He Has a Flit!

Writers: Kaysea, Patrick
Date Posted: 7th May 2007

Characters: Kaldyn, Faran
Description: Kaldyn meets the Hold's Harper, Faran.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 26 of Turn 4

Kaldyn bent to the task, pushing one seedling after another into the earth. Up ahead, Reia, his youngest daughter, walked along as he had shown her poking holes into the crest of the soil. She would take a step, stop and poke, take another step, stop and poke; it was boring work for anyone, but she had insisted on coming out with him this morning, and the only work he could think of was the holing. She seemed content enough.

"Dah!" he glanced up again, and saw her pointing.
Following her direction he could see a figure walking along the track next to his field. At first he thought it maybe Kardyn, who had gone to see their nearest neighbour, but this man was too tall. Standing slowly, and rubbing the small of his back, he stepped over the furrows and made his way tot he side of the field. "Just keep going!" he called to Reia.

Faran walked up to the fence surrounding the field and waved to the two people out in the field. Kio on his shoulder warbled a warm welcome stood on his hind legs, his wings spread. "Good morning!" He called. "A bit early for planting isn't it?"

"Dah! He has a flit!" Reia bounced excitedly next to her father. "Dah, I so want a flit.." her voice drifted off dreamily as she stared at the small dragon like creature on the harpers shoulder.

"Early?" Kaldyn shook her, "No, not early, depends on the roots and tubers you're planning on growing." He held out his hand in welcome, "Name's Kaldyn, I'm late from Amethyst Cliff Hold, don't think we've met yet harper."

"I'm Faran, Senior Journeyman." Faran took the hand and shook it firmly. Faran turned to the girl at her father's side. "Would you like to pet him?" He held out his arm and Kio walked proudly down it. "He likes it along his eyeridges."

Reia looked enviously from the Harper to her father, "Can I, Da?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Sure sweetheart, as long as Faran is offering." he smiled down at his excited daughter, then looked up and winked at the Harper. "She loves beasts of any kind, but apart from another canine, she has always wanted a flit."

Reia stepped forward and tentatively reached out her hand; her mouth fell open with wonder as the small bronze creature rubbed itself through her palm. She bent her small fingers and gently rubbed along the firelizards eyeridges and beamed widely as the flit closed his eyes as though falling asleep. "He's beautiful..." she said, on a small, breathless whisper.

"He likes you." Faran told the girl, memories of his younger sisters petting Kio in exactly that same way. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to smile. "Was it hard to move?" He asked Kaldyn.

"We had no choice," Kaldyn shrugged. "There was nothing left there for us. The cot we had, was too badly damaged." He looked down at his daughter, his eyes misted, "We were so lucky."

Faran wiped his eye and sniffled. "I'm very happy for you." he said roughly. Kio chirped in concern and ran up to nuzzle his owners cheek, Faran patted the little bronzes head.

"You alright?" Kaldyn reached out and grabbed the other man's shoulder in support. "Reia, go ask your mam to pour us some klah, Faran and I will follow in a few moments."

With a concerned look and nod at her father, the young girl turned and ran back across the field towards their cot.

"I'm fine. Just, bad memories." He wasn't about to tell all Pern he'd lost his family in the quake. Too many people knew as it was.

"You're from Amethyst Cliff Hold as well?" he couldn't place the young man, but that wasn't to say he too, wasn't one of the refugees.

"No but I," he swallowed the persistent lump in his throat. "I lost family during the quake."

"Oh... I see." Kaldyn felt a tightening in his throat, he knew exactly what the young man felt, he too had lost family in the quake. "Come into the cot, have a drink and something to eat. You're welcome to sit a while if you want to."

The young Harper couldn't be much older than his own son, it brought everything rushing back to Kaldyn as they walked across the field. The heartbreak, worry and stress the whole family had been under, and this young man, he too had felt the pain of loss.

Faran nodded. "Well just for a moment." He followed the man into his cot.

"So you're up at the Hold?" Kaldyn asked, for a change of subject, as they entered the cot and Karei gave him an inquiring look, as she set out the mugs of klah. He indicated for Faran to sit, and took a seat opposite him.

Karei too, after collecting her own klah, brought a plate of fresh bread and some cheese to the table, and took a sweat next to her husband.

"Faran, this is my wife, Karei. Karei, this is Faran."

"I'm pleased to meet you Faran." Karei held out her hand in welcome.

"And a pleasure it is to meat such a lady as yourself." Faran's smile almost reached his eyes as he took her hand. "And yes Kaldyn I live at the Hold. I'm the Harper there."

Karei offered him the platter of cheese and breads, "Please, won't you have something to eat, the bread is fresh baked this morning."

"Mam, have you seen his firelizard?" Reia appeared at the end of the table, her eyes were wide with excitement again. "I brought him something to eat." In her hand she held a scrap of meat. She looked from the firelizard to Faran, "Will he take it from me?"

Kio walked down Faran's arm to the meat the girl held out. He sniffed it once before darting his head out to grab it. He then secured it in his front claws and began to tear off bite sized chunks. Faran laughed as he took a roll. "I suppose that answers your question."

Reia wanted to jump with glee, but a quick shake of her mothers head, stopped her. "Reia, don't get too excited, you'll scare him." Karei warned.

"Aw, mam. I wouldn't do that." she shook her head.

Kaldyn looked on, an indulgent smile on his lips.
"You'll have to forgive us our indulgence Faran, we thought we were passed our child rearing years; but Reia was a gift."

"And what a lucky gift she is, to have the cot all to herself." Faran's grin was bittersweet. "I never had that. I was the oldest."

"She is fortunate, we didn't have it as good at Amethyst Cliff Hold, but we also had the older ones at home, too." Kaldyn nodded in agreement. "How many siblings do you have?" He hoped for the Harpers sake his siblings weren't those lost at Amethyst Cliff.

"Only one now. And she's at the Weyr, playing with dragons." Faran swallowed the returning lump and fought the sting in his eyes. He would not cry, what would his father have thought?

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kaldyn shook his head, loathe to bring up painful memories. "I didn't mean.."

"We're both sorry." Karei reached out and took the Harper's hand in hers. "We've all suffered losses, but try to remember, you still have a sister. Whether she's _playing_ with dragons or not, she is still with you."
She smiled, her own eyes glittering with tears and painful memories of the family she had lost.

Faran saw her tears and wiped his eyes. He didn't mean for this family to remember bad times as well. "I'm fine, its just so new is all." He said with a wet smile. "I'm fine, really." He looked about the cot. "So how do you like it here at Amber Hills?" Anything to get off that topic, even small talk.

"It's...very like being at home." Kaldyn said, grateful to the Harper for the change in subject. "Your Lord Holder is a generous man, my family have enough to meet tithes, and produce enough to live well on."

"That's very good to here." Faran said. "I hope his heir is as good a man as he was." Faran said.

"His heir? Had he named someone yet?"

"Oh no!" Faran said. "But I was just saying I hope who he picks is as good a man as he is. A lot of his son's have children at the Hold so I've met my fair share. I even had classes with a few of them when I was little." Faran smiled. "I'm sure he'll find the right person for the job."

"He's a fair man, I'm sure he'll do right by his holders." Kaldyn nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which I really need to meet more of our neighbours. My parents are on the next cot over with my brother." he nodded in the general direction of his parents cot, "But I have yet to meet many others around here, not by introduction at any rate."

"Well come on up to the hold one night. There's the brand new Tavern where people show up from across the countryside. Its like a mini Gather most nights. I'd gladly introduce you to a few people."

"I might just do that." Kaldyn nodded, "Umm, _we_
might." he grinned at his wife. "I don't get away with anything.." he chuckled. "But yes, we'll take you up on your offer I think."

"Wonderful." Faran said as he stood. "It was nice meeting you all but I have to go. I left my office to clear my head before I dove into a stack of papers I've yet to grade." He held out his hand for Kaldyn to shake.

"You're welcome here any time Faran, know that."
Kaldyn said, shaking the Harpers hand. "And we'll take you up on your offer of the Tavern, one evening."

"I'll count on it." Faran said with a smile.

Last updated on the May 10th 2007

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He Has a Flit!