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It was something that wasn't usually assigned to her to do, but Lute didn't mind the change of pace. Especially with a night as clear and pretty as this. She had been selected to watch over the creche, keeping an eye on things while the kids slept. Rumith was also around, to help keep an eye out in case some kids might try to sneak off somewhere. It was late in the night and things had quieted down considerably once the kids had fallen asleep. The sounds of little bodies shifting in their beds, quiet muttering in their sleep from a few of them, and slow, deep restful breathing from the all. Or rather most, a couple of them were snoring softly. There was one particular sound that was out of place. Lute slowed her rounds to listen. Someone was sniffling? It wasn't a congested sniffling either. This sounded more like the sort of sniffling that accompanied tears. "Hmm..." The rider hummed thoughtfully, a hand rising to grab hold of the strap that she had slung around her which was attached to her lute. Having never watched the kids before, she didn't know how the evening would go. So she figured it best to be prepared, if not to entertain the kids then to keep herself entertained after they fell asleep and her replacement came in the morning.

"Rumith, be vigilant. A young someone is awake." She bespoke to her partner. She could hear the green softly rumble her affirmation in the dark. Following the sound, Lute took up a position alongside of an entryway. Angling her head some to take a quick peek inside, she could see a shape of a small someone sitting up in their bed. "Yep. Someone has stirred."

Turning so that her back was against the wall, Lute bowed her head and waited for the boy to emerge into the night. She listened to the sound of his footsteps and turned to look at him, waiting for him to notice her. The boy came out still wiping tears from his cheeks. Now that he was in the dim light of the moon, she could tell that it was young Ionan.

The rider smiled, but paused to blink at him at the youngster declaration. Her brows arched up on her forehead. "Your sister? Ionan, it's very late. The candidates are all sleeping. They've been working really hard and they need their rest. Why don't you stay and talk with me? I'm awake and I can listen. What's gotten you bothered so?"

"Rumith, he looks determined so be ready to block the way if he stays insistent."

"~Of course, Mine.~" The green harkened back.

"My name is Lute, like this instrument here," She said lifting the lute from her side by the neck for him to see.

"Hey," She said letting the word draw out a moment. "I'm not a stranger. You know my name and I know yours. I'm a rider who used to be a Harper. You're a weyrbrat with an elder candidate sister and her name is Iona. Does that sound like I'm a stranger to you? Would a real stranger know all those things?" Lute didn't mind the grumpiness. It wasn't unheard of for those who have slept poorly to not be in the best of spirits. Heck, even adults weren't exempt from it.

"No. She's exhausted. Let your sister sleep. You and her can discuss things over breakfast." The rider reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to slow him down or stop him, letting her lute return to her hip. "Lute is my nickname. Lutfiyah is my full name. Lute is just easier though. Tell me what's got you upset. That way you can work out exactly what you want to tell your sister in the morning. If you go to her now and wake her up, she'll be all sleepy and groggy and may not register everything you say."

Lute sighed softly. "So, let go have a seat and we can talk. I'll even show you how this instrument of mine works."

Lute placed her hands on her hips while listening to the youngster. She bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from breaking into a smile. A sneaky stranger, was she? That certainly was a new one. Never before had she heard that one, at least from her memory. "No, I'm not the boss," The greenrider concurred. "The Weyrwoman is. But I was given the task of watching after you kids tonight..."

Hm. It felt like the youngster was winding up for a really fit and the tears welling in his eyes cemented this thought. She sighed and dropped her hands from her hips, her brows furrowing slightly. There were a few ways of dealing with tantrums. Without another word, she bent down and wrapped her arms around the boy, drawing him to her chest before picking him up, shifting him to sit on her hip. "Please, don't cry," She spoke softly as she hugged him close. "The moon has seen enough tears tonight. Dry your eyes, now." Lute leaned her head against his. "It's okay."

The Greenrider smiled gently, rocking the boy back and forth, not apparently minding the fussiness or the grumpiness from the boy. "I disagree," She said softly in regards to his grumble against her intelligence. "Candidates work very hard, Ionan, and they need all the sleep they can get. Look, you don't have to go to bed right away. You can stay here and spend a little time with me. You can meet my Rumith, if you'd like. She enjoys visiting and meeting new friends. Let me try my hand at keeping those bad dreams at bay, at least for tonight."

Lute gave a quiet titter and nodded. "Oh yes. I'm very sure your sister is sleeping. It's very late." She looked to him when he lifted his head from her shoulder. Hm. Eaten by a dragon, eh? "Was your dream of a hatching? It was a baby, wasn't it? I promise you that your sister hasn't been eaten. She is safe in her bed over in the candidate barracks. The only things that may be in there are maybe some firelizards. You can go get her up bright and early to have breakfast if you'd like."

She looked skyward and smiled. "Well sure it does. You just have to look at it right and keep an open mind. Here," She paused and shifted him a little to free up one of her hands. Pointing up to the moon, she pointed out the basic features of the man in the moon. "There are the eyes. A little bit lower is a bit of a noise, and under that is its mouth. See it?"

"Mhm," Lute chimed. "She is indeed, mine and a green." She laughed warmly at his excitement. "I do too. I bet you'll be a fine rider when you grow up and Impress." He may be young, but passion didn't often die away. There was be little doubt that there would be a dragon for Ionan when he became of age to become a candidate and stand. There would be either a balancing or complimentary dragon bondmate for him someday, no matter the color. "And I'm sure she would love for you to be her friend."

"Mine, I like him already," The green said lightly to hers, a hint of amusement in her mental tone. She drew a little closer and laid down along the edge of the clear area where Lute and Ionan were, rumbling contently in her pleasant mood.

"Look, here she is now," Said Lute, turning to walk towards where the green lay. She glanced down to Ionan as she walked and offered a little smile. "Well, maybe, may not, but Rumith will be helping me too. Do you think that your nightmares will stay away if Rumith runs 'em off for you? When she was small, there wasn't a tunnel snake that she couldn't catch if she set her mind to it."

The obvious desperate worry in the young boy's voice hit her right in the chest. Her brows furrowed and she pulled him into a proper hug. "Don't you worry, Ionan. Tell you what, you and I can sit together at the hatching as close to the sands as we can manage. That way we can keep an eye on your sister and I can be there to make sure everything is okay. Just think, from the front row you could watch your sister become a weyrling! Isn't that an exciting thought?" She sighed and touched her forehead to the boy's head. "You're not as alone as you'd think. While you are small part of this Weyr, you are no less important than the Weyrlady and Weyrleader, or any of the rider pairs, the crafters, anyone. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, okay?" Lute smiled to him and combed her fingers through his hair before righting herself again.

"Ha ha! See? I told you." She blinked for a moment. "Who is the face in the moon? Well, my understanding was that it was the man in the moon. I don't remember if he really has a name. One would think that he would have a name by now. Huh." By this time she was stopped, standing next to Rumith, who lowered her head down to them with whirling blue eyes. She smiled, reaching her hand up to rub the bridge of the green's nose. "Ionan, this is Rumith. Rumith, this is Ionan."

Rumith thrummed softly at the rub to her nose and lowered her head to be closer to Ionan's level. She gave him a bit of a sniff before gently touching her nose to his cheek in a bit of a dragony kiss to the cheek to greet him.