A Favor For a Friend (2/2)

Writers: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 8th May 2025
Series: Guarding Gil

Characters: Tr'vel, Rhysel, Amigene
Description: Tr'vel delivers a letter from Gil to the cotholders
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 12

Tr'vel

Amigene was out sweeping the yard outside the cothold when a shadow
passed overhead, and moments later she heard their herdbeast lowing in
alarm. She shaded her eyes and looked up, her breath catching as she
made out the shape of a dragon circling above them.

"Rhysel! Come out here."

"What is it?" Her husband emerged from the cothold, with the heavy
walking stick in one hand that he'd snatched up from its place by the
door. She hadn't sounded afraid, but there was a note of urgency in her
voice which meant she wasn't just calling for help with a chore.

"Look!" She pointed. "A blue dragon. It's got to be about him, hasn't it?"

"It might just be a sweeprider." Though Rhysel couldn't think when the
last time had been that a dragonrider had come to their cot, before Gil
had come. They'd had no word since, and he couldn't tell whether that
was for good or ill. He took Amigene's broom from her and leaned it
against the wall by the door, then put an arm around her, for comfort.
"We'll find out soon enough."

**Stay still. No sudden movements,** Tr'vel told his blue as they
landed. **They aren't used to dragons and I don't want to scare
them.**

}:I won't scare them.:{ His eye whirled a curious blue.

Tr'vel dismounted. "Holder Rhysel. Holder Amigene." He bowed. "I'm
Tr'vel, of blue Eboroth, from Dolphin Cove Weyr. I bring word from
Gilbek. He's safe and well," he added so they wouldn't worry.

"You know Gil?" Rhysel glanced at Amigene. He didn't recognize the
dragon from the night they'd taken him, though it had been dark, but he
was sure the dragonrider wouldn't be there without the Weyrleader's
knowledge. He didn't seem hostile, but his size and strength made him a
threat nevertheless. "The man who was staying here with us?"

"Yes. I have a letter from him." Tr'vel reached for the bag strapped
to Eboroth. "Also he asked me to return the jacket and scarf he
borrowed from you." He took out the letter first and passed it to
Amigene. The Weyrleader had looked it over but he hadn't given it much
more than a cursory skim, fairly sure that Gil wasn't passing
information along to conspirators.

Amigene took the letter and unfolded it eagerly, her gaze flickering
over the lines in Gil's neat, careful hand. "Oh, he really is all right!
He says he was held in custody for a while, but he told them everything
he knew and the Weyrleader decided to let him out to work and exercise.
He wants to thank us for our hospitality, and apologize for bringing
trouble to our hold." She looked up at Tr'vel. "But there's nothing to
be sorry for, is there?"

Rhysel shook his head. "It was a surprise, having that many dragons show
up, but we're none the worse for it."

"He was welcome at our cothold. And he still is," Amigene said firmly.
"You can tell him that if he ever needs a home, he has one here."

"I will." Though Tr'vel hoped Gil could make a home at the Weyr,
despite the rough start. He took the scarf and jacket from his bag and
held them out toward Rhysel. "He thanks you for allowing him to borrow
these. He speaks very highly of your kindness toward him." And they
weren't acting hostile toward Tr'vel, despite what had happened the
last time dragonriders were here.

"Well, he'd had a hard time of it, wherever he came from. But holdless
or not, he was a good worker. You could tell. As soon as he was out of
bed he was trying to help around the cot. If it makes any difference,
we've no complaints about him." Rhysel took the clothes from Tr'vel.
"Thank you for bringing these back, bluerider."

"How is he? Can you say?" Amigene asked. "There's nothing in the letter.
He'd recovered some of his strength when he left us, but he'd had an
injury to his back." She wasn't sure whether the dragonrider knew about
the scars.

"He's doing well," Tr'vel said with a warm smile. "Almost beat me in a
race recently."

"You raced each other?" Rhysel's brow rose as he reconsidered what Gil's
situation at the Weyr must be. If he was running races against
dragonriders then it couldn't be so bad.

Amigene was clearly thinking the same. "If he's going to tell us that
story then we ought to at least offer him a mug of klah." She turned
back to Tr'vel. "I'm sorry, you must think us very inhospitable. Would
you like to come in?"

"I'd love to. Thank you ma'am." As he followed her inside, Tr'vel told
Eboroth to behave himself. The blue heaved a sigh, rolled onto his
side, and shut his eye.

Rhysel came in behind them to a cosy, low-ceilinged living space that
took up the ground floor of the cot, and hung up the jacket and scarf on
a hook near the door while over by the hearth, Amigene set some water to
boil for the klah. He gestured towards a seat at the table. "Have a
seat. So Gil's been running races? You must have good healers at the
Weyr. Last time we saw him he looked like a stiff breeze would knock him
over."

"He did nearly die of the fever," Amigene pointed out.

"We have excellent healers and he got the best care. Though I
practically had to sit on him to keep him from doing too much work."
Tr'vel chuckled.

"Sounds about right. He was hardly out of bed before he'd fixed the
loose handle on that drawer over there. I'd been meaning to do that for
months."

"You mean, I'd been telling you to do it for months," Amigene scolded him.

Rhysel gave a long-suffering sigh. "I don't suppose you'd like to bring
him back, dragonrider?"

Tr'vel cleared his throat. "I'd uh, need to check with the Weyrleader
first. But with his permission, I'd be delighted."

"You'd both be very welcome," Amigene said, brightening. "Come for
lunch! I'll cook for you."

It seemed both Gil and the cotholders missed each other, and Tr'vel
was sure they'd be happy to see each other. Gil deserved more goodness
in his life. "I'll ask the Weyrleader when I get home."

"Thank you. We'd enjoy seeing him again." She poured out the klah and
brought it over. "It made a difference, having a young man around the
cothold, when it's been just the two of us for so long. Not that he was
particularly rambunctious. Quite the opposite."

"How long have you two been living here by yourselves?"

"We must have been here, oh, forty Turns now. We originally came out to
work for Rhysel's uncle. It was his cothold. Poor man, he lost his wife
and children in the plague, and the one son that was left ran off to
sea. He wasn't always in his right mind, and he needed the help. And
then, when he passed away, the Lord Holder said that we could stay."

"Of course, it wasn't always so quiet before the Pass began," Rhysel
said, nodding his thanks for the klah. "There were more traders, and
travelers. There used to be another cothold just over the stream that
way, no more than a quarter-candlemark's walk. But they packed up and
left for the big Hold when Thread started falling. Couldn't stand it.
Wanted thicker walls."

"The children used to come over and play with the kittens." Amigene
sighed. "Now you wouldn't know it was ever there. The forest has grown
over it. Since then, it's just been us."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can see why Gil was such welcome company."
Tr'vel wondered if some of Lightning Wing might like to visit a quiet
cothold once in a while. He sipped his klah. "Mmm, this is good."

"It's not so bad. The harper comes around from time to time, and the
journeyman from the beastcraft to see to the animals."

"And the tithe-collector," Rhysel added, a little sourly.

"And Rhysel goes to the hold sometimes, to trade and get the news. But
still, you dragonriders are welcome to drop in for a hot drink. Any
time," she offered, her voice sounding wistful.

"I'll put in a good word so the sweepriders know." Tr'vel winked.

"It's the least we can do," Rhysel said gruffly. "After all you do for
us." He didn't mention the conspirators, but their attacks were clearly
on his mind.

"I'll look out my old recipe book for cakes," Amigene promised, which
caused her husband to sit up in interest. "It must be hungry work,
riding all over the continent."

"Cakes?" Tr'vel said with interest. "Can't say no to that."

"Careful. We'll be up to our ears in dragons if word gets out there's cake."

"That wouldn't be such a bad thing, would it?" There was a new energy in
Amigene's voice, and her eyes sparkled at the prospect of visitors.

"No, not a bad thing." Rhysel sipped his klah and smiled at Tr'vel. "Not
a bad thing at all."

Last updated on the May 12th 2025

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