20 Questions
Who: Rhodya and Gedroth
When: Dusk on day 21, month 2, turn 19 of the 10th Interval
Where: Weyrling Barracks, Fort Weyr
What: Gedroth wakes up from his first-ever nap, ready to have his second-ever meal. This vignette is meandering and has no real point; I was just trying to get into Gedroth's head after the Hatching.
Hunger.
It pinched Gedroth so sharply that he nipped at his belly reproachfully. It growled back at him, and the young brown tilted his head. What makes it do that? Twisting onto his back, he contorted himself in the effort to put a paw on it. He succeeded with his left front leg, tightened his grip, and tried pinching the hunger out. His foot felt awkward to wield, and despite his best efforts, he had to admit it wasn’t up to the task.
Rhodya. Rho? I am hungry. Ooh, and I hurt.
Something stirred next to him, slightly above. Gedroth tilted his head up and chirped in surprise. There she was! What’s holding her up like that? What is this thing?
Rhodya swung her feet off the cot and looked hazily down at him. He peered back. A moment later, fully awake, she snapped into action.
“Baby!” Gedroth uncurled as her strong, sure hands pressed him flat, and he allowed her to pry the paw from his belly. “Ohh, they’re going to kill me,” Rhodya muttered. She touched his stomach, then gave him a warning look. (Why?) “Wait here, and don’t you do anything.”
I am still hungry, he reminded her, focusing all his patience on the words.
She waved a hand at him and was gone.
Gedroth rolled his head back, but moved nothing else. He had orders. Besides, there was plenty to see from here. His brothers and sisters were asleep in their own beds, their sides rising and falling, rising and falling. Do I do that when I sleep? It also seemed to him that the light filtering into the room had grown softer, tinged with a bit of red. What does that mean? Is it normal?
Rho, is it normal when the light turns red?
She was distracted, but found a moment for him. She always would, he knew. I don’t know what you mean by that, baby.
Here. He flashed her an image of a deep orange light, which fell right on the belly of a brown like himself and made him look gold. It’s doing that.
Yeah, don’t you worry about that. That’s just the sun setting.
The sun? Gedroth continued to stare at the light. He felt a strange, shivering sensation as something beyond his own knowledge - something of Rhodya’s - filtered in. Ah, so that was the sun. He’d never seen it before.
Rhodya returned on the heels of a middle-aged man. He was holding a can that reminded Gedroth of his oiling, and he flared his nostrils to see if that’s what it was. But while the scent of oil lay heavy over the room, misting warmly off his own body and that of his clutchsibs, there didn’t seem to be any in that can.
“Hurt himself in his sleep, did he?” That was the man. It seemed to Gedroth that Rhodya had mentioned him once, but he couldn’t recall what about him she’d said.
“Must have,” Rhodya told him, pushing her cot away so the man could squeeze past it to Gedroth. “He was grabbing his belly and said he felt hungry.”
The man kneeled by Gedroth, stroking his cheek. His touch was no Rhodya, but it still felt pretty good. “Ah, he’ll be all right. Rookie mistake, huh, lad?” He dipped his hand in the jar, and the scent that came off it stung Gedroth’s nose. “This’ll sting a bit; make sure you tell him. He’ll listen better if it’s coming from you.”
Gedroth, Rhodya said, you’re gonna sting in a second. Nothing bad’s happening.
“Okay,” she told the man. “Done.” His stingy hand touched Gedroth’s belly.
Hey! Thin flames spread under his skin. Gedroth curled his neck around and nipped at them, or would have, but the man stuck a hand under his jaw to hold him back.
Leave it alone, baby. It’ll pass.
Gedroth’s eyes whirled as he looked up at Rhodya. He trusted her, but... Ouch. She smiled sympathetically.
“That’ll do it,” said the man, standing up. He wiped his hand in a cloth at his waist. “No need to call Jantha for this one. He just poked himself with his claws, that’s all. Even the redwort’s just a precaution.”
“Thanks, V’rel.” She smiled at the man, he smiled back, then he left. Rhodya turned back to Gedroth and planted both hands on her hips. “And just what do you think you’re doin’, hurtin’ yourself like that?”
Is that what I did?
“Yes, baby!” Rhodya, he knew, wanted to be cross with him, but she laughed. Why does she do that? “Look, your feet ain’t toys, okay? They got sharp little prickers on ‘em, and when you press too hard, they’ll cut things.”
Gedroth oofed impressively. Now he understood. It won’t happen again. But Rho, I am still hungry. And I want to know about the sun. He thought about it, tilting his head. The pinch from his belly had gone away for a while when the man put sting on him, but now it was back. In fact I’m very hungry. You need to feed me now, he said urgently.
Rhodya’s eyes widened. “Right, baby, come on.” Patting her thigh and expecting him to follow, she turned towards a basin that had been laid out in the center of the room. He cut in front of her, glancing over his shoulder and creeling while he led her to the basin. The meat smelled so close. “Baby, I’m coming. Why are you crying?”
It’s very important. He slid to a halt by the basin.
Rhodya jogged the last few steps. “Hush, now, you’ll get fed in a second. Hush!”
Gedroth stood up, batted the basin with his paw, then sat down again. I need to be fed now. It’s important! Why doesn’t she understand? He had to cry at her. She needed to know how important this was.
“Here!” Rhodya slapped a rough square of meat right on his tongue. Gedroth sank his teeth into it, feeling the thick squirt of blood through his lips. Oh good. He was going to survive now. “That better, baby?”
Yes. Thank you, Rho.
“You’re welcome.”
They worked in silence for several minutes, until Gedroth realized the pinch in his belly had suddenly left. He turned up his nose at the next piece of meat Rhodya offered. She flicked his muzzle with it, then put it back in the basin. He wiped his face with his tongue, licking the blood off.
“D’you need to be oiled now?” she asked.
No, I don’t itch. I do want to see the sun.
“Baby, it’s cold out there. I’m not sure you should go yet.”
Gedroth considered his options. It’s important that I see the sun, he warned. I will cry.
“Don’t you blackmail me!” Gedroth felt another shivering sensation: blackmail. That was bad. He made a note not to use that option anymore.
May I please see the sun? Rhodya eyed him warily. Hoping to make up for the bad thing he did, Gedroth scooted up to her and laid his cheek up next to her leg, peering up. Her expression melted. Another curiosity.
“All right, but I’m getting a blanket in case you get cold.” She walked back to her cot, muttering, “Or I need to hide you from the Weyrlingmaster.”
Gedroth chirped happily, trotting over to wait at the door. This was going to be good.
When: Dusk on day 21, month 2, turn 19 of the 10th Interval
Where: Weyrling Barracks, Fort Weyr
What: Gedroth wakes up from his first-ever nap, ready to have his second-ever meal. This vignette is meandering and has no real point; I was just trying to get into Gedroth's head after the Hatching.
Hunger.
It pinched Gedroth so sharply that he nipped at his belly reproachfully. It growled back at him, and the young brown tilted his head. What makes it do that? Twisting onto his back, he contorted himself in the effort to put a paw on it. He succeeded with his left front leg, tightened his grip, and tried pinching the hunger out. His foot felt awkward to wield, and despite his best efforts, he had to admit it wasn’t up to the task.
Rhodya. Rho? I am hungry. Ooh, and I hurt.
Something stirred next to him, slightly above. Gedroth tilted his head up and chirped in surprise. There she was! What’s holding her up like that? What is this thing?
Rhodya swung her feet off the cot and looked hazily down at him. He peered back. A moment later, fully awake, she snapped into action.
“Baby!” Gedroth uncurled as her strong, sure hands pressed him flat, and he allowed her to pry the paw from his belly. “Ohh, they’re going to kill me,” Rhodya muttered. She touched his stomach, then gave him a warning look. (Why?) “Wait here, and don’t you do anything.”
I am still hungry, he reminded her, focusing all his patience on the words.
She waved a hand at him and was gone.
Gedroth rolled his head back, but moved nothing else. He had orders. Besides, there was plenty to see from here. His brothers and sisters were asleep in their own beds, their sides rising and falling, rising and falling. Do I do that when I sleep? It also seemed to him that the light filtering into the room had grown softer, tinged with a bit of red. What does that mean? Is it normal?
Rho, is it normal when the light turns red?
She was distracted, but found a moment for him. She always would, he knew. I don’t know what you mean by that, baby.
Here. He flashed her an image of a deep orange light, which fell right on the belly of a brown like himself and made him look gold. It’s doing that.
Yeah, don’t you worry about that. That’s just the sun setting.
The sun? Gedroth continued to stare at the light. He felt a strange, shivering sensation as something beyond his own knowledge - something of Rhodya’s - filtered in. Ah, so that was the sun. He’d never seen it before.
Rhodya returned on the heels of a middle-aged man. He was holding a can that reminded Gedroth of his oiling, and he flared his nostrils to see if that’s what it was. But while the scent of oil lay heavy over the room, misting warmly off his own body and that of his clutchsibs, there didn’t seem to be any in that can.
“Hurt himself in his sleep, did he?” That was the man. It seemed to Gedroth that Rhodya had mentioned him once, but he couldn’t recall what about him she’d said.
“Must have,” Rhodya told him, pushing her cot away so the man could squeeze past it to Gedroth. “He was grabbing his belly and said he felt hungry.”
The man kneeled by Gedroth, stroking his cheek. His touch was no Rhodya, but it still felt pretty good. “Ah, he’ll be all right. Rookie mistake, huh, lad?” He dipped his hand in the jar, and the scent that came off it stung Gedroth’s nose. “This’ll sting a bit; make sure you tell him. He’ll listen better if it’s coming from you.”
Gedroth, Rhodya said, you’re gonna sting in a second. Nothing bad’s happening.
“Okay,” she told the man. “Done.” His stingy hand touched Gedroth’s belly.
Hey! Thin flames spread under his skin. Gedroth curled his neck around and nipped at them, or would have, but the man stuck a hand under his jaw to hold him back.
Leave it alone, baby. It’ll pass.
Gedroth’s eyes whirled as he looked up at Rhodya. He trusted her, but... Ouch. She smiled sympathetically.
“That’ll do it,” said the man, standing up. He wiped his hand in a cloth at his waist. “No need to call Jantha for this one. He just poked himself with his claws, that’s all. Even the redwort’s just a precaution.”
“Thanks, V’rel.” She smiled at the man, he smiled back, then he left. Rhodya turned back to Gedroth and planted both hands on her hips. “And just what do you think you’re doin’, hurtin’ yourself like that?”
Is that what I did?
“Yes, baby!” Rhodya, he knew, wanted to be cross with him, but she laughed. Why does she do that? “Look, your feet ain’t toys, okay? They got sharp little prickers on ‘em, and when you press too hard, they’ll cut things.”
Gedroth oofed impressively. Now he understood. It won’t happen again. But Rho, I am still hungry. And I want to know about the sun. He thought about it, tilting his head. The pinch from his belly had gone away for a while when the man put sting on him, but now it was back. In fact I’m very hungry. You need to feed me now, he said urgently.
Rhodya’s eyes widened. “Right, baby, come on.” Patting her thigh and expecting him to follow, she turned towards a basin that had been laid out in the center of the room. He cut in front of her, glancing over his shoulder and creeling while he led her to the basin. The meat smelled so close. “Baby, I’m coming. Why are you crying?”
It’s very important. He slid to a halt by the basin.
Rhodya jogged the last few steps. “Hush, now, you’ll get fed in a second. Hush!”
Gedroth stood up, batted the basin with his paw, then sat down again. I need to be fed now. It’s important! Why doesn’t she understand? He had to cry at her. She needed to know how important this was.
“Here!” Rhodya slapped a rough square of meat right on his tongue. Gedroth sank his teeth into it, feeling the thick squirt of blood through his lips. Oh good. He was going to survive now. “That better, baby?”
Yes. Thank you, Rho.
“You’re welcome.”
They worked in silence for several minutes, until Gedroth realized the pinch in his belly had suddenly left. He turned up his nose at the next piece of meat Rhodya offered. She flicked his muzzle with it, then put it back in the basin. He wiped his face with his tongue, licking the blood off.
“D’you need to be oiled now?” she asked.
No, I don’t itch. I do want to see the sun.
“Baby, it’s cold out there. I’m not sure you should go yet.”
Gedroth considered his options. It’s important that I see the sun, he warned. I will cry.
“Don’t you blackmail me!” Gedroth felt another shivering sensation: blackmail. That was bad. He made a note not to use that option anymore.
May I please see the sun? Rhodya eyed him warily. Hoping to make up for the bad thing he did, Gedroth scooted up to her and laid his cheek up next to her leg, peering up. Her expression melted. Another curiosity.
“All right, but I’m getting a blanket in case you get cold.” She walked back to her cot, muttering, “Or I need to hide you from the Weyrlingmaster.”
Gedroth chirped happily, trotting over to wait at the door. This was going to be good.