Always On the Move

Writers: Jane, Kastaka
Date Posted: 15th December 2008

Characters: K'sen, Lhara
Description: Lhara and Kelasen reintroduce themselves to each other.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 4

The classes for candidates weren't much different, Lhara thought as she dawdled toward the door as a great bunch of candidates tried to all pass through the opening at the same time. There wasn't any reason to rush, from what she could see; the meal service lasted a decent amount of time and nobody would starve if they were late.

Perhaps they were just competitive. Perhaps they were just too stupid to reason things out. She glanced around her and saw a face she recognised. Something beginning with K ...

"Kelasen?" she guessed, realising belatedly that she had spoken aloud.

"Mm?" Kelasen was also hanging back, avoiding the pushing and shoving at the door. He looked across at the girl who'd just spoken his name, still preoccupied with trying to fix in his mind any of the lesson they'd just been given. Coming into a different class's lessons out of order didn't make it any easier. Was she someone he'd met at River Bluff as well? It was so hard to keep track of all these new faces.

"Lhara, from River Bluff," she said, seeing his absent expression and assuming he was having trouble placing her. She edged forward toward the door but the group trying to exit had slowed things to a crawl.

Lhara... Lhara... no, he didn't recognise the name. Not that it would be the first person he'd been introduced to and then immediately forgotten. Argh, he must look like a total social inept. Small talk, small talk... "How are you settling in?" he settled on lamely, a few moments after the pause had become awkward.

"Well ... Barracks!" Lhara laughed. "At home it was my home and I never had to live in barracks. It's a bit of a shock, really."

Ah, that must have been why he hadn't seen much of her. "It must be crowded in your side, what with the gold egg and all," he replied pretty much automatically, his mind wandering. Home. If all went well, he'd scarcely visit the farm again, certainly never to stay overnight. He suddenly felt terribly homesick for his bed - his stupid, old, creaky, leaking-mattress bed, which he was meant to be hoping never to sleep in again.

"We're packed to the ceiling," Lhara said happily. "Do you think if another Weyr had another gold egg after this we'll just move there? Like some trader caravan, always on the move?"

"I'm surprised that candidates don't move around to every Hatching in the world," replied Kelasen. "I mean, dragons can go anywhere, everyone wants the dragonets to have the best possible choice, why not have every candidate attend every Hatching?"

Lhara frowned. "That's a good point. I suppose it might be tradition? For a long time there were only a few Weyrholds with only a few clutches. It was pretty hard to find people to Stand - the Weyr populations weren't anything like they are now - and I don't suppose people cared to share."

"I guess," replied Kelasen doubtfully. "Now we're in a Pass, you'd think people would be less selfish, though. Especially dragonriders." He paused to think for a moment. "It might just be that everyone's too busy to organise that kind of thing," he offered charitably.

"It might be," Lhara agreed, though surely those Weyrwomen had plenty of time for thinking while their queens were on the Hatching Grounds. "It's not our worry, anyway," she decided. "Look! They'd stopped pushing and shoving and are finally moving through the door in an order fashion." She shook her head. "That just doesn't inspire me about their usefulness if they become dragonriders."

"There'll be plenty of time to drill them into shape while their dragons are growing," replied Kelasen gently. Privately, he wondered if the pushing, shoving, go-getting types wouldn't make better dragonriders for certain colours than the cautious pair hanging back from the crush. Certainly the stories attributed plenty of arrogance and only moderate quantities of foresight to the riders of the larger dragons.

"Well they'll need all of that time to turn me into a dragonrider, I suppose," Lhara said. "Now, let's get off to the dining cavern and make a most of the meals here."

"Mmm," agreed Kelasen, courteously letting Lhara first out of the door before following her in a Dining Caverns direction.

Last updated on the December 18th 2008

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Always On the Move