Selling the eggs

Writers: Paula
Date Posted: 3rd June 2019

Characters: E'naer, L'keri, H'lim
Description: E'naer starts to sell Feral's eggs.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 26 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: G'wen

L'keri

"Are you sure about this? You want specially the gold egg?" E'naer
asked, eyeing the bluerider. Feral's eggs were now hardned enough to
be moved and E'naer had started to sell them. Pretty much all his
friends who wanted a firelizard already had one.

"Yes, I do, and I don't care how much it costs," H'lim replied and
jiggled his purse of marks in his hands.

"That's not the correct tack if you want to haggle," E'naer pointed
out with wry tone. "Are you going to keep it yourself?"

"No, I'm going to give it to a friend," H'lim replied. There was
something in the bluerider's his eyes and voice that indicated for
deeper feelings than friendship.

"Must be one special friend," E'naer remarked.

"He is, trust me, he is."

There was a knock at the door and a brownrider entered, looking slightly
uncertain. L'keri really hoped that this would work. It would be beyond
embarrassing if Arten rejected his gift and he had to take it back.

"Weyrlingmaster Third?" he asked politely. "Rhalith said that you have
some firelizard eggs." He could count on his dragon to know the gossip,
especially where a green dragon's rider was involved.

"Yes, I have, come in," E'naer replied with a friendly wave.
"I've just started to sell them off."

L'keri was pleased to hear that he'd arrived early. He'd have plenty of
eggs to choose from, and could pick out a good one for his son. He
nodded to H'lim as he entered the room. "Thanks. It's for my boy,
Arten," he explained. "He's going to be twelve soon. It's been hard on
him these last few months after my transfer, so I thought a little
friend might cheer him up."

"I suppose twelve is old enough to take care of firelizard, since it's
old enough to Stand," E'naer replied. "Take your pick, you're among
the first, so there's choice."

"The gold is mine," H'lim said quickly. He was very determined to get
just that egg.

"That's all right. Arten is a bit young to be looking after a gold
firelizard," L'keri reassured him. He was also not sure he could afford
that one, especially if he had to bid against H'lim.

He walked over to examine the eggs. Other than the gold, he couldn't
tell much about them from the outside, much like with dragon eggs.
Eventually, he saw a medium-sized egg with a speckled pattern of browns
and yellows that reminded him of Rhalith's shell, and pointed to it.
"How about this one?"

"That might hatch a brown. Or not, there's no way to be sure," E'naer
replied. "If you like it, it's yours for...," he named the prize.

The brownrider winced. Of course, if he could win back Arten's trust, it
would be worth it, but... He treated E'naer to his best hopeful, winsome
smile. "Couldn't you knock a mark or two off, sir? For a little boy's
birthday gift?"

Since E'naer was eager to get rid of the eggs (between him and G'wen,
they had more than enough flits in their weyr already), he just
replied: "Sure, I can do that."

"Thank you! I'll be sure to tell my son about your generosity," L'keri
said, beaming. He reached into his pocket and counted out some marks.
"Firelizard eggs must be a nice little business. Perhaps I should have
gone for the gold, after all," he added, with a teasing glance at H'lim.
"She sounds like she'd be a good investment."

"Trust me, she's more trouble than she's worth," E'naer said.
Extracting the eggs from Feral was a task itself. It involved lot of
hissing and two bloody scratches. Feral did not want to give up her
eggs, especially the precious gold.

"Remeber to keep it warm," he handed to gold egg to H'lim and L'keri's
chosen egg to him. "Since they were clutched on day ten, they should
Hatch day ten of next month. Give a take day or half," E'naer said,
dapping his scratches with clean cloth.

L'keri winced at the scratches, glad that he hadn't asked for the gold
after all. "Thank you. I'll be sure to let Arten know where I got it.
Maybe you'll see him in the Candidate classes soon."

"I most likely will if he wishes to Impress," E'naer replied. He got
the marks from H'lim and nodded his thanks.

"I'll be on my way then, thank you E'naer, I won't forget this," the
bluerider said.

"No problem, H'lim, I'll see you next time Eillispeth Rises," E'naer
grinned and waved him off and then turned his attention back to the
brownrider.

"Well, thanks again." L'keri turned as if to go, then hesitated. "If
Arten does end up in your classes, Weyrlingmaster..." He wondered
whether to say anything, but if the last sevendays had taught him
anything it was that honesty was often the best course. "He and I
haven't been getting on too well. It's mostly my fault, he didn't want
to leave our last home, but I made it impossible for us to stay. I hope
this will help," he said, lifting the firelizard egg slightly, "but I'm
not sure how easily he'll trust me again. If there's anything you can do
to look out for him and make sure he settles in well with the other
candidates, I'd be grateful."

E*naer nodded with understanding, "I keep an eye out for him." He
didn't have children, but he did have a nephew around Arten's age.

"Thank you. It means a lot." The brownrider's smile held real warmth,
more than his usual easy, superficial charm. Carefully cradling Arten's
egg in its pot of heated sand, he made his farewells and left the weyr.

Last updated on the June 16th 2019

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Selling the eggs