Sweet Tooth

Writers: Nici, Eimi
Date Posted: 7th October 2005

Characters: U'kaiah, Jaela, Kaiafel
Description: Jaela takes Kaiafel to the kitchens to get a treat and runs into the last person on Pern she wanted to meet
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 7 of Turn 3

Kaiafel covered his mouth to smother his giggles as he heard the door open and saw the Weyrwoman's feet in the gap between the floor and the bottom of the desk. He tried to sit still and not make a noise, but he couldn't stop giggling! Luckily he had thought to cover his mouth, so of course she would not be able to hear him.

Jaela knew that giggle anywhere but she walked in and closed her office door, sighing dramatically. "All _alone_ at last...what will I do now that I've got absolutely no company?!"

A small snort came from under the desk. Kaiafel clasped his other hand across his nose. Maybe she hadn't noticed.

Jaela perched on her desk, grinning. The little weyrbrat was under it, no question. "Wow, the cook's making my favorite sweet rolls and I've go _no_ one to share them with because all the big riders actually like to eat food..." She let out another dramatic sigh, slipped off the desk and headed for the door. "It's so lonely being Weyrwoman!"

Suddenly Jaela's idea sounded even more appealing than jumping out and scaring her! Kaiafel released his mouth and cried, "Wait! Wait! I like sweet rolls!" He popped his head up from behind her desk and looked at her pleadingly.

Jaela turned around, gasping. "Kaiafel, I had no idea you were here!"
She had to all but bite her lip to keep from laughing at the earnest look on his face. The morning had been frought with little annoyances and normally, dealing with a child would have only added to it. But he was...different. She had no idea why, he just was.

"Can I come with you, Jaela?" he pleaded. "I'll be good, I promise!"

"Well, there are an awful lot of sweet rolls waiting for me. _Someone's_
got to help me eat them!"

"I'll help you, Jaela," Kaiafel declared boldly as he walked out from behind the desk and reached for her hand.

She took his hand in return and tried to ignore the fact that it was a lot more dirty than it should be before he ate _anything_, including sweet rolls. Well, the cook could be the meanie in this matter, she figured. "So, Kaiafel, Calyth tells me you helped the candidates who bathed her the other day. You're becoming quite the dragon washer!"

"Yup!" He nodded as he bounced along beside her, excited by the possibility of a treat - all the more sweet because his foster mother didn't know about it! "Some of them were new, so I helped teach them how to wash her. She's pretty big for a dragon, you know."

"Yes, I've noticed..." Jaela tone was dry as she let the boy all but drag her down the hall and down the stairs.

"How many sweet rolls can I have?" he asked, his mind returning to more important matters.

"How many can you eat without thowing up?"

The boy considered that question for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe one hundred?"

"Oh boy! You're _much_ better than I am. I'd better run and get there first or you'll eat them all!" That said, Jaela took off toward the warm, inviting doors of the kitchens. Both of them hit the doors, laughing.

Jaela abruptly skidded to a stop when she was faced with not the cook, but the last bronzerider on Pern she'd wanted to see today, a carafe of klah in one hand, a full mug in the other.

"U'kaiah...what a....surprise...Kaiafel, watch the mug, it's _full_" She winced watching the boy cling to his Da's legs like a sea creature.

"Careful, son," U'kaiah laughed as he lifted the mug and took a long sip to lessen the danger. He winced as it went down hotter than he'd like.
His voice was a bit hoarse as he looked up at Jaela, "Well, Weyrwoman.
I'm surprised to bump into you two here."

"Jaela said I can have sweet rolls!" the boy chimed cheerfully as he lifted his face from his leg to smile up at his father.

"I found him hidin---um...waiting for me in my office and figured I'd better feed him. And the cook spoils me." She shrugged. "I'm assuming it's okay?" U'kaiah might not want to spend time with her, but his son seemed not to mind...and amazingly, she didn't mind either.

"Sweet rolls? You didn't tell me there were sweet rolls," the bronzerider called teasingly to the cook over his shoulder. He looked down at his son's face. "Well, all right, I suppose you could have some sweet rolls if the Weyrwoman says you should."

"Do you want sweet rolls too?" the boy asked helpfully. "Jaela, can Da have some sweet rolls too?"

"That all depends." Jaela cocked her head and looked up at U'kaiah. "Do you have a sweet tooth, bronzerider?"

"A notorious one, Weyrwoman," he replied. "And I am willing to share my pot of klah with you. But not you, young man," he said as he looked down at Kaiafel, now sitting on his foot and practically begging for a ride. "You should drink something a bit better for you."

He wrinkled his nose as he looked up at the face towering above him. "I don't like klah anyway. Let's go Da!"

"Yes, let's _go_ before they disappear!" Jaela grabbed the carafe of klah. "Someone wants a ride, bronzerider..." And for once, it wasn't even _her_...

Last updated on the October 7th 2005

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Sweet Tooth