A Fact of Life

Writers: Jane, Rochelle
Date Posted: 23rd September 2009

Characters: K'hetah, Eleada
Description: Eleada and K'hetah discuss a problem rider's grieving.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 10 of Turn 5

"Ugh..." Eleada groaned as she rested her head on her arms, feeling a heavy weight settling on her as she caught sight of the name on the next report. "Not R'tyvah again..."

"What's he done? Shall we arrange a transfer for him?" K'hetah offered from the other side of the room where he was studying a single piece of paper on an otherwise empty desk.

"I wish." She huffed into the stack of papers beneath her nose, then lifted her face off the desk again to skim the latest account of R'tyvah's escapades. "Looks like he got himself drunk and locked into a storeroom and vomited all over the rugs stored there. Again." She scrubbed her hands over her face. He'd been her problem for nearly two months now, and yet she couldn't quite fault him... "The man's been a drunk ever since his sister died in Fall." She explained with a sigh. "But he's always sober and ready for drills and Falls and the mindhealer cleared him for duty so I can't really do much. We need him flying."

"We don't need a mindhealer," K'hetah grumbled, not being enamored of the specialty in the craft that was once his own, "we need a minder."

"Maybe, but who would mind him?" She said in exasperation. "I don't have the time, and I can't exactly ask someone else to do it. His buddies are already doing what they can, but most of them have weyrmates to consider."

"Somebody young and single and likely to go the same way if he's not careful. One of the ones who drinks a little too much," K'hetah suggested. "Let one do the minding, the other serve as a warning."

"Is it really a warning if he's mostly grieving?" She asked doubtfully, then sighed. She really did sympathize with the man, and he was certainly better than many who'd lost family to Thread, but she was really getting tired of the reports and complaints from the weyrstaff. "Or did you have someone in mind?"

"Nobody particular. Any of the youngsters. And grieving is going to be a fact of life for the next forty-five Turns. He's going to have to learn sometime that it isn't best done at the end of a wineskin or bottle." K'hetah put his piece of paper down and considered the issue. "If you can't think of anybody else put O'rian on the job."

"Not particularly fair to O'rian, is it?" Eleada observed wryly. "But you do have a point... Pairing him with a younger rider or two could be helpful for both of them. R'tyvah was always a pretty conscientious guy."

"Sensible young man - knows only too well how living hard can affect performance during Threadfall, even if the knowledge isn't his own." K'hetah raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Of course, you could cut out the middle man and ask for O'dan's help. He's not doing anything as far as I know."

"I'd want to check for any animosity before I asked for O'dan's help." Eleada warned. "I'm never sure how some of the older riders will react to him. But you're right. O'rian wouldn't be a bad choice."

"Let me know how you get on - and if you need any help if you're going to ask O'dan." K'hetah shrugged. The man had made an error of judgment something every Wingleader or Weyrleader know was alway only a heartbeat away. And since it had happened before the Cyclone Wingleader had arrived at Dolphin Cove Weyr, and had affected people people who were, for the most part, unknown to him. "I don't have a problem with him."

"Neither do I, but I know a lot of the older riders do." Eleada admitted. "He churned up some pretty deep feelings that still come up sometimes."

"And I think young O'rian sometimes gets the ash burns from those flames. Do you keep an eye on him?"

"No more than any of the other younger riders. But I do tend to watch him a little closer when he's with some of the older ones. I have had to remind a few about maintaining good wing relations."

"Good. Let me know if there's a problem. More of a problem. So, are you going to speak with R'tyvah before you saddle him with a minder?"

"Yes. I figure he deserves that much -after all, he hasn't let it affect his wing duties. And just the threat might be enough. Or he may decide that having someone around would be helpful, I don't know."

"Let me know when you find out," K'hetah said. "Just _tell_ me. Don't send me a bit of paper about it."

"You know, I'm half tempted to do a piece of paper now." She said cheekily. "You really need a few more on your desk. It's so empty, you're making yourself look bad."

"I rather thought I was making myself look good," he countered, though appearances weren't why his desk was always bare.

"What you're doing is making it look like your poor wingsecond and third are doing your job. I know it's not true, but even when someone puts a report on your desk it vanishes. Where do you put all that stuff, anyway?" She exclaimed.

"I action it, then send it on or I file it," he said, his tone suggesting that it was that simple.

"I'm not exactly slacking here, and my desk is never clear." She pointed out, shaking her head. "No, _I_ think you've got a flit hidden somewhere trained to take anything you've looked at /between/ so it can't come back to haunt you." She grinned at K'hetah. It had taken a long time for her to relax around him, and not through anything he had done -her older brother had ruined her on bronzeriders in authority turns before. She liked being able to tease him once in a while, although she was careful not to go too far.

"Not a bad plan," he agreed. "But not how I do it." There was a speculative look to his expression. "I don't suppose you've ever put ... a _lot_ of things on my desk? All at once? _Covered_ it?"

Eleada shook her head. "Shards, no. A few pieces and reports at most. I'll admit the temptation's there, but I like my job. Besides..." She gave a little laugh. "Covering it completely would be like covering a work of art."

"Exactly," the Wingleader said, relieved that his Wingthird wasn't responsible for that trick. "Anything else bothering you - other than R'tyvah?"

"Not at the moment. I'll let you know if something comes up." She promised, making a note on the sheet and setting it to the side.

"I'll be here," he promised, thinking to himself that _that_ was more true than he cared it to be.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2009

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Fact of Life