You Were Likely to be Ours

Writers: Jane, Rochelle
Date Posted: 28th March 2007

Characters: R'syl, R'harne
Description: R'syl sits with R'harne for a meal.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 11 of Turn 4

The dining cavern wasn't crowded yet, but most of the tables were full or filling with people coming from drills. R'syl looked around, sorting out seating possibilities in his mind. There were still empty ones, but he didn't really want to be sitting with the younger riders right now.
Their exuberance reminded him too much of his children...

There. A single seat across from an older rider. Quickly, he slid through a small group of laughing apprentices to reach the table. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

R'harne glanced up. "Not at all, Weyrlingmaster. Welcome to River Bluff."

R'syl sighed gratefully as he sat, settling himself with relief. He'd been on his feet since before the sun rose. "Thank you, brownrider. Am I that distinctive, or are the knots a little too new?" He asked wryly.

"We all know what happened to the last man to wear that rank." R'harne shrugged. "Weyrlingmasters don't often stray far from their home Weyr, so you were likely to be ours. Where are you from?"

"Telgar, most recently." R'syl said, taking a bite. He was very aware that he was essentially filling a dead man's shoes. A very well regarded dead man despite the mistake that caused his death, which made him even more difficult to measure up to. "My name's R'syl, Usaeth's rider."

"A pleasure to meet you." The light-eyed brownrider nodded at the other man in acknowledgement. "I'm R'harne, Guieth's rider. Rapids Wing."

"It's good to meet another rider closer to my age." R'syl said with a grin. "There are so few of us compared to the younger ones. They never had to stand for a ten egg clutch."

"Or consider themselves lucky that a clutch appeared only two Turns after they were eligible to Stand."

"Or at the last moment." R'syl added with a sad laugh. His standing had been Masair's idea. She had stood as well, but had not Impressed. He'd always suspected she would have impressed gold if there had been one.
She'd been that powerful a personality.

"One of the young greenriders thinks us older ones are different from the new ones. Because we didn't know about Thread when we Impressed."

R'syl thought a moment, chewing silently and tapping his fork against his lips. "I think I can see that, actually. When I Impressed, there was no hint that Thread would ever return, or even existed really. Standing was a way to get transportation for the adventurous. Now though..." He shook his head. "Thread is never far from anyone's mind. Candidates who stand now know they are facing a highly possibility of an early death.
They know what Thread can do, and what it means, so I think there's a different mindset."

The brownrider laughed. "That's about what he thinks, apparently. You can tell him you agree if you run into him. I don't know what I think.
I used to do field work here - before Thread. And Standing was about making sure the hatchlings could all find lifemates. Keeping dragonkind and our 'Weyr' lifestyle alive? Are you weyrbred, R'syl?"

He shook his head. "No. My parents were crafters, up north. I didn't Impress until after I was married." He swallowed past the lump in his throat. Masair. He still missed her. "We were transferred to Vista Point."

"I've only ever visited there but it looked nice enough. Anywhere else?
I've been here all my life," he added, wondering if that was a strength or a weakness. No time to change things now, though when the new Weyrs were being opened as the draconic population was rising he had had plenty of opportunities to relocate.

"It must have been nice to grow up here." R'syl commented, not wanting to go into the other weyr. "Warm, with the sea nearby. I missed the sea at Telgar, but Usaeth liked the snow."

R'harne hesitated, remembering Guieth's behaviour when they had encountered snow for the first time. "I'd forgotten. Guieth didn't mind, but I was horrified. Only necessity would move me now, but hopefully only to another warm location." He grinned. "Dolphin Cove ... I think I could handle that if I had to leave here."

"You could transfer there if you wanted." R'syl pointed out as he loaded his fork. "I hear they're still short riders."

"I have a huge family. Well, not me. My weyrmate. I can't imagine moving her away from them."

R'syl felt his heart drop out of his chest at the mention of family and weyrmates. He drooped as he slowly finished chewing his food, and only when he was reasonably certain that his voice would behave did he swallow. "I can understand that." He said quietly.

R'harne saw the other man's reaction and turned the conversation to leave the subject alone.

Grateful for the subject change, R'syl pounced on the new topic. It was easier to swallow his meal with than considering what he'd lost.

Last updated on the March 31st 2007

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You Were Likely to be Ours