Better than a Pot

Writers: Devin, Francesca
Date Posted: 26th March 2019

Characters: Z'ku, Arrilon
Description: Arrilon sketches Z'ku's bronze.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 10 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Pierka
Mentor Approved

Z'ku

"Z'ku!" Arrilon called, seeing the bronzerider at the weyrlake. His
bag held some hides and pencils in the hopes of finding a willing
dragon subject.

"Arrilon, hello." The bronzerider greeted him with a smile. "How are
you?" They'd once been Candidates together.

"Everything is going well," he replied, returning the smile. "And you?
Pierka must be close to giving birth soon." He had seen greenrider
recently looking very pregnant.

Z'ku nodded. "Any day now." He was excited to be a father again. Well,
technically for the first time, but even though Kazom wasn't his child
by blood, Z'ku had guided Pierka through the pregnancy and he'd raised
the child as his own.

"If I had any talent at drawing people, I'd offer to draw a picture to
commemorate this time." He knew some women liked having a visual
reminder of their pregnancy. He remembered one overly pushy pregnant
greenrider earlier in the Turn who, upon seeing his knots, assumed he
would be eager to paint her. It took a lot of convincing that not all
harpers were skilled at portraits. "But speaking of portraits, I'm
wondering if your bronze is available and willing to pose for a
sketch? I'm practicing drawing metal effects and a bronze would be the
perfect subject. It wouldn't take long."

"Oh." Z'ku's eyes unfocused as he checked. Xemroth was rinsing off
after feeding and was in a sated, mellow mood. "He says it's okay.
Where would you like him to pose?"

"Right over here would be perfect," he said, pointing to a spot
nearby. When the bronze arrived, Arrilon gave a small bow in greeting
and then settled himself in a comfortable seated position and took out
some hide and graphite pencil. "Xemroth, can you turn a bit to your
left?" he asked, wanting to make sure the sunlight hit the dragon just
right.

The bronze obliged, watching the human curiously. "Is this for class?"
Z'ku asked.

"Yes," he replied, already sketching. "I'm pretty good a drawing
dragons and firelizards, but metal effects are tricky. It's all about
light and shadow. See?" he pointed at the dragon's left shoulder. "The
sun is creating a bright vertical line there, so I won't draw there at
all. And then I'll fill in a bit to the left and right, but more to
the left because there's more shadow there." He continued filling in
the shoulder and foreleg. "There's someone else in the class who was
planning on going to the kitchens and drawing a big pot, but that
doesn't sound nearly as fun."

Z'ku snorted a laugh. "He's says he's definitely better than a pot."

Arrilon smiled broadly and nodded in agreement, working on the left
wing and then the tail. "You never apprenticed to a craft, did you?"
he asked, thinking back to their Candidate days. He didn't remember
the man ever mentioning a craft.

The bronzerider shook his head. "I was so determined to Impress. I'm
lucky I did."

Arrilon ignored the stab of envy as best he could, concentrating for a
moment on accurately capturing the light and shadows on Xemroth's
tail. "Not that it matters now, but what do you think you would have
done if Xemroth hadn't come along? I can't imagine you being anything
but a dragonrider."

"Neither can I." Z'ku watched Xemroth patiently hold his pose as his
hide gleamed in the sun. "I don't think I would've been able to slink
back home if I'd aged out. Running a tiny cothold at the edge of my
father's territory was never appealing to me." So much so that Z'ku
would rather risk his life fighting Thread. "I suppose I would've
taken up a Craft, though I don't know which one."

"Every time I visit, my parents ask me to come back to Amber Hills
Hold. It would be strange to go back though." Finished drawing the
tail, he moved to the bronze's head. "Almost done," he told dragon and
rider.

"Is the Weyr your home now?"

"I guess so," he replied, but the phrase almost came out as a
question. "It's definitely more of a home than Dragonsfall Weyr." His
pencil stopped its movement as he thought for a moment. "I have been
thinking of requesting a transfer to the Harper Hall once I walk the
tables though," he admitted. It felt strange to say the thought out
loud. "I think it would be interesting to be surrounded by other
harpers. There are a lot of them here, but of course it's different
than it would be at the Hall." And there, he wouldn't be reminded
daily of his failure as a Candidate.

Z'ku considered how he would feel if he'd never Impressed. Would he
still want to live surrounded by dragons? "You would be able to get a
broader education there."

"Exactly," Arrilon replied, glad Z'ku didn't push him for more
details. Getting back to the drawing, he put the finishing touches on
Xemroth's head and added some final shading. "Now, this isn't a
masterpiece," he warned dragon and rider as he held up the hide for
them to see, "but Xemroth, I think you look pretty good."

The dragon came over and leaned down to peer at the drawing, his huge
multifaceted eye slowly whirling. }:This is acceptable.:{

Z'ku chuckled. "He says it's acceptable. It's certainly better than
anything I could do." He had neat penmanship but he'd never been more
than passable at drawing.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Arrilon said with a smile. He tucked
the drawing and his supplies back into his bag. "Thanks again. And,
good luck with everything."

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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Better than a Pot