Old Friends, Unwanted Memories

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 12th March 2008

Characters: K'hetah, Zelle
Description: Zelle, an old friend from K'hetah's former weyr comes to deliver a message, but makes a side trip to visit with him.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 4

The dark-haired bronzerider jogged down the stairs into the dining cavern, his stride breaking for a moment as he caught sight of a familiar face in the small crowd who were, like him, late for the midday meal. With a smile he crossed the wide cavern to stand close behind the greenrider, waiting for her to notice him.

Zelle stood, hands on her hips, standing on her tiptoes from time to time as she searched. Of course, it was possible that he wasn't there at all, but she might as well look before she got something to eat.
She stiffened when she felt a presence behind her and turned. Her frown turned into a smile and threw her arms around him in a warm embrace.
"K'hetah! There you are! I was wondering if you would be here! I was going to get something to eat and hunt you down, but you've saved me the trouble!"

The bronzerider hugged the slightly-built woman back, releasing her and peering over her shoulder at the range of food. "Looks like there's enough left for two hungry dragonriders." He gathered up a plate and started serving himself. "What brings you down here?"

"I'm playing messenger at the moment." Zelle took a plate and began picking out food for herself. "Ah, the life of a messenger. I have to deliver it to the weyrleader, but he was occupied so I decided to grab myself something to eat until he was free. Of course, I wouldn't have left without visiting you."

"I'm flattered," K'hetah said, slightly surprised to find he meant it.
He thought, from the vantage of his the months spent at Dolphin Cove Weyr that he was pleased to have cut all ties with his former Weyr but Zelle's unexpected appearance had brought with it a pang of homesickness. "This smoked fish is great," he said, helping himself to the patter set on a bed of ice.

"Is it?" Zelle plopped a bit of fish onto her plate, followed by a heap of tubers. "So how do you like it here? What have you been up to, besides fighting thread, that is? I want to hear all the details!
Don't leave out a thing!"

"Besides fighting Thread ..." He made a show of thinking hard, but then relented. "Honestly? Nothing else."

"You are so very dull." Zelle waggled a fork at him. "You need to learn how to relax. Come on, let's find a place to sit."

"There's no shortage of places to sit," K'hetah pointed out. Normally he would have done the sociable thing and sat with any other riders attending the late meal, but this time he steered Zelle to another table, giving them some privacy. Dolphin Cove didn't need to know all of his business and no doubt the greenrider would get around to mentioning it. "But relaxing - Oh, have I ever been relaxing."

"Oh really?" Zelle slid into her seat, both eyebrows raised. "Do tell, do tell. What mischief have you been creating here?"

"I arrived, found my desk, chose the best weyr in the Weyr, and have done absolutely nothing else. Wingleader stuff," he added belatedly.
"But nothing apart from that." He grinned at his companion. "I know it's a hard concept for _you_ to understand."

"Perhaps I should transfer here to liven up your life." Zelle stabbed her fork in a tuber. "You sound like you need some excitement in your life."

"I have had enough 'excitement' to last me two lives. Even you must be able to see that."

"I suppose. Don't you ever get bored, though? All work, no play?"
Zelle twirled her fork a couple of times before stuffing the tuber into her mouth.

"Nope. Relaxed, peaceful, quiet. _Private._"

"Relaxed. I suppose relaxed is good." Zelle shook her head. "You really ought to open yourself up more, you know."

"I really ought to have my sanity tested - listening to life advice from Zelle. Luckily I'm not listening to her," he said firmly, digging his fork into his vegetables and making a show of ignoring the greenrider.

"You can be so dull." Zelle shook her head then paused a moment before clearing her throat and asking. "So...heard anything about Prishta?"

The bonzerider's head jerked back as if he had been hit. "No - and I don't want to. Not a word."

"Not even about the baby?"

"Not one more word, Zelle," K'hetah warned.

"Sorry, sorry!" Zelle through her hands up in a defensive gesture. "I should probably go and find the weyrleader anyway. Want to get together before I have to head back?"

Before Zelle's last few comments he might have been tempted, having only realised when he had seen her in the dining cavern that he did miss some of the people from his former Weyr. But now - Now he had remembered why he hadn't sought out any of his old friends. "I'll probably be busy," he said easily. "So perhaps next time."

"Okay then." Zelle stood, offering a smile to her friend. "Catch you later, and clear skies." With that, she turned and headed out of the dining hall.

Last updated on the March 12th 2008

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Old Friends, Unwanted Memories