A Problem

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 28th April 2015

Characters: Uetia, Uegot, Jaylene, Nerylyn
Description: Uegot tells his sister about the strange drudge from the hurricane being a possible HAD and she calls in Jaylene.
Location: Seacraft Hall
Date: month 12, day 6 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: D'lorn, Lafael, Relik

Jaylene

It was probably the last changes Uetia got to travel and visit her family before her pregnancy progressed to the point where she couldn't even mount Sirjath. So that's why the green was now circling to land to the Seacraft Hall. Since Uegot and Nerylyn had four children, it was easier for her to visit them than them to visit her.

Sirjath's feet had barely touched ground when her brother's four ran out to greet. "Auntie Uetia!" they cried, followed with, "can we swim with Sirjath!"

"Whoa, you lot, let her get down first," Uegot curbed them in and picked up his youngest one. "Hello, sister, so nice to see you."

Seeing the children made Uetia's heart ache and she had to collect herself before answering. "Uegot, I'm glad to see you."

~*~

They sat in Uegot's and Nerylyn's cozy kitchen. The children were outside with Sirjath and the green had promised to keep an eye on them. The adults were catching up. Uegot had just told her about the storm and the drudge boy he had rescued.

"He keeps picking up strays," Nerylyn remarked with an eye roll and fond smile at her husband.

Uetia chuckled.

"I've been thinking about him ever since," Uegot admitted. "Something about him... I think some dragonrider, or dragon, should take a look of him."

"What do you mean? And Sirjath's not search dragon if you're implying that?" Uetia asked.

"No, it's something else than being potential rider. Remember that odd girl from Far Island? Who talked to invisible friends that turned out to be dragons?"

"I do. She was only Turn older than me," Uetia said after moment of reflection. "First hint was when she called one of her unseen friends Zack and uncle U'das was visiting us just then."

"Well, I think you should meet him. Or Sirjath should."

"So, where is he?" Uetia asked.

"I haven't got a foggiest idea," Uegot admitted.

"So typically male, "Nerylyn snorted.

After asking around in Hall they came to conclusion that he wasn't one of the hall's drudges. Without other clues, Uetia finally decided to call in Jaylene. Maybe he was from one of the holds near the hall? Uetia didn't have the authority to search them but a wingthird had.

The wingthird arrived a good candlemark later. Tiny Reanth almost blended into the tropical sky as she glided in for a landing. Only a few moments in riding leathers and already Jaylene was a sweaty mess. She walked up to the family, grinning. "Please say you have a nice tall glass of juice for me! I can't believe this weather." She mopped her forehead and looked out towards the ocean, where a massive thunderhead was forming from the afternoon heat.

"In a minute," Nerylyn promised, heading back to the kitchen. She and the others had come outside to see Jaylene arrive.

"Jaylene, Thank's for coming. This is my brother Uegot, and the little woman was his wife Nerylyn," Uetia handled the introductions.

"Pleased to meet you," Uegot rumbled. Then he gave Uetia a look and said: "Don't let Nery hear you call her little woman."

"Indeed." Jaylene rolled her eyes at Uetia and laughed. She smiled hello to Uegot and began walking towards the cot, hoping the rest would follow. Shade, she just needed to get to shade, and take off her riding leathers, which she began doing almost right away. "Is it always so hot and sticky here?"

"Yes," Uegot replied with his usual laconic style. They followed her indoors and Nerylyn had the juice for her. Uetia then proceeded to fill Jaylene in on situation.

Refreshed by the cold drink, Jaylene asked Uegot, "So what exactly did the boy say or do to make you think he might be able to hear dragons? It's a rare enough trait in women. In men? It's near non-existent."

"Well, he asked me if dragon ever had talked to me and I said no and he said something like that they do talk to him but he cut himself short before finishing a sentance," Uegot told her, trying to remember exactly what had been said. "It's more how he said it. I've been around dragonriders enough to have met those who can hear all dragons."

"And that is probably longest sentance my brother's said to someone who is not kin," Uetia whispered to Jaylene.

"Ah...does he usually just grunt, then?" Jay teased back to Uetia before refocusing on the issue at hand. "Right...is he in the Hall then?"

"Yes," Uetia replied to her only seconds before Uegot grunted: "No." he was answering the later question.

"Now I'm beginning to understand why U'das is the way he is," Jaylene teased. "So the boy's not in the Hall? Is he on a boat then?"

"Possibly, he was interested in becoming a cabin boy," Uegot replied after a moment of thought.

"Right, so he could be on a boat, or he could be in one of the cotholds close by, am I getting this right?" Jaylene made some mental notes in her head. "What I might be able to do is get D'lorn to bring his weyrlings to the different holds under the pretense of learning their /between/ reference points. Maybe if the lad sees a dragon close by he'll talk to it and then we can at least know where's he's located. Did he seem well adjusted?" Jaylene knew from experience that not all people that could hear dragons were sane and functioning members of their community.

"He seemed to have a tough life," Uegot answered.

"Right." Jaylene smiled sadly. A lot of drudges in the south had tough lives. "But did he seem sane? Or did he seem a bit off?"

"Pretty sane, for a beaten up, puppy-like, male greenrider type," Uegot said. At least that was the impression he had gotten.

"Oh, did he seem gay too?" Jaylene glanced over at Uetia and widened her eyes. A gay, all hearing drudge boy? He had to be found quickly, before someone else found him. "And you say he was beaten up? Shit."

"Exactly," Uegot agreed.

"Okay, I'll get to it right away then. Reanth can do a sweep of the cots close by and see if she can pick up on anything. Anything else?"

"I can ask around the ships that stop here," Uegot volunteered.

"Okay, if you spot him, just tell the Hallmaster to send me a note to come here, I'm sure he has a flit." She stood up and slapped her gloves against her hands. "I'll talk to D'lorn and maybe he can bring out some promising weyrlings and they can try to spot the boy. Let's hope we can get him."

Uegot nodded in agreement.

"So do I," Uetia sighed. It felt they were chasing a wild firelizard. They boy was as elusive as flit.

"Don't worry, we will," Jaylene said with more conviction than she felt. Finding one gay, abused drudge who could possibly hear dragons in a backwards setting like this place?

It was the needle in the haystack.

Last updated on the May 5th 2015

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