A Worry-Wherry

Writers: Jane
Date Posted: 22nd November 2006

Characters: Arateyka
Description: Arateyka talks with her greenrider sister.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 17 of Turn 3

"Greetings, noble greenrider."

Teykara leaned back in her chair and reached out a hand to poke at her sister. Arateyka danced out of the way and then returned to edge cautiously into the next chair.

"How's Yeulanth?"

"She's well." The greenrider smiled at the sleepy, disjointed thoughts of her dragon. "Nearly asleep."

"Shouldn't you be?"

"At this time of night?" Teykara looked around until she caught a glimpse of the light from outside the cavern. "It's not even dark." She looked back at her sister and grinned. "Are you sending me to bed early because I have a busy day tomorrow?" Their mother had done that but at twenty-nine Teykara thought the time for being told when to go to bed was past. Especially when it was her younger sister doing the telling.

"Maybe I am. You have an early start."

"So does everybody," the greenrider pointed out, waving a hand to indicate those still in the dining cavern. "Even you have to be at the smithy early when there's an early Fall." It made sense for people who should not be needed to at least be somewhere they could be located if necessary. By the time the fighting wings met Thread everybody was in their rightful place. "Honestly, I couldn't sleep if I went to bed this early. So why bother? Now, staying up all night drinking – that would be another matter."

"You wouldn't, would you?" Arateyka didn't think her sister drank all that much, though some dragonriders seemed to be doing their best to become drunks. Their father wasn't much of a drinker, and apart from one or two social ales every evening, Teykara's weyrmate didn't seem to have much interest, either.

"No, I wouldn't. What's made you a worry-wherry all of a sudden?"

The smith journeywoman wasn't entirely sure. Perhaps her thoughts about the upcoming end of Turn, perhaps their father moving Weyrs? Things were changing and she didn't want one of those changes to be that the family lost another dragonrider. She shrugged, realising that putting her worries on to her sister wasn't a good idea. "Did you know Lhara wants to Stand?"

"I'm not surprised. She was talking about it last clutch. Good on her, though it would be better if Tey Impressed." At eighteen, their sister Tey would graduate weyrling training right into a fighting wing. Lhara, at fourteen Turns, would remain with the weyrlings until she was sixteen. "Hatchlings' choice. Not for us to worry over ... Unless you want to put marks on it? This Hatching? Tey or Lhara or both or neither?"

"You think I have marks to burn? I'll make you something or repair the lighting that isn't working in your bathing room if you win. You can take me somewhere, _and_ bring me back, if I win."

"I like the bathing room the way it is. Romantic."

"It's _dark,_" Arateyka grumbled, having needed to wash her hands while visiting one evening and nearly knocking herself out after tripping on a pile of clothing. "How can that be romantic?"

"If I have to tell you ..." The greenrider laughed. "I suppose I could put up with seeing in there. I reckon Lhara will and Tey won't."

"I reckon neither will." She took her sister's hand and they agreed on the bet. "But don't tell them I said so."

"As if I would." Teykara got to her feet. "And now the world _has_ gone dark, and I'm off to bed. What was that you called me? Noble greenrider?
I like that. Keep using it."

The younger woman laughed and nodded a farewell to her sister. As long as Teykara was always around to tease - that was the important thing.

Last updated on the November 23rd 2006

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A Worry-Wherry