Killing the Greens

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 16th December 2017

Characters: Chaysea, Mehrun
Description: The Weyr won't be having fresh greens for a while...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 19 of Turn 9

"What is this?" Chaysea asked, standing out in the middle of the kitchen's gardens, a drooped and withered vegetable in her hand.

"Well... I may have... accidentally used the wrong pesticide..."

"Mehrun!" The Headwoman screeched, sending Company fleeing from her shoulder to circle over her head in agitation. The garden drudge flinched as Chaysea slung the shriveled fingeroot to the ground and cursed.

"Well? What other things did you put it on?" Chaysea demanded, figuring that they'd already lost, at least, two rows of fingeroots.

Mehrun's eyes were big and full of tears, "The greens."

Chaysea spun back around to look at her, "You mean... a _row_ of greens, right? Or, or _two_ rows of greens, right?"

"Well..."

Chaysea grabbed Mehrun by the arms, "ALL of them?"

"Yes," Mehrun whimpered.

**You've got to be kidding me,** Chaysea whirled around and kicked at the sprouts of a wilted plant. **ALL of the greens? There goes fresh salads for a few months.** She could just hear all of the complaining already from those twiggy dragonriders who insisted on eating "fresh" all the time. They had some greens canned down in the caverns so they could still have them as a side dish with meats, but there would be no salads until a new crop of greens were planted and grown.

"Am I... am I in trouble?"

"Trouble?!" Chaysea repeated with a growl. "You will be on pot scrubbing duty the rest of your life! How could you be so stupid?"

Mehrun ducked her head again, "I was talking to Ergav when I grabbed the bag, I just must have grabbed the wrong one. It wasn't on purpose."

"That's exactly the problem, Mehrun! You were so busy flirting and not paying attention that you've cost the entire Weyr! And I'll be the one that has to answer for it." Chaysea's teeth were clenched so tightly that she could hear her back molars squeaking together.

"Now get out of my sight. You're excused from all other duties today because I can't trust that there's anything you know how to do without supervision. Report to Ikalis tomorrow, she'll have new duties for you." The Headwoman turned, effectively dismissing the drudge, who burst into tears and fled from the garden.

"It's so hard to find good help," Chaysea sighed as Company finally came back down to land on her shoulders, his brown wings spread to keep his balance as she walked around the garden, looking at the damage that had been done. She would have to get some others out in the garden the next day, digging up the ruined plants. How in the name of Faranth had the girl managed to spread it to _all_ of their greens crop? **Unless she had help.... She did mention Ergav...** She thought about the male drudge, he was one of those lover-types that thought he was every woman's dream.

Chaysea could just imagine it, Mehrun being air-headed and silly, flirting with Ergav while using the pesticide carelessly, and Ergav, trying to find his way into her bed that night, offering to "help" so that he would seem chivalrous.

"Come on, Company, let's go see what we've got left in storage." The Headwoman left the gardens. "And then we'll need to start contact neighbors to see who has some greens to share."

Last updated on the December 23rd 2017

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Killing the Greens