Late night entertaiment

Writers: Paula, Eimi
Date Posted: 21st June 2010

Characters: Aileyan, U'kaiah, Ravyan
Description: U'kaiah faces one of his toughest challenges - a two-turn-old!
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 15 of Turn 5

U'kaiah must have worn Aileyan out completely, he thought, as she still
lightly snored curled up in his arms. But the lightest sound had seemed
to rouse him from his sleep. What exactly was that? It wasn't an
animal. It wasn't a natural dragon sound. It certainly wasn't the
scurrying of a tunnel snake. What was that? he wondered as his ears
listened intently.

There it was again! A kind of... cooing sound. A babbling almost...
Like... a baby... "Aileyan," he said softly, moving his arm up to her
shoulder. "Aileyan?"

He had obviously done a thorough job, because she was out like a century
old glow. Well, there was nothing to be done, then. Carefully pulling
his arm out from under her, he rolled over the other side of the bed.
He pulled on his britches before he lightly padded across the cool stone
floor to the door. "Ravyan?" he whispered.

The little boy peered out of his alcove, his favourite stuffed toy
tightly pressed agaist his chest. "Momma?"

"Not exactly," U'kaiah chuckled softly as he walked over to the little
tot's bed. "She's still sleeping, so let's not wake her, all right?"

Ravyan just watcher him, not sure how to react to him. He was familiar
enough not to frighten the boy.

The bronzerider had spent plenty of time around him, usually with his
own son there to entertain him while he and Aileyan could sit back and
chat while they watched them play. U'kaiah had not been involved in
Kaiafel's life really until he entered harper classes. He wasn't
accustomed to such small children, though he liked them well enough.
But for all that he could lead a Wing into battle against Thread, he
wasn't quite sure what to do with an awake two-turn-old in the middle of
the night. "That's a nice... animal," he said, pointing to the toy the
little boy held in this hand.

"Dlagon," he corrected and crammed it's pawn into his mouth. It already
looked rather soddy and well-eaten, so little more would make no
difference.

"Ah, yes," U'kaiah said, sitting down on the bed next to the boy. "It
is a... Dlagon." He pulled it's tail gently. "Does he have a name?"

"Dago," Ravyan replied pulling the toy out his mouth. "Huggie?" he
asked, reaching out with his arms and looking the most appealing and
cute as he could.

It was certainly adorable, though U'kaiah felt a little awkward being so
affectionate with a little boy who hardly knew him. He was half afraid
as he leaned down to Ravyan and put his hands round his back that he
would let out a scream and not only wake Aileyan, but also have to
explain just what he was doing to her child.

Ravyan just cuddled closer and spread some drool on him.

The smile U'kaiah gave him was a little forced. He hadn't bothered to
put on his shirt, and the wet spot on his chest was a little
uncomfortable. Looking around for something to wipe it off with, he
finally settled on the toy the boy was so fond of. "May I borrow that
for a second?" he asked, using the tail to catch the worst of the
dribble. "Here." The bronzerider tuned the tail on the boy and cleaned
around his mouth. It was an improvement to the situation, at least.
"There. Isn't that better?"

"Mine!" the boy pulled the toy fiercely back.

"Ok, ok," U'kaiah held his hands up to show he wasn't trying to steal it
from him. "It's your dragon. Just don't cry, ok?"

Ravyan started to suck the toy again.

Well, at least with that thing in his mouth Ravyan wouldn't be making
that awful sound again. U'kaiah sighed deeply. "So now what, huh?"

"Stoly?" Ravyan asked, his voice muffled by Dago.

"A stoly?" Surely he must know at least one... But every story that
came to mind had evil men, searing Thread, or angry wherries. He was
sure those would not be good for a child of two needing to sleep soon.
"Do you have a book?" he asked hopefully.

Ravyan shook his head. This man was boring, he decided and started to
crawl out of the bed. "Momma!" he called.

"How about a song?" U'kaiah quickly offered. "Do you like songs?"

Ravyan gave him a long look. No, he wanted his mother. "Momma!" he
tottered across the weyr.

"Wait, wait, wait..." the bronzerider whispered softly as he quickly
followed after him. "Stoly? You want a stoly? I know a stoly. I know
a stoly about a _dragon_. You like dragon's, right?"

"Dlagon's best," Ravyan declared.

"That's right," U'kaiah nodded emphatically. "They are the best. So
come on back here. I tell you a story about a dragon. Just get back in
the bed."

Ravyan gave last longing look towards his mother's bed and the walked
back, climbing up to his bed. He turned his bright, alert eyes to
U'kaiah with expecting look on his little face. He had his mother's eyes,
large and dark brown.

The bronzerider found the gaze rather intimidating. "Right. A story
about a dragon. A story about a dragon named... Dagon." That was the
name the boy seemed to like. "So... once upon a time... there was a
dragon named Dagon. And he lived in a Weyr. A very big Weyr with many
dragons. And he loved to eat..." Wherries? Herdbeasts? Bubblies?
"What do you think he loved to eat?"

"Meat!" Didn't this man know anything?

Well, this was the first time a two-turn old looked at him like he was
stupid, U'kaiah thought. "That's right. He loved meat. So he decided
he wanted to go hunting. So he flew high in the sky. And he flew and
he flew until he saw an animal. What kind of animal do you think he
saw?"

"Whelly" Ravyan was bouncing in excitement.

"That's right!" He stretched his arms wide. "A biiiiiiiiiig wherry!
But Dagon is bigger than a wherry, isn't he?"

Ravyan nodded.

U'kaiah stood up, arms still out spread. "So Dagon flew high in the sky
over that big old wherry. He wanted to eat it for his lunch. But that
wherry saw Dagon flying over him, so he tried to fly further and faster.
But Dagon is the best dragon ever. He was too smart for that wherry.
So he moved, this way," the bronzerider leaned to the right, then pulled
back to the left as if he were gliding on his mighty wings. "And they
he swooped this way! And do you know what Dagon did next?"

"No, tell me, tell me!" Ravyan begged.

"He swooped down and grabbed that wherry up!" U'kaiah caught the little
boy in his long arms and lifted him over his head. "And he lifted him
high in the air, like this!"

The boy screamed with delight.

"And do you know what he did next?" he asked, eyes dramatically wide.
"Dago _ate_ the wherry!" U'kaiah pulled Ravyan back down to make
growling noises as he pretended to gnaw on his belly.

Ravyan giggled and Aileyan smiled at herself. The noise had wokened her
up. After taking a peek and seeing that U'kaiah had things under control,
she had decided to remain in bed and just watch the two of them. She
couldn't help thinking how nice it would be if Ravyan had a father
around...or just someone who could fill in as a father-figure.

Last updated on the July 7th 2010

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