Not the right kind of greenrider

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 16th January 2009

Characters: U'kaiah, E'naer
Description: E'naer lends a sympathetic ear (and maybe even a sister) to a brooding bronzerider
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 17 of Turn 4

You're not exactly the kind of greenrider company I was hoping to
attract this evening, E'naer, but I guess it's better than drinking
alone." The bronzerider gave his old friend a small smile as he shoved
a couple empty mugs to make room for the Weyrlingmaster Third.

"Sorry to disappoint you. And drinking alone is not healthy," E'naer
replied with a cheerful tone.

"As long as I can sit straight in my riding straps in the morning,
that's all that matters at this point," U'kaiah said as he lifted his
mug to his lips once more.

"Hmm, you're in a mood, aren't you?" E'naer said when he sat down.

"The more I drink, the more improved my mood becomes."

"I tend to get depressed and gloomy if I drink too much," E'naer
confessed.

"Then you and I are certainly opposites." He glanced up at the drudge
who quickly looped her fingers through the handle of the empty mugs.
"Almost to the end of your shift?"

"Yes, sir," she said with a smile as she used her other hand to wipe the
table.

"My friend and I are having a drink. You can join us if you have
nothing else to do..." U'kaiah said with his most enticing bronzerider
grin.

"Sorry, it's my weyrmates birthday," the drudge said with a tolerant
smile. "Maybe next time."

"I might hold you to that," he said as he watched her walk away and then
sighed. "That's my luck tonight."

E'naer chuckled. "Just a bad timing. Your charm hasn't gone away," he
assured the bronzerider.

"I sharding hope not. I have an itch that is in need of stratching."
Namely a very big bed and a mind that liked to conjure up images of a
certain goldrider as he lay alone in the silent darkness of his weyr.

"I would love to help with that itch but I got the feeling I'm not the
right kind of greenrider;" E'naer said.

"Not quite," the bronzerider smiled. "I'm not that desperate yet, no
offense."

"None taken," the green rider shrugged. "I can always listen if you
want to talk," he offered.

U'kaiah snorted his amusement. "Am I that obvious? Do I have brooding
bronzerider written across my forehead?"

"Yes, you have," E'naer confirmed with a laughter.

"Oh well, it's just woman troubles, you know? Well, _relationship_
troubles," he corrected. "I'm sure those are probably universal."

"They are. I usually avoid them by staying away from anything
resembling a serious commitment," E'naer said.

"I think you have the right idea." Commitment was too strong a word for
what he and Trae were. It seemed ridiculous to think that you could be
committed to someone half a continent away. And it was stupid to think
there was any real commitment when the feelings were one sided. "Even
serious _attachments_ are proving rather trecherous."

"Yes?" E'naer encouraged him to go on.

The bronzerider sighed. He hadn't actually come to the dinning hall in
the hopes to have someone to bare his heart to, but the greenrider just
sat there expectantly. U'kaiah had to say _something_. He had said too
much not to. "It's just Trae... I really pissed her off when I didn't
go to Dolphin Cove to be in that sharding Flight."

"She obviously expected you to," E'naer said.

"Oh yes, obviously," he replied with a dry laugh. "She expected me to
give up my Wing, my Weyr, my home... That had never been part of the
bargain."

"That is lot to ask for, even with Weyrleadership at stake," E'naer
agreed.

"And can you imagine, if I had won, left all of this behind, and moved
to Dolphin Cove just to learn that she was already in love with a
brownrider?" How could he have ever have been expected to work with his
Weyrwoman after that kind of... deception? "I made the right choice. I
don't know how she thought I could ever have been happy giving up so
much with just a fancy title to show for it."

"Now, that would have been a terrible thing," E'naer shook his head in
compassion.

"Yeah. Can you understand why I drink?" Speaking of which - the
bronzerider tipped his head back and let the last of the ale slide down
his throat.

"Keep going like that and you end up being my underling again," E'naer
joked, but there was genuine concern for his friend behind it.

"Then you better hope there's a woman at the bottom of the next mug,"
the bronzerider said with a wink.

"I think I better fetch my sister," E'naer murmured.

"Now that's a friend," U'kaiah chuckled, leaning back in his chair.
"Most men try to beat me _away_ from their sisters."

"I'm not the beating type," E'naer said mildly.

"All right," the bronzerider smiled. "Tell me more about this sister."
If nothing else, it would at least keep his mind off the next drink.

Last updated on the January 20th 2009

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Not the right kind of greenrider