Impatient Weyrlings

Writers: Devin, Miriah
Date Posted: 21st August 2013

Characters: J'kri, Paetri
Description: Two weyrlings talk about their upcoming first flights.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 23 of Turn 7

J'kri set down his tray. "Can you believe it? We'll be flying soon!"

Paetri looked up from her tray and gave J'kri a bright smile. "I
know...it's passed so quickly. I keep catching myself thinking of
Camilth as a little hatchling just out of her shell." She paused. "Are
you nervous?"

"Nervous? No. I'm only worried that Rademerth might not wait his
turn." J'kri took a bite of stew.

Paetri giggled. "Camilth just wants to know if she's going to have an
audience. Apparently, everyone in the weyr should watch her first
flight. Especially the bronzes." She shook her head and took a drink
of water. "I'm going to have to struggle to make sure she doesn't show
off."

"They sure are a handful." J'kri kept hoping his dragon would mellow out.

Paetri nodded in agreement. "I know. I thought when I impressed, my
dragon would be like me, you know. Quiet. Would you believe that she
actually told me that bathing suit were useless? Apparently, we all
should swim in our hides, just like her."

J'kri shrugged. "If it was warm enough." Swimming wasn't much
different from bathing, and he'd gotten used to doing that with other
people around.

Paetri blinked. "What? You've.." She stared at him. "You've swam here
naked? Completely?" Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but giggle
a little.

"It's hardly ever warm enough outside." He grinned. "But I did once,
in the winter lake. Some of the boys dared me."

She met his smile widely. "You're insane, J'kri. How did you not
manage to get sick?" She shook her finger at him. "You should know
better.."

"It was fun." He took another bite. "I can't wait until we can go
/between/. I'd love to go somewhere warm. A beach by the ocean. With
dolphins."

Paetri gave a wistful sigh. "I've never been to a beach. Or even seen
a dolphin up close." She took a nibble of a roll and rested her chin
on her palm as her face became distant with imagination. "I'd like to
swim in the ocean."

"Then we'll go together as soon as we're allowed." There were so many
things to look forward to.

Her attention went back to him. "Promise? You'll take me to the
beach?" Her eyes lit with pleasure and she sat up, then groaned and
slumped. "And it's going to be at least two months." She bent pressing
her forehead to the table. "I never used to have problems with
impatience."

J'kri laughed. "I've always been impatient, but mostly about learning.
I want to know everything. Rademerth thinks he already _knows_
everything."

Lifting her head, Paetri answered with a smiling shake of her head.
She then eyed him and flicked the end of her braid towards him.
"You're taking this waiting bit better than I thought you might."

"I'm too tired to be very impatient." He smiled. "Besides, I'm
learning every day in classes and drills. And bonding with Rademerth."

"We both are." She could relate to being tired and sometimes
overwhelmed. Some of the classes were so outside of her realm of
experience that they were a lot to take in. "Bonding with
Camilth...it's more like she's dragging me with her as a captive
audience. I swear, she's targeted every bronze and brown in the weyr
at some point."

One of his eyebrows lifted. "She's starting early."

Paetri flushed. "I don't think she really realizes it right now. She
just thinks they make a better audience." She shrugged. "Maybe it's
just instinct. Besides, she's around Rademerth all the time and tends
to think of him as her personal audience."

"He likes her. I'm glad they get along. He can be kind of ... rude
sometimes." J'kri felt guilty talking ill about his dragon, but it was
true. He loved Rademerth more than anything, but he wasn't blind to
the dragon's faults.

"I don't think he means to be." Paetri reached to pat J'kri's hand. "And,
he's not the only one. At least he doesn't embarrass you on a daily basis."

That made him laugh. "I'm a little harder to embarrass than you."

A delicate brow arched and her voice was dry. "I'm very aware of that."

He laughed harder, and then he said in a low voice. "I have so many things
to show you once the restriction is lifted."

Paetri stared at him for a long moment before her face flushed a bright
shade of red and she looked away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Staring down at her food, she hurriedly took a bite of stew and chewed.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You're adorable when you blush."

Paetri glanced up at him and her face colored even more. "That's not fair.
I can't do that to you."

"I'd love to see you find a way to make me blush." There were quite a few
things that made J'kri blush when he'd first come to the weyr, but not much
embarrassed him now.

"I don't think it's possible." She spoke mock primly and made as though she
was smoothing down an non-existent skirt. She gave a playful haughty sniff.

He laughed, but then a little thoughtful frown creased his brow. "I wonder
what it would've been like if we'd met in a Hold."

She paused and then the playful light in her eyes died. "You wouldn't have
noticed me."

"Because you were so shy you'd hide all the time?" he asked. Paetri was
still shy, but Impressing had made her more confident.

She nodded, her lips turning down. "It wasn't just that. My sister was much
prettier and more lively than me. Besides, most people weren't interested
in me, really."

J'kri shrugged. "I'm interested in lots of things, and lots of people. I
might have noticed you anyway."

She waved a hand. "It doesn't matter now, though. You and I are both here
now and I don't want to think about home."

"Okay. The Weyr is where you belong. Where we both belong." Of course it
was hard to argue now that they'd both Impressed.

She finally smiled again and nodded, her shoulders relaxing. "Yes. It's
home now."

Last updated on the September 3rd 2013

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Impatient Weyrlings