The Way to a Heart

Writers: Paula
Date Posted: 23rd September 2019

Characters: L'keri, Taren
Description: Taren confronts L'keri about his encounter with Urlene.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 2 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Urlene
This takes place after "DCW: Flirtation Gone Wrong" but before
"DCW: Partying Gone Wrong"

L'keri

L'keri left the serving tables with a heaped plate of food and a mug of
beer. The diet was a distant memory now, which he tried not to think of
lest he remember other things. Better to enjoy himself while he could.
If only he'd been able to persuade that beautiful healer to join him! If
only she hadn't had such a sharp tongue...

Balancing the tray, he made his way through the crowded tables towards
the one where he could see his wingmates sitting.

He'd only made it halfway, though, when a familiar figure stepped into
his path. L'keri inwardly groaned and plastered an innocent smile on his
face. "Weyrhealer. How are you this evening?"

"Getting notably worse since I got this letter from Dolphin Cove Weyr,"
Taren replied. He never wasted time to beat around the bush. "Tell me,
what exactly did you say to master Urlene to get her this furious?" He
waved the message.

"Nothing!" L'keri protested, all injured innocence. "I took the herbs to
the infirmary like I was asked to and handed them over. I might have
offered her a small compliment," he admitted, realising he was likely
not going to get away with a complete lie, "but I was just being friendly."

"Precisely how friendly? I got a feeling that your friendly and hers
differ, a lot. Seriously, it was simple task and you still managed to
screw it up?" Taren sounded incredulous. He didn't know Urlene well,
just met her briefly on social occasions. But he had heard of lot of
her and was familiar with her reputation. She was nearly as good
surgeon as he was.

"It's not my fault," the brownrider complained. "How was I supposed to
know she would be so touchy? I said she was pretty and she acted like
I'd pinched her bottom in front of the whole infirmary." A brief smile
crossed his face, as if he was imagining himself doing exactly that.
"Must have been the wrong time of the month, if you know what I mean."

"You really don't know when to keep your mouth shut, do you?" Taren
said. "Oh, and how's your diet going?" he gave L'keri's waist line a
pointed look.

"It's going marvellously," L'keri replied with an air of satisfaction.
"I'm on the ideal diet for a strong, active dragonrider. Plenty of what
I like."

"Well, it's your life, I can't help if you're determined to ruin it,"
Taren said with cynical tones. L'keri was not fooling him and he had
seen more than his share of people like the brownrider. They either
pulled themselves back together or died.

"What does it matter? I could be dead or crippled within the sevenday.
Better to enjoy myself while I can." He appeared to shrug off the
healer's warning, though he couldn't help but feel uneasy about it.
Pushing his fears aside, he gave the man a wide smile. "Cheer up,
Weyrhealer. You can't save everyone. Come and have a drink, and let's
forget all about it."

"I think I'll recommend your wingleader not to send you on errants
outside Weyr. Faranth knows, you might offend some Lord or Lady next,"
Taren said, sounding very cross.

"I didn't mean to offend her," L'keri replied sulkily. He liked being on
transport duty, it sometimes brought tips, and the alternative was watch
duty, which was tedious. "I was hoping she'd come back to Dragonsfall
with me for...uh, a drink. If you'd seen her you'd know what I mean. No
man could resist her."

"I've seen her," Taren had to agree with the assessment, "however, she's
not a red head, so I can resist easily."

"Well, I'm clearly not made of such stern stuff as you, Weyrhealer." The
brownrider sighed. "She has the most wonderful body. You can tell, even
under those plain healer's clothes you all wear. What I wouldn't give
for one night with her!" The sting of his dismissal, embarrassing as it
had been, had faded faster than his memory of the healer's looks. "There
must be a way to her heart, somehow. Don't you know about that sort of
thing? The ways of the mind, and all that?"

"No, the only way I know to heart goes by cutting right next to
sternum," Taren said flatly. "And you need a kick in the arse."

L'keri just grinned. "You're not the first one to say that, and I doubt
you won't be the last. Yet I seem to get by, all the same." He glanced
down at his tray. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Master Taren, I've got an
empty stomach and a plate of delicious food that's getting cold."

Taren gave a resigned sigh and gestured the brownrider to move on. The
man was impossible, yet, he did have a roguish charm.

Last updated on the November 1st 2019

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Way to a Heart