Someone Cares

Writers: Eimi, Heather
Date Posted: 29th July 2018

Characters: T'nep, Chaysea
Description: Chaysea checks on the Weyr's youngest dragonrider
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 20 of Turn 9

Chaysea

As Headwoman, Chaysea frequently checked in on Candidates and
Weyrlings, but there was one in particular that she felt motherly
over, and it was probably because of his age. Chaysea didn't know what
dragons were thinking, Impressing to anyone younger than sixteen, so
as far as she was concerned, T'nep, one of the Weyr's youngest
dragonriders, was still a _baby_.

She knew that it would be Turns before he saw Threadfall and that he
would remain in the Weyrling's Wing until he was of age, but
until then, she was going to look out for him.

~~Curious. Curious.~~ Company's walnut shaped head bobbed on her
shoulder as she walked.

**We're going to see Meith and his rider. You remember Meith?**

The brown firelizard's eyes whirled for a moment, and then he cheeped
with excitement, sending Chaysea multiple images of the brown
dragonet.

"Yes, that's right," she chuckled.

She found T'nep and Meith on the outskirts of the weyrbowl with a pot
of oil nearby.

"Good afternoon, T'nep, and Meith," Chaysea said as she approached.

"Hi," T'nep said, wiping his hands on his trousers as they approached.
He had forgotten a towel, again. "I was just oiling Meith. He's had
a few rough spots lately."

"I keep seeing him in my mind as a baby, but he is quite grown," she
said with an appreciative smile of the brown dragon. Company pushed
off from her padded shoulder and darted around Meith's head in
greeting.

"He was 22 and a half feet yesterday. He's still got another 10 feet
to go at least," T'nep said with some pride. He may be one of the
youngest weyrlings, but Meith would not be runt for sure!

Chaysea let out a low whistle and shook her head, "It doesn't matter
how many dragons I see, the size is still amazing. I can't believe he
still has more room to grow." The Headwoman turned a critical eye to
T'nep, "What about you? You seem to be growing yourself. How are you
on clothes?"

"Ok I guess. My tunics are getting baggy, but I can still wear them."
He had lost a bit of weight around the middle with all the exercise
he'd been getting. His mother had called it his 'baby fat', so he was
rather glad to see it gone.

"What about your pants? Still fitting okay in the length?" she asked.

T'nep couldn't resist rolling his eyes. She sounded exactly like his
mother. He knew it was because she cared, but he wasn't a little boy
anymore! "They're fine. I don't grow as fast as Meith, you know."

"You just haven't hit your big growth spurt yet. Just wait, you'll be
sprouting up like Meith before long." Chaysea watched as he worked.
"Have you heard from your family lately?"

"Yeah, Ma sends letters about once a sevenday. She worries about me,
I guess. And my sister Betaline writes sometimes." She was eight
Turns older than he was, and had always treated him as a second
mother.

"You have dragonrider brothers, don't you?" she asked, thinking she
remembered that from the Candidate information files she kept.

"N'lio and B'phal. We're all brownriders," T'nep said with a bit of
pride. "They aren't here, though."

"Are they close enough to visit?" she asked. Chaysea knew that
sometimes the time differences make visitations difficult, even if you
could be somewhere in a few beats of a dragon's heart.

"They all came to watch me Impress. I think they'll come back when I
graduate. Even though I can't _really_ graduate." It was starting to
sink in with Senior Weyrlinghood right around the corner that many of
his Clutchmates would move up into real fighting wings, while he would be stuck
behind with the rest of the kids.

"It might not be so bad, really. You'll be one of the ones helping the
new Weyrlings as they come up. Then you'll be the experienced rider."
Chaysea wasn't weyrbred or a dragonrider, so she couldn't completely
empathize, but she did imagine that it would be very difficult being
held back for a few Turns, only allowed to do certain things until old
enough to be in the fighting wings.

"I guess. It might be fun to boss some of the big boys around." T'nep
shrugged, though deep down he wondered if any of the weyrlings would
listen much to him. For another Turn or two, he was still going to be
one of the youngest dragonriders.

"Well, if you need anything, supplies or otherwise, you know where to
find me. I'll let you get back to Meith." Chaysea put a hand to his
shoulder in farewell as Company flew back to his perch on her
shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am, I will," he said with a small smile. Even though he felt
he was getting too old to be mothered, it was nice to know that
someone cared.

Last updated on the August 26th 2018

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Someone Cares