|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:42 pm
His mother had always told him that idle hands were a Hold's worst enemy, and Handra had assumed the same thing applied to the Weyr. Thus, when he had finished his chores and found himself with little else to do he went in search of someone to help. With nearly half of the riders remaining at the Weyr even though there was a Gather, the kitchen seemed like a good place to start. After stumbling his way through an introduction and managing to convince the kitchen assistants that he could be of use, the former farm-shepherd had been put to work setting tables. The plates and cutlery had to be set out before dinner time in order to make sure that the riders and Weyr guests would find dinner ready for them by the time they returned from the Gather.
Balancing a stack of plates on one arm, Handra was moving down the table in steady, cautious steps. He had already gotten himself into a rhythm, setting each plate down in its appropriate spot. Already he'd had to go back and fix several of his tables because the numbers didn't work out properly. But this time he was counting, and he'd get it right this time! If anyone could see his eyes beneath his hair they would have seen the determined look in them. Instead, Handra in his worn clothes looked like just another member of the kitchen staff. He could only hope he wouldn't be asked to bring anybody anything. That would be embarrassing.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:23 pm
F'sey wondered, for as much as he disliked being in such a bustling place like the dining hall, how, in Farnath's name, he ended up here so often. Ialluth promptly reminded him that a meal was its own reward, and she'd really appreciate it if he stopped grumping all the time. It was just one meal, honestly. He'd be much more unhappy if he wasn't eating meals regularly.
And would it kill you to try and be nice to someone today? Ialluth's tone was soft and her request was not unusual, but there was some strange urgency behind it. F'sey wondered about that, breifly. There were more urgent matters at hand. Like getting in, out and fed as quickly as possible. At least the greenrider had enough of a reputation that a lot of the younger riders left him well enough alone.
Ah, there was a kitchen drudge now. "Hey, kid, could you-" A pause. Had he seen this kid before? "Are you gonna be able to keep all those plates steady?" F'sey did not like the idea of being present at the scene of a crash. His temper made him look pretty guilty.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:40 am
Handra nearly jumped when he was spoken to, having expected to be ignored as many of the kitchen staff were. He clutched the plates more tightly to his chest, hazel eyes darting between F’sey’s face and the plates in his hand. Uh-oh. Of all the people he had met in the Weyr, this man looked like the type of person he usually tried to avoid. He was definitely not the sunshine and smiles type, not to mention he was a rider, which made talking to him that much harder.
“The cook said that so long as I didn’t drop them I could set them out sir,” he replied meekly, peering momentarily through his bangs before deciding that F’sey was far too scary too stare at for very long. “But if you’re worried, sir, I can go and set the tables over there first, sir, and come back here. If there’s anything you need I can send for a kitchen drudge. I'm sure they would be happy to help out a dragonrider, sir.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:43 am
F'sey blinked. Why was a kitchen drudge so jumpy about being talked to? The greenrider opened his mouth, considered his thoughts and snapped his jaw shut. He wasn't really supposed to care about the mental state of the help, oh, what had he just said?
You should listen when you're being spoken to, Ialluth scolded softly. He offered to send for a kitchen drudge.
The greenrider blinked again and narrowed his eyes, shifting around the table to see if he could catch the boy's gaze again. "So if you aren't a kitchen drudge yourself, why are you setting tables?" he questioned, tipping his head to the side. Healthy little weyrbrats were sent after tunnel snakes, not to the kitchen. They'd cause more damage than do good! F'sey stepped forward and took a stack of plates right from the boy's hands. "Loot at me when I am talking to you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:56 am
The former shepherd had to fight the urge to stiffen when F’sey opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. That definitely wasn’t a good sign. He hoped he hadn’t offended the dragonrider. Even being extra polite could get you in trouble sometimes. People thought you were making fun of them. Handra had nearly had his ears boxed once for using ‘sir’ too many times, but that didn’t stop him from saying it. Better to be polite than thought of as bad-mannered.
At the question he swallowed and shrugged his shoulders. “Most of the other candidates are at the Gather, sir, but I didn’t want to go so I thought it best to help out if I stayed here sir.” His mother would be very upset with him if she heard he was slacking off while at the Weyr so he had to at least do his part. Beside, setting tables wasn’t hard (when F’sey wasn’t making it so).
Handra was so surprised by the removal of the plates that he didn’t even scramble to take them back. Instead, his hands went instantly to his sides in what appeared to be the shy-man’s version of ‘attention.’ The command was possibly the worst thing to ask him to do, but he felt disrespectful disobeying a dragon rider. After a steadying breath he peered up through his bangs at F’sey, hoping that was sufficient. “Yes sir.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:10 am
F'sey sighed and peered right back at the curious boy, shifting his weight as he tried to decide what to make out of the child. "How old are you?" he asked, peering at the stack of plates he had just stolen. Why did he do that? The rider began to continue the task the candidate had started with a great huff, wondering why exactly he got himself into situations like these. Maybe there was some wisdom to Ialluth's words, sometimes.
Oh! "I am F'sey, rider of green Ialluth," he clarified, in case this was one of the newer candidates. (The greenrider was well aware he had quite the reputation among the new candidates and did absolutely nothing to dissuade it.) "And yourself?"
Alright. So setting plates wasn't so hard. He could handle this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:03 am
Uh oh. He was being peered at. Handra had to resist the urge to drop his eyes again, trying to muster all of his bravery and keep it. It was rare that he had to be so assertive, if the amount of lint and dust bunnies that came along with his bravery was any sign. “Sixteen, sir.” Judging by the wear on F’sey’s face it was obvious that this rider was much, much older than him. All the more reason to be extra polite, though. Elder people tended to be all about respect and politeness. It stemmed from their rose-tinted “good old days” when weyrbrats did what they were told and never made messes. His grandfather talked a lot about those days. Handra was only partially sure they were real.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, dragonrider F’sey sir. I’m Handra, apprentice herder.” He bowed awkwardly, even more acutely aware of the absence of the plates. They would have made a very good shield if F’sey hadn’t taken them away from him. Speaking of which, why was a dragonrider setting the table? “You really don’t have to do that sir, I was going to do it.” Handra looked quite beside himself that F’sey was doing his chore for him. “The cook will be right mad at me if I don’t do it myself, sir, especially if she learns that a dragonrider did it for me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:24 am
F'sey snorted and rolled his eyes. "If she comes after you, just tell her F'sey said so." He wasn't sure if that would actually do the boy any good, the cook was someone he was actually civil to. The greenrider did enjoy getting to eat, after all, and wasn't sure he wanted to tempt the cook into cutting him off. Ialluth would claim that he deserved it, which, F'sey was begrudging to admit, he probably did, but that wouldn't keep him from starving.
"Handra, hm? That name will shorten well," he mused to himself. It was nice when folks actually kept dragonriding in mind when they named their children. (Honestly, Feseyander? They were lucky Ialluth was the intelligent sort and got a bit creative with his name. ) "Did you like getting Searched, Handra? Are you happy to be here?"
Mine! Don't trap him in nasty questions.
It's not nasty. I want to know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:32 am
Handra floundered for a moment, caught between wanting to take the plates back and not being able to because it would be disrespectful. Finally, after fidgeting with the edge of his shirt for several minutes, he suggested, “Maybe… we can split them, sir?” Why was the dragonrider being so difficult? He would really made the former shepherd’s life so much easier if he just handed over the plates. It really distressed him to have his job taken away when he was perfectly capable.
He wasn’t sure if the bit about his name shortening well was a compliment, but he took it as one and nodded. If he got to Impress – which he wasn’t entirely sure he would – then he would remember that. Otherwise, having an easy name to shorten really wasn’t much help. It certainly didn’t get you any closer to being a dragonrider. At the questions his eyes widened, giving him a deer in headlights look. Did he like getting Searched? Was he happy to be here? Shards, F’sey might as well have asked him if this riding equipment made him look fat. All three questions required a lot more tact than Handra was currently capable of.
“Um…,” an intelligent start, but he really had no clue how to answer the questions, “I was surprised to be Searched, sir, and I am still surprised I was Searched. But I don’t dislike being here, sir, or dislike being around the dragons, sir. I like dragons, sir.” He was aware he was babbling, but his mouth had taken the reigns and was not willing to give them back to his brain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:46 am
F'sey nodded, pacified by Handra's answer. The lad liked to be around dragons. For someone who was obviously having a lot of trouble in the social situation, he was making the best out of it and he wasn't complaining. (And even if he did have complaints, he wasn't telling them to F'sey, so brownie points for him.) "Never really thought about being a dragonrider before, huh?" What was wrong with the youth today, didn't they have dreams?
Don't say think things like that, Mine. He is happy to be here.
Fair enough, fair enough. "You ever give any thought to what kind of color you'd like to Impress?" he asked, shifting closer to Handra to offer back half the stack of plates. It was easier to talk when the other person was standing like he was made of stone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:53 am
It wasn’t really that Handra liked to be around dragons, but he did like looking at them. So far his experience with the actual creatures was to only look at them from afar. Candidates who had just arrived didn’t get to do a lot of hands-on dragon training, not to mention that there was a very large number of candidates. It was very easy to get left out. Still, he thought they were very beautiful, and he liked to think he liked them. “Not really, sir. My eldest brother was Searched but he never Impressed, so I didn’t really think I would. I was going to become a journeyman herder eventually, and then work my way up from there. Find a wife, find a nice enough place for a new herd, that sort of thing, sir.”
He was saved having to ramble on about his family when F’sey offered him half of the plates. A relieved grin appeared for a moment before it was gone as took his half back. He began laying them out on the table, pausing only when F’sey asked him a question. “Colour? I’m not sure, sir. I would just be very happy to Impress, sir.” He hesitated, before admitting, “I don’t really know much about the colours, to be honest sir.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:19 pm
"Don't judge yourself on your brother, lad. You aren't the same people," F'sey said instantly. He never had brothers himself, but he had seen plenty of his friends stand as candidates. He'd seen whole families fail and whole families Impress, but just as often he'd see one Impress and his brother not. There was no saying what a dragon would choose. "And you never know what a dragon's looking for," he added.
"Do you know what the five colors are?" he continued, settling down comfortably. Handra was not being an idiot. Honest, but not an idiot, and at least he did what he was told. And he was trying, at any rate. "And, for the record, settling down with one partner is never a good idea."
Leave that alone, Mine.
F'sey tipped his head and closed his eyes, taking Ialluth's words the first time for once.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:44 pm
F'sey's positive words surprised him, not having expected the greenrider to say such things. It was almost like he was encouraging Handra to keep on trying no matter what had happened in the past. He was the first rider, even the first person, to support him without adding the phrase "and you can always come home" after it. It was... nice, for a change. His lips curved upwards in a shy smile. Perhaps this mean-faced man was not quite as mean as he let off.
Now eager to please the rider who had supported him so, the former shepherd nodded eagerly. "Yes sir! There's gold, bronze, brown, blue, and green." He ticked them off on his fingers as he named them. At the mention of settling down with one partner, Handra blinked, not quite sure what F'sey had meant by that. Not one to pry, however, he did not question the rider. Instead he asked, "Did you... think you were going to Impress a green sir?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:29 am
Perhaps F'sey was trying to encourage Handra, in his own, subtle way. They needed more riders like this little one; doing work without being told, respects his elders. Yes, there definitely needed to be more weyrlings like him. He'd make a fine rider, if there was a dragon in the clutch for him. "And don't get discouraged if you don't Impress the first time you stand, either," the greenrider added, remembering how he felt the first time he walked off the Sands, alone. "I didn't Impress until the third time I stood."
F'sey finished setting down the plates he had stolen from Handra. "Correct. And there's now gold in your future, obviously, so you have the other four left." Personally, he wasn't sure if the youth was bronze material, but he'd leave that up to the hatchlings. "Did I think I was going to Impress a green? No. I thought I was going to Impress a bronze." F'sey chuckled softly, smiling faintly at his surprise when a tiny green hatchling had claimed him as her own. "Didn't care one bit when Ialluth chose me, though. I wouldn't trade her for any dragon on Pern."
Thank you, Ridermine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 9:29 am
He nodded, any kind of support welcome. While it might be easy to blow off not Impressing until the third try when you did actually have a dragon, it was still a nice thing to say. If even F’sey had had to try a couple of times then Handra wouldn’t think too badly of having to try more than once. Besides, maybe if he stayed here after the first try he could get to know more about dragons. That didn’t sound so bad. “My brother stood several times, sir. But he likes working here with the herdbeasts, sir. I like working with them too,” he corrected instantly, not wanting to give the impression that he disliked the privileged life he’d been given, “But I would like to be a dragonrider, sir.”
Handra continued along the row until he had finished with his own plates before moving back to stand somewhat awkwardly before F’sey. If they were going to have a conversation he should at least look like he cared (which he did). He smiled when the greenrider spoke of his dragon, having heard stories of how closely bonded pairs could be. Even female greens and male riders, so it seemed. “Can you tell me about them? Green dragons, I mean. Or your own, sir, if you want to. But it it’s too private that’s okay sir.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
