Assisting a Rider

Writers: Chelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 8th January 2012

Characters: P'nal, Paetri
Description: Paetri comes to help P'nal with some errands and chores.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: U'kaiah, G'nir, Hygalia, Tatitem

Coming down from Jodeth, he gave his brown a pat as he walked towards
the Lower Caverns and the entrance to his office. They were supposed
to be sending a candidate to help him get some chores done today and
he was glad of it. **Where was that list?** Starting to look, he
scrambled hides on his desk.

Even with the map that another candidate had courteously given her, it took
Paetri longer than it should to get to the office that she had been
directed to. It was not a good start to her first sevenday! She was
certain that her tardiness would not be looked lightly upon.

Wringing her hands nervously as she approached what she believed to be
the proper place, she took a deep breath, swallowed, and rapped
lightly on the door.

"Aye who's there?" he asked, though he likely knew.

She took another deep breath and answered. "Candidate Paetri, I'm
looking for Brownrider, P'nal?" She knew enough not to open the door
on her own. For all she knew, this was not P'nal's office and she did
not want to intrude unnecessarily.

"Come in then candidate." He smiled to himself. If she were concerned
about rank, she would have known he was a wingsecond. Poor thing.

Opening the door slowly, Paetri stuck her head in at first, and then
stepped in, her eyes downward. Her hands behind her, the fingers white
knuckled as they twined within each other, she spoke softly. "I
apologize for being late, Brownrider...I am new to the Weyr and did
not know my way. "

"Look at me when you speak please." He waited for her to obey his
order before speaking. "Welcome to Dragonsfall. You may address me as
P'nal. What is your name then?"

Paetri's eyes immediately jerked upwards as a flush colored her
cheeks. Her voice remained reserved and respectful, if just a little
surprised."Uhm...thank you, P'nal. It is very different from home."
She fought the urge to lower her gaze once again, and lightly cleared
her throat. "My name is Paetri."

She quickly glanced around the office before looking back at the
vicinity of his face, but pointedly not in his eyes. "I was told I was
to help you today?"

"Aye, there are some things I need doing." He went back to his desk to
that list he had searched for. "Where are you from then?" Usually he
could place accents, but sometimes with the younger ones it was
harder.

Paetri nibbled once again on her lower lip while watching him. "I hope
I can help." She was surprised they had sent her. She knew next to nothing
about her surroundings. Perhaps this was a fast and furious approach to
getting accustomed to the Weyr? "Just a small cothold near Amber Hills
Hold. It's not much."

"Ahh here's what I needed." He turned back and gave her the list. "I
need some wing records pulled in the records room and brought here.
Then, there's filing to do." He looked over at her, thinking. "Have
you been around a dragon yet?"

Paetri's brows rose as she paused and took the list, her eyes quickly
scanning it before looking back in his direction. "Only the dragon
that searched me."

Pulling her thick braid over her shoulder she tugged it lightly, her
fingers playing in the braid. "Uhm…I'm sorry, P'nal, but I don't yet
know where the records room is. If you could perhaps show me where it
is on this map?" Her expression apologetic, and slightly embarrassed,
she handed him the slip of paper that she had been given to find her
way to him. "I'm afraid that I really don't know my way around too
well just yet. I'm trying to learn of course…" She trailed off and
nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"No, I understand." He remembered the days after he'd first come to the
Weyr. It had taken a bit of time before he felt comfortable. She was a girl
so it would likely be worse for her. "The Records Room is always off to the
side of the Weyrwoman's weyr in most Weyrs. Ours is here." He pointed.
Once she got those things done, he was thinking she could easily assist
him with Jodeth's chores. The new candidates needed to get to know the
dragons after all.

Relieved, Paetri took the slip of paper from him and looked at it, brows
furrowed as she turned both the map and herself slightly to get her bearings.
She then looked at the list and back at P'nal, and questioned softly, "One
last thing, Rider P'nal, and I will be on my way. Will there be someone
there to help me find these records, or shall I look myself?"

"There may be a harper in, but if not it's easy enough to find the ones I
want. The shelves are marked. Shells knows if I can find them, anyone can
really." He remembered the little incident with U'kaiah, shrugging it off.

Paetri nodded to herself and carefully rolled the list to tuck it into the
pouch at her side. "I'll return as soon as possible."

As she stepped out of the office, she gazed at the map and glanced at the
passage. **That way first...** She started walking, flicking her gaze to the
map and to her surroundings as she went. **Maybe not so different. Fetch
and carry just as I did for Mum and Da. It's just getting used to this place, it's
so huge...**

On went the inner dialogue, comparing the much larger Weyr to her small
cothold. **So many people. Do they all know each other?** She noted that
most of the people she passed barely looked at the knots on her shoulder;
some inclined their head in greeting, the others appeared far too busy to
acknowledge her. **I suppose they don't. Surely that can't be possible. Even
for the Headwoman, or the Weyrwoman. **

Turning again as per the map, and then again, it was with a sigh of relief
when Paetri found the door she was looking for. Opening it carefully, she
peeked in and cleared her throat. The records lined the walls, but there was
no one to be found, and certainly no resident Harper. "Fardles." She scratched
behind her ear and blew a stray strand of hair from her brow. **No help for
it I suppose. It shouldn't be that difficult...**

It wasn't. Though not formally educated, Paetri was intelligent with a quick
mind. She found the needed files quickly. As she gathered what she needed,
she gave a slight smile. **Not so difficult at all. This isn't so bad, so
far.**

Clasping the records in her arms, she carefully walked back, making note of
the needed turns in the passages before she finished back at P'nal's office.

Adjusting her burden carefully, yet unable to knock with her hands so full,
she lightly tapped on the door with her toe.

"Come in," he called as he finished signing some hides he needed to send on
to G'nir. Some of them were discipline orders, though he hated that part of
his duties. Seeing the girl back already, he nodded to himself. She was a
capable thing for sure. "Please set them there." He gestured to the worktable.

Paetri laid the bundle of hides down on the table and stepped back, patting
the dust from her hands. She waited for a moment, then spoke. As always her
voice was quiet and unassuming. "You wanted me to file some things for you?"

"You see that small pile over there of rider records? Those need to go in
that cabinet there in alphabetical order." Said cabinet was actually marked.

"Of course." Paetri gathered up the small pile, saying nothing of the disorder
they were most definitely in. She worked quietly, not wanting to disturb P'nal
from the hides he was currently busy with. It was not difficult work; as the pile
grew smaller, a slight smile came to her face.

"You do good work. Thank you for your assistance today," he offered as he
continued with the hides he'd been going through.

She turned to look at him and gave a slight curstey in thanks. "You are welcome,
P'nal."

Last updated on the January 18th 2012

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Assisting a Rider