Catching Up with a Clutchmate
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Aaron, Devin
Date Posted: 23rd February 2021
Characters: T'lin, K'don
Description: T'lin and K'don catch up and plan to organize a class reunion.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 24 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: R'fal, V'rel
"Hey, K'don!" T'lin said as he spotted the young rider in the
Weyrbowl. He'd been meaning to catch up with his clutchmate. "How are
you?"
"Oh! T'lin. Hello," K'don greeted his former classmate, instantly
brightening when he saw him. "How have you been? How is Calaroth?"
"He's well." T'lin reached K'don and patted him on the shoulder.
"How's Maciath?"
"Bored," K'don chuckled. He suspected that would be the case for as
long as they were too young to fight properly.
"What have you been up to?"
"Search," T'lin said with a grin. "Calaroth is _thrilled_."
"Oh, how exciting! Have you been many places?" K'don wondered. Maciath
seemed better suited to... other things.
"We've been to a few minor holds, and some cothold farms. We even got
to Search a caravan!" That had been a fun experience. It was all fun,
really. Getting to meet such a wide variety of people, the eager
expressions of the youngsters as Cal looked them over.
"Wow..." K'don looked impressed. "That's great. I haven't been much of
anywhere myself. Aside from the dragon infirmary, that is. But I've
been learning a lot there."
"How are your studies going? I know you're disappointed you can't join
the Wings yet, but it's a good opportunity to spend more time on your
Craft."
"Dragons are different from beasties, of course, but there's enough in
common with what apprentices do that I didn't have to start all the
way at the beginning again," said K'don. "I like the work. So I do
have that."
T'lin smiled. "See? It's not a bad thing. And dragonhealing is _so_
important. I honestly have a lot of admiration for you."
K'don stood up a little straighter and smiled.
"You do?" he asked. He would never have thought that anyone had much
of a reason to admire him yet. He still did not feel that he had done
anything especially admirable. He had only ever meant to do his job,
really.
"Thank you."
T'lin patted his arm. "Really, I do. You're going to save lives, and
that's an amazing thing."
"That's what being a dragonrider is all about, isn't it?" said K'don.
"I didn't want to just... not help at all." He looked around as though
someone else might hear. "I miss... I miss the class. It's just not
the same anymore."
Impulsively, T'lin pulled him into a hug. "I miss it too. We're still
living in the same place, but at the same time we're scattered all
over." He lived with V'rel and yet he still missed drilling with him,
sharing the same schedule.
K'don instinctively froze for half a second, but then he returned the
hug gratefully.
"Maybe we could get some of the others together to go flying sometime?
Or something?"
"We should! That's a great idea."
K'don smiled at the praise. He had no idea how to organize something
like that. But maybe he could get Maciath to ask around.
"How is V'rel?" he asked. "He'd come, right?"
"V'rel is good, and yes he'd definitely come. And we should invite
R'fal, I think he's been lonely." And T'lin had been meaning to check
on him.
"I wouldn't go without inviting him!" K'don assured T'lin. He was
already getting excited at the thought of spending time with his
former classmates. It would feel a bit less like being caught between
worlds for a while.
"What do you think we should do?" T'lin could certainly come up with
ideas but he wanted to ask K'don first.
"Oh, uh. Well," K'don pondered for a moment. He could have been
content just flying somewhere together, up high, far out.
"We could find a place to play tackleball. Or hookball," he suggested.
"I bet we could get enough of us to go to make two teams. Or... Do
y'all still like that kind of thing?"
"Maybe waterball?" T'lin suggested. It was a popular sport among
weyrfolk. "It would be fun for us, and our dragons can splash around
in the water or sun on the beach while we play."
"Oh, that's much better," K'don trailed off and gazed downward for a
moment. "I think that's a great idea."
"I was just bouncing off your idea." T'lin didn't want K'don to think
his own ideas were bad. "Get it? Bouncing, like a ball?"
K'don snickered at the pun and looked up to smile at T'lin. "That's
awful. I love it."
"I knew there was a reason I liked you." T'lin nudged him with an
elbow. "I'll spread the word that you're planning a clutch reunion."
K'don perked up and smiled brightly at the praise.
"Thanks. I'll do the same. When do you think we can do it? I know it's
hard to make schedules line up, so maybe the next restday?"
"Maybe a few restdays from now, so people won't already have plans,"
T'lin suggested.
"Right, right. That's a better idea." It had never occurred to K'don
that other people might have had plans. He was – or felt, for the most
part, cut off from anyone he might have had plans with. He was no
longer a Candidate. Not yet a rider. Too young to be included with the
full-fledged weyrlingstaff or infirmary staff.
Whether that was true or not, it was certainly how he felt.
"I'll see what everyone else is thinking."
T'lin smiled. "It'll be great to get the clutch together again."
"Yeah. It will. Hey, um. So. You might have plans with V'rel, but...
maybe I could come? That is, I mean. If you were going to get
something to eat. But. Only if you don't mind," said K'don, quickly
and nervously, his cadence growing faster as he spoke.
"For dinner? I'll ask V'rel if he's okay with you joining us. We
weren't planning anything special, just the dining hall, so don't
worry," T'lin said. "He'll probably be happy to catch up with you." It
was obvious K'don was nervous and he wanted to reassure him.
"Tell him I understand if it wants it just to be the two of you,
but... I do really want to come," said K'don, his cheeks coloring at
the open, verbal admission of his feelings.
"I'll tell him. And if not today, we can make plans for tomorrow. That
sound good?"
"That sounds great." K'don smiled and nodded. "Thanks."
Last updated on the February 24th 2021