Catching Up

Writers: Aaron, Estelle
Date Posted: 22nd August 2021

Characters: Lorican, Brennault
Description: Lorican explains his new family situation to Brennault
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Lusilk, Dunrik,
Follows "SSH: The Quest Nears Completion"

Brennault

The tavern was starting to fill up, with a crowd of holders and traders
and a few of the more respectable sailors, but Lorican was still able to
find a quiet table in the corner for himself and Brennault. He headed
over the bar, and wondered while the tavern master poured the drinks how
exactly he was going to explain.

He carried the drinks back to the table and set them down with a
slightly embarrassed smile. "So - I suppose I have a lot to catch you up
on. I got married."

"I saw – congratulations!" Brennault laughed. He was not sure at all
what had happened, but. This was where Lorican was now. And with a son,
too. "I'm sorry I missed it."

"I'm sorry, too. It happened rather quickly," Lorican explained. "Lusilk
and I had been living together at the Weyrhold, but then she got word
that there was sickness in her family, and she had to go back to help
them. So we thought we'd make it official, then I'd be able to look
after Silgan while she was gone. Then I got posted here, while she was
away, and I didn't hear from her. For a while I was worried..." Everyone
knew how a disease could rampage through a hold, carrying off even the
strongest. "But she arrived back in the end, safe and sound. And..." His
smile widened. "She's expecting a baby."

"That's fantastic!" said Brennault, greatly encouraged by Lorican's
smile. He knew the story had a happy ending for Lusilk, but even so, it
was a huge relief to actually hear the end of the tale. And with such
wonderful news, too.

"I hope everyone back home with her family is OK," he said. "So. Do you
think it's a boy or girl? I've met a few folks who think they can do
little tricks to tell..."

"I haven't the faintest idea. This is all so new to me," Lorican
admitted. "At the Smith Hall there were only really the Masters' wives
and the drudges, and we didn't exactly get close to them. Then at my
posting, I suppose mostly I spent time with the other crafters. Pregnant
women were always rather a mystery."

"I've been lucky enough not to get any women that way myself," Brennault
chuckled. "It's always best when you do it on purpose. I have met a few
at the station, though. Pregnant women, that is. They tend to stick
around at the big stations when they need to stick around at all, and
that's where I grew up, so."

"So... What's it like having one pop up already half-grown like Silgan?"
he asked.

"It's wonderful!" The smith beamed, all enthusiasm. Being a parent only
by marriage didn't make him any less proud. "He's a sweet, good-hearted
lad, and clever, too. He loves to make things - you saw we've been
building a little forge together - and he learns fast." The boy's
delight in their work only made him all the more wistful for his secret
dream of one day teaching his craft to a son. But he knew the Lord
Holder had other plans for Silgan. "It's also exhausting. When he's
awake he's an unstoppable bundle of energy."

"Kids are like that," said Brennault. "It's one of the benefits to
living with runners – it's a lot more simple to tucker out the
young'ns." He grinned. "I'm really so very happy for you both. It seems
like you found exactly what you needed."

"I did," Lorican said, and knew that he meant it. Whatever his hopes and
dreams might have been in the past, he'd found happiness here at the
Hold with his new family. "Lusilk is a remarkable woman. I never
imagined, when I met her, that she'd ever be interested in someone like
me." He thought with a smile of how Dunrik had told him he'd settle down
one day. The Mastersmith had been right, all along.

"Now you've heard my tale, what have you been up to, these last months?"
he asked. "Any long runs, or gossip from the Weyr, or - " He smiled.
"Anyone special in your life?"

"I may have someone I've been seeing," said Brennault. His usual grin
turned into a more sweet, genuine smile. "I'm hoping to see them after I
leave here, actually."

"But most of my time has been eaten up by the Epic Quest to Forge the
Sword of Destiny, of course. I say, eaten. I've had an absolute blast.
It's been an amazing adventure."

"I don't think I'll ever have the chance to go diving for mollusks
stirred up after a hurricane again!" he laughed.

"You never know - if the lessons go well, you might be wanting your own
sword one day," Lorican said, storing up the hint of a love interest to
ask about later. "But tell me, however did you get from little mollusks
to a bar of good steel? You said you traded cloth for it?"

"Master Dunrik wanted three bolts of specific colors of fabrics,"
Brennault explained, "to trade for the steel. So I asked around at the
Weyr with some friends who know folks at the Weaver Hall, and they said
they would trade the fabric for dye. I'm not sure they really expected
me to be able to get it, since it turns out you squeeze the little
mollusks to get the dye."

"Obviously, I could never pull up enough to make all the dye they
wanted, but I offered to trade my labor to the Holder up at Leeward
Lagoon on one of the barrier islands for it. It turns out they were
mostly just putting one over on me. My dad ordered a huge shipment of
wine from the North through their port, and the commission on that was
enough for the Holder to give me the dye."

"I fished up quite a few of the slippery little things, but both of them
must have had a pretty good laugh. Well, after my dad knew I made it
through the hurricane alright, anyway."

"You weren't diving _in_ the hurricane?" Lorican asked, a note of sudden
concern in his voice. He'd heard mention of it from the seacrafters,
though they hadn't suffered any damage this far west. Shells, he
remembered being Brennault's age, and knew how some of the young sailors
talked about the thrill of wild seas.

"Stars, even I'm not that crazy," Brennault laughed. "We waited until
the storm had passed, but they wanted to get out before the storm swell
had completely gone back down, or else the mollusks would be harder to
find," he explained. "If they were diving in the storm, they weren't
about to take me with them, anyway. I don't think they'd have been happy
if my dad cancelled his order because I drowned..."

Brennault's laughter gave way to a smile. It was nice for someone to be
concerned about his wellbeing.

"No, I don't imagine they would." The smith returned the smile. He'd
missed Brennault's cheerful company. His voice turned mischievous. "And
is that where you met this special person? At the island hold?"

Brennault grinned back, sharing the sense of mischief.

"Maybe," he answered. It was probably best if Lorican thought so, but he
had to keep it ambiguous either way. It had to be possible for it to be
anyone.

He wanted to ask more about how Lorican met Lusilk at the weyrhold – or
how they became attached to each other, but he still had the feeling
that she would prefer it if her secrets remained her own.

Perhaps she stayed with him because she was carrying his child. But
Brennault would be surprised if it did not have more to do with
Lorican's gambling brother and resolving that situation. Whatever it was.

"A runner never kisses and tells. I actually had my eye on someone here
for a good minute or two, but I don't think they felt the same spark."

"Here at Sunstone?" Lorican said, surprised. He hadn't thought Brennault
had been to the Hold before, not long enough to meet anyone at least.
"Oh! Not that guard who followed you to the forge?" He spoke teasingly,
but he did hope Brennault was being careful, even in jest. The Hold
wasn't as free and tolerant as the Weyr; he still remembered the unease
and helpless longing in those letters that he'd burned.

"He was the same one the steward had tailing me the last time I was
here," said Brennault. "I wasn't sure if he liked the look of me or if
he was just being especially diligent." He grinned, but he kept his
voice down. He trusted Lorican, but he was not out to get anybody into
trouble.

"It seems it was the latter."

"Ah, never mind. You met someone new, and it turned out for the best,"
Lorican said, laughing. "I wonder why the Steward had him following
after you in the first place. Do you suppose he thinks one of us is up
to no good?"

"Probably me, if I had to guess. Runners don't usually turn up with
business apart from delivering packages and letters, especially not with
business for a specific craftsman," Brennault shrugged. "A specific
craftsman such as yourself."

Brennault might have been a bit concerned for Lorican if they had _not_
been suspicious of him turning up out of the blue asking about him.

"I suppose it's his duty, but I hope now he understands that you're my
friend, and a welcome visitor." Even if they were only concerned for his
safety, Lorican didn't want Brennault being questioned and followed
every time he came to Sunstone. "I could always send you back with a
letter, if it helps!"

"He was less suspicious this time than last," said Brennault. "I'm sure
a letter wouldn't _hurt_, but don't go to too much trouble." He smiled
and took a drink. "I think they believe me now."

"So, are you excited about making the sword?" he asked. "Or is it just
work?"

"I can't wait to get started," Lorican admitted, unable to keep the
anticipation at the thought of working at his Craft from his voice.
"When I was an apprentice, my friends and I all wanted to be
bladesmiths. There's something thrilling about forging a sword at that
age. I thought I'd grown out of it, but I suppose I haven't entirely."

Brennault beamed back at Lorican. He was thrilled to hear he was going
to have fun with the project. And so very happy that he seemed to have
finally found a place he could be safe and build a home.

"When I was a kid, I used to play swordfight with sticks. Did you ever
do anything like that?"

"Oh, yes. All the time, with my friends." Lorican recalled those days,
rushing through his chores to run out into the dusty courtyard of the
Hold to play, or hanging around the edge of the practice grounds,
watching as the guards went through their drills. "My uncle was in the
guards, and when I was a boy I wanted to be just like him. I used to beg
him to show me some moves! I expect you'll be practicing them soon
enough, if the sword's acceptable."

"It'll be top notch, since you're making it." Brennault had every
confidence it would be of superb quality – though he had no idea what
went into making swords or how long it took to get very good at it. "I
bet he'll want to know where I got it so he can come get another one!"

"If he does, he'll have to bargain for it," Lorican joked as he raised
his glass in thanks for the compliment. "I've got a wife and children to
feed now."

"How much longer before the baby gets here?" Brennault wondered. He was
no midwife. He had no clue how to judge by the look of a woman's belly –
not that there was much to look at yet.

"It's due in month 12. A little while to go yet. I'm getting plenty of
sleep while I can." He'd heard stories from the other Hold crafters.
"Maybe you could visit after, if you can get the dragon ride?"

"I wouldn't miss it!" Brennault assured Lorican brightly. He certainly
never expected to have a child of his own, so seeing a good friend's
baby would probably be the closest thing he would ever have. Marvel
certainly did not qualify, no matter how attached he was to Brennault.

"That's wonderful. I'll send word once it's happened." Lorican's eyes
were bright with anticipation of the new arrival, tales of sleepless
nights notwithstanding. "Now, how about you catch me up on all the news
from the Weyr?

Last updated on the October 1st 2021

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