Visitors from Home (1)

Writers: Kaysea, Jane
Date Posted: 9th November 2007

Characters: Rahona, R'harne, Keirlee
Description: Keirlee pays a surprise visit to Rahona onboard the Sungazer.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 19 of Turn 4

The brownrider nodded toward the riverboat tied up at the wharf. "Go ahead. I've got some things to unpack here. I'll no doubt catch up with you both later."

Keirlee stood on solid ground, and just stared, amazed at the sight before her. This was the first time she had ever strayed from the Weyr, and the sight and sounds of the paddleboat, even at rest as it was, fascinated her.

"I must admit, I'm a little nervous right now." she said over her shoulder, "I hope she doesn't mind me just dropping in this way?" She was still surprised at how quickly everything had been organised. But her attention was once more taken by a figure appearing on the upper deck, who appeared to be waving at them both.

"Rahona?" she called, shielding her eyes from the afternoon glare.

"Keirlee!" Rahona leaned over the railing on the crew balcony and waved some more. "Come aboard!"

With a quick glance over her shoulder to Rahona's brother, she picked up her skirts and tripped lightly down to the landing stage, barely stepping onto it, before rushing up the gangplank. Rahona's own enthusiasm lending her fleetness of foot.

The clattering of feet on the steps announcing Rahona's approach.
Dropping her skirts, she held out her arms wide, taking her friend into an enthusiastic embrace. "It's so good to see you," she gushed.

Rahona hugged her friend back, surprised at how good it felt to see a face from the Weyr. "And you! Why didn't anybody tell me you were coming? Those brothers of mine. Hopeless. Come up to the crew deck.
We can get a klah there and talk."

"I thought you knew?" Keirlee laughed, and following Rahona back to the stairs, "Well, I assumed you knew, your brothers weyrmate helped to arrange it all."

"_They_ knew, I have no doubt but as for anybody telling me -! I think it's going /between/ all the time that addles their brains." Rahona stopped at the foot of the stairs as there was a distinctive flapping and a flash of sun on translucent gold wings. "I think you'd better meet Sunbow," Rahona said, patting her shoulder and waiting patiently until the gold landed on the padded shoulder patch.

"Oh! Your flit!" Keirlee exclaimed, her eyes fixed on the tiny golden body. "I had heard you were given an egg, but I don't think I was told it was a gold. She's beautiful, Rahona."

"She is, isn't she? And friendly. Give her eye ridges a scratch."

"Are you sure?" Keirlee reached out tentatively with her hand, and rubbed the firelizard softly over her eye ridges. "You must have been so pleased when she hatched. Did you have any idea you had a queen egg?"

"None at all. R'harne got the biggest, but it could have been anything
-" Sunbow bugled a protest. "Not that it was, of course. And yes, I was thrilled. Everybody was. She's such a coup around here, where there aren't many firelizards. Come on up to the dining room."

Keirlee followed her friend up the narrow staircase, admiring the openness of the staircase and the balcony that ran around the girth of the boat. "Um... " she stopped once at the top of the stairs, "you've no protection against Thread?" she asked, slightly worried at the lack of coverage.

"The roof is metal," Rahona explained, "and the dragonriders are good.
Our only recent excitement during Threadfall was an unexpected arrival -
one of the passengers had a baby!"

"She chose a strange time to travel? I take it the birth went smoothly?" Keirlee asked, her eyes darting here and there, taking everything in.

"It did. She was travelling this way because she couldn't get onto a dragon, let alone go /between/. It's nice to see such a little one again," Rahona added, looking faintly embarrassed at her own wistfulness.

"You're thinking of having more?" Keirlee asked, not missing her friends tone, and she turned and looked full at Rahona. "It's not as if you'd be alone with a new baby here either. Not with all of Lineal's family around."

"There are complications," Rahona said, thinking of the four bed rooms and the fact that Nalin would move out into a room shared with other boys if a younger child came along. Though the riverboat children didn't seem to mind, she worried that her son would think he was being pushed out by the newcomer. "Most families are only two children here -
I'll show you our room later. After klah. Look, this is the loveliest place on the Sungazer. We all sit out here by the paddlewheel."

Last updated on the November 9th 2007

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Visitors from Home (1)