Really Great or Really Scary (Part 1 of 2)

Writers: AmajoS, Estelle
Date Posted: 12th April 2019

Characters: Benna, L'keri
Description: L'keri decides it's time to introduce Benna to his children.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 16 of Turn 9
Notes: Part 1 of 2

L'keri

The wing meeting had finished on time, much to L'keri's relief, and he
earned himself a few sly comments by heading directly for Benna and
Henerath's weyr rather than joining his wingmates in the dining cavern.
He barely heard them, being too busy wondering whether his plan for this
afternoon was such a good idea after all.

That morning, Arten and Eluri's foster mother had reminded him that he'd
agreed to look after the children once their harper classes were over.
L'keri had completely forgotten about it and arranged to spend the time
with Benna, but he thought he'd managed to pretend that of course he'd
remembered. And, when he thought about it, perhaps it was time to
introduce her to them. They'd been spending a lot of time together,
after all, and were good friends. It was possible that one or the other
would come to his weyr and find her there, and he didn't want it to be
awkward.

Now the appointed time was approaching, though, he began to worry about
Arten. Eluri would be fine, he was sure, but he couldn't remember the
last time he'd had a civil conversation with his son, and since the
Hatching they'd hardly spoken at all. Maybe he should have spent some
time trying to patch things up first...but it was too late now. He
knocked on the greenrider's door.

Benna had gotten new riding straps and was adjusting them on her
dragon. It always took a little while to get new straps adjusted
properly so that they were comfortable for Henerath and herself.
"How's that, Henny? Any pinching this time?"

The green dragon stretched herself out, then rose up on her haunches
and flapped her wings vigorously. She stretched her forelegs out and
arched first her neck, then her back. She twisted herself to the left
and then the right. Finally, after all of these contortions, she
replied, }:They are much better now. No pinching or rubbing or
sliding.:{

"Excellent!" The young greenrider began unbuckling the straps. "We'll
try them in the air later."

At that moment, she heard a knock on her door. She smiled, knowing who
it was and called, "Come in!"

"Hello!" L'keri put his concerns aside as he entered the weyr. Seeing
Benna and Henerath always lifted his spirits, and at that moment he
didn't doubt his children would feel the same way. He made his bow to
the green. "You look stylish today, Henerath. Are those new riding straps?"

The green dragon preened visibly at the compliment. }:Tell him he is
very good to say so,:{ she instructed Benna primly, her tone pointed.

Benna laughed and gave her dragon an affectionate slap on the foreleg.
**I tell you you're pretty everyday, you silly.** Aloud, she said,
"Henerath wishes to inform you that she appreciates the compliment."

"You are most welcome, lovely green," L'keri said solemnly, matching
what he imagined to be the dragon's formal tone. He turned to Benna.
"So...I had an idea for this afternoon. I hope you'll like it."

"Well, that sounds like something either really great or really
scary," Benna replied with a teasing grin.

"Maybe a bit of both?" he said hopefully. "What I thought was, that we
could spend time with my children. Arten and Eluri. Their foster mother
said I could look after them today. We could go for a walk, or a swim in
the lake, or just be in my weyr together and play games and talk..." He
watched her face anxiously, wondering if it was too much. "What do you
think?"

It was just a little sad how worried he seemed about this. She knew
that he didn't have a great relationship with his son, not that he
talked about it directly, but she'd picked it up from various comments
he'd made. Benna, for her part, liked kids. She had several brothers
and only a few of them were older than her. She had looked forward to
meeting L'keri's kids, though she had decided to wait until he brought
it up once she came to realize there might be trouble in that
relationship. Still, she did look forward to meeting them.

"I think that sounds nice," Benna replied encouragingly. "Though,
maybe not swimming in the weyrlake. It's still too cold for that sort
of thing for me, personally. Games sound fun though!"

"Good! They should be finishing classes soon, and Arten's supposed to
bring Eluri to my weyr. He might have chores later, but she can stay all
afternoon and we can go to dinner together, if you like." He smiled,
relieved that at least she liked the idea. It gave him some hope that
the children might feel the same way. "Shall we go?"

Benna hung the new straps on a series of pegs set into the wall of the
weyr and nodded, "Let's."

**You'll be alright while I'm gone?** She asked her dragon.

}:Yes, I think I'll go for a swim. It might sound too cold for you,
but I think it will be very nice. I wish I could meet the children
too.:{ Children were always full of interesting stories and were
always eager to scratch and pet.

**Next time, love. I promise.**

She grinned at L'keri as they walked out of her weyr, "Henerath is
jealous. I promised her next time we'll do something she can join in.
Maybe we could take them on a flight somewhere?" She was already
thinking ahead of different things they could do together as a group.
Maybe go sightseeting? She didn't know what it was like growing up in
a weyr, but she had always wished to see different things than the
fields and the cotholds and the same people day after day when she was
a child.

"We could fly down to the sea, perhaps," L'keri suggested. "It'll be too
cold to swim, but they can play on the shore, look for fingertails in
the rock pools. Eluri is not that happy about going /between/ at the
moment, or I'd suggest the northern beaches." His daughter was nervous
about flying at all, but she managed well enough when she was with him.

(continued in part 2)

Last updated on the April 16th 2019

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Really Great or Really Scary (Part 1 of 2)