It Could be Worse

Writers: Jane
Date Posted: 9th January 2007

Characters: Jh'slaen, F'naren
Description: F'naren chats to Jh'slaen while the greenrider gets ready for watch duty.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 21 of Turn 4

"It could be worse," F'naren observed from the low-slung armchair beside Jh'slaen's bed. Over by the press the greenrider was searching out a clean shirt and transferring his knots onto it. "It could be sweep-riding."

Jh'slaen sent his friend an unimpressed look and returned to his dressing.

"For a month."

"_F'naren_."

"Hmm?" The brownrider watched Jh'slaen pull the shirt on and couldn't keep the grin from his face. "Something wrong?"

"I can't believe they think I'm mouthy when you're around."

"But I'm not, usually. It's when I'm _not_ around that you get yourself into trouble." He produced a large sigh before adding, "It's always been like that."

"What?" Jh'slaen laughed. "That's not how I remember things. What about the time you convinced me to go through the rapids on the raft?"

"Ahh. Who could have known that the raft would jam between the rocks like that … and with you underneath it?" F'naren still experienced an echo of the panic he had felt that day every time it was mentioned but he would never let Jh'slaen know that. "Didn't I jump in and _save_
you? Perhaps I could have done the same if I'd been there when you were mouthing off to that woman, or when you dug your toes in with the weyrlingmaster second. Or –"

"No more 'ors', thanks. I think I was there for all of them." Jh'slaen frowned as he tucked his shirt into his trousers and tightened the drawstring at the waist.

"Funnily enough, you weren't. Some people – some dragonriders, even – don't bother to check the knots before they start in on the subject."
The brownrider knew that he and Jh'slaen bore a strong likeness to each other because people had commented on it all their lives. He tended to forget it, though, because Jh'slaen had always been there – his ever-present companion. There had never been a time when he had given any thought to how his boyhood friend looked – except for those times when their sense of adventure had resulted in physical injury, but then his thoughts and comments had mostly been prompted by awed admiration.
From the vantage point of adulthood he was sometimes surprised that neither of them had ended up crippled or seriously scarred by their antics.

"Ouch. Really? Sorry about that." Jh'slaen bent down to lace his boots, glancing up his companion. "I hope you defended my opinions with your life?"

"Yeah." F'naren laughed. "And said anything I could think of that would make them even angrier. Figured I might as well, since it was you they'd complain about."

Somehow Jh'slaen didn't think it had been quite that way. "Well, if you look so like me – and responsible for some of the trouble I'm in – perhaps you should be doing this watch duty?"

"Oh, I would. My conscience would force me to do my share of the punishment duty if it wasn't for one small – or not so small – thing."

"Jzeth?"

F'naren nodded. "Angry riders over a certain age might have trouble seeing knots clearly, but even the blindest of them could see the difference between Jzeth and Saradath."

"Pity."

F'naren wrestled his way out of the chair. "For you. For me it's a lucky thing because I'm off to spend a pleasant evening in the dining cavern, while you and your poor dragon guard the Weyr from –" He stopped, trying to dredge up memories of the candidate and weyrling classes that taught such things.

"Yeah. I've always wondered about _that_ too."

"No doubt you've got a theory."

Jh'slaen pulled his light jacket on and nodded. "Though I think I'll keep this one to myself."

Last updated on the January 9th 2007

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