Guess what it is

Writers: Emma
Date Posted: 31st January 2008

Characters: K'reyel, Reyela, Kerrana
Description: K'reyel gets his daughter to guess what their surprise is.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 4

K'reyel

The puppy was sleeping in a box, small canine snores breaking the silence of the bedroom K'reyel shared with Mai. Perhaps the present was a little early, after all Reyela's birthingday wasn't until the next month, but like babies, puppies arrived when they were ready. All the bronzerider could hope was that he'd stay sleeping for the next candlemark or so while the girls arrived and he sprang his surprise on them.

He got to his feet, and pulled the thick curtain behind him that split off the bedroom from the rest of the weyr when the quiet was abruptly shattered by the arrival of his two daughters. "Da! Da!" called out Kerrana as she let go of her sister's hand. "The harpers told me I did good in class today."

"Did well," he corrected automatically, "What about you Reyela?"

"I did a history assignment and got it in early," the girl grinned. "They'll mark it and get back to me in a day or so."

Reyela was fairly studious, he knew she'd get pretty good marks on that, she just had to decide what to do when the classes finished as she turned twelve. "That's good, you should work on keeping your marks up."

"I always do Da," she said.

"In the meantime, I have a surprise for you," he said. "You have to guess what it is, and you have twenty questions if you need them."

"Twenty questions?" Kerrana 's brow wrinkled, "Da, I don't understand."

"You and Reyela can ask me questions, and I can only answer yes or no, then you have to guess what the surprise is." He could see her beginning to understand.

"I get it!" Reyela found herself a seat. "Can we play with it?"

"Yes."

"Your turn Kerrana ," prompted Reyela.

"Is it a game?" asked the younger girl.

"No."

"Does it make a noise?" came the next question.

"Yes."

"Is it a toy?" Kerrana asked, "Or a book?"

"No, and no," said her father.

"Wonder what colour it is," thought Reyela aloud. "Da, is it red or black?"

"There's two questions there, and the answer to the first one is no, but yes to the second," answered K'reyel. They seemed to be getting the idea, and maybe it wouldn't take them to twenty, not that he was really counting anyway.

"Hmm, black, makes a noise and we could play with it. Is it a feline?"

"Another good question Reyela, but no, it isn't a feline."

"Da!" Kerrana jumped up and down, trying to get K'reyel's attention. "Can I have it on my bed?"

"Yes, you could."

"Is it alive?" asked Reyela.

"Yes."

"Furry?"

"Yes."

"I think I know what it is," Reyela smiled and whispered something to her sister.

"Oooh! That would be good." Kerrana let out a squeal. "Can I guess?"

"Well... You are meant to ask questions," pointed out her Da.

"Together," Reyela said, and the childish voices chimed happily. "A puppy!"

"You guessed right," their father told them. He went to get the box, from which small 'wuffs' where coming. As he walked back into the room, a black paw, followed by an equally black nose appeared over the top. K'reyel set it down on the floor and knelt down next to it, motioning the girls to come and look. "He's only just left his mother, and doesn't have a name yet. He's still a baby, so you can teach him how to behave, your foster mother will help you." And she had agreed to that before K'reyel got the puppy, their foster mother always had one or two felines or canines around to help teach the older children about looking after the younger ones. "First thing though, you have to give him a name."

"Furry," suggested Kerrana .

"No, I don't like that," Reyela thought a moment. "What about Blackie?"

"I like that." Kerranna looked at the puppy again. "He is black."

"Blackie it is then," said K'reyel as he watched the girls tentatively reach out to stroke him. This was what he had hoped for.

Last updated on the January 31st 2008

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Guess what it is