How to Snare a Snake

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 9th June 2012

Characters: R'enh, Z'renh
Description: R'enh helps his son make a snare for tunnelsnakes.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 3 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Qorri

R'enh

R'enh sat down at the table with several strips of leather and began
cutting them into long thin strips. "Like this," he said as he handed
Zorenh a knife and another strip. "Just be careful not to get it too
thin or it will break when you try to braid it."

Zorenh's brow furrowed, his tongue poking out from between his lips as
he concentrated on making his much smaller hands successfully wield
the knife that his father had given him for this occasion. With slow,
measured movements, the boy cut through the supple leather, trying to
mimic the strips that R'enh had made.

"Like this?" He asked, holding up his first strip.

R'enh smiled as he watched his son as he carefully cut the strip of
hide. "Yes that looks about right." He pointed at one part that was a
little fat. "Try and make sure it's the same all the way down." He put
his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Cut two more then we'll braid them."

Zorenh felt a swell of pride feel his chest at his father's
compliment, and he carefully cut two more pieces, this time, more
careful to make sure that the pieces were the same width the entire
length down, "Okay. What next?" He asked, holding the three strips of
leather in his hands.

"Now," he said. "Knot them together like this." He showed the overhand
knot. "Then slip the knotted end on the peg." Again he demonstrated
with the one he was making. "Now you braid it."

The boy's smaller hands had trouble with the knot but he mimicked his
father perfectly, "Like this?" He asked for reassurance as he began
braiding the leather strips.

"Yes. Good," affirmed the father. Zorenh had opened up so much since
coming to Dolphin Cove. He'd been a sullen and introspective kid when
he'd still been under his mother's influence. Here at least R'enh
could see him progressing. "Now take the side there and bring it over
the top between the other two. Then do it again on the other side.
Make sure you have the full length untangled before you do it again."

Zorenh followed the instructions carefully, messing up the first time
and then having to start over and untangle the full length of the
strips as his father suggested, "What next Da?"

R'enh wanted to lead him into making the right choices himself. In
essence make him think a bit. "Do you think you have enough there for
a good snare?"

The boy made a face, his eyes narrowing as he tried to envision some
small creature getting trapped into the snare. After taking a moment
to consider it, Zorenh shook his head, "No, sir, it's probably not big
enough." Coming to that conclusion, Zorenh began braiding once more.

As the plait got longer R'enh reached out and began curling it into a
spiral on the table. "Looks good about there," he said finally. "Ok
we'll bind it off there." He reached out toward the end the boy held.
"Want me to help?"

Zorenh wanted to do it by himself to show his father that he was good
at something, or that he could be just like his dad, but with his
small hands there was no way for the boy to finish the project alone.

"Yeah." He bobbed his head in the affirmative.

"Okay," R'enh smiled and reached out to fasten the end knot. Then he
took the long plait and curved a loop into a slip knot. "See this?" He
held out the looped leather. "Now, you're going to use a stick like
this." He picked up one of the ones he'd gone out and found when his
son had told him of the headwoman's challenge to the weyrbrats.

He laid the loop in the Y split of the long stick. "We put this right
here and then you hold it where you wait in the rocks. but you have to
be very quiet. When the tunnel snake comes along you wait for his head
to go through the loop and..." he yanked the loop closed on the end of
the stick the grinned at his son.

Zorenh smiled with excitement as he eagerly reached out for the stick,
ready to try for himself, "I'm going to catch way more tunnelsnakes
than anyone else!" He boasted, sure that he would since he'd had his
father's help.

R'enh just laughed at his son's joy, "Yes you will, but you be careful ok?"

Last updated on the July 1st 2012

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How to Snare a Snake