Just Another Day on the Job

Writers: Heather K, Len
Date Posted: 20th August 2011

Characters: E'ril, Sh'del
Description: The two Weyrlingmasters escape from the Weyrlings for a bit
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 6 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, H'well, G'len

"Great, that's just great." Sh'del sighed and watched Trouble race
through the notes E'ril had just placed on the desk, looking more like
a mischievous kitten than the fire lizard she was. The tiny green
stopped for a moment, looked at all the tattered paper and squealed
before jumping in the air and leaping back on the pile, shredding them
further with her front talons.

"If you're a wise man, you'll never let someone con you into taking
one of these nuts." He nodded to Trouble, glanced once more at all
the hard work she had destroyed in the space of moments and sighed
again.

"Oh no, I would never think of it. If I ever dream otherwise I'll just
find Trouble here. She'll set me straight." Once the tiny green had had
her fun and vanished E'ril began reorganizing his papers. It wasn't long
before he echoed Sh'del's sigh with one of his own. "Do you wanna get out
of here for a bit? I just think that if I have to read through one more
report or formation I may just loose my mind. Yep, walk right out that
door and never look back."

"I do believe a beer...or five...is calling us." Sh'del cocked his
head to one side, pretending he was listening for something. "Come
on, let's get out of here whilst we still have the chance." At that
moment, Trouble came back with friends. They all circled around the
desk before dive bombing the papers.

Like sneaky teenagers, the two grown men made their way out of the
office and of the Weyrling Barracks unseen. This was a feat in itself
as there was always someone around who needed something. "You know I've
been doing this job for Turns now and I cannot honestly recall ever being
this busy. It's like they multiply at night or something. I've only just
now learned all their names."

"They mock us with their numbers," Sh'del teased, breathing out a
sigh of relief when they made it into the Dinning Hall without so much
as one 'oh sir, can you help me with...'. Eying the drinks on offer,
he asked, "so what'll you have then?"

"Oh just a beer for me, thank you. Whatever they've got available really,"
he answered. Once they had their drinks they moved to a table that was the
obvious choice for such wanted men. A small table in the back was available
and E'ril was thankful for it. "If all our charges are where they should be
right now, we should be good here for oh, half a candlemark?"

"You're an optimistic man, that's what I like about you." Sh'del
hoped they could snatch so much as an half a candlemark to themselves.
"Drink up, it might make our night easier!"

E'ril chuckled lightheartedly as he clinked his glass against Sh'del's.
He was glad he got allow with the man so well. At times it didn't seem
like Sh'del was even his superior in rank. E'ril liked the sense of
camaraderie they shared as well as their jokes. "When you've been doing
this job as long as I have you have to stay optimistic. Otherwise there's
just too much doom and gloom floatin' around."

"Yeah, how long have you been doing it?" Sh'del shook his head.
"I've only been here, what--two months?--and I'm ready to drink myself
to death." Though the words were serious, his tone was joking.

"If I've learned anything from these kids it's to have patience. Without
that I would drive myself /between/ every hatching," his tone took on the
same humor that Sh'del's had. He took another drink from his glass and
continued. "No but it has been a few Turns now."

"Ever think of asking for a promotion? That G'len, he's never around,
it'd be nice to have someone who is." Sh'del glanced at him over
his pint, liking the man infinitely more than the greenrider.

The truth was, E'ril had been considering it. He hadn't intended to stay
an Assistant forever and a promotion would be nice for a change of pace.
Besides, it would be seamless. The Weyrlings already came to him with their
troubles more often than not and he obviously had the good word in from
Sh'del. "You're right. Maybe I should ask. Worst that could happen is I get
turned down right? G'len seems too detached from the job, he doesn't appear
to take it seriously. I think I'll schedule a meeting with H'well."

"H'well? Can you find him? Good luck with that one, mate." Sh'del
shook his head before taking another long drink.

"Indeed. Well, I'll talk to somebody. Probably N'vanik. I _know_ he's around.
Maybe that's why this clutch seems so busy. We're the only two running the
place," he laughed at the thought. Just the two of them being overrun by a
horde of creeling weyrlings, dragon and human alike. He drowned the terrifying
image with a long drink for his glass.

"If only we could turn Trouble into another assistant to help us,
that'd be wonderful." It did seem like the two of them were on their
own more times than not. "If that N'vanik has another huge clutch
like this, I'm all for dragging his arse down to help us."

"I don't know if 'wonderful' is the word I would use to describe Trouble
becoming an assistant or even human for that matter. Judging from the scene
we just left, that just seems like more work," the bluerider visibly shuddered
at the thought. As to Sh'del's second comment E'ril replied, "Here, here! He
may be all proud of them and feeling all fuzzy inside but wait until he has to
clean up their dung. Not so cute now are they?"

Sh'del chuckled at the thought of his flit as a person. "Well, if
she_were_to become human, the first thing I'd do would be to throw her
right under N'vanik. It'd serve them both right." Holding up his
empty glass he added, "you want another? I somehow don't think one
pint is going to help me keep my sanity through the night."

"A sound theory," he replied and handed his glass over. When Sh'del
returned, he drank deeply. "Smoother than the first somehow. I don't
know what this 'sanity' is you speak of, Sh'del. We must both be mad
to think of what we do as a sound profession. We can't be satisfied
with risking our own lives, oh no. We have to train others to risk theirs."
A little dark humor to be sure but E'ril was confident Sh'del wouldn't mind
the joke.

"Yeah well, if that H'jarell's green has_another_night of tummy
troubles I'm all for throwing them at the next Threadfall." Sh'del
grinned darkly. "That boy's voice can crack glass, I swear..." He
shook his head at the irresponsible weyrbrat and his over dramatic
ways.

E'ril's skin crawled at the thought of the boy's voice. He hadn't thought
it was possible for a man's voice to be so shrill. "We should test that
sometime I think. I think it's your turn to deal with that one though. I've
got watch duty on the girl's side. The girls are worse than the boys when it
comes to sneaking around at night. I don't know where they get the energy for
their attempted escapades. Maybe we're just not working them hard enough."

"We_could_make it all worse for them," Sh'del muttered. "More drills
maybe?" It actually didn't mind the boy's side as there were a couple
of girls who had gotten into their heads that he was more of a push
over than E'ril here and flirted at any opportunity with him. Staring
at his empty glass, he mused, "I suppose we should think about heading
back..."

"Hmm...I suppose we should do that. Just a moment though, maybe this will
help." He drained his glass, jokingly inspecting the bottom for more. "All
gone and I feel slightly more able to deal with _them_." E'ril stood up,
stretched, and waved a hand at Sh'del. He yawned as he said, "After you, boss."

"Oh yeah, make me lead us back to our fates." He stood up and sighed
once more at the prospect that was waiting for them. "Wonder if
Trouble stopped at the papers or just kept going." He half hoped she
had trashed the entire office. That at least would be an excuse to
have a breather.

"Nah, she looked like she was just having too much fun. I assure you, your
office will be in tatters when we return." E'ril sighed. "Just another day on
the job. You see to that and I'll get the kids started on...well something
constructive. Probably clean their rooms. Either way, I'll check in on you
in a few candlemarks. Thanks for the drink." He clapped his coworker on the
shoulder and made for the Weyrling Barracks.

Last updated on the September 2nd 2011

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Just Another Day on the Job