I've Been Thinking

Writers: Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 24th February 2009

Characters: R'haran, Sevilla
Description: R'haran talks to Sevilla about his plans for himself and the children she fosters for him.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 5

"I've been thinking," R'haran said to the foster-mother who had come to
his aid when his five children had appeared in his life without warning,
"And now it's time to do more than think."

"Hurting your head is it?" Sevilla inquired as she cleaned up some
blocks left of the floor.

"It is a little. I'm thinking about moving with the children to a
coastal Weyr. Somewhere they can get back to the sea which they think
is their home."

Sevilla straightened her back and looked over at the man, "Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. And if I can arrange somewhere for me to move to, with the
children, would you want to come along too, with yours?"

She pursed her lips as she looked at him, weighing her options quickly
in her head. "I don't think so. As much as I enjoy your children, and
you, I've got a life here."

"Ahh." He couldn't say that he hadn't expected that because it had
always been a possibility. "I'm sorry to hear that but I understand.
It'll change things, though. I won't move them until we've got a new
foster mother for them - wherever we end up - so it might be a while. Is
that all right with you?"

"Of course." Sevilla said with a nod. "Just don't forget our
agreement, I get the restdays off with my sons."

"I won't forget. I hope to take them with me to visit their new home,
once I figure out where that is, but if I can't have them with me I'll
make other arrangements," he promised, thinking he might need to call in
a few favours among his peers. Many of them were grandparents so they
had some idea of what minding a child for a day entailed.

Sevilla was quiet for a moment, then said, "You know, it might be
nothing, but I might have a suggestion for a new fosterparent for you."

"At one of the coastal Weyrs?" he asked with interest. Despite the many
and varied tasks he had undertaken as a harper he regarded the decision
abut a foster-mother for his children one of the most difficult. He
wasn't too proud to accept any help he could get. "Which one?"

"Dolphin Cove." she replied, "I have a good friend who's a fostermother
like me. She doesn't have the time for all five of yours, but her
oldest son loves children. He's a dragonrider, but Thread injured, and
can't participate in drills or anything. From what she says, he appears
to have quite a lot of free time on his hands."

"A -" For a moment the harper was too busy being surprised to frame a
question. 'A dragonrider?' he wanted to ask - but that was what Sevilla
had said. 'How badly injured?' would be another question. But then he
gathered his thoughts and realised that two injured dragonriders could
probably do a decent job of raising children in a more flexible
arrangement than the full foster care he had with Sevilla. It was well
worth investigating. "And Dolphin Cove doesn't have a Weyrharper right
now, from what I understand."

Sevilla's eyebrows raised, "Oh they don't? Well that's unfortunate for
them. You might be a welcomed addition. Of course, I don't know for
sure that Br'lan would be interested in fostering, but like I said, he
loves children, and was always helping out his mother before he Impressed."

"I'll check with Dolphin Cove as soon as I can - and with your friend's
son. Br'lan? What's his dragon's name?" Riders might end up with the
same contracted names but dragon names seldom (if ever) suffered the
same confusion.

"You know, I don't recall." She admitted. She knew it wasn't polite,
but Marriela hardly ever spoke of the green. "I'll check my letters
tonight if you want, and tell you tomorrow?"

"That would be great. Thanks for this, Sevilla. I know I'm disrupting
your life again, intending to move the children away."

Sevilla gave a wan smile. "I've learned to never get too close to the
children. They were very pleasant to have, but there are always other
children that need care, and I'm sure you'll find someone to care for
them just as well wherever it is you may end up."

And as kind and as much as she had helped him out when he had been
desperate to find a carer for the children, he hoped that in a new place
he would find somebody to care for them who could also love them.

Last updated on the February 28th 2009

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I've Been Thinking