Better for All of Us

Writers: Jane
Date Posted: 5th June 2007

Characters: R'haran, Sahna, Iselen, Tellen, Arwey, Tibby
Description: The children visit R'haran in his new office
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 15 of Turn 4

"I went and got Tibby," Sahna explained, her comment making the new
Weyrharper look up from the hides and papers he had spread over the huge
work table.

"Well, hello. You did tell Sevilla, didn't you?" He grinned as Sahna
rolled her eyes. "All right." He reached out and took Tibby from her
and settled him on his own inadequate hip. "Have you all finished your
lessons?"

The all nodded, and Tellen asked: "Is that why you got this job? So you
could make sure we do our lessons?"

It was as good a reason as any, the greenrider thought. "Oh yes.
Somebody told me you were all working so hard that somebody had to take
charge and make sure you didn't do too much."

"Not me," Arwey said complacently. "I don't ever do too much."

"I'd heard that, too," R'haran said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled
down at the youngest of his nieces.

"You didn't really, did you?" Tellen insisted.

"No, not really. It seemed a better job for an old ex-harper with a
crippled green dragon than trying to keep up with the weyrlings."

He could see from Sahna's expression that she didn't believe a word he
was saying.

"Evie's not really crippled," Iselen protested on behalf of the green
dragon, reminding R'haran again that the children regarded the dragon as
much part of the family as weyrbred children would. And it hadn't been
any of his doing. They had given their trust and affection to Evielenth
long before they'd began to extend it to him. "And now you won't see
her during the day."

"Well, I won't be with her as much, but we're always together on the
inside. And one of the best things about living at a Weyr is that
everybody understands how important dragons are. If I needed to be with
her, then I would go."

"Does she mind you having a new job?" Iselen insisted.

"No. In fact, she quite likes the idea."

"What do you have to do?" Arwey asked, having left the group of children
and wandered around the room. "There are lots of papers and hides
here," she said, her tone making it plain that she didn't like either.
"Do you just have to do reading and writing?"

"I have to organise and help, mostly. Yes, reading and writing, but
making sure the likes of you learn it. Supervise the music for the
Weyr. Provide mediation –"

"Is that better than reading and writing?"

"It can be," he admitted, suspecting she had no idea what mediation was.
"It's what I do when I get you and Tellen to stop fighting."

"Hold us apart?"

R'haran chuckled, wondering why he hadn't taken more interest in
children before in his life. "Yes, sometimes like that, but sometimes I
hold people apart with words."

"Talking." Arwey nodded, satisfied with what she had picked out of his
comments. "I can do that, too."

"And marry people."

"Yes. Did the harper at your Hold witness marriages?" he asked Tellen,
sure that it wasn't a part of the harper's role he had seen since coming
to the Weyr. "I can do that, too, but not many people get married here."

"Weyrmates," Sahna said. "We know. _I_ think you took this job so you
would have more time for us."

The harper greenrider smiled at the ten Turn old. "And you might be right."

"You didn't have to," she insisted. "We're all right with Sevilla."

"I'm sure you are, but this is going to be better." Weyrlings were a
remarkably unpredictable bunch and all too often he'd had to call off
evenings with the children at the last moment. Hopefully being the
Weyrharper would lead to a little more predictability in his life and a
little more time for the children. "For me, too."

It wasn't as if he had had to be grounded from a fighting wing to take
the job; the injuries Evielenth had suffered during their jump forward
in time had achieved that before Thread had returned. He had always
done what he could to be of use with the Weyrlingstaff but the reality
was his dragon couldn't fly well – they were always going to be
ground-bound teachers. Why not in the Weyrharper role?

Of course, getting an understanding of the scale of the job was taking a
lot of effort, but here he was, with the children in his office in the
late afternoon and when they got bored he would take them off for a meal.

Yes," he added, almost to himself. "Much better for all of us."

Last updated on the June 10th 2007

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Better for All of Us