The Day You Were Born

Writers: AL, Devin
Date Posted: 20th September 2010

Characters: Meledei, N'vanik
Description: Meledei gives N'vanik a birthingday present.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 22 of Turn 5

N'vanik

**Dearheart, would you mind asking Loseth where N'vanik is? And if I
can see him?** Meledei requested of her gold. She turned an object in
her hands, checking it and then smiling, satisfied. It was as good as
it was going to get. She turned and took a bit of cloth, wrapping the
object, then cradling it in her hands while Elleth passed on the
request.

}:He's on the beach, the spot under the trees,:{ Loseth told the young gold.

**Please give Loseth my thanks!** Meledei requested of Elleth before
she left her weyr and made her way through the halls. Even with the
light inside, the sunshine almost blinded her, its brightness
exceeding that of the indoors. She stood a moment, then lifted a hand
to shield herself before she turned in the direction of the beach. A
moderate pace got here there fairly quickly and her hand dropped as
N'vanik came into sight. "Ho! Weyrleader!" She called, lifting her
unburdened hand to wave before she quite reached him.

N'vanik looked up and smiled. "Hey Meledei."

Meledei didn't wait for an invitation but plopped down next to
N'vanik. "How's it going?" She asked, her smile spreading wider and
turning into a full blow grin.

"What's got you in such a good mood?"

"Why shouldn't I be in a good mood?" Meledei asked with an amused
sniff as she shifted the bundle. "It's a great day, after all!"

He chuckled a little. "I suppose it is."

"Here." Meledei thrust the cloth wrapped bundle toward the
Weyrleader, her grin just as wide and bright. "I got you something."

"Really? What for?" he asked as he unwrapped it.

"Isn't this the day you were born? However many hundreds of turns ago
you were born, that is." Meledei giggled and leaned back as she
watched the cloth unfold to reveal a small wooden carving, one of a
dragon, brown since the colour of the wood was such, but a very light
brown, as if the artist tried to to get as close to bronze as
possible. The edges were a little rough, the head a little flat, the
wings a little large, definitely not master quality, but
recogniseable.

N'vanik ran a hand over the carving, remembering the only craft he'd
taken an interest in. "Thank you." Other people might give him things
and treat him with respect because of his rank, but he knew Meledei
was giving this to him as a person, and not as Weyrleader. "You didn't
make this, did you?"

"I did!" Meledei stated with a grin. "Sorry it's so rough. I wasn't
able to practise at all during Weyrling training and still don't have
a lot of time but...I hope it's okay."

He turned the carving as he admired it. "Okay? You just made me
jealous." He smiled. "This is better than I can do."

"Well, you should keep in mind that my father was a Woodcrafter."
Meledei pointed out, "And taught me. Though he couldn't keep me from
apprenticing to the beastcraft."

"I was a woodcraft apprentice before the Pass. Guess it's my own fault
for not paying much attention in class." Carving had been a hobby for
him, and the classes made it seem like ... work.

"You were?" Something Meledei didn't know! She leaned back, propping
herself on her hands as she regarded the Weyrleader. "I didn't know
you were in the woodcraft. There are other specialties beyond just
carving. Of course, that's rather moot now, isn't it?"

N'vanik chuckled. "Yeah. The Pass was still a rumor when I Impressed,
and we were all expected to work. Woodcrafting was the only thing that
interested me, because I liked carving. I was a terrible apprentice."

"Why were you so terrible?" Meledei asked, humour in her features
suggesting that she might know why. "Not just because of your carving
ability?"

"I had discipline issues," he replied with a smile.

"Oh come on, there have to be more details than that!" Meledei
shifted and crossed her legs, facing N'vanik fully. "I mean, really,
I bet you have some good stories to tell."

"I don't know if I should tell them. I wouldn't want to be a bad influence."

"Oh come on, it's me, Meledei. If I'm going to do anything bad it's
not going to be because of any influence you have!" Meledei laughed
and then nudged the bronzerider. "Come on, I promise not to use you
as an example."

He supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell her a little. "Well ... once I
got in a fight with someone three years younger than me. It didn't
last long."

"You did? Why did you fight?" Meledei straightened back up and began to
run her hands through sand, letting it fall between her fingers. "Who was
it?"

"It was some holdbred kid. We disliked each other on sight. I don't
even remember what the fight was about." He remembered how angry the
Senior Journeyman and Weyrlingmaster had been, though.

"And you've outgrown the fighting?" Meledei's mouth quirked with
amusement and leaned over to pour some sand on N'vanik's foot. "I'd
hate to see the Weyrleader get into a fight."

"I think I outgrew the fighting. I haven't been in any since becoming
Weyrleader, anyway." He shifted his foot to get the sand off it.

"And that is a good thing." Meledei pointed out with a laugh. She
sighed and pushed herself to her feet. "I should get going." Her
tone was rueful. After all, who would really want to leave the beauty
of the beach and good company? "Catch you later? We should have
dinner together some time."

"Sure. Sounds good. And thank you again for the gift." He ran a finger
down the back of the carved dragon, thinking about where to put it in
his weyr. Somewhere prominent, where he could see it often.

Last updated on the September 25th 2010

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The Day You Were Born