What I Want, What You Need

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th August 2025

Characters: Ketlyn, Kemmin
Description: Kemmin makes Threadfall day difficult for Ketlyn.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 8, day 15 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Aydhan, Thiseta

Threadfall lasted until just after noon. Ketlyn spent the first half of the 'Fall shovelling firestone into sacks until she and Varinth were called to relieve the greens and blues in the Queen's Wing. They arrived from /between/ into a light drizzle of rain that mixed with the falling ash to form a sticky mud. It streaked black across dragonhide and stuck to goggles, making it hard to see.

Orange flickering light glinted off silver above as Varinth belched and blew at the remnants of Thread that escaped the upper Wings. Ketlyn lost herself in the rhythm of Threadfall, her heart hammering and mouth dry the entire time. Flame, wipe her goggles, watch the other dragons and the skies above. Throw firestone to Varinth. Go /between/.

She was exhausted and filthy when the 'Fall ended. Aydhan kept the post-Threadfall meeting short and Ketlyn hurried out of the space with her mind torn between going immediately to see her brother and taking a long, luxurious bath.

}:I need bathing too,:{ Varinth groused. }:I am covered in mud, and Imbeth won't let me into the Hatching Caverns to get out of the rain if I am dirty.:{

Ketlyn shivered. The lake was the only place to bathe the dragons but it was grey and frigid this time of year. She set aside her dreams of a bath. **All right. But let me get changed and get my brother. He can help.** And finally be useful.

She trudged up the stairs, realizing that she was starving as she did so. It was after lunch. The moment she touched the door it swung open and Kemmin reached for a hug. Ketlyn flinched. "I am disgusting. Better not."

"You... wow, you really are." Kemmin ushered her in and pulled the riding straps from her shoulders. "Did you fall in the mud on your way here?"

She shook her head and started peeling off her sodden jacket with clumsy fingers. "I'm covered in ash and char from Thread. It mixes with the rain and gets everywhere. I need to wash Varinth. Will you help me?"

Kemmin nearly dropped her riding straps. "This is Thread?!" He looked at the ashy mud on his fingertips with horror.

"It's dead. It won't hurt you. All that it does now is make a mess." She carefully draped her gloves over the small stool by the door to dry. "Can you hang up Varinth's straps and please help me wash Varinth?"

He hung the straps next to her jacket and wiped his hands on his pants with a grimace. "In this rain? It's freezing out there. The rain will wash her clean, won't it?"

Did he think she was a herdbeast? "If you're sleeping in my weyr, you have to help me," Ketlyn snapped. "It'll take way less time for the two of us to clean her off so she can get warm in the Hatching Caverns. And then I'll take you to a bathing pool." Her stomach growled. **Later,** she promised herself.

Kemmin wavered. "Fine," he said eventually. "I suppose I need to learn to wash a dragon if I am going to Impress my own some day."

"You haven't even been Searched," she reminded him. Her hands were shaking with cold as she hung up her jacket next to the dripping straps. They'd need oiling this evening. She should also take a trip back home to let her parents know of Kemmin's decision to stay. They were probably worried sick about him, or more likely furious at them both. She shivered harder.

"Yet. I could use a bath. I'm _dying_ to get out of your weyr. Also I can't believe that you got a book, and _that_ book is the one you chose." He nodded to the chair by the fire. A tattered Harper romance lay on the pillow. "A book about cotholders that hate each other? You could read _anything_ here."

"What would you choose?" Ketlyn asked, stung.

Kemmin shrugged. "Something with more action in it, like the novel at home about the seafarer who gets shipwrecked and has to battle a wild feline on an island."

All the siblings had read it enough times that they'd memorized it. "I'll see if I can find you something," Ketlyn said, feeling a bit guilty that she hadn't set Kemmin up better to wait out the morning. She peeled off her wet leather pants and pulled on a fresh pair of warm wool ones that would be immediately soaked once they got to the lake. At least the wool would stay warm. She handed Varinth's cleaning bucket to Kemmin. "Let's go. Varinth is waiting on the beach."

"Lead the way!" He hummed an annoying little song all the way through the Weyr that made Ketlyn want to scream. Thankfully he stopped once they stepped outside and into the cold rain, and Ketlyn was very satisfied to see that he was shivering just as hard as she was.

Varinth was as eager to be done with her bath as they were to leave the frigid grey lake, and Ketlyn was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the two of them were able to finish washing the grime from her hide. Ketlyn's stomach was beginning to cramp with hunger.

"Baths next? I'm freezing." Kemmin's teeth were chattering. Their cothold was in Dolphin Cove's territory and the weather was much milder than here. He wasn't acclimatized to frost.

The greenrider looked longingly in the direction of the Dining Cavern. **Later,** she promised herself again. "Let's go." They hurried through the weyr to the bathing pool nearest her own weyr so that they didn't have to go far for dry clothes. Ketlyn melted with relief at the first touch of hot water. She scrubbed herself off then scurried to the soaking pool. Kemmin joined her shortly after, his eyes firmly fixed on his toes.

"So. Uh."

She elbowed him under the water. "It's just a bathing pool. Don't stare at anyone and you'll be fine."

"It's... actually really nice," he admitted, but he still didn't look up. "This much hot water, I mean."

"Right? It's actually hot." Back home baths were made after spending the day heating up every pot of water they had on the wood stove. They took turns bathing, and as the eldest Ketlyn and Kemmin were often last. By that point the water would be luke-warm and greasy with soap. She sank up to her earlobes with a happy sigh. "Remind me to give you some of my hair soap. The regular stuff most people use will turn your hair into one giant knot."

"Thanks." He was silent for a moment. "Listen...I know you weren't anticipating me being here."

A small, fragile glow sparked beneath her breastbone. "No. You aren't making this easy for me, Kemmin."

"I know. I just... I couldn't be there any longer. At home. You understand." Kemmin smiled. "I'm just so happy to be here with you. What should we do after this?"

All she wanted to do was shovel food into her mouth and sleep. **Maybe going to visit mother and father can wait another day...** Ketlyn sighed. "I don't know. I could see if I can find a better Harper novel for you?"

"Or you could talk to the Weyrwoman and get her to let me stay?" he asked hopefully.

The little spark she'd felt at his gratitude immediately died. Thiseta was going to be angry that she'd brought someone to the Weyr without a proper transfer. Security was tight these days and guards patrolled the hallways. She sunk a little lower in the water. "She's busy today. It's a Threadfall day." The lie slipped easily from her tongue.

Kemmin looked crestfallen. "Oh. Think she'll see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe. I can ask." She sighed and closed her eyes. A soak, then food, then finding Kemmin something to do while she oiled her straps and jacket before bed. Maybe she'd get them both some beer or wine to make living so closely together a little easier. Tomorrow was soon enough to go home and break the bad news.

"I hope she says yes," Kemmin said. "I can't wait to move her officially."

"Me too." It was another lie. Ketlyn closed her eyes and tried not to feel guilty about it.

Last updated on the August 17th 2025

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What I Want, What You Need