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Writers: Avery, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 5th October 2015

Characters: A'kua, Z'then
Description: Hey, I know you.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 6 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Ilyssia, E'naer, Jessmyr, Nokala, Ninaine, Slif, Lissath,
Felnix.

Aluka had been feeling jittery for two or three days now that the eggs were
nearing the hatching period. He was dealing with it by continuing to
practice as much as possible, which was what he was doing now in the
after-dinner free time. He had settled himself around the corner of a way
out to the Weyrbowl, and was currently running through a warmup with voice,
gitar, and an older composition. "The Holder's
guards are all sleeping,
Watchfires burning through the night;
There's a threat of rain on the far horizon,
The clouds are heavy and the stars barely give light.

He climbs up through the darkness;
No weapons but his surprise.
The greatest thief in all of Lemos
Enters a room where a sleeping heiress lies."

Z'then couldn't sleep, he was so nervous about the next Fall coming up. So
he was taking a walk instead. The sound of singing reached him, and he
started heading to see where it was. Of course, he was more interested in
the singing than what he was doing. So he rounded a corner and tripped over
the singer - literally.

"All of your Marks, your pretty neckHEY!" Aluka found himself flattened.
That was unpleasant, to say the least. He aimed a punch at the unknown
assailant's liver. "Get _off_, ya lousy-" He abruptly realized it was a
person he sort of knew, and pulled back the majority of force at the last
second, turning the blow into a harmless graze against Z'then's side before
he struggled free, bringing his gitar with him. "Jays, don't scare me like
that," he complained. What was with people startling him when he was trying
to practice lately?

The words started spilling out Z'then's mouth as soon as he realized what
he'd done. "I didn't mean to. I'm a shard in' dim glow who can't keep his
feet straight. I didn't hurt your guitar did I?"

The concern for the precious instrument helped smooth Aluka's ruffled
feathers as he looked the gitar over. "It's fine, luckily," he said,
brushing off the wood worn to an almost satiny texture with use. "You're
Lys' friend, aren't you?"

"I'm glad it's fine. I would have felt terrible if I'd broken it," Z'then
said. "Yeah, she's really nice to me. We get along better than some in our
class - I don't think she likes some of the other green weyrlings. We study
and work on straps and stuff."

Aluka nodded. "I saw you two chattin' sometimes when I'd visit before she
got her own weyr " He tried to remember the weyrling's name, which wasn't
easy. This guy had a brother, which caused potential for mixup. Then he
remembered thanks to conversations with Ilyssia. "You're a good friend to
her, Z'then. She's fond of you. And aye, the dislike's mutual." He pointed
to his own chest meaningfully, with a slightly exasperated expression for
emphasis.

He was glad to hear Ilyssia respected his friendship.

"I think she's a little bit wrong about Nerate. The girl was pretty mean to
her the whole time they shared the barracks. But she's scared and wasn't
really prepared, so she lashed out. Sometimes people do that. I try to be
pretty forgiving," Z'then said.

Aluka understood lashing out, even if his reasons for doing so had been
different. But still, "You're more forgivin' than I am. No one's allowed to
hurt the people I love."

Z'then tilted his head and settled down onto the ground. "I don't want to
hold grudges like my brother. As for Ilyssia, you care that much?"

Aluka met the weyrling's eyes, wondering why he was asking. "I love her
more than I've loved anyone before," he said frankly, even as he began to
blush. "We're friends and weyrmates. I'd do anythin' for her. That includes
letting her handle her own problems if she doesn't need help."

"I didn't know you two were that serious," Z'then said with mild surprise.

Aluka was almost as surprised Lys hadn't mentioned it to her friend. But
maybe they'd both been too busy for it to come up in conversation. And,
"Given the rumors that went around before we chose each other, we tried not
to blab too much." He had only told Ninaine, Jessmyr, and Nokala, but
E'naer had found out too.

"You don't want bullies like Slif giving you any crap about it?" he guessed.

"_Exactly,_" the Candidate said emphatically. "Fardles, _I_ gave myself
enough grief about it. We don't need anyone else chippin' in on the
subject." Especially not from Slif. It would more than likely come to blows.

"At least he's still unImpressed. No dragon wants him as a rider," Z'then
snorted. "If you make each other happy, I'm glad for you both. Honest."

"Ancients, _tell_ me about it," Aluka laughed. "He'd be creatin' problems
between Dragonsfall and the Holds that tithe to us in a heartbeat no matter
what color he rode." The second statement brought on a smile. "Truthfully,
I didn't know it was possible to be this happy until I met Lys. So thanks."
He re-tuned the gitar while he spoke, and gave the strings a strum just as
something occurred to him. "What brings you out here, anyway?"

Z'then looked down at the ground. Maybe Ilyssia's friend listened as well
as she did. "Promise not to tell anyone?" he asked, then kept going before
Aluka could say a word.

"I'm afraid of the upcoming Blooding. I just wanted to get out here - you
know, see the sky and smell the air, remember what nature feels like. In
case...well, y'know."

Aluka couldn't be further from laughing at the moment. Z'then looked
genuinely distressed. "I won't tell because I think fear is a sensible
attitude when it comes to Thread, personally," he said in a gentle tone few
got to hear from him. "But if it's cripplin' you, that's when it becomes a
problem. Don't forget, you have your dragon and your wingmates lookin' out
for you, and you'll be lookin' out for them.""

"I trust them to look out for me, but I'm afraid of failing them. I wonder
how the other dragonriders got over their fear. Or my fellow weyrlings.
Nobody else seems scared about it."

Or maybe they just didn't show it. Maybe Z'then was a coward.

Aluka hesitated. "Let me tell you somethin'," he said after a moment. "I
got in a lot of trouble in my home hold." He gestured to the scar between
his eyebrows and on his cheekbone. "I didn't have anyone lookin' out for
me. If I'd had someone like you on my side, maybe I wouldn't have gotten
into so many fights. Even if they hadn't always been with me, I would've
been glad knowin' I had someone I could trust. So don't worry about bein'
afraid, or if you'll let them down. It's enough that your heart's in the
right place. And if you're this wound up about it, then I don't think
there's any way you could fail, because you don't want to, right?"

Z'then stayed quiet as he listened to Aluka's story. What had the other boy
gone through, he wondered? The Weyr must have done him some good. And his
words about looking out for people resonated.

"It'd be worse if I was convinced I could do no wrong?" he hazarded.

"That too,"" Aluka agreed. "That leads to way too many traps. So really, I
think you're fine and you'll be okay."

"Thanks Aluka," the brown weyrling said. "You do a man's mind some good."

"You're not so bad either," the Candidate said with a shrug and smile. He
was feeling less on edge now himself thanks to focusing on something else.
"Besides, a friend of Lys is someone I'll look out for if they need me."

That provoked an answering little smile. "And I'll look out for you if you
Impress. Maybe we'll be wingmates," he said hopefully. "You nervous about
Lissath's clutch?"

"Aye," Aluka confessed, reminded all over again. "But I'm also ready for it
now. I think I can finally manage."

"That's good. I'm gonna cheer really loud at the Hatching and maybe it'll
help," Z'then offered.

"Thanks, Z'then," Aluka said quietly, but sincerely.

"I should let you keep practicing in peace, I guess. If you Impress you
won't have as much time for it, so I shouldn't keep you."

"No, it's all right. You can stay if you like. You might even enjoy the
music," Aluka teased, knowing the odds were against that. But even if
Z'then didn't like it, maybe it would help keep his mind off his worries
that much longer. Not to mention Aluka found the weyrling's presence far
less objectionable than Felnix's, even if the two of them
weren't out for each other's blood now. He started up again. "All of your
Marks, your pretty necklace;
This is my work on such a night.
A storm's comin' over the mountains,
And I'll be gone right before the mornin'."

"Thanks Aluka. I think I would like to listen, since you said I could."
Z'then settled back against a rock, opening his mind to Juvath's so the
brown could hear too. Let them both enjoy it.

Last updated on the October 13th 2015

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