Not Unhappy

Writers: AmajoS, Estelle
Date Posted: 24th March 2019

Characters: A'chas, L'keri
Description: A'chas and L'keri enjoy some lunch after a good drill and L'keri gives some good advice.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 10 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Benna

L'keri

"That was good flying, L'keri." A'chas clapped the younger brownrider on
the shoulder as they made their way into the Weyr.

"Thanks! It was a good drill, altogether," L'keri said, surprising
himself. He'd grown unused to getting supportive comments like that one,
but ever since he'd got back to Dragonsfall, he'd been making an effort
to do well in drills. Maybe it was that he didn't want to seem
incompetent to new wingmates and old friends, or it was simply the
effect of being back in the place where he'd been a young rider and
first learned to fly Fall, but it appeared to have had an effect. "Are
you going to get lunch?"

"Yes, I probably should." He didn't have much of an appetite, but he'd
skipped breakfast already and he knew that Noreth would tell tales if
he missed too many meals. Besides, the drill had gone particularly
well and it put him in a better mood than he'd been in a while.

"Come and join me? I'd like the company, to take my mind off being on a
diet that wouldn't feed a sickly trundlebug." He rolled his eyes.

A'chas snorted in amusement but nodded, "Sure." He followed L'keri
into the dining cavern. "I must say, I'm curious what a sickly
trundlebug eats"

"Mostly greens," L'keri said, pulling a face. He was heartily sick of
salads by now. "Never go to the infirmary for a check-up. They'll find
something wrong with you." The older man didn't look as thought he was
in need of a diet, but he was sure that wouldn't stop the Weyrhealer.

"Ah well, could be worse," the older brownrider replied easily. "I
remember once when I was young I had some stomach thing or another and
had to be on a liquid diet for almost a month. Nothing but watered
down juice and broth and vegetables that had been boiled and mashed to
a paste and mixed with water. For almost an entire month. I'd have
killed for some fresh greens and vegetables I could chew by the end of
it."

"Ugh." L'keri grimaced as they joined the queue for food. "You're right.
There are worse diets than the one I'm on. Did you have a big
celebration when you finally got clear of it?" he asked hopefully. That
thought had been keeping him going over the past days.

"Honestly, I wasn't able to eat as much as I had before the diet.
Healer said my capacity had decreased. If you eat less for long
enough, your stomach will actually shrink. You'll get full faster. You
can stretch it back out, of course, but I never did like eating until
I was uncomfortable." He eyed the food on offer and sighed. Nothing
looked good. Finally, he decided to just grab the same salad that
L'keri did. Maybe the lad wouldn't feel so put upon if he saw someone
eating it on purpose.

L'keri looked rather alarmed at the idea of his stomach shrinking. Would
he become accustomed to his diet and end up living on salads for
evermore, as it seemed A'chas was doing? Surely not. Pushing his
concerns aside, he carried his tray over to a free space at one of the
tables and sat down.

"So, how's things with Noreth?" he asked as he tucked into his meal. He
remembered the older brown pair from his first stay at Dragonsfall,
although L'keri had spent most of his time with a younger, wilder crowd
back then. He'd almost thought to find them holding wingsecond rank by
now, and wondered about it, but it was hardly his business. And it was
always easier to ask about a wingmate's dragon than the man himself.

A'chas smiled a bit, the way he always did when thinking about his
dragon, even after almost four decades. "He's very well, thank you. He
runs my life with a firm hand, well, if dragons had hands anyway." And
it was true. Knowing that Noreth would worry or that Noreth would
disapprove or that Noreth would tell tales was half the reason he did
half the things he did lately. "How about your Rhalith?"

"Much the same. Keeping me out of trouble, as far as he can," L'keri
said with a grin. "I think he likes being back at Dragonsfall. It's
funny, I wouldn't have thought he'd remember us being here at all, and
he doesn't recall anything we did back then in particular, but the place
seems to be familiar to him all the same."

"He lived here when he was young," A'chas replied with a shrug. "He
trained here and learned to fight Thread with wingmates here. Even
though much has changed since, it's still his home. Don't you feel the
same?"

A'chas had never left Dragonsfall for any length of time - he ruthlessly
shoved down the thought that he should have. He should have left when
she did, why hadn't he left with her? He felt Noreth's concern like a
soothing balm and said, **I'm alright,** to his dragon. But, if he ever
had left, he thought he'd still consider the Weyr home in a way no where
else could be.

"Coming back here did feel like coming home," L'keri said, unusually
thoughtfully for him. "Perhaps it's because there are so many River
Bluff riders here, as well as wingmates from my Dragonsfall days. I've
met some old friends again, who I'd lost touch with. It makes a
difference." He smiled. "Or maybe Rhalith's just happy because I'm
happier, as dragons are."

"True enough," A'chas agreed.

"And...Noreth is happy, too?" L'keri asked tentatively. He might not be
the most perceptive of riders, but he sensed something in A'chas' mood
that he couldn't quite define.

A'chas thought about the question for a moment. He knew his dragon
worried about him, after all, it was trying to alleviate that worry
that kept him going for the most part. **Are you happy, Noreth?**

}:I am happy when you are happy,:{ the dragon replied immediately.

**Are you unhappy?**

}:I am not unhappy, no.:{

"He's not unhappy," A'chas replied to L'keri with a small sigh.

The younger brownrider wondered what to say. A few sevendays ago, he
would have offered to get his wingmate a drink to cheer him up, but that
was now out of the question, especially at lunchtime. Perhaps A'chas was
just having a bad day. But the drill had gone well. Could he have had a
fight with his weyrmate? He tried to remember if the man had one.

Admittedly, he was the last person who should be offering advice on
relationships, or anything else for that matter. Maybe he should ask
Benna about it.

"Well...you know. Your wingmates are always here for you. And him." He
sounded slightly embarrassed, but it was true enough.

A'chas smiled a genuine smile, the first in a few sevendays at least.
That was true as well. Maybe he shouldn't spend all his free time hold
up in his weyr, or in his corner of the craft area working on
projects. Being around people more might help him through the next few
sevendays feeling less raw and alone than he had last turn. He could
feel Noreth's pleased agreement with this line of thought. "Thanks.
You're a good lad, L'keri."

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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Not Unhappy