Fish, Dolphins, and Dragons - Oh My

Writers: Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 30th October 2009

Characters: T'kob, K'hetah
Description: The two bronzeriders go fishing.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 15 of Turn 5

K'hetah had to admit that almost anywhere, doing anything, would have been better than humid, rain-soaked Dolphin Cove. Even fishing.

But the place was pleasant; the overcast day was cool and without any of the humidity that was the hallmark of the Southern Continent coastline. And the water they stood in was fresh. A stream nearly at its destination - the great lake he could catch a glimpse of now and then through the trees that were thinning close to the shore.

"So what do you think of the place?" T'kob had never thought K'hetah would actually come out with him.

"It's nice," K'hetah said with a nod and a glance around. Sometime since his posting to Dolphin Cove he had lost his enthusiasm for sunshine and this cool, grey day was very restful. "I don't know about this fishing business, but the location is excellent."

"Embereth likes to chase after the wild wherry's here. He says they don't taste like fish." He liked them so much in fact, that after he'd had his first taste, he'd refused to eat any of the one found near the Weyr since they feasted upon the fish caught in the tidal pools along the beach.

"At least he's encouraged Loeth to hunt with him - that and the fact that the lake is cold and fresh. This is the longest time Loeth's been out of the water in almost as long as I can remember." K'hetah looked down at his legs, encased in oiled leggings that kept his trousers dry as he stood in the stream. "And here _I_ am in the water instead."

T'kob gave a small chuckle, "It's the best way to catch them I swear. Though the irony isn't lost on me."

"And now I've got this line out - do I have to do anything with it?" the other bronzerider asked, looking downstream where the light line disappeared into the water.

"Now that's a matter of opinion." T'kob said, looking at his own line that he had drifting downstream in a similar fashion, though far enough away that they wouldn't chance tangling. "Some people like to just let it sit, let the water move it around for them, others like to pull it in and continually move it around so as to attract the most attention."

"Like some women I know." K'hetah looked at the line again. "I'm thinking I'll let it sit." He was silent for a moment and then asked: "How are the weyrlings - or don't you want to talk about them on your day off?"

T'kob looked over at the other bronzerider and grinned. "I wouldn't have much to talk about today if not them. They're most of my life now, not that I'm complaining. They're a great bunch, very smart and learning quickly."

"That's _exactly_ what a Wingleader who's about to gain some of the graduates wants to hear. Are they really most of your life?" K'hetah had little right to be surprised, though his Wing wasn't his entire life, he did very little else with it.

"Well I've no weyrmate or children with me to care for, so except for Embereth I've no other responsibilities." T'kob replied.

"Me neither," K'hetah admitted happily. "But what if you got a weyrmate and children? Do you think that would affect your performance as Weyrlingmaster?"

T'kob thought a moment and then shrugged. "I don't know. I'd like to think not, but I know my siblings and cousins lives drastically changed once they had families. For the better mostly, so maybe I won't mind."

"Mmm." K'hetah watched the river flow past the end of his line and tried to remember what he was supposed to be doing with it. "I suppose it makes a difference if the children are fostered," he commented after a long pause.

"My family never really did that. Between all of us, there was always somebody available to take the children. I spent many of my restdays and evenings with a whole herd of little cousins and nieces and nephews to watch over." T'kob frowned slightly. "I'm all alone here though. I suppose any children I had would have to be fostered."

"Would it be so bad? They'd grow up in the _right_ family - one where somebody always had time for them. It'd be hard to always come behind a dragon _and_ a class full of weyrlings in your father's life if you weren't fostered."

T'kob nodded. "I suppose that's true. It's just different than what I'm used to. It seems to work for most riders though, so it's probably just fine for the children."

"Yeah. I reckon it is. Most the weyrbred children look pretty happy to me. What did you do before - Oh. You were a dolphineer, weren't you?"

"Not for long really. You know how it was before Thread." T'kob replied offhandedly. "Not too many eggs on the sands then so I had to craft to something. Dolphins were the next best thing to a dragon."

"Are they? Really?" K'hetah had had little to do with the creatures though Loeth did seem rather fond of them.

T'kob gave a shrug. "Well, non human creatures that can talk. Sounds like either a dragon or a dolphin to me. Plus dolphins have senses of humor, they were always having a good time. It seemed like a good alternative for my life."

"My dragon's developed a sense of humour," K'hetah grumbled. "Perhaps that's why he likes them so much. Or perhaps they've helped him develop it."

"At least you're in good company then. Better to be with a humourous dragon all your life, than a grumpy one." T'kob offered.

"For -" Whatever K'hetah might have said was lost in an exclamation as the line he was absently watching suddenly disappeared. In an instant he 'understood' the excitement of fishing. "I've got something," he shouted.

"Gently, gently." T'kob hobbled over, the water impeding his speed. "Bring it in, nice and slow." As he watched the bronzerider bring in a rather large sized silverfin, T'kob grinned. "We might just make a fisher man out of you yet!"

Last updated on the November 3rd 2009

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Fish, Dolphins, and Dragons - Oh My