Spirited Away

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 16th May 2017

Characters: A'kades, Lenala
Description: A'kades offers Lenala some time away from the Weyr.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 4 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis, Saibra, Jayzine

Lenala

Today had been going well so far. The weyrlings were pretty
well-behaved and A'kades hadn't had any questions thrown his way
during his office candlemark. That gave him time to catch up on
hidework, which let him leave earlier than usual. And that meant he
could go down to the kitchens and get snacks. He had a plan to
surprise Lenala with a meal in her quarters.

}:Vilarth, is your rider busy? Mine wants to see yours,:{ Volaith said.

}: She seems to be always busy now, :{ Vilarth complained. }: It's not
like those hides would run away from her like the herdbeasts they come
from. Tell yours to pull mine away from work, :{ she gave her imperial
permission to disturb her rider.

Volaith huffed a draconic laugh at that image. }:She is busy because
she is important. Just like how you are important,:{ he flattered.

To his rider, he said, }:You may go see her.:{

A'kades picked up the tray of favorites and carried it to the door of
Lenala's weyr and knocked. "Are you in?" he called.

"Where else I would be?" Lenala called back, sounding both cranky and
exhausted.

"Your office, the Infirmary, a storage closet somewhere screaming
about the unfairness of it all..." he said as he stepped in. He was
trying to cheer her up.

"I brought dinner to my favorite lady."

"The last one sounds like a good idea," Lenala replied. She smiled at
him despite everything.

He set the tray down to the side and leaned in and kissed her. "Eat
first, and then we can go somewhere and you can scream as much as you
want?" he offered.

She hesitated and the sighed, agreeing to his suggestion. "I suppose
they can reach me via Vilarth everywhere if something comes up."
Sometimes the draconic telepathy felt like a curse.

"Is no one giving you time for a break?" he asked. He knew with Rhosyn
gone Lenala was shouldering more work - and her without a second to
back her up now. It didn't seem fair.

"They are trying," Lenala replied. "I envy Cyradis and Saibra, they
make all this look so easy." Of course, they also had very capable
'Seconds.

A'kades was thinking the same thing. "You're all alone right now and
don't have the support they do."

"Can't change the facts and self-pity doesn't help," Lenala was trying
her best to maintain a positive attitude. "And at least Vilarth is
happy. No one here can tell her what to do or not to do."

"Would she be happy if she was in charge forever?" he asked.

"Propably, she's a gold after all," Lenala said.

"And you?" he asked suddenly. Would Lenala want this permanently, or
was she biding time till Rhosyn was back, doing her best to keep
going? A flash crossed his mind - Vilarth rising as senior Queen and
Volaith catching...

"I thought I did, I only saw the glamour of it, the parties, the
admirers and respect. Then I grew up and found out it's lot of work,"
Lenala replied.

"I imagine that's how being Wing or Weyrleader is," he said sympathetically.

"It's pretty much the same, yes," Lenala agreed. "Worst is the
responsiblity. If something goes wrong, it's your fault."

He gave an exaggerated frown with the hopes of cheering her up. "I
have faith in you," he said. "And I'm also here to distract you for
now."

"Yes, plese, distract me." Even she realized herself that it didn't
help the Weyr if she burned herself out.

A'kades leaned in and kissed her again. "We can stay here and I can
keep your mind occupied, or we can go somewhere private and far away
from the Weyr. A mountain glen, a secret cot..."

"Let's get out of here. If I stay here, someone comes up with a one
disaster or another. If they don't find me, they just have to deal
with it themselves."

"I know just the place to take you and Vilarth. Here, let's get our
jackets and head out."

It didn't take long from Lenala to get ready and send a word to
Jayzine. Soon she was mounting Vilarth.
The gold would bee soon too egg heavy to fly.

A'kades was right behind her, mounting up on Volaith. The bronze was
keeping a careful eye on the gold. Any distress he'd felt over losing
the flight had faded away since then and he was now protective of her
again. How much of it was influenced by A'kades' own feelings and how
much was the natural interplay between bronze and gold, he didn't
know.

Once they were in the air, he had Volaith send Vilarth a message with
two pictures to offer Lenala. One was of a glen up in the mountains by
Garnet Valley, a place where they could relax outside. Another was of
a small tavern in the Sapphire Meadows area where they could have a
drink and see some entertainment.

Lenala picked the montain glen, she had enough dealing with people for one
day.

With the choice made, Volaith went /between/ and then spiraled down
for a landing. A'kades had added two blankets and a juice flask to the
bronze's baggage and he started setting them out as the gold landed.

Vilarth's landing lacked it's usual gracefulness and she murmured
something about being thick in the middle.
"Pregnant ladies and their woes," Lenala snickered and dismounted. She
gave Vilarth's headknops a good scratch before removing the straps.

"She's going to lay soon, isn't she?" A'kades asked, looking at the
way the gold was flying.

Once she laid eggs, Lenala would be bound to the Hatching Grounds. He
wasn't sure how that was going to work out with her being the only
active-flying gold right now. Something would have to be done for the
Queen's Wing... But that was the kind of thoughts he wanted to have
later. Right now, he wanted to take Lenala's mind off of any worries.

He patted the blanket and settled down. "I'd be happy to give you a
backrub or any other service you might require."

"Two sevendays or around there," was Lenala's estimate of Vilarth's
remaining pregnancy. She sat next to him. "Backrub sounds wonderful."

A'kades kissed her cheek gently and started massaging her shoulders.
Hopefully between his hands and the pleasant surroundings of the
meadow and the nice day, he could ease some of her burden.

"Just relax and let all the stress float away."

Leaning against his touch, Lenala did just that.

Last updated on the June 10th 2017

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Spirited Away