Bonding Time

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 8th December 2017

Characters: Riveenata, K'lvin, Kehyan
Description: Riveenata is sent on an errand by Kehyan to spend time with K'lvin
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 9

Most of her mindhealing sessions so far had been with Olwinna, so it
was a surprise to Riveenata when Kehyan asked her to stay and chat
with him before the left the Infirmary.

"Yes, Master?" she asked him.

"It's about K'lvin," Kehyan said. "I know you were both at River Bluff
together, though you never served in his wing, did you?"

"No, I didn't." She'd hoped to but she'd wound up in Rhosyn's wing, a
source of disappointment to her at first.

"The adjustment from Wingleader to retirement, combined with his
losses, can't have been easy for him. I think he's somewhat of a loss
at what to do with himself. But I'm given to understand dragonriders
don't much enjoy being idle and feeling useless," he said leadingly,
knowing that the grounded greenrider was probably feeling that way
herself.

"I was thinking you could spend some time with him. He might
appreciate company he knows from before, as opposed to strangers like
me. It might lift his mood, and yours as well. And you certainly have
the time right now," he concluded.

Riveenata was smart enough to understand that while the Master was
phrasing it in the way of him asking her a favor, it was probably a
test. Maybe it was a carefully couched order she couldn't refuse, or
maybe it was just a request, but whether she did it or refused to do
it would impact her own treatment. So she did the only thing she
could, which was smile, nod, and promise him that she would in fact
check in with him.

So that afternoon, she picked up cards and a chess board and then had
Savith bespeak Xmrenth. }:Is your rider free?:{ the green asked.
}:Mine would like to stop by.:{

K'lvin was sitting out on his ledge, barefeet dangling as he whittled
on a piece of wood and surveyed the dragons going to and fro in the
Weyrbowl. Unable to keep himself from doing it, he continually glanced
in the direction of the practice fields, sizing up the formations that
he was seeing. **Weak left flank, the Wingleader should switch out
those smaller greens and place them further into the middle.** He
couldn't help but make the assessments, that was what he'd been best
at as a Wingleader.

}:Savith's rider would like to drop in on you. I believe she brings
those human wood games.:{ Xmrenth informed him.

The bronzerider made a little face. He didn't really want a visitor,
his was content to sit by himself with just his thoughts for company.

}:And therein lies the problem.:{ Xmrenth countered, and then said
firmly, }:She comes.:{

Sighing, K'lvin pushed up from the ledge and padded barefoot inside
where he stamped on his boots. He knew plenty of riders went barefoot
around the Weyr with all its sand, but he just couldn't bring himself
to be one of those who did in front of others.

"Riveenata," he tried to make his voice sound as welcoming as
possible, but it sounded pretty forced to his own ears.

K'lvin didn't sound very excited to see her, but that was okay - she
was pretty nervous about just dropping in on him, too. So she gave the
best smile she could and held out the boxes in her hands.

"I hope you and Xmrenth are well. Sorry to be a surprise, but it's a
quiet afternoon out and I thought we could both use something to do?"

The former Wingleader stared at her for a long moment, as if he were
calculating something in his head and then his expression cleared,
"Ah, Kehyan asked you to come." He gestured for the young greenrider
to sit at his table. "Come on then, might as well amuse the Mind
Healer."

}:Manners, rider.:{ Xmrenth reminded him.

"Oh, uh, and my duty to you and your Savith, I hope all is well." he added.

She burst out a laugh as he figured it out. "I was 'encouraged' to
keep you company and I'm pretty sure it was actually an order," she
confessed.

"Savith and I have been so incredibly bored after 6 straight nights of
watch shifts. And if I'm bored, I imagine you must be more bored," she
added, sitting down.

She had no idea, K'lvin thought as he glanced toward his "whittle
pile" which was filled with pieces of wood he'd been working on. "So
tell me, I don't get as much gossip. What's got you grounded for so
long?" He sat and began setting up the chess pieces on his side of the
board.

"I wasn't paying attention in 'fall, screwed up firestone catch, and a
weyrling got badly hurt. My wingsecond chewed me out, grounded me
except for watch duty, and tossed me to the mindhealers. Now I have
way too much time to think."

K'lvin nodded slowly, moving his first piece on the board since he'd
ended up with the white set. "Did they blame it on what happened at
River Bluff?"

"They said I didn't put enough time into dealing with my grief, and I
was too distracted by that to pay attention." She shrugged. "I figured
I didn't need to go. Other people were worse off."

The bronzerider couldn't blame Kapera's decision for grounding
Riveenata, he felt that he would have done the same thing if he'd been
her Wingleader. Which reminded him... "I wanted you for my Wing at
River Bluff, you know, but Rhosyn wanted you more and well... The
Weyrwoman got what she wanted."

"I imagine you'd have been easier to work with," she said as she moved
her pawn. "The goldriders here aren't so intimidating."

"I haven't been around Kapera, but Cyradis seems reasonable to work
with and then we both knew Lanniya already." K'lvin fingered his next
piece for a moment before moving it in an L-shaped pattern. "Well,
were they right? Was it your thoughts about River Bluff that's been
keeping you from performing like you should?"

"Kapera isn't so bad when she isn't chewing you out. She's got an
interesting past," she mentioned.

She pushed another piece forward. "I guess it was partly loss and
partly just beating myself up for being upset when it wasn't that bad
for me. I mean...you know. I didn't lose family. I just lost home.
Wasn't as bad."

Yes, he'd lost everything. **Not everything, you have your
daughters.** He had to forcibly remind himself. **Those daughters that
you've been avoiding and leaving with their foster mother,** his
conscience nagged. K'lvin shoved the voice aside, "Yeah, well, it
wasn't easy on anyone, there's not point in trying to compare. Grief
is grief."

"Apparently I needed to learn to take mine seriously and not pretend
it didn't exist because I thought others needed the mindhealers more.
Who knew," she muttered.

"So like I said, a lot of watch duty. I'm not even allowed to go
Searching and you'd think with a gold egg out they'd want it."

"Yeah, well, at least you're not retired. Nobody cares what I do at
all. I did manage to go on Search with L'pin, brought back a few
possibles. I'm not cleared to do much of anything else." Besides sit
around and dry up, he thought.

"Bronzes Search?" she asked inquisitively. She thought she remembered
only greens and blues being tested.

"They can, particularly for gold candidates," K'lvin lifted his
shoulders. "I suppose they know what kind of rider would be best for
their possible, future mate."

"Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know," she said. Thinking about how
he sounded frustrated, she contemplated for a moment.

Then she asked "If nobody's telling you what to do, why not come up
with some duties you can take care of, based off of what the
Healers've cleared you for? Then consult with the Weyrleaders about
taking them over?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Riveenata, I don't know what duties
I can do that aren't already covered by active Wings, Weyrlings or
Candidates. I mean, I could transport, but active riders and senior
Weyrlings already do that. I could ride sweep, but active riders
already do that. I could do watch dragon duties, but Wingleaders like
to reserve that for punishment of active riders." K'lvin lifted his
shoulders, he didn't add that being a former Wingleader reduced to
watch duty felt insulting and maybe he felt a little sulky still, not
yet ready to let go of his bitterness.

She thought about that for a moment. He was right that those duties
were often performed by active riders. But having retired ones do them
would free up some tasks for the ones who weren't active, it would
just need to be coordinated.

"Sure, those are the same duties that riders who also fly Fall do. But
they're the kind that need to be done by someone. And getting retired
riders who can do those tasks to do them would both help them serve
the Weyr and relieve any pressure on wings that might be stretched,
right?" she asked. "If nobody is coordinating that, maybe someone
should."

"Yeah, maybe someone should," K'lvin murmured, moving his final piece
into place.

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

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Bonding Time