think they've gotten the hang of it, now! >>
Beat. Trust you. But fondly: very fondly.
<< You're not ready to leave yet, are you? >>
No, no, not yet. Just making sure you're not bored.
<< I'm fine. Shoo, shoo! >>
Somehow, the food had worn off by the time it started to get dark, so they ate again, following up the pork sandwiches with ice cream. Then they danced, whirling each other around the dance square until they were winded and exhausted, and Kash clinged to her brother's neck and beamed: "Happy turnday, Kas. Been a good one, right?"
"Absolutely. The best."
---
When he dropped her back at home, it was still only mid-afternoon; time differences like that always played with K'del's head. Nakasha laughed: "Feels like I've barely been gone, the sun's still up! Are you coming in? Mother'll be upset if you don't."
"Guess so," he said, and she stuck her tongue out at him, as if to say 'hey, you don't have to deal with them ALL THE TIME, so grow a pair'.
Actually, that's probably what she would have said, had the family en masse not shown up right at that moment.
---
Later, flying straight for just a little while before heading back to High Reaches, K'del admitted to Cadejoth, That wasn't actually so bad.
<< It usually isn't. You just complain too much. >>
I'm a teenager. I'm supposed to, aren't I?
<< You're the Weyrleader. >>
K'del went silent. For a few, brief hours, he'd let himself not think about that. Time to go home, I guess.
So they did, making it back soon after dinner... and just in time for one last turnday surprise.
---
As he drifted off to sleep, exhausted from an active day with Nakasha, and an-- extremely energetic evening with Milani, he smiled. Now that? That was what a turnday was supposed to be like.