Tunnelsnakes and Other Problems

Writers: Devin, Chelle
Date Posted: 3rd August 2012

Characters: Qorri, N'vanik
Description: N'vanik and Qorri talk about the tunnelsnake problem, Cyradis, and the upcoming Flight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 1 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: W'ser, Y'gel, Rhosyn, Cyradis, Janani, K'deren, R'enh

N'vanik

N'vanik settled into a chair in the Headwoman's office. "So, how are
things going with the tunnelsnakes?"

"Going? I wish they were all going," she huffed with a disgusted look.
"The kids have killed some, I've killed some, the firelizards have killed
some, as well as the whers. And yet, they're still brave enough to try
and get into my stored foodstuffs. Wish I could poison them." That was
an idea, indeed.

"Yeah, but what if one of the weyrbrats got into the poison? Or someone's
pet?"

"It'd be the same as them getting into the fertilizer the farmcraft makes.
Stuff is toxic if eaten. Plus if I did poison them, I'd be injecting
the stuff into
the burrows. I wouldn't think anything else would be going down a tunnelsnake
hole?" Oh, she'd thought it out already many times.

N'vanik leaned back and thought about it. He didn't like the idea of
poison, even if it was just killing tunnelsnakes. This was a real
problem, though, and they needed to get a handle on it. "Try it out in
the uninhabited areas and see what happens."

"Fair enough. And if they die in their holes and start to stink?" **Could they
fish them out? Maybe get a firelizard to dig them out?** Qorri really wished
she hadn't let it get to this point, but she had tried.

"You're the one who wants to poison them," he teased.

"Yeah I know. Better a stinking tunnelsnake than one alive and eating my food,"
she reasoned. She'd figure out a way in the end. Maybe the beastcrafter would
know something. Of course the firelizards might be able to get the beasties.

"True," he agreed. "How are things going with Cyradis?"

"Slowly, but they're going. She's capable and once she learns the differences in
how we operate here, she'll be fine." Qorri sensed that the goldrider
was still feeling
her way and knew it was probably due to what had happened when Janani had left.
Still, that was just how things were. "I wonder, though, if things
will change once she's
confirmed as Weyrwoman and can do whatever she wants."

N'vanik frowned. "Yeah. Maybe she's just playing nice. We'll have to
keep an eye on her." Then he remembered that _he_ had to be confirmed
too. "Although we might get a new Weyrleader, too. Maybe the dragons
have had enough of me chasing off their Queens."

"Nothing to do with you. What happens will be on account of what Loseth does
and he's just fine," Qorri commented with a smile. "Of course he does have a
good field of competition, as always."

"My marks are on R'enh. I might even be able to stand taking orders
from him," he said with a crooked smile.

Her brows rose at that, though that thought had occurred to her as well. "The
girls tell me she's been seeing a lot of D'shiel's wingsecond, but he
rides a brown
so..." Qorri didn't think browns managed to become Weyrleader very
often especially
when there were many bronzes vying for the job. She shrugged her
shoulders, trying
to hide her anxiety. They already had so many changes-they didn't need another.

"I heard a few whisperings too. K'deren, nice solid guy. Maybe if
things get serious, it'll make her more likely to stick around." He
liked the idea of Cyradis getting cozy with the brownrider, especially
since he had no intention of being involved with the goldrider. Not
even if he won.

"Could be," Personally Qorri didn't have a bone in that fight. She didn't have
to worry about Cyradis bothering the males she wanted. Janani had gotten in
the way-not that she'd ever let on that she knew, or cared, but Cyradis was
older and had different tastes. "Course you riders are a fickle lot most times-
changing your minds with the next threadfall." It was the nature of the thing,
really.

He arched an eyebrow. "I don't see _you_ settling down with a weyrmate."

"But you forget, N'vanik. I already did. Sadly, my husband passed
though, leaving
me here." She didn't really mourn him so much though he had been decent to her,
but Qorri had made her commitment once, proving she could.

"Dragonriders weyrmate, too. And we lose our loved ones, and we carry
on any way we can. If I remember right, K'deren lost his weyrmate in
O'dan's Fall." The same accident that had cost the Weyr so many lives.
"So maybe he's the commitment type."

"Maybe he is. His father seems to be from what I've heard." She shrugged, not
wanting to think about what had happened in that particular fall. "Okay-so I'll
see about snake poisoning. Was there anything else I needed to see about? Any
new transfers to get sorted with some housing?" She hadn't gotten a new list,
so she was unsure.

"I have a few transfer requests, but I haven't approved them yet. I'll
pass them along if I do." Now that they weren't quite so desperate for
riders, he was a bit more careful with who he approved.

"Fair enough. That's all I can think of for the moment then." Qorri scratched
around but didn't come up with any other pressing concerns. "Oh except it may
be time to start looking for a new Master Healer....Old Pacham's
getting up in turns
and all..." She loved the old Master but it was getting to be that
time and she thought
it might be good to have a fresh face.

"He's not _that_ old. What I'm on the lookout for is a
Weyrdragonhealer." Replacing Pacham hadn't even crossed his mind.

Shrugging, the headwoman didn't comment on that since that craft was riders'
business. "Aye I hear River Bluff has a good one. Don't know much
about the fellow
at Dragonsfall."

"I wouldn't steal Rhosyn's Weyrdragonhealer," he said with a hint of a smile.

"I wouldn't think you'd have a chance-no. Ah well...I'll leave you to that then
while I handle the stupid snakes. At least they're not half as bad as they were
when we started." She half thought that the things did better in the heat.

"Progress is good. Hopefully we'll get over this soon." They already
had enough to worry about.

Last updated on the August 10th 2012

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Tunnelsnakes and Other Problems