Rumors and Flights
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 25th January 2019
Characters: K'ran, K'lvin
Description: K'ran and K'lvin catch up with each others' lives.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 9 of Turn 9
K'lvin looked at K'ran over the rim of his klah cup. He'd known the
other bronzerider for a good while and they'd been through the demise of
River Bluff together, something that had bonded them for life probably.
K'lvin didn't think he'd ever seen K'ran look angry before but there was
no questioning the set of the Wingleader's brows or the look in his eyes.
"So, I heard there was a squabble in the Wing?" he asked.
The Wingleader lifted one hand from his mug and pressed it to his
forehead, knowing that was probably enough of an answer for K'lvin even
before he _said_ anything. "There most certainly was. Is it all around
the Weyr now?"
K'lvin made a face, "Yeah, I even heard the dragonhealers talking about
it." Drama was always sure to spread quickly around the Weyr, especially
Wing drama. "What actually happened? I've heard all kinds of outlandish
stories."
"There was an incident where a firestone sack throw didn't make it
across the gap and hit a third rider. After the drill, the rider who had
been hit went to confront the thrower. Then a number of wingmates got
drawn into the argument, and it escalated to shoving. There weren't any
broken limbs, though, if you'd heard that. Or dragons fighting."
"Oh yeah by the time the story got to the dragon infirmary a green had
taken a bite out of brown and a bluerider was missing teeth." K'lvin
tried not to find humor in the situation because it was clear that the
situation had not been a pleasant one for his friend... but it was a
little humorous.
"Oh no, it wasn't nearly that bad. Though if Jeyme hadn't stepped in to
start de-escalating them, the teeth one might have happened."
"Speaking of, how is she working out as a Wingthird?" K'lvin asked, eyes
flicking skyward as some dragons appeared. What he enjoyed most about
taking drinks out on his weyrledge was the view.
"Very well, and I'm glad I accepted her application for the position.
She's got a familiarity with Dolphin Cove's recent history, she's
diligent, and a good sense of interpersonal dynamics."
"That's helpful, I think a good Wingthird is hard to come by." K'lvin
had never had much success with them when he had been a Wingleader.
"It's an interesting set of choices to make, I think. Pick a solid green
or bluerider so they can achieve their maximum? Or pick a younger bronze
and brownrider to start testing them for potential before you entrust
them with Wingsecondship? I know people who choose different ways."
"Exactly," K'lvin agreed. He'd found it difficult giving the position to
bronze or brown riders because he knew they would transfer out for a
promotion after a couple of Turns. "Well aside from the Wing business,
how have you been?"
"Well enough. I've been making some time to go to Emerald Falls and see
Jayzine, make sure she's doing all right there. The transition from a
Weyr to a Hold, for a woman... it worries me," he admitted.
K'lvin shook his head, he couldn't imagine leaving the Weyr for the
Hold. "That's a shame, she was a great Headwoman for the Weyr. How is
she doing at Emerald Falls?"
"She hasn't complained to me. I suppose that means there isn't a
problem. I hope if there is, that she'd trust me enough to tell me about
it. If there was one, I'd want to resolve it."
K'lvin didn't think Jayzine would be one to complain regardless of how
she really felt. "It's good to have A'kades back. I haven't had a chance
to catch up with him and see how he's doing since Lenala's passing."
"I know he took it very hard. But with his son Impressing, I hope that
brought some joy."
That made K'ran wonder how K'lvin was holding up given his own losses.
"How are your girls?" He asked.
"They're doing okay, Kylena really likes her foster mother here and
Kaliha is growing like a weed. She called me Papa the other day," K'lvin
smiled at the memory. There were times when it still hurt to be around
Kaliha, to remember Bahji, but she was still a ray of sunlight in
K'lvin's life.
"Is Kylena enjoying making friends? I imagine moving aorund has been
good for broadening her horizons." Though K'ran is biased because he's
always genuinely enjoyed transferring and seeing new places.
"She's made friends, she's good at that, social like her mother." K'lvin
said.
"Good to hear," K'ran said, with a nod. "What else has been new in your
life?"
"Well I was cleared medically to do most things again, except fly thread
of course. Xmrenth has determined to be the death of me by flying
every female that rises."
K'ran chuckled, probably as intended. "How's his winning ratio?
Rogueth's isn't very high, an infinite disappointment for him."
K'lvin shook his head, "He's already won a couple of green flights,
Irrkali's Jeath, and then Riveenata's Savith." He tried not to compare
the two flights but the differences between them did stand out.
Jeath's flight had been good, physical intimacy with Irrkali had
always been good, but it had lacked the magnetic pull he'd felt in the
afterflight glow with Riveenata.
"Two in a few months isn't a bad ratio when he was stopped for a bit."
It was better than Rogueth's but K'ran was fine to that. "You didn't
have prior, uh, attachments to either?"
"Only two wins, but lots of chasing. I've gotten to know quite a few
flight moths lately," K'lvin raised his mug in a mock toast. "Well,
I've known Irrkali for Turns, Jeath was a clutchmate of Xmrenth's. We,
ah, saw quite a lot of each other before I met Cylena." That left
Riveenata. Did he have a prior 'attachment' to her? Was that what it
was? "I knew Riveenata, platonically, before the flight. She and I
were placed together by a mind healer after River Bluff to talk and
deal."
K'ran drank more from his mug as he considered the matter. "Ah, so you
were friends. She didn't fly in your wing, if I remember correctly.
I've always thought catching one of my own wingriders is more
awkward."
"I worried it would be awkward for Xmrenth to catch Savith since I
would say Riveenata and I have become... friends," the word felt a
little weak to describe it but it was as close as K'lvin could get to
labeling it, "but it wasn't." Only when they'd had to put clothes on
had things gotten a little awkward.
"I'm glad it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, then," K'ran
said. "Did I ever tell you about the time I got thrown up on after a
greenflight?"
K'lvin inhaled his klah down the wrong pipe. "What?" he spluttered.
"No," he laughed as he wiped the tears streaming from his eyes, "do
tell!"
"Well, it happened back at Dragonsfall. Rogueth caught Luneth on her
maiden flight. Ninaine was holdbred, and she was very uncomfortable
when she woke up and she threw up on me."
"Ugh, disgusting. No, I've never had an experience that bad," K'lvin
grimaced, and then thought to himself, nor had he had a flight
experience as good as the one with Riveenata.
"That was definitely a low point. Although I felt a lot more sympathy
for her, suddenly, after Rogueth won Orlaith's flight...for a moment I
felt ill when I realized what it meant," he joked. He was trying to
keep the mood light, not that he was exactly aware of K'lvin's
complicated thoughts.
"I would have felt ill too. I was honestly very relieved that Xmrenth
never won a senior gold flight while we were at River Bluff." K'lvin
shook his head. He wasn't opposed to duty and work but a difficult
Weyrwoman could be the bane of a good Weyrleader's existence.
"I heard Zharesti had a difficult reputation, the same as Rhosyn. We
had a few rough edges, but I was committed to making it work as long
as Orlaith made the same choice." That was diplomatic to say, he
thought.
"You are a better man than I," K'lvin raised his klah cup in a toast to
K'ran.
"Maybe I'm just overly accommodating," he said with a laugh.
"So back to Jayzine," K'lvin said, recalling an earlier point in the
conversation. "You thinking you'll be inviting her up to visit the
Weyr often?" He lifted his eyebrows with insinuation, wondering if the
two were considering serious feelings towards one another.
K'ran actually blushed slightly. "I'd like to, or to see her more, but
it's a little awkward having to manage the reputation concerns that a
Hold brings. Showing up to escort her to Hatchings or Gathers is one
things, but if I just keep bringing her to the Weyr away from her
job...or if she keeps being seen as entertaining a male visitor."
"Yeah, that is a difficult one, and you don't want to suggest Jayzine
come back to the Weyr and give up being a Headwoman if you're not
completely concrete on a relationship yet."
"Exactly. I wish she'd stayed at a Weyr. But the position here is
already capably filled, and the one at Emerald Falls was open. I can
imagine stepping down from the head spot to just an assistant would
feel like a demotion even though it was just chance."
Something they could both relate to in different ways, wasn't it? He'd
gone Wingleader to Weyrleader and back to Wingleader. K'lvin had been
pushed out of being a Wingleader. Neither of those losses had been by
their *choice*.
Perhaps someday the riders of River Bluff would rise again, whether at a
new place or in the ruins of their old home.
Last updated on the February 3rd 2019