The Good Story?

Writers: Mikel, Vix
Date Posted: 31st July 2007

Characters: C'pouk, Tamaca
Description: C'pouk joins Tamaca for dinner and must explain how he injured his arm.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 13 of Turn 4

Balancing his tray on his good arm, C'pouk looked around the crowded dining hall for the nearest empty seat. The only spot he could see was near... what was her name? Oh, yes. Tamaca. He always considered her a bit of an enigma. Rather distant and withdrawn, yet she wore the clothing of some one much more outgoing.

"Excuse me," he said, indicating the empty seat next to her, "is this seat taken?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but noticed his arm and rose instead and reached for his tray. "Here - let me take that for you."

As she took the tray, C'pouk flexed his wrist, sore from balancing the tray. "Thank you, very much."

Tam nodded in acknowledgement as she placed the tray on the table and then dropped back to her seat. "What did you do to your arm?"

"Uhm, you want the good story?" he asked. "Or the truth?"

She grinned at him. "How about if we start with the good story - I could use some entertainment."

"It was during the last Fall," he started. "Uitgaandth and I were flying on the far right edge of the wing when we spotted a trader's wagon." Pausing to sip his klah, he made sure he had the girl's attention. "Suddenly Uitgaandth spotted a small girl in the trees. If she had been in the wagon she would have been fine, but out there she was as good as dead. Uitgaandth dove right down before I could even form the thought. He came right along side her, and I scooped her up in my arm. I strained my arm holding her as we quickly gained altitude. But what choice did I have?"

"Of course, no choice at all." Tam nodded solemnly. "And so you took her to safety and then went on to fly the rest of Fall?"

"Uhm, yeah, sure."

She shook her head. "If you're going to tell an extravagant tale, you need to sound as if you mean it."

"Well, in that case," the brownrider said, "how about this? No, there was no time, the Fall was too thick and heavy. Despite the incredible pain in my arm, I held her tight to me, sheltering her with my body through the rest of the Fall. According to the healer I will be lucky to keep full function of this arm."

"Better." She nodded thoughtfully. "Of course, you could have put more emotion into it. Saying that you were in incredible pain isn't the same as sounding that you were in incredible pain."

"You're right,"he said, chewing on a tuber. "I will have to work on that."

She sipped at her klah, watching him over the rim of the mug. Finally, she set her cup down. "Well?"

"Now?"

"The truth. What really happened?"

The Brownrider took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Well, it's like this. I was cleaning up in my weyr. I bent down to pick up a shirt from the floor. When I straightened up, I hit my head on my bookshelf. Obviously books started falling and I was scrambling to keep them from hitting the floor. I managed to save them, but knock a vase off the other end of the bookshelf. I was reaching for the vase, when my feet got tangled in the shirt that I had dropped while trying to catch the books. I ended up falling against the wall, smashing the vase between my arm and the wall." C'pouk looked suitably embarrassed when he opened his eyes again.

Tamaca managed to keep from laughing - barely. "And you felt the need to make up a story when you had something that exciting to relate?"

"I felt the need to make up a story so I would not have to tell that one too often."

"And the made-up story has been convincing enough that no one else asked for the truth?"

"It's a work in progress," he said with a smile.

"And how long do the healers give you to perfect that story?"

"Two more sevendays before I can go /between/ and another beyond that before I can fly Fall."

She giggled, but disguised it as a cough, taking a drink before addressing him solemnly. "You'd best work on your presentation then - or be prepared to be laughed at. . . often."

"Maybe I will just eat when the cavern is empty," he said, chuckling.

"That might be your best bet." She picked up a slice of bread, absently shredding it between her fingers. "Though you could share your stories - both of them - to cheer up those who look sad. You could consider it a service, of sorts."

C'pouk chuckled, "you are a big help."

"I've been told that often."

Last updated on the August 2nd 2007

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The Good Story?