What A Way To Start The Day

Writers: Leigh M-F., Suzee
Date Posted: 15th March 2013

Characters: K'ale, A'kua
Description: Chores; the bane of everyone's existence.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 16 of Turn 6

K'ale

K'ale walked across the grass toward the weyrlake atop the plateau. The day was a beautiful and warm. He lifted his face to the sun and pulled off his shirt. He looked around and shaded his eyes as his lifemate glided up over the edge of the cliff and dove into the cold waters of the lake.

"You there," he called to one of the Candidates he saw standing by the sweetsand buckets. "Want to give me a hand?"

Mornings. Who the fardling shards invented them? His brain felt as sluggish as a drunk one-legged mariner trying to climb a flight of stairs. No, a better question was who the fardling shards thought chores in the morning were a good idea? There was time enough to get everything done if days started at eleven instead of the hindside of dawn.

**Maybe I should become Weyrleader and instate the practice,** Aluka thought sarcastically. **People'd love me.** He covered his mouth to yawn, then slowly stretched, popping joints and pulling at tendons and ligaments. A quick shake of his head cracked his neck and got his bangs out of his face. Well, he was here now, and any minute, someone would call and ask for assistance- and there it was. "No, I don'," Aluka muttered under his breath, but he picked up two pails and two scrubbing brushes, and walked over to the wingrider in question. "Candidate Aluka reportin' for duty, sir," he said out of habit.

K'ale snorted and shook his head. "I'm just a regular wingrider," he said. "You don't have to call me sir."

Aluka's shoulders lowered slightly and he half smiled. That was just fine by him; he hated formality. It got in the way of freely expressing himself (that is, he couldn't curse as much when being formal). "Okay, what do I call ya?" he inquired, holding out one of the pails and brushes.

"I'm K'ale," he smiled and held out his hand. "And that's Imalkyth," he pointed with his other hand to the pecan brown dragon who'd just emerged dripping from the lake.

"Got it." Aluka placed the proffered pail and brush in the wingrider's hand. "Let's get goin'. Ya want the left side, or the right?"

"I'll take the left," he smiled. Taking the pail he mixed some of the sweetsand with water and began to scrub. "So how long have you been at the Weyr," he called.

Ah, small talk. Simple enough that he could actually keep up at this hour. "'Bout a Turn now," Aluka answered, scrubbing firmly. "Can't complain. Well, actually I can a li'l, but I won'." He was frustrated that he couldn't get formal gitar and singing lessons on account of being too busy as a Candidate. Trying to challenge himself by himself didn't work too well. "Ya weyrborn?"

"Yes," he replied. "Born and raised right here at Dragonsfall." Of course the kid wouldn't know his da was a Wingsecond and ma the Wingthird. "You must've come here just after I Impressed. Imalkyth is just about a Turn old."

"Musta," Aluka agreed, moving down Imalkyth's neck. "Lookin' forward to the next hatchin'. Heard those're real sights." And if he didn't Impress, it didn't matter. There was time. In the meantime, he would just get along. "Ya like it here?"

}:Tell him to scrub harder. I itch:{

**Alright, don't worry we'll get all the itchy places with oil after you've rinsed** "He says to scrub harder," said K'ale. "Yes, the hatchings are pretty impressive." It puzzled him momentarily though when the guy had been here a turn and it sounded as though he hadn't been to one yet.

Aluka lifted his right hand to yawn against the back of it. "Dragon decides, Candidate complies," he cracked once he was done, and started scrubbing harder, moving both hands against Imalkyth's hide. It didn't matter he only had one brush; he was ambidextrous, so why not use the nails of the other hand to help out? "Wha'd ya do 'fore Impressin'?" The question was both random curiosity and an attempt to wake him up a bit further.

K'ale chuckled. "Yes," and smiled at the grunts of pleasure from Imalkyth. Apparently the candidate was doing a better job. At the question he looked around the brown's chest "Oh I was a smith," he said. "Still am though I haven't had much chance to practice lately. Did you have a craft?"

"Aye," the redhead answered. "I got kept busy as a potter by the hold, kept m'self busy with music otherwise, once I found someone willin' to put up with my attitude. Learned the gitar and singin'. Kinda miss that." As in really missed it, but shells if he would admit that.

"Ahh, yes. " K'ale smiled. "My da's a harper too. You'll be able to take it back up after you Impress."

And if he didn't Impress, come to think of it. But that was a few Turns off, most likely. But Aluka could be patient, if he tried hard enough, had the right motivation, and could manage his temper. (Yes, that made it difficult.) In the meantime, he had a lot of chores and a little spare time. Maybe if he hurried, he could at least practice some chords before the rest of the day came up, smacked him over the head, and demanded his attention.

"Ok, go rinse off," K'ale said to his lifemate and the big brown slid into the lake.

"And there ends round one," Aluka sighed.

Last updated on the April 1st 2013

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What A Way To Start The Day