This Is A Wherry

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 3rd September 2009

Characters: J'ren, Zharesti
Description: J'ren stops to speak to Zharesti and discovers her 'drawings'.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 22 of Turn 5

The day-after-Threadfall, when Threadfall fell on a restday, was a
restday. Usually. On this particular day it was, and Zharesti was resting.

What she was actually doing in the pleasantly overcast afternoon was
sitting outside her new weyr, trying not to regret that it didn't boast
a weyrledge so that she could properly dangle her feet over the edge of
something. And sketching.

Not real pictures, just little line drawings, a few lines making a
surprisingly recognisable picture of the people she came across, and the
situations she encountered.

Little panels showing the insect-like advance of people from her old
office to her new one, each burdened with towering piles of hides and
papers. Her new office, looking remarkably like the sketch of her old
office in the first panel, a disorganised mess of papers and hides and
her standing in the middle of it surveying her new domain.

She studied the drawing one last time, added a line or two to increase
the likeness between the old office and the new, and then scrawled her
initials and the date in the corner of the last panel.

As she turned the page she looked up and found one of the Weyr's
bronzerider's passing. "Good afternoon J'ren," she said, her hand
already busy sketching the Torrent Wing Wingsecond. Tall, slim, light
haired ... the few lines she made exaggerated the way he had his hair,
and his facial features. It was recognisably J'ren, but not a faithful
picture.

J'ren paused. He had nothing pressing and the attention of the newest
Weyrwoman was not something to ignore. He smiled warmly to her and
closed the gap between them. He dared to come around and eye the sketch
she was making. He tilted his head upward and rubbed his chin. "Very
nice. You make me look too good."

"It could have been worse" she said with a laugh and moved her hand
across to the other side of the page to sketch the same figure but with
his chest puffed out and a stance that was pure posing. "I could have
made you look like a bronzerider."

"Is that what a bronzerider looks like." J'ren leaned forward, his eyes
narrowed to slits. "Looks like a puffed up wherry to me. Are you sure
you were looking at the right thing?"

"Oh, no. This is a wherry." She swiftly sketched the avian, making it
look more attractive - and comically cute - than it was usually
perceived to be. "See the difference?" She drew an arrow pointing at the
little bronzerider's puffed chest and scrawled 'A bronzerider leads with
his chest' beside it. "But, luckily, this is you over here. Normal,
modest to a fault, Wingsecond bronzerider J'ren."

"I am faulty?" J'ren chuckled at the description. He could be as
prideful as the rest of them. "Well, at least one person looks at me in
a good light. I thank you for your kindness and perhaps near sightedness
as well."

"Near sightedness isn't a problem that's plagued me to date and needing
reading lenses is a more likely fate for a Weyrwoman, don't you think?"

"I think the Weyrwoman may wish to look into getting a pair." J'ren
chuckled and motioned to the drawing. "Sincerely, these are quite good.
I never had such a talent for things."

"I've never had a talent for anything else," she admitted with a smile.
"Am I keeping you from your meal, J'ren?"

"Yes, but it's a pleasant distraction. I don't mind admiring your work."
He crossed his arms as he critically examined the sketches once more.
"Though I wouldn't mind some company if you care to join me."

"Ahh, thank you, but no. It's a little early for me, today. I'll
probably stay out here while the light is good enough to draw by and
then go and ask nicely for a late meal."

"I could bring you something back if you like." J'ren suggested as he
looked past the canvas. "Save you the trip."

"If you want to, J'ren," she said with a smile. "But not just to flatter
an old goldrider."

"Not really. I'd offer the same thing to a greenrider." It was true, he
wasn't merely catering to her since she was a goldrider. "I'll stop by
on my way back."

"That would be very kind, then," Zharesti said. "Enjoy your meal."

Last updated on the September 21st 2009

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This Is A Wherry