Quote:
It was good to have his weyr back to himself, R’bin reflected. Even as a child, he and Reya had never shared a sleeping space, and it had been a tense couple of sevendays for everyone until Reya and Eridan moved into their own quarters. He’d forgotten how uptight Reya was about cleanliness, and he didn’t really enjoy having a small child constantly underfoot. Now things were back to the way they were supposed to be.
They weren’t that bad, Huarangith interjected. As always he knew R’bin’s thoughts. I think we should bring them to the hatching at High Reaches when it happens. That would be exciting for them.
We’re taking Tizzy already, R’bin reminded the brown. And last time Eri was on your back, he peed on you, remember?
R’bin sensed Huarangith’s recollection and resultant shudder and felt confident that he’d gotten out of any further family ferrying. He was pretty sure that would put paid to Huarangith’s urges to be helpful, but he had underestimated his dragon’s generosity of spirit.
You should ask them.
Fine, R’bin conceded. I’ll ask. But don’t blame me if everyone turns up with piss stains.
Just make sure any other passengers sit farthest from him. Just in case, Huarangith suggested.
They weren’t that bad, Huarangith interjected. As always he knew R’bin’s thoughts. I think we should bring them to the hatching at High Reaches when it happens. That would be exciting for them.
We’re taking Tizzy already, R’bin reminded the brown. And last time Eri was on your back, he peed on you, remember?
R’bin sensed Huarangith’s recollection and resultant shudder and felt confident that he’d gotten out of any further family ferrying. He was pretty sure that would put paid to Huarangith’s urges to be helpful, but he had underestimated his dragon’s generosity of spirit.
You should ask them.
Fine, R’bin conceded. I’ll ask. But don’t blame me if everyone turns up with piss stains.
Just make sure any other passengers sit farthest from him. Just in case, Huarangith suggested.
Quote:
Reya couldn’t help but feel relieved when her brother showed up in the quarters she shared with her son. Eri was getting sick, and he was cranky and whiny and sniffly. She did not really have the patience to deal with him. She never had, when he was sick. His grandparents had always taken over in those times, since she couldn’t afford to jeopardize her job by getting sick, herself. Reya wished she could bring Eri back to the creche so someone with more skill in this area could take care of him, but they didn’t care for kids in the evenings, unfortunately.
“R’bin,” she greeted him, trying to sound cheery rather than harried. “What brings you down here?”
Ordinarily she would be looking over her shoulder to ensure her son wasn’t about to make a break for it, but Eri was temporarily subdued, lying on the furs and sniffling. Since there had yet to be any sign of actual mucus, Reya knew the sniffling was a ploy for sympathy and she wasn’t in the mood to go along with it.
“R’bin,” she greeted him, trying to sound cheery rather than harried. “What brings you down here?”
Ordinarily she would be looking over her shoulder to ensure her son wasn’t about to make a break for it, but Eri was temporarily subdued, lying on the furs and sniffling. Since there had yet to be any sign of actual mucus, Reya knew the sniffling was a ploy for sympathy and she wasn’t in the mood to go along with it.
Quote:
R'bin was actually a little surprised to see his sister making an effort to appear happy to see him. He was confident that she loved him, but much of the time he doubted she actually liked him on a day-to-day basis. Not that he thought she disliked him. He just figured he frustrated and annoyed her, which didn't bother him at all. It was practically his job as a brother.
"There are two clutches on the sands at High Reaches," he told her. Probably she already knew that much. From her expression, she definitely already knew that much. "I'll be flying candidates over soon, so that they have a few days to get acclimated to the Weyr before the hatching begins. Huarangith suggested that when the hatching actually does begin, you and Eri might like to watch it."
I like how you blame this on me, Huarangith chided him.
It was your idea! I'm not wrong to blame you.
"Of course, Eri has to promise not to pee on Huarangith again," R'bin added with a wide smile.
"There are two clutches on the sands at High Reaches," he told her. Probably she already knew that much. From her expression, she definitely already knew that much. "I'll be flying candidates over soon, so that they have a few days to get acclimated to the Weyr before the hatching begins. Huarangith suggested that when the hatching actually does begin, you and Eri might like to watch it."
I like how you blame this on me, Huarangith chided him.
It was your idea! I'm not wrong to blame you.
"Of course, Eri has to promise not to pee on Huarangith again," R'bin added with a wide smile.
Quote:
Reya, having ears, had actually managed to find out all by herself that there were heaps of eggs on the sands at High Reaches. The lower caverns were all talking about it. Speculation was rampant about when the eggs would hatch, which candidates would Impress, and all the usual sorts of things. Reya had been giving serious thought to making book and seeing if she could thereby make a little something extra. She was pretty confident her accounting skills would've put her in good stead for that sort of thing. However, she didn't have enough information to give informed odds, and that was the main reason she'd decided against it. This time around.
It took more effort than she expected to keep from leaping with joy at her brother's offer. It would be a great experience for Eri to see a hatching, and honestly Reya was dying of curiosity about what the great events were actually like.
"That's really very thoughtful of Huarangith. We'd definitely like to take him off on the offer. Please thank him for me, and ask if there's anything I can do to show my appreciation."
She actually did smile at R'bin's added condition and replied, "That goes without saying. I'll make sure he relieves himself before we leave."
It took more effort than she expected to keep from leaping with joy at her brother's offer. It would be a great experience for Eri to see a hatching, and honestly Reya was dying of curiosity about what the great events were actually like.
"That's really very thoughtful of Huarangith. We'd definitely like to take him off on the offer. Please thank him for me, and ask if there's anything I can do to show my appreciation."
She actually did smile at R'bin's added condition and replied, "That goes without saying. I'll make sure he relieves himself before we leave."
Quote:
It was still a little odd for R'bin to hear his sister making jokes, or at least saying things which kind of resembled jokes. He had never had a hard time turning things into jokes - usually at his own expense - and their parents had always been up for a laugh, but the Reya he remembered had always been a serious little girl who was usually exasperated by her family's lack of concern about the things she considered important. It would've been easier for the family to fall in line with her expectations had she not considered so many things important. R'bin had never understood how she managed to find the energy to care so much about so many little things, like the location of other people's dirty undergarments.
You can tell her that she's welcome to help with the oiling up anytime. Eri, too, Huarangith instructed R'bin. He was not an excessively large brown, but he was still a large being and it always took R'bin several hours to oil him thoroughly. Neither dragon nor rider minded the time it took, but Huarangith hoped that spending the time together would help the family learn to feel more comfortable around each other.
R'bin dutifully relayed Huarangith's invitation to his sister, whose expression changed subtly into one that R'bin would have said presaged the voicing of a concern, so he preempted her: "What's wrong?"
You can tell her that she's welcome to help with the oiling up anytime. Eri, too, Huarangith instructed R'bin. He was not an excessively large brown, but he was still a large being and it always took R'bin several hours to oil him thoroughly. Neither dragon nor rider minded the time it took, but Huarangith hoped that spending the time together would help the family learn to feel more comfortable around each other.
R'bin dutifully relayed Huarangith's invitation to his sister, whose expression changed subtly into one that R'bin would have said presaged the voicing of a concern, so he preempted her: "What's wrong?"
Quote:
Thinking about Huarangith and R'bin's offer a little bit more, Reya wondered if it was actually a good idea to bring Eri to a hatching right now. It would be an exciting event, undeniably, but Reya had lately been receiving reports from the creche workers that her son had been pretty vocal about saying he didn't like dragons, and that they were scary. So far no one in authority had scolded him for voicing his opinions, but several of his agemates had already expressed the opinion that if he felt that way about dragons, that was how they would feel about him. Thus, the invitation to repay Huarangith by helping oil him was one Reya had no problem accepting on her own behalf, but she was concerned Eri would make a stink about being so close to such a big dragon.
"Oh," she said, refocusing on R'bin. "It's Eri. He's been having some difficulties with dragons, according to the creche workers. Claiming they're scary and he doesn't like them. Obviously he'll have to overcome that, and helping oil Huarangith would probably go a good way toward doing so, but I don't want him to hurt Huarangith's feelings with anything he might think while he's taking part."
She already knew it would be a fight to make him help. She'd win, of course, because she was significantly more stubborn and because she was his mother and still the most familiar, comforting thing about his new life at Western Weyr, but thoughts were thoughts, and Huarangith probably would not be able to help overhearing them. The brown was sweet, and she was reluctant to get into a situation where her son behaved like a little turd and hurt his feelings, even without meaning to. Either way, she and Eri would have to have words soon about his attitude toward dragons.
"Oh," she said, refocusing on R'bin. "It's Eri. He's been having some difficulties with dragons, according to the creche workers. Claiming they're scary and he doesn't like them. Obviously he'll have to overcome that, and helping oil Huarangith would probably go a good way toward doing so, but I don't want him to hurt Huarangith's feelings with anything he might think while he's taking part."
She already knew it would be a fight to make him help. She'd win, of course, because she was significantly more stubborn and because she was his mother and still the most familiar, comforting thing about his new life at Western Weyr, but thoughts were thoughts, and Huarangith probably would not be able to help overhearing them. The brown was sweet, and she was reluctant to get into a situation where her son behaved like a little turd and hurt his feelings, even without meaning to. Either way, she and Eri would have to have words soon about his attitude toward dragons.
Quote:
R'bin got an impression of sadness from Huarangith. The dragon already knew of his nephew's growing aversion to dragons, it seemed. Well, that wasn't a surprise. They all lived in the same weyr and young people especially tended to be unskilled at guarding their thoughts from dragons - not that anyone was particularly good at it, as far as R'bin knew. What dragons didn't hear, they seemed to have chosen not to hear. No one pulled anything over on them if they were paying attention.
"I think Huarangith understands. At least, he won't be unhappy if Eri chooses not to help out," R'bin reported, paraphrasing a bit, because of course Huarangith would be unhappy and have his feelings hurt. He was a thinking, feeling being after all, and being rejected by someone he cared about hurt. But he would not hold it against Eri. That was part of being a thinking, feeling being, too. Being able to forgive others.
From Reya's expression, R'bin got the feeling Eri was not going to have a choice about helping, and would probably receive a stern talking to about minding his thoughts, much the same way candidates were lectured about touchings. For a few moments R'bin tried to imagine his nephew taking part in a touching and failed utterly. The boy was simply too young and too unlike the candidates R'bin was accustomed to seeing around the Weyr. The chances that he would enter candidacy seemed perishingly slim. Besides, Reya would probably want to move back to Rivercrest at some point, which cut even more deeply into Eri's chances of attending a hatching as a candidate, or even as a guest.
We could always invite them, Huarangith pointed out. Even if they can't come this time, there will be other times.
True, R'bin agreed.
"I think Huarangith understands. At least, he won't be unhappy if Eri chooses not to help out," R'bin reported, paraphrasing a bit, because of course Huarangith would be unhappy and have his feelings hurt. He was a thinking, feeling being after all, and being rejected by someone he cared about hurt. But he would not hold it against Eri. That was part of being a thinking, feeling being, too. Being able to forgive others.
From Reya's expression, R'bin got the feeling Eri was not going to have a choice about helping, and would probably receive a stern talking to about minding his thoughts, much the same way candidates were lectured about touchings. For a few moments R'bin tried to imagine his nephew taking part in a touching and failed utterly. The boy was simply too young and too unlike the candidates R'bin was accustomed to seeing around the Weyr. The chances that he would enter candidacy seemed perishingly slim. Besides, Reya would probably want to move back to Rivercrest at some point, which cut even more deeply into Eri's chances of attending a hatching as a candidate, or even as a guest.
We could always invite them, Huarangith pointed out. Even if they can't come this time, there will be other times.
True, R'bin agreed.