The Trouble With Baby Flits

Writers: Emma, Len
Date Posted: 28th April 2011

Characters: Hanni, T'bel
Description: T'bel's new fire lizard screams the dinning hall down and Hanni gives some advice
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 9 of Turn 6

Swift opened his mouth and squawked mightily. Hanging his head, T'bel
groaned and mussed that Fanth had never been this loud or this
demanding when she was a dragonet. At this rate, the tiny bronze flit
was going to drive everyone out of the dinning hall with his protests.
"Hey, I'm feeding you as fast as I can!" He could feel his face
growing hot as more and more people turned to see what the commotion
was all about.

"Someones hungry," observed Hanni.

"Someone doesn't want to live to be a full grown flit," T'bel growled.

"It won't last forever, he'll learn to grab at scraps when your Fanth
decides she's hungry too."

"I hope so..." He smiled at her as she sat down. "You couldn't be
kind enough to pore me a glass of wine there could you? I can't get
a hand free long enough to do that."

"That I can do," she said reaching for the near by jug, and finding an
empty glass. "Say when," she said as she began to pour, one eye on the
little bronze.

"Keep going." He eyed the glass. "No, keep going. Yes, go on, keep
going." The glass was threatening to over flow. "Okay, good enough.
Now if you could just lift it to my lips, I'd be ever so grateful."

"Tell him you need food and drink too, or else you'll never get that chance
again." Hanni placed the brim-ful glass down near T'bel. "Just ease off
gently, and think about you getting some food."

T'bel eyed the glass so close yet out of reach and groaned. "She's a
mean girl, she is," he told the little fire lizard. The glass firmly
in his mind, he told the flit, "okay, mama needs a drink. Can you let
me have a sip or two before you shriek down the Weyr?" He looked
doubtful as the little bronze dimglow took a deep breath and
threatened to do just that. "Maybe if you feed him whilst I get that
drink?" he pleaded to Hanni.

"Just a couple of pieces," she said finally giving in.

"Oh, thank the shell," he muttered, grabbing for the glass and downing
half of it in one go. "Don't ask, it's been a long day."

"Want some advice? I could have done with it when my Mizey found me."

"Do I look like a man who'd refuse some?" He gave her an exasperated
look. "Please, go on!"

"You have to show him who's the boss. Don't let him get the upper hand or
else he'll only end up annoying you and everyone around him."

"Too late for that." He rolled his eyes at her and indicated the
group of riders that were pointedly leaving their table for a quieter
one across the hall from them. "Anything else?"

"You probably need to show him that you can stop feeding him, then come back
to him a few minutes later. He'll make a fuss at first, but when you get
into a routine everyone else will thank you for it."

The bronze flit glared at her and squawked mightily. T'bel rolled his
eyes, and said, "well, if he never gets under control we can always
send him off to be the new watchwher, with that voice."

"He's a baby still, but he can learn." Hanni smiled. "It seemed to take
forever with Mizey, and father was not happy when she demanded attention all
the time."

"Really?" Maybe there was hope, after all. T'bel eyed the bronze
doubtfully.

"So give him, and yourself a break. Make him watch while you eat. He needs
to learn table manners too."

"You are trying to get me hurt, aren't you? And here I thought she
loved me..." he told the flit.

Hanni laughed. "You two will be just fine, I promise you."

Last updated on the April 29th 2011

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The Trouble With Baby Flits