What I Said, What I Meant

Writers: Chelle, Yvonne
Date Posted: 9th December 2013

Characters: Harki, P'nal
Description: Harki gets caught complaining
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 12 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: G'nir, Rorela, U'kaiah

"Hey, P'nal." Harki slid onto the bench beside her Wingsecond, dropping her
supper tray onto the table beside his. Drills were over, she'd enjoyed a
long soak in the bathing pools, and the evening was stretching out
invitingly before her. The dining cavern was packed and the spot next to
P'nal was free--and mating flights made short work of any strangeness
between riders. "Who thought up that firestone catching drill we did last,
you or G'nir? Because it's _awful_."

He didn't answer her question. Instead he continued to chew his biscuit
until he swallowed it. "Why is it awful?"

"The approach is awful for slinging firestone. I thought I was going to rip
my shoulder." She sighed mournfully and looked down at her plate. "So it
_was_ you."

"Now I didn't say that." He almost laughed at the look on her face. "Did you
ever think that if it was so painful for you, though, maybe you were doing
it wrong? I have no problems at all." Which was true. P'nal probably had a
bit more upper body strength than she did, though.

"I think you're just picking on the greenriders because we aren't as beefy,"
Harki said primly, breaking a roll in half and dunking it in her soup.

"You ever think it's because if stuff happens, and you have to throw me some
firestone before I die, I want to know you can do it?" He said that very
calmly while eating. "Or maybe it's because I know you can. You sell
yourself short. A lot."

Harki arched an eyebrow. "In all the time since the Pass began, I've never
missed passing firestone to someone in need. But I have _never_ needed to
pass it overhand like that." She picked up her spoon. "You can save your
worrying to something more likely."

"Like what?" He never said whether or not it had been his drill or G'nir's.
It went unsaid if it was the Weyrleader's, P'nal was not going to correct
him. That was not the way to get things done with the bronzerider.

"Thread in high winds. Falling down the stairs. A spinner in your bed." She
arched her eyebrows. "Too much fun on a restday."

"Spinners don't worry me. They can be crushed quite easily." And he'd been
bit before and it hadn't killed him. "Thread in high winds is a fairly
normal occurrence so most of the riders here should be well equipped by now
to battle that." He worked with the new riders but there was only so much
you could do.

"And the stairs....really?" A droll eyebrow was raised as he looked back at
her. "I expected far more creativity in that reply by the way."

She stirred her soup, wishing it was something else. "Sorry. I'm in too much
pain from drills to be witty."

"Maybe you should take a long hot bath then, loosen up your muscles." **A
little pain never hurt anyone.** The wingriders needed to be challenged
every once in awhile. Everything shouldn't always be easy. He did support
G'nir in that.

"Thank you, Healer P'nal. I already did." Harki took a bite of soup, then
sighed, disappointed. "But I may take another to while away my evening. What
are you up to?" The moment she said it, Harki realized that it could be
interpreted as an invitation. Rorela's suggestion that she 'distract' P'nal
and her own denials rang through her ears, and she wished that she could
take it back-- and _not_ prove Rorela right.

"Actually, I was going to take a ride over to the Tanner Hall to have a
discussion or two with a former friend." The brownrider still crafted as a
hobby so it wasn't odd for him to go back to the Hall from time to time.

"Harki, you seem down. And with you complaining like this...something's
bothering you. Are you regretting coming back here or...?" Usually he wasn't
so direct but with this greenrider-it was easier to be that way.

"Um." She felt her ears start to burn. Was she complaining? "No, not really.
I mean, not at all. I like it here. It's just the... food was better at
Rising Moons." And her shoulders hurt. And she didn't want to 'distract'
P'nal. And a million other things-- she missed U'kaiah now that he had two
greenriders to keep him company. She missed her friends at Rising Moons, she
missed the way she felt before she'd left, she missed B'lac, scorch him.

"The food?" He would never tell the Headwoman that. Still, she seemed
preoccupied so he could guess he wasn't getting the whole story. It was none
of his business, though, as long as it didn't interfere with her
performance. "Well, you do know you can hop on your dragon and go somewhere
else to get food sometimes, right?"

"Really?" She opened her eyes wide. "Dragons can do that?!"

"Really," he replied gravely. "I still say something else is bothering you,
but it's your business. However, if you want to talk, my door's open." And
then he opened his mouth instead to finish off a roll.

"_Always_ open? That sounds like an invitation," she purred.

"Yes always open." He kept his tone serious, but she could infer whatever
she wanted. However, P'nal wasn't stupid. If whatever happened, she wouldn't
remain in his Wing any longer and she would have to know that. So it was up
to her.

"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind." The greenrider batted her eyelashes, then
turned her attention to her soup. No matter how bland it was, at least _it_
was easy to fathom.

Last updated on the January 25th 2014

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What I Said, What I Meant