Visiting the Babies

Writers: Devin, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd April 2024

Characters: Timassa, R'lor, Sockita
Description: R'lor visits Timassa
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr, Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 10 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: D'hol, Cyradis, K'sedel, K'reyel (not by name)

Timassa

R'lor

}:I do not want to leave the young ones,:{ Kularth said as R'lor
brought over his riding straps.

**The other Weyrlingstaff will watch out for them. I need a break,
love. And I want to see my friend.** Leaving the kids behind to go
visit someone else's kids. R'lor chuckled. **Besides, Saryolth is
expecting us. You like her.**

}:I do...:{ the blue conceded. }:We will come back for the young ones?:{

**Yes you silly beast.**

}:All right.:{ Kularth bent his head so R'lor could start harnessing him.

***

They came out over Barrier Lake Weyrhold, Kularth bugling a greeting
to the watch dragon. R'lor had checked with Timassa earlier through
their dragons. He certainly didn't want to drop in on a new mother
unannounced.

}:Kularth and his are here,:{ Saryolth announced. Timassa smiled and rose
to put her sleeping baby into her basket next to her sister. She
walked out onto the Weyrleader's ledge and waved up at the big blue.
D'hol was off on drills so there was plenty of room for him to land.
She watched Kularth's shadow as he glided across the lake.

"Welcome," she called just before he landed.

"My duty to Saryolth. It's good to see you!" R'lor unbuckled and
dropped down to the ledge. "I'm sorry I couldn't get away sooner. The
Weyrlings . . ."

She shook her head during his speech. "needed something," she grinned.
"We'll, I'm glad you came to see my little ones." She threaded her arm
through his and led him into their two story weyr. "Ma," she called
out. "Guess who's here."

The older woman appeared a moment later at the top of the stairs.
"R'lor! It's been an age. How are you and Kularth?" She made her way
down.

"We're doing well, ma'am."

"Still so polite." Sockita smiled. "You don't need to call me 'ma'am',
I've been retired for a while now."

"Hard habit to break," R'lor said. She'd been Headwoman when he was at
Far Island Weyr.

Timassa smiled at both of them. The exchange was nostalgic for her of
all the times spent at Far Island. Good times mostly. "How are things
going for you with all your Weyrlings?"

R'lor heaved a huge sigh, but a smile still tugged at his mouth. "They
had a very . . . difficult start to life as weyrlings, but generally
they seem to be doing well."

"I'm so glad. D'hol was very worried about them and about... Cyradis."
She smiled after she said that. She knew some people didn't understand
how she would even wrap her mind around their current situation but it
wasn't really that hard. D'hol was a good Weyrleader and Wingleader.
She was here, and Cyradis was on the other side of the world. He
fully embraced what most riders did. 'Love the one you're with.'

"Any standouts yet?" She asked.

R'lor looked a bit embarrassed. "I admit I have fondness for the
little blue who was poisoned and his rider. They've recovered and were
able to join the rest of their clutchmates. I'rad, a bluerider, is the
son of my friend Irrkali so I knew him before he Impressed." After a
brief pause he added, "Reyela. She's a determined young woman and has
already asked to join the dragonhealers. I do try not to play
favorites, but with forty in a Clutch it's hard not to feel closer to
some than others."

"I know Reyela, I think," Timassa said. "She is related to K'sedel yes?"

"Yes." He paused for a moment to think. "His granddaughter."

"Strong dragonrider blood in that family," Sockita said. She
remembered K'sedel having been Weyrleader at two different Weyrs, and
his son as well.

"Like ours," she smiled at Sockita. "Look at J'ackt. He'll take after
his grandfather one of these days."

She turned back to R'lor, "Would you like to see the babies?" She
turned toward their basket and looked down. Lassa was still asleep but
Mihola yawned and waved her arms around.

"I would _love_ to." R'lor came over and looked down at the infants.
"They're both lovely," he said as he smiled at the twins. "How are you
liking motherhood so far?"

"Other than the lack of sleep and the smell," She laughed. "They're
wonderful," she said warmly. "I could never have done it without ma
though." She put an arm around her mothers waist and squeezed lightly.
"I'd have given up and sent them to their foster mothers no matter
what D'hol wanted."

"How long are you keeping them?" R'lor looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Not much longer," she said, surprised that she regretted it. "I need
to return to my Wingthird duties and D'hol needs more sleep. He's
wearing himself out whether he wants to admit it or not. That can lead
to mistakes especially in the Weyrleader's wing."

R'lor nodded. "I know it's a hard thing for many, and I'm sorry you
have to leave most of the raising of your children to someone else."
He wasn't cold, but he'd always accepted that any of his children
would be cared for by foster parents. He got a better sense of how
some parents felt when the weyrlings he helped train graduated to the
fighting Wings.

"Everyone has both positives and negatives in their lives," she said.
"We just have to choose which we dwell on."

The bluerider chuckled. "You're a wise one Timassa."

"She learned from the best," Sockita said.

Timassa smiled and squeezed her mother lightly. "I sure did."

Last updated on the April 7th 2024

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Visiting the Babies