Here's to the Women

Writers: AL, Len
Date Posted: 21st June 2011

Characters: Vandor, Sh'del
Description: Vandor and Sh'del hang out and shoot the breeze
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 24 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Tavia, U'kaiah, Sh'dori, the Weyrlings

Vandor

"Ah, Sh'del." Vandor lifted the two bottles he'd brought when the door
to the weyr opened. "I got the drinks, did you get the food?" He
grinned as he stepped inside and glanced about before turning back to
his friend. "Unless a lady friend has pounced upon you and I should
take my leave?"

"Lady friend?" Sh'del snorted from where he was leaning on Loranth,
rubbing an itch for the tired brown. "What's that? I haven't seen
one of those in...ages at least." He grinned and pointed to the food
sitting on the table. Trouble sat off to one side, already helping
herself to one of the sweets. After dealing with the new weyrlings,
Sh'del didn't have the energy nor the voice to scold her.

Vandor chuckled and motioned toward the curtain that separated the
ledge from the rest of the weyr. "Care to sit where there's a view?
Or we could head off somewhere if you like."

Sh'del nodded at Loranth, who looked as tired as his lifemate felt.
"I think we're stuck here, unless we want to walk. All those baby
dragons are wearing this one out. Me too. Who knew 46 kids could be
so annoying?" A mischievous look crossed his face and he laughed.

"I did." Vandor chuckled and moved past the curtain. He patted the
brown dragon before lowering down to sit, feet hooked over the edge of
the ledge. "Come, have a drink. You deserve it."

"Cheers." Sh'del turned and took the beer from the other man. "How's
the folks at the infirmary?

"They're fine. Well, the healers are. The patients might not agree so
much with that statement." Vandor opened one of the bottles and
passed it along to Sh'del before he opened the other for himself and
took a long swig. "Think you'll survive to the end of training?"

"Oh, I will, not sure about many of the Weyrlings though." He gave
the man a wicked grin.

"They'd better watch out for you." Vandor took another swing and then
went somber. "Unfortunately, you're right, not all them _will_
survive. I honestly don't envy you, Sh'del."

The other man waved him off and took a big drink. "They'll be fine,"
he said with more force than he meant to. But they would be fine.
They would. Shard it.

Vandor let it drop and wished he hadn't said anything. Perhaps the
liquor was already getting to his head. It wasn't easy being one of
the weyrlingmasters - they had one of the hardest jobs in the weyr in
his opinion. "So any great plans over the next month or so?"

"Besides surviving those kids?" He shrugged his shoulders and looked
out to the ocean. "No, nothing great. I think Loranth's too tired to
get involved in chasing any greens, and we're all worried about
Meledei anyhoo...oh, did I tell you that Sh'dori and I are related?
Turns out I've got family in about every corner of Pern, thanks to him
and his father."

"Really? How interesting." Vandor chuckled. There were some
dragonriders who were more prolific than others. "Do you plan on
extending the family tree at all?"

"Me? Are you mad?" Sh'del looked at the man like he had horns
growing out of his head. "No, not likely. 46 weyrlings are bad
enough, thank you very much. How about you?"

Vandor chuckled. Perhaps Sh'del would tip the scales to something more
balanced in that family. "I'm not really in a position to sire child.
I've never really found anyone I felt I could settle down with." Well,
that wasn't quite true, they had just never wanted to commit to
anything long term. So it just hadn't worked. And Tavia...well,
Vandor knew she had a thing for that bronzerider - and he knew that he
didn't _care_ for U'kaiah. He'd heard too many stories and didn't want
Tavia's heart broken. "Maybe some day."

"Here's to the women who'll have us then." Sh'del clincked his beer
against Vandor's and took a deep swallow.

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Here's to the Women