Friendly Chatter and Whispered Worries

Writers: Suzee, Ames
Date Posted: 13th February 2011

Characters: Cardella, K'ale
Description: K'ale and Cardella have a nice chat over a meal until some others ruin their fun
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 5
Notes: Note: Takes place just before Is This the End

Cardella

K'ale

K'ale was tired, but then he was always tired. In the mornings after a
few shoveled mouthfuls of whatever was ready he'd be feeding Imalkyth
until his belly was full. That seemed to be taking longer to top him
off but thankfully not as many times a day.

Now, they'd just gotten out of class and he almost felt like he was
sleepwalking to the dining cavern for his lunch. He grabbed a hurried
few pieces of bread, fruit and a meatpie then juice and headed to one
of the tables nearby to shove it down.

"You know, your food will taste better if you actually notice it,"
Cardella said with a giggle as she approached. "Can I join you?" She
indicated the chair at the table even as she set her tray down on the
table. Even as she slid into the chair, she couldn't quite suppress a
yawn that escaped her. "I guess we're all feeling the effects of
caring for a growing dragon. I thought that with the busier schedule I
was used to before things might be easier, but," she stopped, "this is
still a crazy schedule we have to follow. I swear Awenth wants to eat
all the time or if not that, then she wants something else!"

He looked up almost resentfully at her giggle. "Sure" he said waiving
at the chair. "l was a smith and thought I was prepared too." he shook
his head with a rueful laugh "Now I hurt in places I didn't even know
I had places, and Imalkyth eats more than I ever though possible."
then he chuckled and sang a snatch of a song his father used to use as
lullaby when he was little. "Eat and sleep, eat and sleep, that's how
dragons grow."

He looked at Cardella with a crooked smile. "Sorry about the horrible voice."

She smiled at his song. "That sure fits though. Eat and sleep. I
wonder when that will change. I know I can't wait for the days when I
don't feel tired all the way down to my bones." She picked up her
spoon and eagerly started eating her own food. She felt like she
herself had eaten nearly twice what she used to, yet she didn't feel
as though she'd put on weight. Rather, Cardella felt muscles move in
her body in places she hadn't had them before. Little did she realize
how much her body was changing. The somewhat awkward and ungainly girl
she thought she was was changing into a more toned and fit young lady,
one ready to ride adragonback.

"My Da said its gradual and your time gets filled up with other
duties." He bit into the meat pie and rolled his eyes. "I wish they
tasted like yours." he said. He wouldn't deny her the Impression for
anything but she was such a good baker he surely missed her cooking.

"I wish sometimes I had a da here to talk such things over with,"
Cardella sighed, looking away for a moment. She loved her new life,
but she had loved her father as well. She missed him. Perhaps once she
and Awenth could fly she'd be allowed to visit with him more often.
She turned back with a smile at his compliment.

"I actually miss the kitchens sometimes. The work was far different
than the constant oiling, feeding, and work of being a rider. Maybe
someday I'll be able to find a balance to do both. Who knows?" She
shrugged a bit. Cardella didn't think it was truly likely to happen.
Most of the riders were fairly busy all the time, but she knew that
sometimes they had time to work on their craft. Perhaps she could
sneak into the kitchens during those times and dig her hands into the
dough that she missed.

"Hey," he said and reached out to rub her neck a little and pulling
her in for a hug. Cardella was one of his best friends and he didn't
like seeing her sad. "You'll get back there when Awenth is older.
You'll have more time to bake and I'll blow you some pretty bowls to
put your creations in."

She leaned into his hug, finding that she enjoyed it far more than she
cared to admit.

"I would like that, the baking and the bowls, I mean," she added with
a smile. "It's a shame I can't have my own little oven in my weyr
someday, but I don't think that's ever been done before." She could
dream though, couldn't she? It would be nice to make her own little
treats when she wanted without having to interfere with the work
happening in the kitchens. **Someday, just maybe,** she told herself.

He smiled. "Maybe not but I'll bet you could get a weyr really near
the kitchens so you can come down whenever you want!" He knew the
people in the kitchens loved Cardella. Every one including his da were
complaining about the pies since she'd impressed.

Cardella really brightened at that suggestion. It was definitely a
good compromise.

"That would be a good idea. I like it. I'd like it even more if I knew
my closest friends were nearby as well!" She smiled at K'ale, noticing
how his golden brown eyes seemed to glimmer and shine with a friendly
warmth that made her heart skip a beat. **He's one of your best
friends, silly. You can't think of him like _that_.**

A voice behind him became noticeable by it's theatrical whisper. "Is
that her?" and another voice whispered back something about J'nev.
K'ale looked around and saw to riders smiling smarmy smiles in their
direction.

"Let's get out of here." he said with a bright smile at Cardella and
grabbed both their trays to hustle her out of the room before she
heard the stupid fools.

Cardella looked at K'ale with a question in her eyes. Why did he want
to leave so suddenly? "Is everything okay?" She asked him, thinking
perhaps something was wrong.

That was when she heard the voices and caught the looks from the
others behind K'ale. "You know J'nev sleeps with all the girls, and I
hear he's _good_. How could she think he actually _wanted_ her!" The
girl snorted and added with a bit of a crude hand gesture. "I'd take
J'nev any day for a good romp between the furs."

Cardella's face fell and she quickly looked down at the table as she
tried to hid her expression from K'ale. "Maybe...maybe we should
leave," she whispered at the table.

"Good idea." he said. He hated when people discussed another persons
affairs right in front of them with no thought of how it could hurt.
"Come on," he put a hand under her elbow to help her up and threw a
glare in the the direction of the others.

Cardella nodded and allowed K'ale to lead her from the room. Her
thoughts were a jumble and all she wanted was to get away. Too many
people had been saying things about J'nev that left her wondering and
uncertain and this little episode only added fuel to the fire.

Last updated on the March 21st 2012

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Friendly Chatter and Whispered Worries