I Can Do That

Writers: Len, Devin
Date Posted: 8th June 2024

Characters: Sh'del, N'vanik
Description: The two old friends have a chat
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 7 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Saedyna, J’ackt, R’lor

N'vanik

Relieved that yet another hurricane was behind them and the eggs had
gotten through it just fine, Sh’del inwardly sighed as he walked into
the coolness of the Dinning hall. He didn’t want food but a cold
beer sounded like perfection after the stifling humidity in the
air.Thankfully the place wasn’t that crowded, and so had kept the
coolness of the stones. After getting a pint from one of the serving
girls, he turned and looked around. Spotting his old friend, he
strolled over to the table where N’vanik sat.

“Hey mat�"hey!” Just as he spoke his tiny green flit, Trouble, popped
out of thin air and thrusted her entire head into his pint. Before he
could shout at her, she turned and stuck her face into the food in
front of N’vanik. Sh’del put a hand over his face. “Sorry mate, I
should have named her something else, she feels the urgency to live up
to her name.”

N'vanik shooed her away and pushed the food she'd touched to the side
of his plate with a sigh. "Just make sure she doesn't come back."

When Trouble tried to get back to N’vanik’s plate, Sh’del did just
that, by placing his hand against her chest. The flit ended up on her
hind legs like a small feline, still straining to jump onto the
bronzerider’s plate. “Sorry mate…Loranth, a bit of help here.”

Sh’del’s eyes took on that faraway look that riders listening to their
dragons took. For her part, Trouble ‘harumpth’ and sat down on the
table, pouting. Sh’del took his hand away and glanced at his old
friend. In a sardonic tone, he said, “Sure you never want one of these
things? Think of all the spilled food, missing weyr items, lost
candidates papers and general embarrassment you’re saving yourself.”

"Maybe a Queen to keep all the _other_ firelizards away." The large
number of firelizards was a hazard of tropical Dolphin Cove, and with
all his other worries N'vanik was in even less of a mood for their
antics than usual.

Sh’del tried to picture N’vanik with a queen, and chuckled. “I might
pay a good mark to buy a gold egg and stick it under your nose, just
for the entertainment value.” He reached over with a rag to clean up
the spilled beer and food. “Wonder if we could make these guys useful
and turn them into little spies for us,” he mused.

N'vanik arched an eyebrow. "If it would get yours out of the Weyr, you
should try."

“Not a chance, mate, she’s got the brain of a sun stroked wherry.” He
caught the eye of a serving lad and pointed politely to his wrecked
pint. “It’s so hot after that hurricane, too many this turn. Is
everything okay at the Weyr? I’ve been concentrating so much on the
weyrlings and eggs I haven’t had time to notice.”

N'vanik dragged his mind away from his irritation to practical
matters. "We've got some clean up to do, so the Candidates will be
busy. Thank Faranth the Hatching Caverns weren't flooded." It was
always a danger being this close to the water, and it had happened
before.

“Here you on that.” Sh’del lifted the new pint in a silent cheer
before downing a few swallows. The last thing they’d need was trouble
with the eggs. “Want an ear to unburden on?” He had been around
N’vanik�"since they were candidates together all those turns ago�"to
know when his friend was more troubled than usual. He gave N’vanik a
worldweary glance.

N'vanik considered a moment. "Maybe later." The Dining Cavern wasn't
really the place to discuss most of what was troubling him. "Hope
you're not mad at me promoting R'lor."

Sh’del laughed and pointed to his newly healing leg, which had been so
badly broken a few turns back. “You joking, right? How the bloody
shards can I be Weyrlingmaster with this stupid thing still not 100%?”
He just hoped the latest operation would finally fix it. “I’ve not
been around, due to all these operations. And K’sedel had taken over
that wing, what choice did you have? R’lor is a great choice, it’s not
like other Weyrs don’t have blue riders for Weyrlingmasters, so why
can’t we? A bluerider will be much more gentle with the candidates and
will teach some of those Holder boys who think it’s bronze or nothing
that there is a lot more to the Weyr. And…” At this he laughed, a true
deep laugh. “…at the end of the day I get to go to my Weyr and put my
feet up and let poor R’lor deal with the next J’ackt to come down the
line whilst I’m all cosy sipping a glass of wine and reading dirty
books to my dragon. Just call me Auntie Sh’del.”

N'vanik eased a little. "Let's hope J'ackt is one of a kind." The
bronzerider's training had put a strain on N'vanik and Sh'del's
friendship.

“I hear you on that.” Sh’del and N’vanik would never see eye to eye on
that lad. Sh’del preferred to put him out of his mind. “If it makes
you feel any better, I’ll put the candidates to work on clean up
tomorrow morning after R’lor’s lecture. My lesson can wait, and
besides, there’s plenty of them, they’ll have the place looking tidy
in no time.” If that matter would ease N’vanik’s mind than it would be
worth it. “Anything else you need done?”

N'vanik thought for a moment. "Keep an eye on Saedyna. Don't hover or
anything, just . . ." He tapped a finger on the table. "I want her to
feel safe here."

“I can do that.”

Last updated on the June 12th 2024

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I Can Do That