Family Men

Writers: Aaron, Len
Date Posted: 5th April 2019

Characters: Sh'del, S'kand
Description: S'kand tries to make friends with riders his age (or thereabout).
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 18 of Turn 9

Of all the men in the weyr S'kand had come across so far, it was Sh'del who reminded him most of himself. Oh, to be sure, they were different enough, but there was something about being of an age with a fellow who did the same work – or work you used to do, S'kand supposed – that lent itself to a feeling of camaraderie. Perhaps Sh'del might feel the same way, he thought.

And if S'kand ever did return to teaching, it would be good to have a friend on the weyrlingmaster's staff.

"Evening, Sh'del. Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"Sure," Sh'del said, blinking up at the bulk of a man. Even as large as Sh'del was, S'kand was that much bigger. "How's Jagobroth? And your family?" He moved aside his tiny green flit to let the man use the part of the table she had been splayed over. When she squawked a protest at the man sitting down, Sh'del added, "Don't mind her, she'll buddy up to you in a heartbeat."

"Hi, bibi," said S'kand in a soft voice to the green, holding out his hand to offer pets. "Sorry I woke you..."

He turned and gave a quick apologetic smile to Sh'del.

"We're settling in well," he said. "My oldest boy is flying with D'hol. Ristalle, my weyrmate, she's finding her place on the Headwoman's staff. Two more have settled in as Candidates, couldn't be more excited for Panitath to clutch. I hope they haven't given you any trouble so far. Oskalle and Kariskan."

When one of the servers came by, S'kand ordered two more of what Sh'del was drinking.

"And that just leaves the little ones. Though I suppose the nine-Turn-old might be a little unhappy at being called one of the little ones. They're making new friends, too. I trust Loranth is well?" he asked.

Trouble arched her back, showing the new man exactly where she wanted petted if she was to forgive him. Sh'del grinned at his flit's antics and mentioned, "She's as harmless as a newborn babe, she won't bite." No, after turns on the Weyrlingmaster staff, Sh'del had made sure she could be trusted around young dragons and their uncertain--and at times worried and scared--riders.

"Loranth is well, but after my accident he keeps a running commentary on which weyrling is where. It's like having an old auntie in my head all the time." He laughed and shook his head at his brown's behaviour. After receiving the new drink, he said, "Oskalle and Kariskan are doing well, I think highly of them. They should Impress easily. Does Kariskan have his heart on any particular colour?"

S'kand furrowed his brow a bit. It was Oskalle's right to stand, and he could not deny her. But he was uncomfortable with the idea of his daughter in the wings. She could be hurt. She could die. And as her father, he could not always protect her there. A choice she could make, yes, but not one S'kand was bound to like. To hear Sh'del say she had an easy shot at Impression renewed his worry.

"Oh. Kariskan," he said, his thoughts returning to his son. "He has his heart set on blue. I'm glad to hear they're on your good side so far." Then he smiled.

"The Weyrbrats are always good kids, don't you worry about them. And the River Buff kids are beginning to settle in really well now. I think some of the trama of what they went through is beginning to fade, thankfully." Sh'del slid the fingerfood around his glass so that S'kand could reach it as he talked.

"I'm happy to hear it," said S'kand, wincing for a moment also at being reminded of the disaster at their defunct sister weyr. He was glad that there had been a place for them to go. "This is a good place to begin anew. Thanks," he said as he took one bite of the shared snack.

"How long have you been at Dolphin Cove?" S'kand wondered. He did not recognize Sh'del from childhood, of course, so it was not from the very beginning.

Sh'del's brows furrowed. "How long have I been here? Four turns? Maybe four and a half? It all blends in after awhile! But I was originally from Vista Point, Lorenth and Loseth are clutchmates, in fact." Sh'del grinned at the memories of getting in trouble with N'vanik and Rhosyn as weyrlings. "And you?"

"My weyrmate and I were born here," said S'kand. "Grew up here, I Impressed here. Well, not *here*," he amended. "At Thayan Peak. But this is about as close to there as we can get any more. The old hold is abandoned, the old weyrhold collapsed." He sighed. He had not meant to get so nostalgic.

"Well, that's how it goes. Nothing lasts forever. But we're here now," he said. "Back home from Rising Moons. That was home to all of the kiddos. But I'm glad they're making the best of being here."

"I'm sorry," Sh'del said in a soft voice. He was lucky, none of his Weyrs had any disasters befall them. Trouble crooned at S'kand from her spot between the men.

S'kand smiled and gave the green another petting.

"Oh, don't mind me. Getting sentimental in my middle age, I suppose." He gave a grin and a wink to Sh'del. "But thank you. All that was a long time ago now. Seems like a different life, even."

"I'm sure it was, but don't get sentimental, man! You've got a whole new crazy future ahead of you!" Sh'del grinned and chuckled. "Think of how it's going to be once your kids Impress."

S'kand laughed. See? He was right. Sh'del could very well grow to be a best friend.

"I'll be the proudest father in the weyr, I'm sure," he said. And worried out of his mind for his daughter, of course. "Speaking of, you never said whether you've got kids of your own. Any little mini-Sh'dels running around?"

Sh'del laughed so hard he almost chocked. "No...no no no. I've a new group of kids every time there is a hatching, I couldn't possibly look after my own as well! And besides there's Sh'dori and all that side of the family." Trouble squawked. "And her as well."

"There's a lot of honor in looking after kids even when they're not yours directly by blood." S'kand smiled, thinking of one of his "flight kids" he was fairly certain was truly the child of another of the mother's flights, but none of the others wanted a child, and he was not about to let a child go fatherless.

"Sh'dori is your brother, then?" asked S'kand, assuming on the basis of the similarity in name.

"Cousin, actually. We traced each other's family..well, it didn't take long. Our grandfathers were brothers. You'll have to meet him soon, I don't think he's in your wing though." Sh'del casually pushed S'kand's glass away when Trouble began drinking from it. "Sorry, she has no manners." The flit burped her affirmative.

S'kand swallowed his brief spike of annoyance at the firelizard – it was only a firelizard. "No worries. That'll make you sick, you know," he said to the green.

"Well, I've cousins who were like brothers when we were young," said S'kand. "Though I take it you didn't know each other then if you had to trace it back."

"Being thick might be a family trait...we actually_did_know one another." Sh'del gave him an embarrassed grin. "We were both wingmates in N'vanik's wing before he inflicted me onto the kiddies."

S'kand smiled back, amused. "Well, it's always good to find more family," he said. "And especially when you were already friends. Who knows? Maybe in a Turn or two, we'll find out even I'm another long lost cousin."

"Oh, looking at the size of that family already, I'd say we might find out in a sevenday or two!" Really, Sh'dori hadn't been kidding when he said his family was massive. "What about you? Any family here? Besides your kids, of course."

"A sizeable one," said S'kand. "My grandparents and all of their kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. Well, most of them, anyway." Not all of the family had stayed at Dolphin Cove, just as he and Ristalle had not, but the great majority of them had. "We had a hold of our own once, but it wasn't fit to survive Fall, so when they reopened Dolphin Cove, they all came here. I had already gone to help reopen Rising Moons."

"That's great for your kids then, lots of family about." Trouble squeaked her approval. Sh'del grinned and gathered her up into the type of cuddle the tiny green flit loved so. "You're my child, eh? Except unlike Oskalle and Kariskan you don't do what you're told."

S'kand smiled softly and made a note to praise his children for the good report from Sh'del.

"It's a good thing she's adorable, eh?"

Last updated on the April 12th 2019

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Family Men