An Afternoon Out (1/2)

Writers: Dana, Emma
Date Posted: 2nd April 2006

Characters: K'deren, Traelyn
Description: The Weyrwoman and brownrider get a chance to catch up during a relaxing afternoon down by the shore
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 7 of Turn 3
Notes: Part 1/2

K'deren

"It's good to see you again," said K'deren with a smile. This time, the brownrider was headed down to the beach, carrying Deralie, Trievan and Kedon trailing behind him.

Traelyn turned around and smiled at him. "It's good to see you too, K'deren." Her eyes flickered from the baby to the other two children beside him, and her smile grew. "And these are your kids?"

"We're just missing one more," said the brownrider, before the older boy jumped in.

"Rondera's with her friends," chipped in Kedon.

Trievan merely took a step closer to K'deren, the brownrider was really the only father he'd ever known in his short life, and he'd become more clingy since his mother died.

"Rondera's my eldest, the chatterbox is Kedon, and Trievan is trying to hide. I think you met Deralie already."

She knelt down in front of Trievan and Kedon. "It's nice to meet you both," she told them with a friendly smile. "You gonna go have fun with your Papa in the water today?"

"Maybe," said Kedon, Trievan merely clutched at K'deren's trousers and hid behind him. "I like to swim."

"You're only going to paddle today, I can't hold onto you and Deralie together," said K'deren.

"Awww Da!"

"Paddling only."

She grinned at the tone in K'deren's voice. "I'm going to go paddling too," she told Kedon, glancing up at his papa and giving him the barest of winks. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Da?"

"If you want to, Weyrwoman."

"Weyrwoman?" Kedon's eyes widened. He may not be eight turns old yet, but he knew that a Weyrwoman was important, just like Trievan's Grandma.

"Hey Trievan, she's just like your Gramma!" said the lad.

"Gramma? Where?"

"Trievan's grandmother is the Weyrwoman at Dream's End," explained K'deren.

Traelyn smiled, then looked at the shy Trievan. "You come from quite a prestigious family, little one."

"Wassat mean?" he said after a second, moving forward from where he was stood.

How could she explain the word prestigious to a small one? "Mmm... It means that you're the grandson of a very respected lady. And the son of a very respected man."

"Oh," he said, not really understanding it. His thumb made his way to his mouth, a habit he'd given up, but had come back over the last month or two.

K'deren smiled, that was the most Trievan had interacted with anyone since _that_ day. "I think you've made a hit there."

She grinned as she rose to her feet. "Maybe!" They were silent for a brief moment as they began making their way down the path to the cove.
"How've you been doing, K'deren?" she asked softly.

"Better," was the reply as he shifted Deralie to the other hip. "It's better every day, but I suspect I'll always wake up and expect her to be next to me."

She nodded quietly. "And them?" she asked in a quiet tone, looking down at the two boys who had gone just a little ways ahead of them.

"It'll take time, I lost my mother when I wasn't much older than them, so I do know what it's like."

"I'm sorry..."

"My mother died in an earthquake, my little sister with her."

"It must've been so hard, K'deren."

"My father and the rest of my family helped, we got through it together."

She turned her head and gave him a gentle smile.

"How've you been doing, since the hatching?"

"I've been doing well." Her small smile grew a little as she thought about the Hatching. "Things have been getting better."

"That's good then," said the brownrider as they finally reached the sand. He paused to put the baby down, where she sat, babbling happily.

"It is." She and J'darin had been getting along better too. Ever since that day of the Hatching and after... Seeing a large shadow suddenly pass overhead, Traelyn glanced up.

**Couldn't bear to be away from the shore on a gorgous day like this, could you, dear heart?**

}:The sun is very warm today,:{ came the queen's prim reply as she landed nearby. }:Hasaarth is going to join me here in a while.:{

Trae watched as her dragon settled herself a ways away in the sand, then her eyes drifted from her dragon to the kids playing in the sand. It looked like they were digging holes. She grinned. "They want to ride dragons like their Papa when they're old enough?" she asked, nodding towards the boys.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask them?"

She glanced at K'deren. "Maybe once they get in talking range," she grinned. "They seem to be having so much fun digging in the sand!"

"And that is good to see," he said as the two boys giggled over something. "I've not seen them like that in a while."

~*~

Last updated on the April 12th 2006

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An Afternoon Out (1/2)