Things Stay the Same

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 15th January 2025

Characters: F'lin, Tsaera
Description: F'lin travels to Dragonsfall Weyr to welcome his grandmother back to active duty
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 7 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, D'hol, Kapera, Timassa, K'sedel, Riveenata

The cold air at Dragonsfall was like a slap in the face as F'lin came from /between/. His eyes immediately found the great golden bulk that was Tabanirth as Seneth's wings tilted toward the elderly dragon.

}:She says we can land,:{ Seneth said, his mindvoice bright with surprise. }:She says that I may join her!:{

F'lin hid a laugh at Seneth's astonishment. Of course his dragon had no memory of whose clutch he'd hatched from, although it wouldn't surprise him if Tabanirth remembered who Seneth was. She'd always had a remarkable memory for a dragon when it came to her offspring.

A sturdy figure stepped out onto the ledge as F'lin slid from Seneth's neck. Tsaera held her arms out wide. "About time you got here. Give me a hug."

F'lin laughed and picked his grandmother up for a moment as he wrapped his arms around her. She might have been in her seventies but she was still solid enough to make his back twinge, and he put her down quickly to kiss her cheek. Hugging her was a bit like hugging a granite obelisk. "How are you?"

"Frozen. Hurry inside." Tsaera nodded at Seneth in greeting before retreating into her new weyr.

F'lin took a moment to bow to Tabanirth before following her inside and closing the door firmly against the cool air. "How are you? How's Saibra treating you?" he asked, hanging his flight jacket on a hook by the door. Already the place looked like Tsaera's. He recognized several of the hangings on the wall and the way that she'd arranged chairs around the fireplace and tables. It made him feel like he was home.

"Well enough, but I am not sure about the snow. Saibra owes me," Tsaera said as she picked up a teapot on the table. "I ordered us tea. I hope you don't mind, but I feel like I can't get enough of warm drinks."

F'lin laughed. "That bad, is it?"

"Tropical Weyrs have made me soft." The goldrider poured a cup and passed it across the table as F'lin joined her. She sat and ran a hand through her iron grey hair as she examined him. "And how are you? How is D'hol treating you?"

"We get along and I've learned a lot from him. It's also been interesting watching Barrier Lake Weyr go from a mine to a fully functioning Weyr. Except for..." He trailed off, not wanting to bring up the loss of Riyanth at the completion ceremony.

Tsaera nodded and picked up her cup. "The disasters seem to never end... I am sick of it. I'm so tired of death and loss... If anything happens to Tabanirth, please don't let me wake up."

"Grandma!" F'lin looked up in shock.

She smiled. "Have someone else do it, then. Your knots will make them. How is leading Ash Wing?"

The bronzerider glanced toward his knots, which suddenly felt like a double-edged sword. At least talking about them would distract Tsaera from her frank talk about death. It had taken Turns, but finally he felt like he'd earned them. There had always been that niggling doubt that his promotions were the result of nepotism instead of hard work. He and Seneth had only been flying together for four Turns before he'd asked for a Wingsecond position in the Weyrleader's Wing, and K'sedel had let him take on the job temporarily. It still astonished him that K'sedel had done that. Opportunities like didn't happen to just any bronzerider with a dream.

"I like Ash Wing. D'hol is stricter than K'sedel, but his riders respect him for it. I like Timassa, too-- she's his Wingthird. And I like his Wing formations. They're precise."

Tsaera raised an eyebrow.

"I mean-- not that K'sedel's weren't. It's just different. K'sedel left his riders with a lot more leeway to respond to emerging situations, but it can make for a messy formation if there's high winds or rain. D'hol's more precise so the Wing stays predictable, but sometimes more gets through to the lower Wings." It was amazing how fast Tsaera could make him feel like a kid fresh off the fishing boat. He smiled and tried to change the topic. "Tell me about living at Dragonsfall Weyr."

Amazingly, she let him. "It's been less than a sevenday! But... it's nice to be back at an old Weyr," the goldrider admitted. "There's something about a Weyr with a sense of history... it feels rooted in a way that some of the newer Weyrs don't yet do. Like Barrier Lake. Forgive me, but it's so obviously a mine. Every time I've visited I feel like I'm about to run into someone carrying a pick axe around the next corner."

The bronzerider laughed at that. "There's rumors that there's secret passages in the Weyr. Or that if you look in the right closet you might find a garnet the size of your fist."

Tsaera snorted. "Stars above. As if someone would miss a rock like that."

"It won't stop the candidates from trying. And hey, we might not have beaches like Dolphin Cove but I bet we can lure away a few candidates from here!"

Tsaera blew on her tea, the steam curling into the air between them. "Do you ever think about moving?"

F'lin paused, then shook his head. "Barrier Lake Weyr's as close to River Bluff's territory as I can get. I don't want to abandon... it." Them. His Weyr, his home. He thought about Riveenata, asking him the same question. "Barrier Lake's where I need to be."

Tsaera arched an eyebrow. "The next time a Weyrwoman opens her flights, you should consider it. River Bluff is gone, F'lin." Her voice was gentle. "Don't tie yourself to a memory."

He looked down at his tea to avoid her inquisitive gaze. "I'll.. think about it." He wouldn't, of course. It was a small lie to placate his grandmother. But... what if...?

"While you do that, get the cards. I might not be able to pry you out of River Bluff but I can beat you at cribbage." Tsaera said. She nodded at the shelf she'd just recently unpacked.

F'lin grinned. "Yes ma'am." Some things never changed.

Last updated on the January 25th 2025

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Things Stay the Same