An Opportunity to Play (2/2)

Writers: Aaron, Avery
Date Posted: 5th September 2019

Characters: A'vel, Brennault, Jarril, Cerault
Description: Brennault invites A'vel to perform at the runner station.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 6 of Turn 9
Notes: Part 2 of 2

late due to Avery LOA

*****

~*~

continue flashback: m8d27

A'vel gave Tsogath the signal, and the green dropped down off her
ledge, spreading her wings to catch the air. She swooped around the
weyrbowl to give both boys a view, then set out onto the road itself,
flying parallel but off to the side of it so she could use it as a
reference track but also not panic any herdbeasts or runners on it
with her scent.

A'vel enjoyed watching the scenery go by. Normally, when sweepriding,
he had to concentrate on looking for anything that was a problem or
uinusual. Now he could just enjoy the beauty of everything, and he
hoped Brennault did, too.

Brennault leaned back into A'vel as much as he could without feeling
that he was pushing him. He looked out at the landscape, trying to
match the features he could see from the air with the familiar
landmarks he knew from the ground.

Things moved faster than they did on foot, but it was still long
enough that he could enjoy the ride. He leaned over now and again to
look at something further underneath Tsogath. The creek with the
ravine and the waterfall... there it was! Maybe sometime, he could
take A'vel there, too. It was one of his favorite places to go to be
alone. Or alone together.

A while later, the waystation itself came into view. Not quite as big
as a proper hold, but still the biggest landmark they had seen yet.

A'vel directed Tsogath to fly a little bit higher up, so they could
get a good look at it from the air. And then she very slowly swooped
downwards, taking the long curving way around the grounds, until she
alighted nearby. A'vel unstrapped them both and slid off of her,
smiling.

"Is there somewhere specific she's allowed to stay so she's not in the
way? I don't want her distracting everyone or panicking any animals."

"Hm," said Brennault, turning to look about in a circle. "I don't
guess I thought about that. The spooking the animals part. I figured
she'd just stay right here nearby. But if you're worried, Tsogath,
there's a spot – you might have noticed it when we were up high. If
you go straight out that way above that path behind the station for
about a mile, there's a bluff with just grass and no trees, and then
there's, like, this sea of trees around it at the bottom. It's a
little bit of a jaunt, but it's a great place for hiking out and
having a lunch, and it gets good sun. If it's too far, I'll think of
something else."

"Don't worry, it won't be too far," A'vel said, looking around.
"She'll be happy to sit there and sun while we spend time with your
family."

"Perfect!" said Brennault. "Well. Shall we?" he asked. He was
practically dancing with excitement as they headed inside, and they
bumped into another of the runners even before they made it all the
way inside the common room.

"Oh, hallo, Bren!" he said. "Ooh, who's your boy?" he asked. "Got
riders comin' home with you already, have you?" He held out his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, of course, hello, hello! I'm Jarril."

"Hey, Jar," Brennault said once he could get in a word edgewise. "This
is A'vel, rider of Tsogath."

"Of course! Can I help you with your things – ooh, is that an instrument
case?"

"Hi, Jarril. Yeah, it's a gitar case," A'vel said, shaking the hand of
the other runner.

"Perfect! Are you gonna play for us?" he asked, turning back to shout,
"Hey, y'all, Brennault brought a gitar player home from the weyr!",
which brought the rest of the station out of the woodwork.

"No need to make him regret coming," Brennault chuckled.

"Welcome home, son," said Cerault as he stepped out of his office on
hearing Jarril's shout. He looked very much like an older Brennault,
fully bearded and not quite so svelte. "And welcome to you as well,
Dragonrider. Our duty to your dragon."

To Jarril, he said, "Weren't you just leaving?"

"Aww, but there's a musician!" he whined.

"Well, I'm not your mother. If you can make it where you're going
without making your deliveries late, you stay as long as you want."

Jarril furrowed his brow and then said, "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you guys
in a couple o' days..." as he trudged on out the door.

"Have a good run," A'vel called after him.

He cleared his throat and offered his hand to Cerault. "Hello, sir.
Stationmaster, is that the right term?"

Cerault shook A'vel's hand heartily with a smile. He gave a glance to
Brennault and then pulled A'vel into a quick hug.

"Stationmaster, and sir will do in a pinch, but you're more than
welcome to call me Cerault," said the man. "Can I get you something to
eat?" he asked as he hugged Brennault as well. "It's not every day
Brennault brings someone home to meet me. You'd be the first,
actually."

A'vel's brain short-circuited a little at that thought. Did the
stationmaster mean that as friends, or as - what _did_ it mean that
Bren was bringing him home, anyway? Did this look like they were - and
anyway _was_ it that they were...

"I'm happy to trade some music playing for a meal, but it doesn't have
to be a big meal," A'vel said, falling into formalities as a cover for
his confusion.

"You're welcome to have as much as you like," Cerault insisted. If he
could tell A'vel was nonplussed, he did not show it. "It'll be ready
in just a little while. Feel free to play for as long as you like,
too. There's a little bit of a stage over yonder."

"I'll grab a tambourine!" said Brennault excitedly. "I'll be right
back, OK?" he said, briefly touching A'vel's arm.

A'vel realized that meant he'd be left alone with Brennault's father,
but there wasn't really a polite way to refuse. So he said, "I'll be
fine," and put a brave face on it.

He couldn't stand being silent in front of Cerault, so he cast about
for something harmless to say. "Thank you for letting me perform.
Since I left the Harper Hall, I haven't really had much of a chance
to, and it's nice to remember my roots," he settled on.

"You're always welcome to perform here," said Cerault, smiling warmly.
It was very much like Brennault's smile, too. "Now you know the way,
you don't even have to wait for Bren to invite you. There's always
dinner in it for you, or even a bit of spending money if you like.
Please, have a seat. I know everyone's come out to listen, but don't
you feel hurried to get started until you're ready. Can I get you some
tea? Klah?"

Cerault seemed to have a way about him of speaking as though he
already knew A'vel.

"I'm just an apprentice, or I was, I couldn't take spending marks,"
A'vel protested lightly. "I'd like tea for the voice in case I'm asked
to sing."

"If you insist," said Cerault. He asked one of the runners who had run
out to occupy a spot in the common room to go fetch hot water for tea,
and he scrambled off to be quick about it so as not to miss any of the
performance.

And then Brennault returned with his tambourine.

"Join us for dinner when it's ready," said Cerault. "Otherwise, you've
got free rein of the place. Play as long as you like, or as short."

And then he took the spot from the runner who left to get the tea.
Stationmaster's prerogative.

"Alright, you lot, let's have a round of applause for A'vel!" There was
clapping and cheering. Brennault laid a hand on A'vel's shoulder and
smiled apologetically. He hoped it was not too much added pressure.

The applause made A'vel duck his head and blush, but now he was ready to
play, and see how the station took to him...

(end m8 flashback)

~*~

The answer was they'd taken to him quite well. And that's why he was
going back.

A'vel finished strapping his instruments to Tsogath. There was his
gitar, but also a hand drum and pipes, for variety. up and flew her down
to the Weyrbowl to wait for Brennault. The runner had made his
deliveries already, and now A'vel could give him a lift back. And that
way he wouldn't have to show up alone. Even though Brennault's family
would probably welcome him performing, it wouldn't feel right to go
without him...

Last updated on the September 11th 2019

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An Opportunity to Play (2/2)