The Babysitter

Writers: Devin, Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 21st November 2017

Characters: N'vanik, Sh'del, Brigel, Nisheyl
Description: When an unexpected flight happens, N'vanik dumps the kids on Sh'del
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 16 of Turn 9

N'vanik

N'vanik was watching the kids, allowing Briata and Y'gel to have a
restday to themselves. After what they'd gone through they certainly
deserved it and N'vanik didn't mind taking on Brigel as well as his
daughter. He sat on the floor as they played with a scattering of
blocks and other toys.

The bugle of a rising green was just background noise until Loseth
loudly proclaimed his intent. N'vanik sucked in a breath. **I'm
watching the hatchlings!**

}:She will be mine!:{

He considered trying to pull Loseth out of the chase, but then he'd
need to take the bronze out of the Weyr and that would mean putting on
his riding straps and bundling up the little ones, which he didn't
have time for. N'vanik first thought of Talryne, but dumping two
babies on her was a bad idea. He _could_ run them down to the
creche...

Then he remembered Sh'del's offer. His friend had seemed serious
enough and with the fact that the brownrider could barely walk, it was
highly unlikely Loranth would join the chase. And his weyr was
close...

A few moments later he pushed open Sh'del's door, juggling both kids
and the bag of necessities Briata had left for them. "Hey can you
watch them? Gotta go, Loseth is chasing."

"I...wha...?" Sh'del looked up from the reports L'pin had sent him.

}:Loserth is chasing:{ Loranth let him know.

"Oh, right," Sh'del said. His tiny green flit took one look at the
children and crooned, hoping down from the desk where Sh'del had been
working to take a closer look at the youngsters.

N'vanik set both children down and dropped the bag. "Here's their
stuff. If you hurt them I'll kill you." With that cheerful comment,
N'vanik ran for the mating cots.

Nisheyl started to cry.

At first Brigel had clung to N'vanik's leg. He wasn't so used to
people other than his mother, father and the Weyrleader. Unusual for a
weyrbrat certainly but his mother was a very hands on parent. But
when Nisheyl began to cry he sat down next to her and put his chubby
little arms around her like momma did.

"Ah boy," Sh'del muttered under his breath. As he struggled to get to
his feet, Trouble cautiously walked over to the two children, all but
sticking her delicate green nose into their faces.

Both of the children were very used to their mother's gold firelizard,
Jewel, so they knew not to grab important places. Brigel's uncertain
pout turned into a halfhearted smile as he awkwardly patted his
sister. "Hi," he said to the flit.

Nisheyl was still crying, but quieter than she had been, distracted by
her brother and the firelizard.

"Hey there." Sh'del reached Nisheyl and reached down with one arm to
gather her up. "Don't worry, Uncle Sh'del will fix you up right away."
The boy seemed occupied with Trouble, so Sh'del kept his attention on
the little girl. "Hang in there, mummy will be back soon. Would you
like a juice?" There_was_some juice in the cool box, wasn't there? And
not of the fermented variety.

The offer of juice caught her attention. She made a grabbing motion
with her hand, a few tears still trickling down her face and her
breath still hitching with soft sobs.

Sh'del breathed a sigh of relief. But then he caught Trouble out of
the corner of his eye. The tiny green flit wasn't used to a lot of
attention from such a small person. In her excitement over being
petted she jumped up on the boy, like a canine, and began licking his
face. A detached part of Sh'del's brain noted that she even wagged her
tail like a canine. Where had she been hanging out?

A squeal of delight suddenly erupted from Brigel and he began to
laugh and gabble unintelligibly. His hands waved in the air and then
he stood up distracted by Sh'del's offer of juice. "Juice?"

The squeal startled Nisheyl but she realized it was just her brother.
As he stood up asking for juice, she lifted both her hands, grabbing
at the air. "Want!"

"Okay, hold your dragons!" Sh'del teased as he quickly filled up two
glasses with juice. Trouble, seeing that none of the children were
fussing on her anymore, sniffed around their heels.

Nisheyl kept making grabbing motions until she had a glass in her hands.

Sh'del handed her the glass and settled back, matching the children
and the flit. Maybe not all was lost with the breaking of his leg.

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Babysitter