Me?

Writers: Cali, Jane
Date Posted: 27th March 2009

Characters: R'haran, Br'lan
Description: R'haran searches for a foster parent at Dolphin Cove Weyr.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 5

R'haran stopped by the table where the young man sat. The young man with greenrider knots and an eye patch. There wasn't too much chance that this was anybody but the man he sought, but he asked all the same.

"Would you be Br'lan?"

"I would be," he replied curiously. He didn't recognize the old scarred up rider, but given his colors he wasn't surprised. "And who would _you_ be?" He motioned to the empty seat next to him so that he didn't have to keep looking up at the man.

"R'haran, Evielenth's rider." R'haran sat down. "Dragonsfall's Weyrharper."

Br'lan gave a questioning look as he recognized the name. "R'haran? The hero from the future? What can I do for you?"

"Well, from Dragonsfall, most recently," R'haran said, ignoring the 'hero' tag because Evielenth was living proof that he had been foolish more than heroic. "But I have permission to move here, as Weyrharper, and I will, as soon as I find a foster parent for my five children."

"My mother already has three foster children." Br'lan replied, making the connection since his mother had been a foster parent since before he'd been born. "I don't think she'd be able to take on all five, but maybe she could help you with one or two." Her foster children were all over five so even young ones wouldn't be too much more work for her.

"I want them to stay together. They've been through more than enough, already. What about you, then? You're not flying 'Fall, are you?"

"Me?" Br'lan gave the man a confused look, then a more thoughtful one as he considered what he was saying. "You know, I've never thought about it before. I guess Rowleth and I could use something to do other than just helping out in the occasional weyrling class. I don't know though, five is an awful lot to handle... how old are they?" His injuries were apparent, and he didn't think he would be able to handle five real young ones.

"They're a fairly independent lot - from Sahna at eleven and Iselen who's ten, down to Tellen and Arwey who are six and five respectively, and baby Tibby who's only three and a charmer." R'haran smiled, his own smile charming enough to suggest Tibby came by the trait honestly.

Br'lan opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He was quiet a moment then asked, "Why me? I mean, what made you think that a injured dragonrider was the best choice for a fosterparent?"

"Their foster parent at Dragonsfall mentioned you as a possibility." R'haran looked faintly embarrassed. "I probably _wouldn't_ have thought of it. I wasn't remotely interested in any kind of parenting at your age and would have just assumed everybody felt the same at the same stage of life."

"Sevilla?" he said, surprised. She was the only person at Dragonsfall he could think of though, his mother's old friend. "I never would have thought of it either until you asked me. Not that I don't love children, I spend as much time with my mother's brood as I can, it's just that I don't think I've heard of a dragonrider fosterparent before."

"Well, before Thread none of us had any idea how many injured dragons and dragonriders each Weyr would have, either." Injuries hadn't been completely unknown, but they had been rare and the draconic population so low anyway that there had been little problem in finding suitable occupations for the rider.

Br'lan was silent again for a moment and then replied, "I'll tell you what. Let me meet them, spend some time with them. If I can manage them with my limitations then I'll give it a try."

R'haran nodded because he wanted the children to have an opportunity to decide in favour - or against - his choice of foster parent for them. The elder ones especially were of an age where they had opinions and it was only fair to hear them. "Can Rowleth fly?" There were so many possibilities; injured rider, healthy dragon; both injured; dragon injured ... And his own Evielenth had recovered as the Turns passed enough that she could fly - even carry him - after a fashion.

"Yes, she's fit already, been cleared about a month now by the Dragonhealer. I'm the slowpoke of the two of us, but she understands. Keeping her out of Threadfall is a bit of a headache though." He replied with a grin at the thought of his feisty green lifemate. "She loves children too, and now that I think of it, a bit of consistent help during baths and oiling might be nice."

"Er - don't make them bored with that," the harper greenrider said with apparent seriousness. "Not before they've helped me with Evie."

Br'lan gave a snort and pointed to his eyepatch. "What, you're going to leave an invalid with no depth perception to fend for himself when you've got five helpers? Deal's off then, find yourself another one eyed rider to try and sucker."

The elder greenrider laughed. "Depth perception can be learned for the one-eyed," he assured the other man. "And you might find you're willing to make do with a few less than all five helpers. They can be a bit chaotic when water's involved."

"Point taken." he replied as he chuckled. If the children were anything like the rider, he had a feeling he was going to like them just fine.

"So, I'll bring them here one evening, if that suits? For a visit and to meet you?"

Br'lan nodded his head, "That sounds fine to me, we'll see how things go and then maybe talk some details."

R'haran got to his feet and held out his hand to the other greenrider. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Br'lan, regardless of whether we come to some arrangement over the children or not."

"A pleasure," Br'lan repeated as he shook the older man's hand.

Last updated on the March 27th 2009

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