Reunion

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 10th August 2008

Characters: Kellin, Menore, Mehan, Vidara
Description: Mehan and Menore meet some of their crew when the Sungazer visits the seaport.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 14 of Turn 4

Mehan walked briskly down the wharf, heading for the distinctive yellow painted riverboat and the crew that should have some free time this morning to talk to him and the Moonflower's headwoman.

"Do you think anyone's gone insane yet?" Menore asked, her voice joking.
Of course, she was probably closer to going insane than anyone else.
Staying ashore was difficult.

"Not our crew - but theirs? They might have been driven mad by the extra people hanging around. And some of the crew who volunteered were not our best representatives."

"Oh shards I hope they've behaved themselves." Menore shook her head and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'll be so glad when this overhaul is done.
Otherwise, you might have to take me to a mindhealer."

"I could just knock you on the head and throw you off the wharf," he suggested lightly, though the thought occurred to him from time to time when she was at her most difficult. "Look, there's Kellin." He waved at the elder of the Moonflower's two pilots.

Menore lifted her hand to echo Mehan's gesture, then motioned to another figure who was close behind the older woman. "I see Vidara is venturing out as well."

Kellin waved at the Moonflower's captain and owner, then followed their gaze further along the crew deck of the Sungazer. "Vidara! Come down and meet them."

Vidara picked up her pace and grinned as she drew close to the threesome. "Hello Mehan, Menore. It's so good to see you again!"

"It's only been a month," Kellin said with a grin. "And the Sungazer's not all bad."

"It seems like it's been longer." Vidara sighed softly, then grinned.
"I suppose it could be worse, though. The Sungazer is a nice boat."

"Glad to hear it." Menore crossed her arms over her chest, teasing playfully. "I hope you two aren't causing trouble."

"Trouble?" The pilot chuckled. "Not us! I've been working - and working hard. Their pilots are sitting around with their feet up."
They hadn't been, to start with, which was right. They had been very wary, watching her work, making sure all her decisions were the ones they would have made. But now they were used to her; happy enough with her knowledge of the river.

"Glafir's been keeping busy." Vidara nodded in the direction of the Sungazer. "Busy right now in fact." The young woman's lips cracked into a mischievous smile. "I've been doing my best not to be a nuisance."

"Sounds good. No ... problems? We'll go and speak with Lineal and his headwoman, but is there anything we should know?" Mehan asked the two women, not wanting to he ambushed by unexpected reports of difficulties.

Vidara shook her head as she clasped her hands behind her. "None to report from me, except I do miss the Moonflower something awful."

"You're not the only one." Menore commented dryly.

"The overhaul is right on schedule," Mehan reassured Vidara automatically, having done so often enough for Menore.

"It just feels like it's taking forever." Menore quipped and received a sympathetic nod from Vidara.

"Why don't you leave her and come with us on the Sungazer," Kellin suggested. Her weathered face was expressionless but her tone suggested that she might be teasing the Moonflower's owner.

"And leave the Moonflower?" Shock crossed over Menore's face. "Then they'd really do some damage!" Her face then cracked into a grin.

Mehan laughed, pleased that Menore could joke about something so close to her heart. He nodded toward the Sungazer. "Does she sail well?" It was a strange thing but many riverboat people would spend their whole lives on the river and never ride on more than their natal boat. He had had two, of course, being a marry-in to the Moonflower family.

"She sails fine, but she's just not the Moonflower. She feels different." Vidara confided with a soft sigh. "It's amazing how different they are even if they don't look all that different."

"She steers well," Kellin admitted. "But the Moonflower was getting a bit tired so I suppose that's to be expected."

"Well, she'll steer a lot better once she's been refurbished." Menore cast a sidelong glance to Mehan. "Why don't we all go grab a bite to eat. I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting hungry."

"I'll just let Lineal know," Kellin said, smiling wryly and shrugging.
"You know, he's technically our captain."

"I suppose that's true." But not for too much longer, Menore hoped.

"I'll just wait for you here." Vidara stated with a grin, more than happy to let the other woman do the running back and forth.

"Yeah. Wear out the old legs first," Kellin teased again as she headed back onboard the Sungazer.

Vidara giggled, then turned to her captain and headwoman. "It's so good to see you! I know I'm just repeating myself, but you two are a piece of home!"

"And your home is in pieces," Mehan said with a laugh. "Let me warn you not to go and look. It'll break your heart."

"It's about to break mine." Menore groaned softly. "All I know is that they better put her back together right or I'll turn into a dragon and flame them all."

"I don't think dragons actually flame _people_," the Moonflower's captain said with an apparent diffidence in his tone and a smile on his lips.

"There's always a first time." Menore quipped. "I'd be the one to break with tradition."

"I think turning into a dragon would be break enough."

"Watch it," Menore warned, though her voice was light. "You might be the first person I burn."

"I was afraid of that," he admitted, amused since he didn't think she was joking.

Menore's wrinkled her nose, then turned back to the other members, "Why don't we all grab something to eat and catch up. I'm rather starving."

"Sounds like an idea to me," Kellin said. "And then we can tell you all about the Sungazer while we're eating."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Vidara laughed brightly. "I just have to make sure to bring something back for Glafir."

Kellin nodded. "Far enough," she agreed with a smile. "Your man is quite a burden on the Sungazer's provisioning!"

Last updated on the August 16th 2008

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