There's Goldie!

Writers: Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 27th March 2006

Characters: Miranek, Aivorn
Description: Miranek and sons come to see the puppies with Aivorn.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 3

"Da, Da, please?" Valnek looked up at his father, his eyes looking like the puppy he wanted to take home. "Can we take her home?"

"Not until Master Aivorn says she's old enough to leave her mother."

"Master?" Valnek turned to the beastcrafter.

"Not quite yet, boys. Few more sevendays. You have to wait until they weaned," Aivorn replied.

"What does that mean?" asked the little boy. It was a word he'd not heard before.

"That means that they start eating solid food instead of just drinking milk from their mom's teats," the beastcrafter explained patiently.

"Oh!" he said, not really comprehending.

"The boys are looking forward to taking her home," said Miranek. "It's all they can talk about."

"I'm sure they are excited," Aivorn said with a fait smile. "Come on, they are outside at the moment. Sniffing a fresh air." He led them to a fenced area where several litters were romping around. The pups were eagerly exploring their new enviroment or wrestling with each other.

Valnek and his brother crowded close to the fence. "There she is Ranval!" called out the younger boy, "There's Goldie!"

"I wonder if we were ever that young and enthusiastic," remarked Miranek as he watched the boys as they stared at the puppies playing in the warm weather.

"Probably were, I know I was," Aivorn shrugged. He suddenly remembered some of his escepades as a weyrbrat and hid a grin.

"I know one thing though, they'll love having her around. I've made it clear to them both that she is their responsibility to look after."

Aivorn nodded. "Don't let them slack off after the first novelty wears off. After it gets habit it will get easier. Young pup is almost as much work as a baby human."

"We won't," assured Miranek. "We, my wife and I, told them that if they really needed help they would have it, but when it came to feeding, walking and cleaning up after her, she was their responsibility."

"That should teach them responsibility," Aivor nodded approvingly. "Make them better people when they grow up."

"Who knows, maybe they will become beastcrafters," Aivorn said. "Or healers maybe."

Aivorn only shrugged to that. To him all crafts were equal. No one was better than the other, just different.

"Or maybe we could compromise," suggested Miranek, with a grin. "Beasthealers."

"I could use couple of them more. The one we got is rather over-worked."

"Well I might suggest it to Ranval, he's coming to that age where he needs to decide what he's going to do with himself."

"If he so choses, he can either apprentice here, under me, or go to the beastcraft hall."

"Whatever he does will be his choice."

"People who are allowed to choose themself are usually happier," Aivorn said.

"My feelings exactly."

"You know, one of these days I should ask you and your family over for a dinner," Aivorn said almost off-handedly. But it was an offer for deeper friendship. He rarely invated anybody to his home. His daughther had frieds visiting all the time.

"And you and your daughter should come and join us one night as well."

Aivorn smiled and nodded.

Last updated on the March 27th 2006

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There's Goldie!