All That Remains

Writers: Chelle, Paula
Date Posted: 21st March 2015

Characters: G'nir, Nokala
Description: The two of them begin the work of cleaning out the Wingsecond's office for the next occupant.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: P'nal, Roldar, Harki, Rorela
Notes: Follows Sometimes They Don't Come Back

G'nir

Going through P'nal's office was G'nir's unfortunate duty, since he had been
his Wingsecond. He couldn't leave all those Wing records for some ignorant
lower caverns worker to sort through. He needed additional help though, to
take away items to the stores. The door to the wingsecond's office opened
with a creak and G'nir frowned. The hinges should be oiled. He looked around
him and felt it hit. P'nal was gone. He had been a good, reliable wingsecond
and something of a friend too. G'nir didn't make friends easily.

Walking in behind him, Nokala didn't move forward until he did. The harper
hadn't been the obvious choice for help but she had records training and she
was comfortable around G'nir. Besides, she was one of the few in the Weyr
who was new enough not to know the brownrider so it didn't effect her to be
here like it did others. Her dark eyes traced over the office when they came
inside and she could feel G'nir stiffen. He was a dragonman, though, and she
knew this had happened before. He'd be fine eventually. Cataloguing mentally
how many things were here and which of them needed to be taken to another
part of the Weyr and which needed to be put in storage, she wondered for a
brief moment. "I wonder if he has any family anywhere to take his personal
things to."

"I believe he has a brother in River Bluff Weyr," G'nir replied. "I'm not
sure if his parents are still alive, but if they are, they should be in
Smithcraft Hall," he continued and started to move with a brisk pace. "Let's
start from his desk."

Nokala did what she always did. She nodded and then began to open the
drawers. Pulling everything out of them and setting them on top of the desk,
she set the hides on one side and then everything else on the other. Her
hand closed on a thick belt and she didn't take a second look at it until
she set it on the desk. "Ummm G'nir...did you let him bother this or
something?" Holding it up for his inspection, she offered the item.

"Whuh?" G'nir grunt wasn't the most intelligent answer. He picked up the
belt and looked it over. He shook his head. "I suppose he was making
Turnover gifts..." his voice was tinted with sadness. "Maybe someone can
finish it off," he didn't miss his name in the belt. It was about half way
done.

Leaving that to him, she almost wished she hadn't found it. Then again,
maybe it would give him something to remember him by and help with closure.
It was hard to see it, though, because something that took that much time
showed that the men really had been good friends. She went about going
through the things in the desk, humming absentmindedly as she worked. Most
of it just needed to go into the Weyr's Records. Charts, Wing records,
Rosters, that sort of thing took up most of the stuff. There was a small box
she put the personal items in.

Going to the shelf, she left the few books and pulled down the carisak.
Opening it, she discovered tools. **These look expensive** Setting it on the
floor for G'nir to decide-perhaps the Weyrtanner-she saw a small envelope on
the shelf where the carisak had sat. Pulling it, she saw a name on the front
and wondered if it were his brother. "Do you know this person?"

"Let me see," G'nir asked. He had been sorting through unfinished work. Some
he would do himself, others he would deliver to Rorela. Poor wingthird was
going to have extra work.

Handing him the envelope, she tried to think. She had heard that name
before. Nokala couldn't match it with a face, though. From the looks of the
envelope, the letter had been handled quite a few times-perhaps rewritten
and reread. The brownrider had never delivered it though.

"In case of death -letter?" G'nir guessed. Many dragonriders had those.
Faranth knew he had done his share of delivering those to next-of-kin as
Wingleader and Weyrleader. He had his own letters tucked in at the bottom
drawer of his desk. Those and his Last Will, not that he had much of
personal property. He had only taken few items and change of clothes when he
left home. Over twenty Turns ago.

"Perhaps. I don't want to read it of course to find out. Harki is the name
written on it. Somehow...I remember that name." Trying to place it, she
leaned against the desk. This is where a man had toiled- a man who had given
his life to the people of Pern. **Who besides G'nir and perhaps his family
would mourn him? Would his wingriders think fondly of him? What did he have
to say so much that he wrote it all down but had never sent it?** The man
hadn't had that much as was the way of most riders so they were half done.
She wondered who would have the chore of taking some of it to the smith
hall.

"Harki? She's one of our wingriders. P'nal had feelings for her," G'nir
answered and placed the letter to the pile that was going into his office.

That was curious indeed. A Wingsecond being romantically involved with one
of his wingriders. Nokala understood that usually the Weyrleader made sure
weyrmates weren't in the same wing. In this case, G'nir had known. Unless
they hadn't been weyrmates. So the girl hadn't returned the man's
affections. Seeing the creases on the envelope again, she felt a momentary
sympathy pain for the man she had never known. Then she started to finish
the job.

Last updated on the March 30th 2015

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All That Remains