A Friendly Chat

Writers: Estelle, Paula
Date Posted: 27th February 2019

Characters: L'keri, G'nir
Description: L'keri discovers a simple way to annoy G'nir
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 5 of Turn 9

L'keri

G'nir

L'keri slid down from Rhalith's back and pulled his scarf up around his
face, the chilly air hitting him now that he wasn't close to the warmth
of his dragon. He moved back to give his brown room to leap into the air
and watched as he circled the beast pens.

**Don't be too long. It's freezing out here.**

}:I'm very hungry. I must choose the largest, juiciest herdbeast.:{

L'keri's mouth watered in sympathy. It was a while since Rhalith had
hunted, and they'd had a long watch duty that morning. Resigning himself
to wait, he walked over to join another dragonrider who was also waiting
for his dragon. They were both wrapped up warmly against the cold, and
so he didn't realize who it was until it was too late and he'd already
called out a greeting.

"Hello, L'keri," G'nir replied to the greeting from the brownrider.
Nirreth hovered in the air over the pen, contemplating which beast to
go for. **Don't think too long, I'm getting cold.**

"Oh - Weyrlingmaster, it's you. I mean - good afternoon," L'keri added
hastily. He had been feeling rather guilty ever since the incident in
G'nir's weyr, and it made him more polite than he might have been
otherwise. He wondered if he should mention it.

**No. Bad idea! He's probably forgotten, if you bring it up you'll only
make him suspicious.** L'keri tried to think of something else to talk
about. "How's Nirreth today?"

"He's fine. I think he's eyeing up one of the green's and showing
off," G'nir's tone was always full of fondness when the talk was about
his dragon.

"Ah. I hope Rhalith doesn't get any ideas about doing the same. It's
freezing out here." The brownrider wrapped his arms around himself.
Maybe G'nir wasn't so bad after all, he thought. Anyone would be grumpy
if they'd been kept awake by the noise of a drunken party. "Maybe that
green's getting close to rising. Do you know the rider?" he asked with a
sly grin.

"Not this one, no," G'nir replied curtly.

L'keri swiftly reverted to his original opinion of the Weyrlingmaster.
Probably thought he was too good to chat to a mere wingrider about
greens. Before he could turn to leave, though, he realized something. He
had stumbled on a way to annoy the bronzerider, without the slightest
risk to himself. You couldn't punish someone just for making conversation.

"You should go over and get to know her. Or him," he suggested, leaning
on the fence and turning to look at G'nir with a wicked gleam in his
eye. "It might improve your chances. If the greenrider favors you, it
can mean the difference between triumph and failure."

"I have no need to do that," G'nir replied calmly. "Nirreth catches
often enough and being Weyrlingmaster keeps me too busy to pursue
relationships." Truth was that he was bad at forming long term
relationships with women so he had stopped trying.

L'keri stared at him. "But it's...you know. Fun." No wonder the man was
so uptight, he thought. What kind of a life was that? "I'm sure the
greenriders wouldn't mind that you're the Weyrlingmaster, if you don't
act too intimidating."

"I'm sure they don't mind," a touch of irritation was starting to sneak
into G'nir's voice. He did not want any advice from the brownrider.

"You might not realize it, but some riders can even find talking to the
Weyrlingmaster rather daunting, much less waking up with him after a
flight. Especially the young ones, who are not long out of weyrling
training themselves." L'keri was enjoying himself immensely. "Why not go
and say hello, and put her at her ease? You could compliment her on her
dragon. Everyone likes that."

"I rather not," G'nir replied with long stare he hoped would shut him
up. Too bad you couldn't punish someone for being friendly and chatty.
The brownrider wasn't doing anything wrong or even out of the
ordinary. He was irritating the bronzerider enormously though.

"But you're missing out on one of the greatest pleasures in life:
flirting!" He pretended not to notice the look on the bronzerider's
face. "Of course, some people don't take to it naturally, but with
practice, anyone can improve. And the rewards are delightful."

G'nir, who had been very much a flirt until recent Turns just groaned.

"I know it's scary at first," L'keri said sympathetically. "If it would
help, I could come with you to meet that green's rider. We'll introduce
ourselves and get talking. Then, when you're ready, you make a sign and
I'll pretend that my dragon is calling me and leave you to it. What do
you say?"

"I say, forget it. If I want a company, I can get a company. Right now,
I don't want one," G'nir replied. The whole conversation felt like a
subtle way of torture. G'nir was too well-bred to just rudely tell the
brown rider to bugger off.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize..." L'keri said, contrite. "You're
obviously sensitive about this. I shouldn't have pressed the subject."
He paused, just long enough for the other man to think he might be about
to give up and leave. "Did she already turn you down?"

If looks could kill, the stare G'nir gave him would have dropped the
brown rider down to the ground. **Nirreth, please ask Eillispeth if her
rider could come up with something urgent to pull me away from here.**

}: Why? Don't you like to watch me eat? :{

"Ah, I see. That must sting." L'keri pulled a wry face, as if choosing
to interpret the bronzerider's silence as confirmation that he'd guessed
correctly. "You mustn't let it get to you, my friend. Have a drink,
regain your courage, and when you're ready, try again with someone else.
There are plenty more women in the Weyr."

That was it, G'nir had enough. **You don't need me watching your
eating,** he told Nirreth.

"I think I'm needed elsewhere. Have a nice day, brownrider," G'nir said
and started to walk way with long strides. He was not running, not quite.

"Don't forget what I said, Weyrlingmaster," L'keri called after him,
barely suppressing his laughter. "Be brave! Fortune - and greenriders -
favor the bold."

Then he turned back to the pens and watched Rhalith descending on his
prey with a warm glow of satisfaction. That bronzerider would think
twice about breaking up one of his parties again...

Last updated on the March 3rd 2019

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