To harmless payback

Writers: Ang, Mirren
Date Posted: 5th April 2012

Characters: Elona, D'ret, Saebyr, Ceton
Description: Daret realizes he's seen Elona before
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 4 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: P'nal, J'darin

It was the ponytail that finally made him realize he was following a
girl and Daret nearly turned around but seeing that particular
ponytail was nagging him. He'd seen it before but shards if he knew
where. The color wasn't particularly noticeable but it was long. He
envied girls for their long hair and he didn't realize his hand had
drifted up to his own short blond hair.

The slim hips were what he had been looking at since they were more
boyish than girlish but the hair kept throwing him off. Annoyed
enough with his musings, he jogged up to her and snuck a peek at her
face before saying, "Excuse me … do I know you?"

She turned around, startled for a moment. "Well you should," she
laughed. "I didn't come down in yesterday's snow!" She had been absent
from candidate activities, like hatchings, for nearly two turns
though. "Darel? Daren? Da...?" she searched her memory but couldn't
quite recall his name.

Daret blinked at her joke and his eyebrows rose in surprise. That
nagging feeling grew stronger as she stumbled through his name. "Daret
... " he answered absently as he racked his brain. She looked
familiar in a way a sibling would be but he was an only child. "Don't
tell me, Erisa? Ernola? Emila? No wait ... Elona!"

He broke out into a wide smile at finally figuring it out, remembering
the girl who'd arrived around the same time he had. He'd formed a
special bond with that group since it was the first time he'd been
around so many children around his age. Yes, she was older, but that
didn't matter when you're a candidate. "Where've you been? Shards
... you didn't miss much," he teased.

She tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyebrows raised as she
watched him remember. He did better than she had at least. Daret, of
course. The smile faded from her face for a moment. "I was busy. I had
a baby," how long would it be before that niggle of guilt at having a
child while unmarried left her? The smile was quickly back. "I have a
son, he's a turn old now."

This time it was Daret who had the raised eyebrows. "A son? And how
is it that I missed *that*!" he exclaimed with a quick chuckle that
ended in a cough. He wondered about the loss of a smile for a moment
but she seemed to be past it. "Oh, congratulations, right? Bet he's
a bit of a handful these days."

"At times," she laughed. "Were where you headed? I'll walk with you."
They did seem to be going in the same direction anyway.

"Oh … well, I was just … I missed my lunch due to, well, it was
something I needed to do," he said, not sure if he could trust her
with his plans for revenge against Saebyr. "So I was going to grab
some stew before our next lesson. Where were you headed?"

She didn't miss the hesitation and was curious. She wouldn't pry
though. It was his business but if he wanted to share later, she'd be
a friend and listen. "I could eat, I was heading to kitchens to see if
they needed any help anyway."

Daret smiled and offered his arm to escort her to the Dining Hall. He
didn't do it for just anyone but it was nice to connect with old
friends and he didn't care if it looked funny since they were the same
height. "Excellent, I could use the company. So what's your son's
name?" Perhaps he'd ask for her help in getting back at the bully but
he certainly didn't want her to get into trouble.

"Elonus," she replied, wondering if he would, as many others did,
notice how close it was to her own. Affairs between her and the baby's
father had not gone well and she'd chosen to keep him out of the
naming. Not to be nasty, but simply to avoid having too much of a
reminder of the heartache he'd caused her. "I heard they're making
redfruit tart for dessert today." She grinned. Who didn't like Weyr
desserts, no matter what they were?

"What a great name, but how would he elide it?" Daret asked with a
wink since that's nearly all any parent thinks of in a Weyr. It
didn't matter to him about the father since he knew more weyrbrats who
never knew their parents at all and they were just fine. "El'nus …
E'nus ... E'us … eww, not that one. And I *love* the redfruit tarts
here! Hopefully there will be enough left for us."

"His dragon will decide!" she retorted cheerfully. "Besides, El'us
will do just fine!" With a toss of her pony tail she nodded. "Of
course there will be, there always are! They don't go as fast as
bubbly pies but I think they're just as good. "So what mischief have
you been up to lately?" She was guessing, but he did have the look of
someone who knew how to find trouble.

Daret grinned at her retort and rolled his eyes. "I suppose. But it
is always fun trying to guess. El'us would be grand," he said as he
swallowed the sudden saliva pooling in his mouth at the thought of the
tarts. Of course, he nearly choked on it at her oh so innocent
question. "Mischief? What mischief? I'll have you know I'm a model
candidate," he said with his nose so far up in the air he couldn't
help but burst out laughing. "Nah, not in the least. I've had my
share … why, you up for some?"

She laughed. "I don't know. It depends. I mean, I wouldn't want to get
into trouble..." But it might be nice to have some fun. She was a
candidate again after all, it was almost expected that they'd get up
to _something_!

"Well ... all I really need is some ideas. You see, there were two
pain in the, you know, who were picking on one of my friends and I
stood up for her but ... well, I punched one of them and got caught by
Wingsecond P'nal. I've been punished," he said with a grimace, "more
than enough but I really want to get back at them. You don't have to
help with the prank itself ... unless you wanted to."

She was silent for a few minutes. "Well, that really depends what you
have in mind... I mean I don't want anyone to get hurt." That would
not be something she was interested in being involved in. "Something
embarrassing might be all right though..."

"Oh shards no ... no one will get hurt. The punch was in the heat of
the moment, I don't usually do that sort of thing," Daret said and
blushed because he was a passionate person who tended to lose control.
Sometimes that was a good thing. "Embarrassing would be good. They're
both very holdborn, if that makes sense. I was thinking of stealing
their clothes while they were bathing since they're still worried
about going around naked. But they'd see me instantly so that was
out."

Elona blushed. "That _would_ be embarrassing! I think I'd die if
anyone did that to me!" Her eyes were wide as she briefly imagined
that scene. Then she said, "You want _me_ to take their clothes?"

Daret rolled his eyes at her comment. "Oh, not you, too! You've been
here long enough not to be embarrassed. And you've had a kid. Come
on, tell me you *wouldn't* be embarrassed," he said then stopped to
turn towards her. He clapped his hands before him, setting his
fingertips on the lips of a very wide smile. "Oh, would you?! I was
going to ask Paetri but she's just too shy. I suppose I could ask her
flit, Marli, to do it but it would be so much better for you to whisk
them away without their noticing ..."

She considered for a moment. "And if I do, then what?" she didn't want
to be the only one involved in this prank! She looked him right in the
eyes, not quite trusting him.

An innocent gaze returned hers as he said, "Then I meet you out of
their sight and put the clothes on their cots. I'm not going to *do*
anything to them!" Although, it would be funny to dye them a bright
pink ... no, she probably wouldn't like that. "Honestly, Elona, what
kind of boy do you take me for?"

"One that should have been put over his father's knee and spanked more
often!" she replied with a grin. "I bet no one knows half of what you
get up to!" She stopped for a minute to laugh softly. "Fine, I'll do
it, as long as you don't tell anyone I did!"

Daret tilted his head and blinked innocently at her then started
laughing himself. "You wouldn't want to take that bet," he said with
a wink and then set his hand over his heart. "I would never divulge
your participation."

He was really excited now and as they continued on to the Dining Hall
for some of those tarts, he was mentally reviewing their upcoming
schedules. "Saebyr and Ceton won't be taking a full bath for a couple
of days, they're *so* disgusting. I'll try to get them really dirty
so they'll have to take one tomorrow morning instead. Are you
available?" he asked, not sure if Elonus would require her attention
in the mornings.

She thought for a moment. "I'm in the kitchens in the morning, but I
might be able to sneak away for a little while." She'd have to be back
in time to finish there and then from there she'd be going to help
sort out J'darin's office. The thought of him made her balk a little
bit. The Weyrlingmaster was nice to her and this didn't seem like a
good way to repay his kindness, although he would make a good alibi.
That thought made her feel even more guilty. She'd better not get
caught, she dreaded facing him if she did.

"Tell you what, I'll meet you just outside the entrance to the inner
lake once I know they're in there. If you come by and I'm not there,
just forget it, okay?" he said, sensing her reluctance and he couldn't
blame her. If this didn't work, it wasn't like he didn't have other
options.

"All right," she nodded. That would give her time to change her mind
if she was so inclined.

Daret grinned and as they entered the Dining Hall, he was quick to
grab a couple of tarts. Handing one to her, he said, "Excellent. To
harmless payback," lifting the tart and taking a big bite of the
delicious dessert.

She raised her tart as if toast and grinned before she too, bit into
its warm goodness.

Last updated on the April 11th 2012

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