Old Friends

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 25th April 2017

Characters: K'lvin, Jayzine
Description: A friendly chat.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 11, day 4 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Jielta, Rhosyn, Lenala

Jayzine

K'lvin balanced Kaliha on one hip as he strode through the Lower
Caverns, her bag of things jostling on his other hip. Kaliha didn't
stay with a foster mother all the time, but a couple days a sevenday
she would go to one just for the day to give Bahji some time to
herself. K'lvin liked the arrangment, he felt it was healthy for both
Kaliha and Bahji to have some time apart.

"Jayzine," he smiled as he saw the familiar figure of the Headwoman up ahead.

Jayzine turned and her normally serious look was lightened by a smile.
It wasn't a huge smile like most other people but for her it was
significant. "Good morning," she said wiping her hands on the towel
tucked into her waist.

"How goes the new job?" He asked.

"Good," she replied. "I've been pretty much doing it all along, just
now I have the title to go along with the work." She would never
criticize Soiliera's work in the least but she'd depended more and
more heavily on the people around her for the physical work as
she'd aged.

"I'll be glad when Rhosyn is free to return." That would take a load
off her shoulders for certain. "Have you heard anything about her?"

K'lvin shook his head, "If K'ran knows he hasn't shared it with me. It
will be good to have her back, a Weyr isn't complete without it's
Senior Queen." He lowered his voice, "Lenala has done better than I
anticipated."

"Very true," she nodded, "On both counts. I think Lenala has gone far
beyond our expectations." In fact, she'd thought the Weyr Woman's
Second was almost as ready to take over the title slot as she'd ever
be. "But having our Senior Weyrwoman back will be good. We've been
getting a little push back on tithes lately. She was always very good
in keeping those kinds of things in line."

"Well, I'm no Weyrwoman, but if there's anything I can help you with
just say the word." K'lvin offered. Jayzine was one of the only faces
he'd known when he first moved to River Bluff.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Hey," she said. "I have just tested a new
recipe for meat pies, want to sample? I'd love to hear what you
think." She reached out to the babe in his arms with a smile "and I
have some nice juice for you before you go to your foster mother."

Kaliha's head bobbed for a moment as she focused on Jayzine's face and
then she smiled and waved her chubby arms, "I think that's a yes."
K'lvin wasn't going to turn down meat pies either.

Jayzine chuckled and crooked her finger in a 'follow me' gesture. She
walked into the kitchen just as a tray of the promised pies were
pulled from the oven. "Here we go," she said and used a spatula to
plate one. Then she pushed it toward K'ran and reached for Kaliha.
"How do you like being a father?

"It's great," K'lvin said truthfully, unable to fully filter the smile
that threatened his lips. "I mean, with Kylena I missed all of this
because her mother took her to a different Weyr." He'd never fully
realized what he'd missed of Kylena's childhood until he'd held Kaliha
in his arms and watched her smile at him for the first time.

She knew he hadn't meant to but the offhand comment pierced her heart
with a shaft of unexpected pain. She'd missed the first five turns of
her son's life because of her own weakness and pain, and nothing could
get it back for her. Little Miyon was so trusting that even though she
still couldn't bring herself to cuddle him she _was_ trying to show
him the maternal affection she could fake. Someone in her past had
told her to 'fake it until it was true' or something like that.

She struggled to keep her smile in place while she got juice for the
little girl. "Yes," she strangled out. "That has to have been hard."

K'lvin winced a little, immediately reading Jayzine's expression, "I'm
sorry, that just sort of came out."

"Don't worry," she waved a hand brushing away his apology. "Did you
hear that Jielta and Miyon are here for a visit?"

"I hadn't heard. Do they enjoy visiting the Weyr?" he asked.

"I think so," she smiled. "I'm just really surprised that Fielton let
them come. I mean... to visit _me_."

K'lvin jostled Kaliha as the young child began to kick her legs,
wanting to be held a different way, "Yes, that is a little surprising.
Did you ask for the visit or did the children?"

Her smiled illuminated her eyes with inner joy that most people never
got to see in the normally dour Headwoman. "Jielta wrote me and asked
to come. I told her of course she is always welcome."

"That means a lot," K'lvin said with empathy. When Kylena had decided
that she wanted to live with him at River Bluff he'd been stunned, in
the best way possible.

"It does," she agreed. "More than I deserve. But it gives me at least
a little chance of trying to make some of it up to them." She reached
out to smooth an escaped tendril of hair behind Kaliha's ear with a
wistful smile.

"Don't be a stranger," she turned the smile on K'lvin. "We both have
few enough old friends."

Last updated on the April 25th 2017

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