Hey, Guess What?

Writers: Avery, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 25th May 2017

Characters: Z'then, A'kua, Ilyssia, Firelloa
Description: On escorting A'kua to the healers, Z'then is unexpectedly told some interesting news.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Yanley, Jessmyr, Bellarria (NPC), Genna

Ilyssia

Z'then was just coming out of a rotation at the dragonhealers' infirmary when he saw two dragons wheel out of /between/ and down to the ground. He recognized Gwynnith and Zeiranth, and altered his course to head their way, wondering what they'd been up to.

"Z'then, Z'then!" Firelloa waved an arm at the brownrider as the dragons landed. "You're not going to believe this!"

"It has been a _day_, that's for sure," Ilyssia called.

"Aye, has it ever." A'kua helped his sister down, since her other arm was clutching the tunic like it was a sack. The bronzerider came down as well, pulling off his helmet, goggles and scarf. His bangs were plastered to his forehead, and he gingerly started pulling at them.

"A'kua found a wild fire-lizard clutch! One's going to be for me!" Firelloa blurted, running up to Z'then. "I have to take these to the Headwoman, but consider yourself hugged!" She quickly passed him, grinning in utter glee.

"And I have to get to the healers," A'kua grumbled as his hair came unstuck from the scabbing.

"A fire-lizard clutch? Wow!" Z'then exclaimed, grinning at Firelloa as she bolted past. "I can walk you to the healers if you want," he offered.

"Would you please?" Ilyssia requested of her friend. "I'd really appreciate it. I don't want anything else to happen to him today."

A'kua rolled his eyes at his weyrmate. "You can just-"

Ilyssia raised a hand. "Before you say anything, remember that I probably did it last night," she said with an evil grin.

"Lys!" A'kua exclaimed, and immediately turned bright red.

The greenrider laughed at him. "Anyway, I should be examining our straps to make sure the heat didn't bake all the flexibility out of them," she went on, completely unperturbed. "So if you don't mind, Z'then?"

"I don't mind at all," Z'then said, deciding he would stay out of anything else the pair of them discussed.

"So how many eggs did you find? I guess mama gold was reaaaal mad?"

"Thanks, Z'then," Ilyssia said, and waved them inside before she, Gwynnyth, and Zeiranth took off.

"Boy was she." A'kua used his free hand to motion to the scabs on his forehead and nose, and push up his sleeve to expose the slashes on the side of his wrist. "I guess I would be too, if I were a single ma tryin' to hatch nine eggs at once and some tall two-legged idiot usurped my efforts." He shook his head. "She didn't even have a fair, Z'then. Come to think of it, she might not have been able to get all the hatchlin's fed on her own. They might have turned on each other for food." He shrugged. "So aye, nine eggs, and all I had to do to get them was bleed. One's goin' to Jessmyr, and another's goin' to Firelloa so she can teach it to help her keep in touch with her ma. Lys declined since she has Gwynnyth, and I don't need one either."

"You're going to find them better homes than she could have. What good's being an unImpressed firelizard tryin' to find food and not get eated when you could be with a person who cares for you?" Z'then asked as he tagged long.

"That's a good set of people to give it to," he agreed when A'kua listed them off.

"Don't suppose you know anyone who'd like one?" the redhead inquired. "I'm thinkin' I can start the eggs off at one Mark apeice, but I'm willin' to haggle if needed. Shards, if you wanted one, it'd be free."

"Before I Impressed, I think I coulda liked one, but I think Juvath'd be jealous." He had wondered about flits before and every time his dragon had sent a rustle of mental discontent that lingered.

He wondered who might be a good candidate. "D'ya know anyone that might want to mother somethin'? A caverns gal?"

"No, but funny you mention that: There's been one makin' eyes at you lately when we go through the breakfast line," A'kua said slyly. "Big blue eyes at that."

"Huh?" Z'then said eloquently.

"You haven't noticed?" A'kua asked incredulously. "About yea tall-" he gestured about level with his collarbones, "big sea-blue eyes, freckles, brown-gold hair she wears just below her jaw. She has the sunniest smile every time she sees you. She helps make those sticky buns with pecans on top that Firelloa's crazy for."

"Oh! The Bakers' gal? I know her," Z'then said, trying to recover. "That bob's super cute." He'd thought about it a lot.

"But you must be mistakaen about her lookin' at _me_," he added.

A'kua shook his head. "Remember how I said I should've known that Candidate could be a threat? It's the opposite with her. I can tell what she's thinkin' easily. Her eyes widen and so do her pupils, her chest heaves, she blushes, and that smile is very tellin'. She doesn't react that way to anyone else, as far's I can tell." It was true what he had told Genna: Once somebody knew how to read people, it could hard to stop. That was one reason he'd been so incensed over getting hit in the face; he'd temporarily stopped being so watchful.

"Yer crazy," Z'then protested, but he was suddenly distracted by the idea of her chest heaving. Because she did have quite the chest... His face reddened.

The redhead smirked on seeing the blush. The seed of a possibility was now planted months after Z'then had come to his weyr, despairing over sleeping with another man and not having someone he cared about to make it seem less troublesome.

Z'then didn't notice A'kua's expression. "There's no way that, uh. Elaria?" he guessed hopefully, "is looking at me."

"Elannie," A'kua corrected. He only knew the name because Firelloa had once thanked her, but came up short, so the baker had introduced herself. "And she really is. You should ask her to join you for klah sometime."

"I can't do that," Z'then immeditalte protested.

"Why not? If I could confess to Lys when I was hoarse and terrified out of my mind, you could invite Elannie to have klah."

Grateful at the chance to redirect the topic, Z'then asked, "What triggered you to do that at that moment anyway?"

"The thought of losin' the chance to be with Lys scared me more than confessin'," A'kua said instantly. "Which is why you should ask Elannie to have klah with you." He unfastened his jacket and shrugged it off now that they were deep into the Weyr, bundling his gear together neatly.

"Sounds like you knew you had somethin' to lose with her. Elannie and I don' have anything," Z'then replied. "We've not even' really talked."

"All the more reason to ask her to have klah; so you can," A'kua said with some exasperation. "Z'then, c'mon. This could be good for you. Don't make me ask on your behalf. You wouldn't like how I do it."

"I suspect I wouldn't," Z'then said. "But I can't just - just have klah wit' her, what if I say somethin' _dumb_?"

Because he always did. E'zar was the one who was good at this. He was the one who shoved a foot so far down his throat he was chewing on boot leather for a sevenday.

}:Your rider should do it,:{ Juvath helpfully said to Zeiranth.

}:I promise that would be a bad idea,:{ Zeiranth warned. }:He'd probably say something like "Hello, Elannie. I'd like to introduce you to my friend Z'then, who's far too whershit to do it himself." I don't think that would make a good impression of either one of them.:{

"Then you apologize for sayin' somethin' dumb and keep goin'," the bronzerider stated, and poked Z'then with his elbow. "I can't think of a single person who doesn't appreciate that kind of candor. Honesty, best policy, yap yap yap."

"I s'pose you have a point." Z'then said with a frown.

"Of course I do. So go ahead, try it. I think it'll go well."

"Alright, iffen you're sure..." Z'then said. He was sure A'kua'd follow up, too.

"I'm sure." Oh yes. That seed was germinating for sure. A'kua allowed himself some smugness that would surely last for the rest of the evening.

Last updated on the June 1st 2017

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Hey, Guess What?