To Friends, Old And New

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 17th May 2011

Characters: T'nom, Meledei
Description: Tanom sees Meledei returning to the Weyr and the spend some time together.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 21 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Tiernan

T'nom

Elleth performed a perfect landing, a delicate feat that Meledei fount
no other dragon could come close to doing with such grace and
elegance. She patted her gold's hide and leaned forward to give a
kiss before undoing her straps and dismounting.

**That was a pleasant trip.** She commented to the gold as her hands
ran along the long, slender neck.

Elleth craned her neck, eyes whirling brightly. }:Indeed. He is a
pleasant man. I think he likes you.:{

**Well, I like him. Just not like that. It's only the second time we've
met.**

}:True. But that does not mean that friendship can't be formed in
such a short time.:{

What Elleth said was true and Meledei felt that's where they were
going. Friendship. Yes, that's what she needed more of right now.

Tanom just happened to be crossing the bowl when he'd seen the golden
Elleth coming down to land so beautifully. With a smile on his face he
walked in their direction. Pausing before Elleth, he bowed and spoke.
"Good day, Elleth. You were flying beautifully today."

"You're always so formal, Tanom." Meledei laughed, but it was a good
natured sound. She climbed down from her dragon and moved closer to her
friend. "What are you up to?"

"I was actually just on my way back from delivering a piece someone had
commissioned." It hadn't been his usual fare of furniture, but rather a
small wood carving that Tanom had spent countless candlemarks working on.
"And I'm not formal, just that Elleth _is_ a queen after all," he grinned
towards her. "So what about you, what were you up to?"

"Oh, I just came from a hold I was visiting. Just wanted to get out for a
while." And it had been a rest day which meant that she didn't have much
to
worry about except making sure Elleth was clean and oiled if it required
it
- and fed. "I should commission something from you. I mean, I know how
to
do carvings but I'm nowhere near the level of an actual crafter."

"I'd be happy to make something for you, little lass," Tanom replied,
smiling gently at her. In fact, maybe he should craft her a piece as a
gift. That thought gave him a moment's pause as he wondered why he hadn't
thought of it sooner. "Do you have something in mind? I mean, if you do I
can see what I can come up with." He looked to her and Elleth, "are you
headed somewhere now?"

Meledei wrinkled her nose. "I'm not _that_ much younger than you." She
reached out to slap him lightly with a glove she had just removed. "I
don't
know. I thought about commissioning some furniture for _me_ since all I
have is stuff other people have used - and some of it's been used longer
than others!" Like that armchair with a rip in the back. That was why it
remained against a wall.

"Oh, well, that can be arranged easily enough. You should stop by the
workshop sometime. Maybe we can work on some plans for what you have in
mind." Tanom smiled easily at her, not at all distressed by her reaction
to the nickname he liked to tease her with. "Can I walk with you somewhere?
I'm pretty much done for the next candlemark or so. Well, unless you don't
want company, that is." His brow furrowed a bit at that thought, hoping he was
intruding on some other plans she might have had.

"And what do you have going on that keeps you so busy on a rest day?"
Meledei's eyes darted up as she eyed the woodsmith. "I mean, really
Tanom, you should be enjoying yourself a _little_ on a rest day. Why don't you
come and have some wine at my weyr or something."

He shrugged, "I dunno. I get tired of being around all the candidates,
especially the new, young, overly excited ones. Working in the workshop
_is_
fun for me at those times." He paused and reached behind her shoulders to
give her a little squeeze. "I guess I could handle a glass of wine with
you," he winked at her.

Tired. Meledei knew it was more than just being around the enthusiasm.
He'd lost his own. He'd stood so many times and had been left standing
so many times, he'd gotten the idea he would _never_ Impress. That wasn't
true. Meledei just _knew_ he would. He just had to be patient a little
longer. "Good." She grinned and pulled away from him, then motioned for
Tanom to follow her. "I enjoy company." Even if she had already had
company for that day, she didn't mind more. "And it will get you away
from those other candidates!"

"Alright," Tanom replied, allowing her to lead the way. He walked beside
her comfortably, much more so than he was with any of the candidates that he
shared the barracks with. Perhaps he should ask for one of the craft weyrs
after this hatching. He was truly tired of having to be subjected to some
of their eagerness. "So, tell me about your trip today? You said you were
visiting a hold?"

"Yes, actually, I was." Meledei hadn't expected to run into someone she
knew there either, but she had. It had been pleasant. He was lonely too,
that much had been made obvious - and she could understand. "Had a nice
chat with a Captain of a ship."

}:You have me.:{

**And without you, I would die.** There was nothing she'd ever said that
was so true. But there was still that need for human companionship.

}:You have friends.:{ Elleth reminded her and Meledei smiled over at
Tanom.

**Yes.** She stated back, **Yes, I do.**

"That sounds great, Mel. You always do meet new people easily. Not like
me," Tanom replied wondering when he saw that certain expression on her face
what she and Elleth spoke of. He'd come to realize that look meant she was
communicating with her dragon. **What _would_ that feel like?** He
wondered, before pushing that thought back with a sigh, **You're probably never
going to find out,** he told himself, already resigned to the fact that he would
likely be passed over once more. He'd promised Meledei he'd stay until
Elleth's first hatching, but beyond that...well he'd already decided he
would leave. Why would he want to stay somewhere that would only remind
him that he had failed in Impressing a dragon?

"I like people." Well, most people. There were _some_ people Meledei
didn't like, but she just avoided them. She led the way through the bowl
and to her Weyr. It wasn't a far trek and it helped stretch her legs
after the flight - though that hadn't been long either. She slipped into her
weyr, Elleth already there, leaving Tanom behind to close the door. "I'm
going to get her unstrapped and then we can have something to drink." She
called back as she moved onto the ledge.

"Do you need any help?" He called after her as he moved towards her
sideboard and pulled out two mugs, filling them with the water that sat in
a pitcher ready for visitors.

"Not really, but you can if you want to." It didn't take long. Meledei
had helped her father long before she had a dragon, so she was used to it.
There were so many thing she had come to appreciate after the fact -
things her father had helped her in preparing her for dragonriding. It didn't
take her long and she moved over to the sideboard and opened the side opposite
from the mugs, pulling out a bottle of wine. "Red okay?"

He set the water glasses aside. "Red is fine," Tanom replied.

Meledei poured a glass and handed Tanom his. "Have you ever been out to
see?" She asked, the thought popping into her head. "On a ship, I mean.
For more than just, say, a fishing trip?"

"No, not really," he replied. "I was too glad to get away from the hold
and take up with the woodsmith, I never really had time for a sea voyage." He
paused, looking at her questioningly, "Have you ever been to sea?" Tanom
realized he didn't know, even after all these turns, this was something he
had never even thought to ask her.

"No, I haven't." Meledei shook her head. "But Tiernan is a Captain. I
wonder if he'd be willing to take me out to sea. If I could ever get away
for more than a day. It would be interesting, just for the experience,
don't you think?"

"Oh, is that who you met today?" Tanom asked, sipping the wine she'd
offered him.

"Yes." Meledei shifted so that she could kick off her boots and then put
them up on the couch. "I mean, I can go anywhere, but I have to admit,
the idea about going on a ship is appealing regardless."

"I'd like to see how the ships are made, myself," Tanom replied. Anything
to do with the wood fascinated him. Though shipbuilding was it's own craft in
its own right, he figured that he could learn much by watching the
builders bend and use the wood in new ways. Perhaps he could even bring some of
those techniques back to his own work.

"Maybe I could take you to meet him. Or we could go to where they build
ships and see how it's done." That is if Meledei and Tanom could get away
on a day other than a rest day. That would require some juggling.

"I think I would like that Meledei," Tanom replied, raising his glass and
then adding. "How about a toast, to good friends, both old and new."

Meledei leaned forward and clinked her glass again. "I'll drink to that!"

Last updated on the May 22nd 2011

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