VIGNETTE: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Nakasha?
Date: Day 14, Month 8, Turn 20
Location: Vinehold, Tillek Area
Synopsis: The night before Perris' wedding, K'del and his brothers camp out.
The night before Perris' wedding, the brothers all camped out in the field. Nakasha wanted to come, too, but wasn't allowed; she had to spend the evening with her sister and sisters-in-law, and Esnara, who'd be joining that number come tomorrow. She was pissy about it, and K'del felt bad, but it was, as always, the way things were. Had to be. Whatever.
The seven of them spread their blankets in an uneven circle, passing around a bottle of whiskey as they roasted slabs of meat over the fire, and baked potatoes buried beneath it. It was, K'del reflected, probably the first time they'd been alone in each other's company, without anyone else, since-- ever? They hadn't done anything similar before the previous weddings. Back then, Caderin and Ander had still been at their crafthalls, too far away to easily make it back, not without a dragonrider to help out.
"No marriage prospects for you, Cad?" Brennan wanted to know, glancing at Caderin, brother number three. "Should've been you next, all things being equal. Perris here's skipped ahead."
"Not for me," Caderin told him, more seriously than the question really warranted. "Not with everything I need to get done these next couple of turns, if I want to take those mastery exams in good time."
"Master Caderin," said Elnard, testing the title out. "Craftmaster Caderin? But surely they'd want you to have a family, eventually. Gives the right impression. Besides... surely it's lonely?"
They all laughed at Caderin's expression, the blush that came with mention of 'Craftmaster', the deeper one that came at the mention of loneliness.
"Andy, then. Or Marrin? Who intends to be next, boys?"
"Or Kas?"
"Riders don't marry," K'del reminded them, as six sets of eyes shifted in his direction. "And even if I wasn't a rider, it'd be turns before you'd expect it of me, yet."
Ander, brother number five, snorted. "Kas doesn't intend to settle down ever. He's too busy sticking it to every woman he can possibly find, and encouraging our little sister to be just like him."
"That's--" K'del frowned.
Brennan stepped in. "Not called for, Andy."
"But she's always done whatever he has. And he's never cared to think about that, or recognise that he's setting a terrible example for her. Maybe you don't see it, because you're always around, but I do. It's not right."
"Ander."
"No wonder she doesn't want to get married. He's ruined her for it. All she wants to do is run off to the weyr and be just like her brother."
"That's enough. Ander. Honestly. Supposed to be celebrating, tonight, not raking over the coals. Kash is her own person; can't hold K'del accountable for that."
"Has a point, though." Marrin, silent up until this point, was frowning. "She doesn't want to get married. We all know it. And maybe she should've joined a craft or something, because at least that would've-- given her something else to do, I guess, but you know how mother felt about the whole thing, and anyway, what would she have done? Point is, maybe she should have some say in the matter."
Perhaps they'd never especially gotten along as children, but in that moment, K'del felt a rush of affection for his closest-in-age brother. "Marrin's right," he told them. "Been thinking about it myself. Reckon she might be happier at the weyr."
"Where she can debauch herself."
"Ander."
"No. Where she can decide her own future. She's nearly seventeen - that's plenty old enough."
Brennan shook his head. "Not our decision, though. And if you just take her and run, Kasadel, don't think any of us will stand by you."
K'del nodded. They glanced around the circle at each other, from wise, thoughtful Brennan to frustrated Ander, the others in between.
It was Perris who spoke next, sounding thoughtful. "I could ask mother to let her come back to Tillek with Essie and I, just to stay for a while. It's not the same as going to the weyr, but it would be a change. Maybe it would help."
"Worth a try," said Elnard, after a moment. "There's you and Caderin there to look out for her, plus Essie. I'd've offered myself, but I'm not sure our place would be different enough. She might even find someone out there, someone she wouldn't've met, otherwise."
"Mother'll hate it." Marrin again. "No more wedding to plan, no Nakasha to plan over. Suppose she does still have Elasin's new baby to coo over."
"Kandase is pregnant again. That'll help."
They all turned to look at Elnard. He grinned at them.
"You people! Breeding like--"
"Better watch out, Kas. Surprised you haven't got any yourself, the rate you're going. You DO know that's where babies come from, right?"
Kas threw a pillow at Elnard, who threw it back. For a good five minutes after that, they might as well all have been children again, all more or less the same age, regardless of the realities of it.
Later, much later, after a makeshift meal and more drinking, and stories told under the stares, K'del found himself still awake as his brothers slept on around him. He debated, briefly, going across the field to find Cadejoth, the silent eighth in their number, but just as he was about to haul himself up he heard his name whispered.
"Are you still awake, Kas?"
"Can't sleep."
"No. I can't either."
It was Perris, who turned over so that he could look at his brother through the dark.
"Big day, tomorrow."
"Mm."
"Nervous, Perry?"
"A little. But. Excited, mostly. I love her, Kas. And-- I get to spend the rest of my life with her."
K'del found himself smiling through the dark. "Glad for you, Perry."
"You should try it, Kas. Truly. I know you say it's not your thing, but... it's worth it. Everything."
Kas felt himself smiling through the dark; for a moment, he felt like saying something more, confiding the thing he'd been trying not to think about. But; "Guess it probably is."
"Oh, Kas. Just wait. It'll happen whether you want it to or not, and then... You'll see."
"Anything's possible, Perry. Should sleep, though, mm? Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah. Big day."
Location: Vinehold, Tillek Area
Synopsis: The night before Perris' wedding, K'del and his brothers camp out.
The night before Perris' wedding, the brothers all camped out in the field. Nakasha wanted to come, too, but wasn't allowed; she had to spend the evening with her sister and sisters-in-law, and Esnara, who'd be joining that number come tomorrow. She was pissy about it, and K'del felt bad, but it was, as always, the way things were. Had to be. Whatever.
The seven of them spread their blankets in an uneven circle, passing around a bottle of whiskey as they roasted slabs of meat over the fire, and baked potatoes buried beneath it. It was, K'del reflected, probably the first time they'd been alone in each other's company, without anyone else, since-- ever? They hadn't done anything similar before the previous weddings. Back then, Caderin and Ander had still been at their crafthalls, too far away to easily make it back, not without a dragonrider to help out.
"No marriage prospects for you, Cad?" Brennan wanted to know, glancing at Caderin, brother number three. "Should've been you next, all things being equal. Perris here's skipped ahead."
"Not for me," Caderin told him, more seriously than the question really warranted. "Not with everything I need to get done these next couple of turns, if I want to take those mastery exams in good time."
"Master Caderin," said Elnard, testing the title out. "Craftmaster Caderin? But surely they'd want you to have a family, eventually. Gives the right impression. Besides... surely it's lonely?"
They all laughed at Caderin's expression, the blush that came with mention of 'Craftmaster', the deeper one that came at the mention of loneliness.
"Andy, then. Or Marrin? Who intends to be next, boys?"
"Or Kas?"
"Riders don't marry," K'del reminded them, as six sets of eyes shifted in his direction. "And even if I wasn't a rider, it'd be turns before you'd expect it of me, yet."
Ander, brother number five, snorted. "Kas doesn't intend to settle down ever. He's too busy sticking it to every woman he can possibly find, and encouraging our little sister to be just like him."
"That's--" K'del frowned.
Brennan stepped in. "Not called for, Andy."
"But she's always done whatever he has. And he's never cared to think about that, or recognise that he's setting a terrible example for her. Maybe you don't see it, because you're always around, but I do. It's not right."
"Ander."
"No wonder she doesn't want to get married. He's ruined her for it. All she wants to do is run off to the weyr and be just like her brother."
"That's enough. Ander. Honestly. Supposed to be celebrating, tonight, not raking over the coals. Kash is her own person; can't hold K'del accountable for that."
"Has a point, though." Marrin, silent up until this point, was frowning. "She doesn't want to get married. We all know it. And maybe she should've joined a craft or something, because at least that would've-- given her something else to do, I guess, but you know how mother felt about the whole thing, and anyway, what would she have done? Point is, maybe she should have some say in the matter."
Perhaps they'd never especially gotten along as children, but in that moment, K'del felt a rush of affection for his closest-in-age brother. "Marrin's right," he told them. "Been thinking about it myself. Reckon she might be happier at the weyr."
"Where she can debauch herself."
"Ander."
"No. Where she can decide her own future. She's nearly seventeen - that's plenty old enough."
Brennan shook his head. "Not our decision, though. And if you just take her and run, Kasadel, don't think any of us will stand by you."
K'del nodded. They glanced around the circle at each other, from wise, thoughtful Brennan to frustrated Ander, the others in between.
It was Perris who spoke next, sounding thoughtful. "I could ask mother to let her come back to Tillek with Essie and I, just to stay for a while. It's not the same as going to the weyr, but it would be a change. Maybe it would help."
"Worth a try," said Elnard, after a moment. "There's you and Caderin there to look out for her, plus Essie. I'd've offered myself, but I'm not sure our place would be different enough. She might even find someone out there, someone she wouldn't've met, otherwise."
"Mother'll hate it." Marrin again. "No more wedding to plan, no Nakasha to plan over. Suppose she does still have Elasin's new baby to coo over."
"Kandase is pregnant again. That'll help."
They all turned to look at Elnard. He grinned at them.
"You people! Breeding like--"
"Better watch out, Kas. Surprised you haven't got any yourself, the rate you're going. You DO know that's where babies come from, right?"
Kas threw a pillow at Elnard, who threw it back. For a good five minutes after that, they might as well all have been children again, all more or less the same age, regardless of the realities of it.
Later, much later, after a makeshift meal and more drinking, and stories told under the stares, K'del found himself still awake as his brothers slept on around him. He debated, briefly, going across the field to find Cadejoth, the silent eighth in their number, but just as he was about to haul himself up he heard his name whispered.
"Are you still awake, Kas?"
"Can't sleep."
"No. I can't either."
It was Perris, who turned over so that he could look at his brother through the dark.
"Big day, tomorrow."
"Mm."
"Nervous, Perry?"
"A little. But. Excited, mostly. I love her, Kas. And-- I get to spend the rest of my life with her."
K'del found himself smiling through the dark. "Glad for you, Perry."
"You should try it, Kas. Truly. I know you say it's not your thing, but... it's worth it. Everything."
Kas felt himself smiling through the dark; for a moment, he felt like saying something more, confiding the thing he'd been trying not to think about. But; "Guess it probably is."
"Oh, Kas. Just wait. It'll happen whether you want it to or not, and then... You'll see."
"Anything's possible, Perry. Should sleep, though, mm? Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah. Big day."