A Flying Message

Writers: Eimi, HeatherH
Date Posted: 9th December 2006

Characters: N'kalen, D'cal
Description: N'kalen and D'cal chat over a meal.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 4 of Turn 4

N'kalen leaned back against the wall of the cavern and smiled. He was finally relaxing for a few moments over his evening meal. Suddenly, he was jolted out of his calm state as something flew by his head. He retraced the path of the object and found...D'cal.

"Ah, I see you got my message," the younger bluerider grinned.

"Some message!" N'kalen smiled at the younger rider.

"Well, I was half afraid you were going to fall asleep and miss this wonderful meal of... mashed tubers and... Is this some kind of seafood pudding?" D'cal drippled some of the yellow gelatanous mass off of his spoon.

N'kalen stretched and winced as he caught a sore muscle. "I have decided it is just not edible, whatever it is. It tastes like...I don't know what it tastes like, but it is _not_ good!"

"You should try eating ship food for months at a time," D'cal grinned as he slipped onto the seat next to N'kalen. "I'd take a few questionable meals over monotony."

"You know, I've never been on a ship. What's it like?"

"Like flying," the bluerider said with a nostalgic smile. "The wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face, the smell of the sea soaking into everything around you. Being rocked to sleep every night, the sky alight with stars. There's nothing like it."

"It sounds wonderful. I think I'd like to try it sometime. However between studying, drills, and flying Thread, I doubt I'd have a chance!" N'kalen sighed gustily.

"Yeah, me neither," D'cal shrugged helplessly. "Not a long voyage anyway. And besides, what would I do with Aosorath if I put to sea?
No, I think I have to just accept those days are over."

"Yes but being a rider is amazing." N'kalen grinned. "And there's always short jaunts here and there. But just think, we can travel all over Pern far faster than a ship could ever sail."

"Yes, but there's something to be said about a ship. A dragon flies you, you sail a ship." D'cal got a far off look in his eye as an old idea began creeping back to the fore of his thoughts. "I've actually been thinking of building a small ship of my own."

N'kalen perked up. "Really? That sounds like an amazing project! How complicated is it?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a large vessle. Maybe room enough for three or four people with a small sail. Something just for short trips. I would say it would take about... two or three months on my current wing schedule." He wouldn't be able to work on it everyday with drills and the like. And it had been a long time since he had used his hands to build a boat...

N'kalen put on his best charming grin. "Well, if you'd like a little help, you can always find me. I might end up being more of a hinderance though. But I always enjoy spending time with...friends."

D'cal smiled back politely. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Though the bluerider was becoming accustomed to males openly flirting with him, he still wasn't sure how to respond to it.

"So, what else do you have planned for your free time?"

His companion shrugged. "Washing Aosorath. Other than that... No plans really."

"All work and no play makes a very dull boy..." A sapphire blue flit suddenly popped into view and made a dive at D'cal before settling around N'kalen's neck. "I wondered when you were going to show up little on. D'cal, this is Tural. He usually tends to show up when I am eating."

"I hear flits have a talent for that," D'cal grinned as he reached out a finger to stroke the little blue head that looked so much like his own lifemate.

"This one is trouble. I have another flit, Scout, a bronze, who is not nearly so much trouble. He spends most of his time curled up with Myanth."

"That's a lot of mouths to feed and hides to oil." D'cal would rather stick to the one he has, but he knew a lot of people found enjoyment in their pets.

"Thankfully, the flits are rather small." N'kalen could not even imagine trying to oil more than one dragon and a couple of flits.

"Well, speaking of which, our conversation got Aosorath to thinking that he just might need a nice oiling himself. Personally, I think he's just jealous," his rider chuckled, smiling fondly at the thought of his little blue. "We'll have to get a drink or something later."

"I'd enjoy that," N'kalen said after he turned up the charm. "I think for now, I am back to studying."

Last updated on the December 16th 2006

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A Flying Message