Brotherly Advice

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 22nd July 2015

Characters: Corran, K'ran
Description: K'ran bothers his brother with another talk about his feelings.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 13, day 12 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Karhal, Genna

K'ran

K'ran sat down at the table next to his brother. "Sorry I'm late. Had
to take a few people to task after today's drill."

"That bad?" Corran asked.

K'ran shook his head. "I don't know what got into the wing today but
one of our greens nearly flamed a brown's wing off. The rider's on
night watch duty for two sevendays plus Turnover."

Corran winced. "Pretty harsh."

"You don't endanger other people's lives like that and not suffer for
it. Speaking of which, what are you doing for it?"

"I'll be working a shift wherever the captain assigns me," Corran
answered. "Though I hope Karhal gives me party duty so I can at least
see a part of the festivities."

K'ran tsked. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a big deal. I don't have a wife or kids to spend it with so
I might as well work so someone else has the time with them."

"Noble of you to do." And the kind of thing that the bronzerider would
have done himself, so it wasn't surprising. "No progress on that
front?"

Corran snorted. "I'd have told you if there was."

"Is it because of - " K'ran hesitated before saying the name, mindful
that they were in a public space. "The person your heart had been set
on before?" he said more circumspectly.

By which he meant, 'are you hoping her husband will die so you can
remarry her', the guard assumed. He shrugged one shoulder. "I haven't
found anyone I really like, and I'm not so desperate to move out of
the barracks that I'll just ask around to see whose daughters are
getting a little spinstery in age."

That came out a little sharper than he meant it to, but it was an
accurate summation of his feelings. Corran was doing just fine as a
bachelor, and he didn't want to take a girl just because her father
was tired of paying for her. Now that he was in his 30s he wasn't sure
he wanted to marry someone in her teens, though he did eventually want
children. Well... Corran shook his head to dismiss that thought before
it could run around too far in his head.

K'ran tried a little peace offering. "I'm not having much more luck on
that front, if it makes you feel better."

"How _did_ that liaison go?" Corran asked, happy to see the
conversation turn around towards his brother's issues and not his.

K'ran blushed. "We had a good time. Her dragon rose and I lost."

Corran made a sympathetic little sound. "I'm sorry to hear it. Have
you two interacted since then?" Because he could definitely see his
brother avoiding a girl after that kind of disappointment.

"We talked afterwards," the bronzerider said. "But I haven't seen her
since then."

"Because you both have busy schedules since you're in the wings, or
because you've been avoiding her?"

"Both? I want to give her some space. I mean...like you said, it was a
favor for a friend and...maybe she isn't interested in me now she's
got it done. And maybe she's going to fall for the other guy now.
After all, they'll be spending a lot of time together for the formal
events."

K'ran sounded so hesitant and lost when he spoke. Corran felt bad for
his brother. "Have you asked her any of that?"

"Not yet. She might need time to sort it out in her own head."

"Maybe she does. But you'll need to talk to her again before it gets
too long. What if you make her think you aren't interested because you
wait too long?"

K'ran blinked. That thought clearly hadn't occurred to him. "I guess
you're right."

Corran resisted the urge to swat his brother's shoulder. Of course he
was right. Did he have to do everything for his brother?

"But that assumes I know how _I_ feel," the bronzerider added after a
long pause.

"You could just keep taking her out and see what happens between you.
Shards, you live at the Weyr, not here. You don't have to decide
whether or not to make a marriage offer before she's taken off the
market. You can just spend time with her watching it evolve naturally.
Maybe you become something more attached, or maybe one of you decides
you like being just friends. But you don't have to know everything
right now."

That was a very wise observation, K'ran thought. "I think you should
have Stood. You'd be much better at this manly bronzerider thing than
I am."

"Don't make me have to come pretend to be you," the guard joked.

K'ran shuddered. "Perish the thought."

"So now that we have that handled, what else is up at the Weyr?"

K'ran had to think for a moment. "You'll never believe the drama
that's shaping up between..."

Last updated on the July 29th 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Brotherly Advice