It's Just Klah

Writers: Heather, Sia
Date Posted: 16th May 2024

Characters: E'kavas, D'erik
Description: E'kavas and D'erik have their klah date.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 14 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Kadira

E'kavas

D'erik

Just as they'd scheduled, D'erik entered the Dining Cavern a little
before the first candlemark after noon. He'd relieved some other
healers during the midday meal time so they could enjoy lunch while he
watched over the infirmary. Now it was his turn for a little klah and
hopefully some good conversation. He felt sure that E'kavas would have
only good things to report on after his sweepride with I'maek.

"Bafrie, how are the children?" he asked the middle-age drudge working
the food service line.

"Doing well, sir. Boderie's arm has set back nicely. You'd never know
he'd broken it before," she smiled.

D'erik flashed her a smile. "Good, I am glad to hear it." Taking his
klah and a plate of snacks, he moved toward a smaller table near the
door and waited for E'kavas.

E'kavas was over-prepared for this. **It's just klah.** He told
himself, over and over, in between pep talks in the mirror and
changing his outfit twice. He did manage to talk himself out of
bringing index cards with topics and icebreakers. He knew D'erik
already. He's talked to people before. He could do this.

He was fine when he appeared in the Dining Cavern, albeit with his
hair a little mussed from running a hand through it in stress. He
spotted D'erik across the cavern and nearly forgot to grab a klah.

"Hey!" He said as he set the klah down and took a seat across from the
bluerider. "Were you waiting long?"

"No, I just got here." D'erik slid the plate of snacks in between them
so E'kavas could help himself. "You look nice," the bluerider
complimented. "It was harder to tell on the day of the flight, you
know," he picked up a red fruit, "with clothes flying off and
everything."

"Thanks! You do too. Look nice, I mean." E'kavas took an offered snack
but didn't eat it right away; something just to keep his hands busy.
"Yes, the dragons aren't exactly keen on aesthetics after losing a
Flight." He said dryly. "Roquath sulked in a lake for a while. Not the
summer lake, mind you. A lake. I'm sure the holders were thrilled and
not at all surprised."

"Oh my," D'erik chuckled. "Imagine coming out to do some morning
fishing and instead you've got a pair of dragon eyes sulking just
above the top of the water."

"My family were fishers before Threadfall. My father's blue used to do
that all the time and scared the lights out of me. Glowing green eyes
just underneath your boat. Roquath comes by it honestly."

"You say they were fishers before Threadfall, what became of them
after the Pass started?" D'erik asked curiously.

"Well...my extended family are still fishers. Most of them ended up
around Vista Point after River Bluff closed." Which was a bit of a
journey, but it was best to skip over Sunstone Seahold entirely. "Dad
died in the first turn of the Pass. I have a bunch of siblings
scattered all over the place." E'kavas' smile recognized how awkward
he was making this conversation. "I don't mean to bring the
conversation down. Do you have family at the Weyr?"

D'erik waved his hand at the comment about bringing the conversation
down. "I do. My parents are both healercrafters here and then I have
four extremely bossy sisters who love meddling in my life."

"Oh, that sounds like fun." E'kavas said. "I have one sister that's
particularly meddlesome. I do miss her; and from what I've read, she's
been keeping herself busy meddling in the lives of the siblings who
live closer to her. Are your siblings healers too?"

"No, thank Faranth." D'erik's eyebrows emphasized his point with a
slight rise. "One is a greenrider, another met a holder at a gather
and moved to Amber Hills, then one works as an assistant to the
Headwoman, and my youngest sister is standing as a Candidate. Our
family likes to cover all the bases, apparently."

"Everyone's so busy." E'kavas noted. "Is your sister a candidate here?
She might vaguely know my eldest- he's twelve and going to be Standing
for his first hatching soon."

"She's here," he confirmed. "And if your son has started participating
in Candidate chores or classes, then he'll know her. She's uh.. _not_
a quiet person."

"Then they definitely know each other. He's not particularly quiet
either." E'kavas said fondly. "Has her expectations for Impressing
changed since that blue Impressed a girl? Any intention on being the
second female bluerider?"

"No, she's always had her heart set on a green. She loves the speed,
the agility, the freedom. She wouldn't want the extra expectations
that would come with being the _second_female_bluerider. Although,
Sherath takes offense, he believes _everyone_ should be on a blue."
D'erik certainly couldn't imagine any other kind of dragon for
himself. Sherath was his perfect match in every way.

"Oh, as they should." E'kavas agreed, "I am jealous of how agile blues
are in the air. Roquath flies like a wherry on the best of days." He
ignored the bewilderment and indignation that flared through their
connection ( }: I wasn't doing anything! :{ ). "It's good that she
knows what she wants. I'm sure lots of candidates are looking at that
weyrling and thinking they could be next."

“Undoubtedly.” He wondered if their numbers of female Candidates would
increase because of Kadira’s impression.

“So tell me more about you, now that we’ve covered polite small talk,”
D’erik grinned. “You have children. Are they from a former weyrmate?
Flights?”

"Three children, from former weyrmates. No kids from flights, despite
my dragon's best efforts." E'kavas said with a laugh. "They're twelve,
ten, and seven. They had a foster-mother when we first transferred to
Dragonsfall, but the youngest two mostly live with me now. What about
you? Any little ones?"

"None that I know about," D'erik confessed. "Although, if I spy any
kid with really good hair I'm always wary."

"A valid fear." E'kavas said with a chuckle. "Do you want kids?"

"With the right person? Maybe. I keep pretty busy between the
infirmary and dragonriding," he said honestly. His craft had always
come first until he'd Impressed, and now it came in a close second.

"Kids can keep you pretty busy too." E'kavas said knowingly. "It's
good you know where your priorities are. Lots of people don't."

“I am also very honest. It’s a quality people usually love or hate.”
D’erik at least looked a _little_ sheepish about this admission.

"Yeah? Well, what's your honest impression so far? Don't be _too_
honest though, I'm delicate."

"Hm, well, my honest impression so far is... _very favorable_. A
handsome brownrider, who knows his way around the bedroom, can carry
an intelligent conversation, _and_ is a responsible parent? It's like
winning a lottery, isn't it?" The truth of D'erik's words and desire
showed in his eyes.

E'kavas cleared his throat, suddenly a little uncomfortable with the
attention. "Well. That was more than I expected." He admitted. "Nice
to hear I'm making a good impression. Sounds like you'd be interested
in doing this again sometime?"

"Absolutely," D'erik agreed.

Last updated on the May 16th 2024

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It's Just Klah