The Weyr-Family Grows.

Writers: Jelena, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 19th November 2016

Characters: Genna, A'kua, Firelloa, Karlin
Description: Genna introduces her little brother to two of her staunchest supporters.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 13 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Ilyssia

Genna

"There they are," Genna gestured at A'kua and his sister, a few tables across. Karlin squinted slightly, trying to make them out, but he had no idea who he was looking for as he had never met either of them. He was glad, though, that his sister was introducing him to her friends. He was still quite overwhelmed by the sheer number of people living at the Weyr. He had always made friends easily, but where to start?

Soon, the pair sat down at the table next to A'kua and Firelloa. "A'kua, Firelloa, this is my brother Karlin. Karlin, these are my friends A'kua and Firelloa."

Firelloa immediately beamed brightly at the boy. "Hi Karlin! It's nice to meet you," she said, holding out a hand for a wrist-clasp.

A'kua gave Genna and her brother a closed-lipped smile, but his jaw was tight, as were his shoulders. His meal hadn't been touched while Firelloa's showed signs of being well started on. "Hey, Genna," the bronzerider greeted. "Good to see you. Lys should be joinin' us soon; she just wanted to finish a drawin'. I didn't know you had a li'l brother."

"Aye, I thought you just had big ones," Firelloa said curiously.

Genna saw the signs of upset - the untouched meal, the tenseness in his smile - but she knew now was not the time to remark on it. Even if Karlin hadn't been by her side, she knew A'kua would still keep up his charade for Firelloa's sake.

"I have many brothers," she said with a smile, though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "But so far only one that got Searched." she made a proud gesture at the candidate's knots on Karlin's shoulder.

Karlin gave his sister a wide, proud smile, before turning to Firelloa to return her greeting. "Nice to meet you too! Genna told me a lot about you both. I'm really excited to meet her friends and see the Weyr for myself now!"

"Isn't the Weyr great? I love it here so much. I have a best friend and my brother, and I've been singing more and more and learning a lot about it," Firelloa gushed, beginning to sparkle as she went on. "And all the dragons are so handsome or so gorgeous. All of the greens especially, and oh, of course Lady Lissath. And A'kua says the walls are great for climbing, and when I get a little taller, he's going to teach me how to do it safely." She made a face. "If I get any taller, I mean."

"Hey, c'mon, don't give up yet," A'kua gently chided. His smile faintly widened, but it looked strained. "Your ma's not the shortest woman in the world, and our sire's tall as me. You do have some growth comin', I promise."

"I hope so. I want to be as tall as Genna or Talwynn," Firelloa confessed. "You're both just so stately."

"But if you get too tall, you'll have trouble with low doorways," her brother teased, and the girl laughed brightly.

"I think you're pretty just the way you are," Karlin said with a broad, sincere smile. Girls like being complimented like that, his mother had taught him. And it was true, she did look pretty. "Rock climbing sounds really cool, maybe I'll try that myself some time. For now I'm super busy trying to get to know this place and getting used to chore rotations and such. Do you have a lot of chores as a Harper's apprentice?"

Genna just smiled as her brother instantly took to Firelloa. She had expected as much, they were both the bubbly type. She eyed A'kua, giving him an amused smile and watched his response.

The bronzeider's reaction was a dark, sharp look at the boy, and Firelloa's was a wide-eyed stare and a rapid blush, along with a funny noise that sounded like "Gleep!" But she collected herself admirably fast, and shook her head. "Not a lot. Just some cleaning, especially in my room, and lots of homework and vocal exercises and other musical stuff like that. What about you? Have you apprenticed somewhere along with being a Candidate?"

"I'm with the Smiths, I was supposed to go to the Smithcraft Hall when I got Searched," Karlin replied, not registering her blush and happily chatting on. "Do you like being a Harper? Is it what you expected it to be?"

Genna gave A'kua a slight prod under the table and gave him a reassuring smile. Her brother wasn't a heart-breaker, he was just raised as a gentleman. A'kua had nothing to worry about when it came to Karlin's intentions towards Firelloa. Or did he? Karlin was growing up, after all.

The bronzerider flinched away at the prod, having not seen it coming, then caught himself and tried to smile back. Admittedly, maybe this was a good thing. Newcomers to the Weyr could always use someone who had been there longer to show them the way of things. And Karlin didn't seem the least bit mean.

Firelloa moved a little closer on the bench to Karlin. "It's everything I wanted and more, so I love it," she said truthfully. "A'kua was working with one of the Journeymen harpers here before he Impressed. He can sing and play the gitar," she said proudly. "What kind of smithing do you want to do?" she asked.

"My father is a jeweler. I think I'd like to do that if I can. I don't really like the hardcore stuff, but maybe I will when I grow some muscle, I don't know." Karlin wasn't quite the stereotype Smith, a lot more on the scrawny side rather than being muscular. But impressing a dragon or continuing in his craft was likely to fix that, he'd heard. "What instruments do you play?"

"Oh, I don't play," Firelloa stated. "I had a chance to learn when I was little, but it wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be."

"Hey, bite your tongue," A'kua jokingly scolded.

"With these?" Firelloa asked, pointing to her fangline canine teeth. "No way. I'd poke a hole in myself."

Some of the tension began to drain from A'kua as the conversations continued, and he finally picked up his fork. Maybe this evening could be salvaged after all, especially when Ilyssia would arrive.

"I can't play an instrument or sing," Karlin confessed. "I don't have a musical bone in my body. So I think it's really cool that you can do all that! Maybe in classes you'll find an instrument that you do like to play."

Genna smiled to herself as A'kua finally started on his food. "What is Lys working on?" she asked conversationally.

"A portrait of Gwynnyth for her foster mother," the redhead said. "They've been able to trade messages more often lately. All's well, sounds like."

He didn't really notice when Firelloa moved closer to Karlin again to keep speaking with him, well on the way to becoming his friend.

"That's nice," Genna, genuinely happy for Ilyssia. They could all use more 'all is well'. Looking at their two siblings, she had to admit they were both very well indeed. She'd known her brother would hit it off with Firelloa - who wouldn't? But it was nice to see she she'd been right.

Last updated on the November 30th 2016

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The Weyr-Family Grows.