Moving Out

Writers: Shawna, Sia
Date Posted: 29th April 2024

Characters: Aydhara, N'kevyn
Description: The family gets ready to move
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 9, day 22 of Turn 11

Aydhara

N'kevyn

Aydhara didn't have much stuff. The candidate barracks didn't exactly give one the space to collect a ton of belongings. It had only taken her about a candlemark to pack, and another few candlemarks to wish everyone goodbye and promise to write (once she found a firelizard on a Southern beach, that is). Her entire teenage life, packed up into two bags.

And even a little contraband. Her High Reaches candidate robe, because she'd embroidered it with a blue trim for luck and there was no way she was starting _over_, and half a flask of cheap Tillek white that she and Nik' could share if they were left Standing for the first time at their new home.

"Dad?" She called as she stepped into their mostly-packed and chaotic weyr. These were people that had too much stuff. She carefully picked her way around the boxes to head out to the dragons' couches only to find the bronze by himself, standing at the ready with all manner of items strapped to him.

Aydhara studied a packed-up Avicath. "What did Mom and Dad do to you, Avi? You look like a big wherry."

Avicath let out a sigh that rattled the crates and bags strapped to what felt like every inch of him, and he put his head all the way down on the stone floor, rolling his eyes to give Aydhara the most mournful look a bronze could manage.

“Don’t be silly,” N’kevyn’s voice came distantly from the back of the weyr, “he looks like a herdbeast. No one carries luggage with wherries.”

The bronze let out a rumbling sound. }: The straps are itchy,{: he complained mournfully to the littlest member of his family.

"Your bovine is so abused." Aydhara called back, though she scooted over to give the bronze's eyeridges some scritches. "You should make sure Dad gives you the best bath and oiling when you're done. You shouldn't have to live like this, buddy."

Avicath made a happier sound.

“So, we’ll be leaving your things behind, then? Because I saved a few straps for you.” N’kevyn appeared from the back with one last sack of clothes. “Where’s the rest of your bags?” Surely there was more.

"This is it!" Aydhara insisted. "Unless you and Mom have been hoarding my stuff up here. I live in the candidate barracks, I have a bed and one whole storage chest. I don't have a sad dragon or a whole weyr to myself yet." She considered the lack of empty space around Avicath's straps. "... where did you leave space for me?"

“Oh, right over here. He picked up a bag and hooked it onto a strap on the bronze’s shoulder. The bag bounced and swung awkwardly when the bronze made another mournful noise. “Stop being a big bronze baby. You’ll be in the air less than five minutes like this. Is anything breakable? This is… it’s a little precarious. Your mother didn’t want to throw anything out.”

As if Aydhan was the only collector in the family.

"Nothing breakable." Aydhara said, "But I'd rather you didn't lose my stuff /between/, either. Do you need to bring everything? Surely a Barrier Lake weyr comes furnished when you're a Weyrwoman's Second. Do they even have weyrs yet? Did you and Mom ask if you'll be sleeping in a tent?"

“We aren’t going to lose anything /between/. No tents. Not only are there no tents, but there’s proper hot water. And real lights. No more glow baskets for my little glowworm.” He reached out and tugged on her braid like she was five.

"Your big wherry is going to have to roll in the dirt to make himself a wallow." Aydhara said with a roll of her eyes and a sharp tug back, pulling her braid from her father's grasp. "But at least it'll be springtime there, right? I'm looking forward to a turn of two summers."

“Don’t tell him that. He loves to dig. The wallows are already there, I’m sure. Springtime, and a warmer spring time, I imagine. I was hoping for Dolphin Cove, but we’re still getting better weather. You ready to go? Your mother and brother are already over there.”

"As ready as I'll ever be." Aydhara said. She climbed up to the right spot on Avicath with practiced ease and strapped herself in. "It's not on the coast like Dolphin Cove is, is it? Can we still meet dolphins?"

“Well, we’ll be a lot closer to them than we are now. And I’m sure your mother will be invited to important events.” N’kevyn was less graceful than usual climbing on the dragon, and there were a few muttered curses as crates and bags banged around.

Also less graceful was Avicath, who took off with all the lumbering grace of… well, an over-burdened bovine. The load wasn’t heavy as much as awkward, though, so the bronze was able to get himself into the air. He left quietly, not wanting any of his old friends to see his shame.

….only to have a handful of dragons bugle a welcome as they appeared in the air over Barrier Lake Weyrhold.

Last updated on the April 30th 2024

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Moving Out