Beer or Wine

Writers: Aaron, Devin, Suzee
Date Posted: 22nd May 2024

Characters: R'enh, Z'renh, N'vanik
Description: Friends + son have a good time.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 12 of Turn 11

R'enh

N'vanik

They popped in over Amber Hills hold and glided south toward the
Vintner Hall. The vines were healthy and appeared to be getting closer
to harvest. His mouth began to water just thinking about the drinks
at the Tavern here. They were just about the best on Pern.

They touched down easily away from the buildings so as not to startle
any of the Runner's he'd seen outside.

"Ever been here before," He asked Zorenh.

"No, sir," said the boy. He had hardly left the weyr in all his time
there other than to go down to the beach. He gawked at the sights as
well, still riding high in the clouds after his father had actually
agreed to bring him.

"Well then," he said. "Start slow, just one beer."

"Right. Just one." Zorenh had no desire to make a fool of himself in
front of N'vanik- or worse, his father.

N'vanik was only a few minutes behind them, Loseth dropping him off
before going to sun himself near Mnoranth. Unzipping his jacket,
N'vanik headed toward the Tavern. He felt a little like a weyrling out
after curfew.

They had only been seated for a moment when Mnoranth let him know
Loseth had arrived. So he watched the door until he saw his friend and
waved him over.

N'vanik smiled and lifted his hand in greeting. "Hey," he said as he
reached the table. He pulled off his jacket and slung it over the back
of the chair. "Shards, it _has_ been a while."

Zorenh was beaming like a lighthouse and sitting forward with his arms
crossed on the table, but for the time being, he thought it might be
best not to speak until spoken to, lest someone decide he was not
really meant to be there after all.

The server came over to the table and R'enh smiled at her. "Two beer's
here," he pointed at his son and himself. "And what do you have to
eat?"

The young woman smiled at the riders. "We have fried tubers and a nice
herdbeast stew in bread bowls."

"Oh, that sounds good." he nodded. "I'll have that."

"Yes, please!" Zorenh echoed. He could probably eat two of those if he tried.

"I'll have a dark ale, please," N'vanik said. He cast a slightly
amused glance at Zorenh.

Zorenh smiled back like N'vanik had just told him, 'well done'.

R'enh chuckled and just shook his head. He knew they lived in
different timezones but he had to ask. "Not hungry?"

"Not yet. I ate not too long ago," N'vanik said. "I've been dealing
with a weyrling who tried to kill someone for money and then lied
about it. What have you been up to?"

"Oh not as much as you," he snorted. "You know, just leading a wing in
Threadfall, having twins. Easy stuff."

"Want to trade?" N'vanik asked.

"Ha," R'enh scoffed. "Like you'd give it up!"

"Ha, true! Unlike _some_ people I'm staying at Dolphin Cove." N'vanik
mock-glared at R'enh and Zorenh.

"Of course you are," R'enh nodded. "But then you already _had_ your Weyrwoman."

"True." N'vanik leaned back. "How are your little ones?"

R'enh gave him a tilted smile. "Reaching the very cute pest stage. You
know when they want up until you pick them up and then they want down
again."

"Are they grabbing everything yet?

"Of course," he said as the food was delivered to their table. "Thank
you," he said to her with a smile. "Seems like Vintner Hall let's
women work outside the home," he said as she walked away. "Do they
craft here as well?"

N'vanik shook his head. "They can serve and do a bit of business, but
the Hallmaster still doesn't allow them to apprentice." He took a sip
of his ale, pleasantly cold as always.

"How do you like the stew," R'enh asked since his son was being
atypically quiet.

"'Sgood!" Zorenh said around a mouthful of too much, too hot stew as
he tried to chew and avoid burning his mouth all at once. He had
almost hoped to go unnoticed, lest the realize that they had made a
mistake, and he really did not belong there with them after all.

R'enh's put his hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed. "This one,"
he said to N'vanik, "was determined to jump off the weyrledge and kept
trying to run past Mnoranth like it was a big game. Luckily a bronze
tail is fast and a bit too big for little legs to jump."

"Shards, that would be enough to give me a heart attack," N'vanik
said. "Good thing I don't know all the terrifying things Nisha gets up
to when I'm not around." And now he had two more little ones to worry
about.

Zorenh blushed. He did not actually remember doing this, but he
definitely remembered his father _telling_ everyone about him doing
this. A lot.

"He would never let me fall."

"Of course not," R'enh smiled. Turning back to N'vanik his smile grew
larger. "Aren't they in a ground level weyr? At least that's what I
remember."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean Nisha isn't doing all sorts of _other_
dangerous things." N'vanik took a long drink.

Zorenh took a long swig as well. He had no idea how anyone actually
drank this stuff, but he was not about to so much as make a face. He
suspected that was what everyone was doing.

R'enh just laughed and tossed off the last of his beer. "Well I need
to get this guy back to Dragonsfall and situated for the night. We
need to do this more often though," he said to N'vanik.

Zorenh quickly quaffed the rest of his beer as well, not wanting
anyone to think he did not like it. Or that he did not also want to do
this again. Then he covered his mouth to hide the inevitable burps.

N'vanik glanced around the tavern, a little quieter this time of day,
humming pleasantly with conversation. "I think I'll stay a little
longer, take my time finishing. You have a good one. And good luck
Zorenh."

Last updated on the May 24th 2024

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