Take Your Daughter to Work (2/2)
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: Devin, Chelle, Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 10th February 2016
Characters: N'vanik, Sh'del, R'enh, Nisheyl
Description: Three men, a baby, and a firelizard.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 7 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Briata, Cosani, Saibra, Kaibren, Saidrene.
N'vanik sat in his weyr, bouncing Nisha on his knee, waiting for his
guests to arrive.
He was waiting a long time.
A tiny green flit looped into his weyr, almost dive bombing into the
little girl on his knee. "Trouble!" Sh'del bellowed just before she
did fly right into the girl.
"She always has to make an entrance, doesn't she?" N'vanik said.
Nisheyl didn't know what to make of the firelizard. She was familiar
with the creatures since Briata had a golden queen of her own, but this
was a different thing entirely. Seeing it come at her face like that caused
her to jump back towards N'vanik in fright, shrieking just once with surprise.
She looked like she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to cry or yell at
the thing for a moment.
Trouble didn't seem to know nor care if the child was scared. Ignoring
her owner, she spun in the air and landed with a plop onto N'vanik's
lap, just beside the little girl.
"It's okay, honey." N'vanik pulled her a little closer, watching the
firelizard. If Trouble was going to... cause trouble, he'd shoo her
away but he gave her a chance to behave herself.
And then, like the baby she was and probably because of who she belonged
to, Nisheyl did the most natural thing to her. She reached out her hand and made
to hit Trouble. "No!!!"
R'enh chose that moment to turn the corner and both his eyebrows shot
up. "Oh my," he grinned.
More like a pleased feline than like a fire lizard, Trouble stretched
her neck out
and rubbed her cheek against the little fist. Her ecstatic rubbing was a bit too
enthusiastic and the tiny green creature ended up flopped over on the
girl's lap.
Hearing the new voice, Nisheyl's hand came down for the moment and she
looked to see where it was coming from. Spotting R'enh, she gave him a
wave with her other free hand then looked down at the firelizard in
her lap, wondering what to do with it. "Wuhh?"
N'vanik took her hand gently and stroked the firelizard. "Pet, Nisha.
See? Nice firelizard." Looking up, he said, "Hey, R'enh."
She was paying attention to the firelizard but then she saw N'vanik's
turn and saw the new person. Nisheyl's first reaction was one she had
been encouraged to do for everyone. "Hi!" That followed with an
enthusiastic wave.
"Hi," R'enh grinned and waved back. "Well she's cute," he said to his friend.
"That she is." Sh'del leaned in to chuck her cheek, half worried half
amused by the overt attention his flit was getting. That'd teach her
to be so curious.
"I'd like to brag that's my doing, but I think she takes after her
ma." N'vanik smiled as he watched for any signs of either the baby or
the firelizard causing trouble.
Her duty done, she went back to watching the firelizard. And she did follow
instructions, using her grubby hand to pet Trouble as best she could. That was
not likely the gentle handling the green was used to, though.
"Lizzzzzzzzzz...... Duh....lizzzzz ssssuuhhhh!"
It didn't matter. Any love was better than no love at all. Trouble
fell into a green heap on the child's lap, crooning with joy.
R'enh couldn't help but chuckle as the little green took the pounding
as affection. "You never can tell with flits," he shook his head.
"Particularly that one." Sh'del shook his head good-naturely at the
antics of the child and the flit.
"Good thing she's not old enough to ask for one of her own yet," N'vanik said.
"Oh trust me," R'enh grinned. "She'll learn to ask for stuff once she
knows da can get it for her."
That was another word that Nisheyl knew. "Da da da da da da...." she said over
and over until she tired of it. And then she tired of the firelizard
too. Pushing N'vanik's
chest, she was trying to get to the ground.
"Oh goody." N'vanik moved Trouble to his desk before setting Nisha on the floor.
He'd never seen N'vanik with his daughter before and it reminded him
of his own possible future. He watched the little girl as she began to
explore. "I need to tell you something," he said to his friend with a
smirk.
"What?" N'vanik asked, eyebrow raised curiously.
"It seems I'm going to have a baby." R'enh smiled. "Or at least we're
going to work on it."
N'vanik's eyebrow went higher. "Who is we?" R'enh was close to a few
women. At least N'vanik was sure it wasn't Cosani. It would be a long
time, if ever, before she deliberately got pregnant.
Once she was on the floor, she was mobile. Nisheyl was pretty good at crawling
by this time. Coming to rest at Sh'del's feet, she began to play with
his boot laces.
One of them was coming suspiciously close to her mouth.
Before Sh'del could stop her, Trouble bounded after the child. Acting
more like a feline than any flit had a right to, the tiny green
pounced on Sh'del's boot and grabbed the shoelace, attacking it as
though it were her favorite tunnel worm toy.
"Would you believe Saibra?" R'enh half smiled. Of course he'd told
N'vanik of his visits to the Dragonsfall Weyr Woman.
"Really? She wants another one?" That was surprising. Saidrene was
grown and Kaibren was what? Eight or nine turns?
"Yes, well, she asked and I couldn't refuse." He shrugged. "Honestly,
I have only one that I know of and it seemed like a good idea to plan
it instead of just letting it happen."
"Well, I'm just surprised she's asking. I'm not surprised she's asking
_you_." They were close, after all.
"Surprised the crack out of me," he chuckled. "I figured this thing
would cool sooner or later but it hasn't. Kind of nice actually."
"If she tries to steal you away, I'll fight her for you." N'vanik
didn't want to lose his 'Second.
Not paying much attention to all of that, Nisheyl had copied Trouble's
example and put a boot lace into her mouth. Chewing happily away, she
began grabbing at the boot with her left hand, feeling its texture.
R'enh just shook his head and grinned. "Babies! Who knew," he shrugged.
Last updated on the February 21st 2016