Familiar

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 10th July 2014

Characters: Kapera, J'nus
Description: J'nus realizes that he knows someone at Dolphin Cove
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 18 of Turn 7

Kapera

}:Riyanth is here.:{

J'nus paused in his unpacking. Riyanth meant Kapera, and he hadn't seen her for... months. **What is Riyanth doing here?** he asked

}:This is her Weyr,:{ Kopth replied, sounding a little smug. }:I am going to sit with her.:{

His rider carefully set the woodcarving he'd unpacked onto the floor beside himself. Kapera lived at Dolphin Cove?! And Kopth hadn't told him... there was no way the dragon hadn't known. Sneaky.

J'nus had come to Dolphin Cove for a variety of reasons, but living in the same Weyr as Kapera wasn't one of them. She hadn't told him that she was
transferring. **She should have said something,** he thought, then grimaced. Kapera was never very good at thinking of people beyond herself. Self absorbed, like most goldriders. Especially _young_ goldriders.

So much for leaving the past behind.

He sighed, then stretched and stood. His new weyr was about the same size as the one he'd left behind at Dragonsfall, but it looked cramped because of the rolled carpets, boxes and furniture he'd brought with him. Suddenly claustrophobic, he walked onto Kopth's ledge to take in the view. Just beyond the lip of stone Dolphin Cove's land holdings spread out into a haze of green, a welcome sight after the barren grey rock and snow that was Dragonsfall in the winter. He looked for a glimmer of gold, but couldn't spot Riyanth.

He'd have to go see her. To say hello, and let her know that they were living in the same Weyr together again. The thought made him feel unsettled, both anxious to see her and reluctant to make the trip. **She should have told me,** he thought again, but it was a silly thought. He hadn't felt the need to let her know that he was moving, so why should she?

Abruptly he turned on his heel and left his weyr, navagating through the unfamiliar Weyr with deceptive ease. He stopped to ask a drudge where Kapera's weyr was, and was surprised that she'd chosen to live high in the mountainside, several levels above his own weyr. She usually chose ground level weyrs. He found her door, then knocked, unsure of the reception he'd get when she answered.

Riyanth was sunning herself on the beach, glorying in the warm sand and grateful that it wasn't plain volcanic rock. }:Welcome, Kopth. I am glad to see you again.:{ she said with warmth in her tone, shifting to make room for him.

Kapera had just finished a meeting with the rest of the Queen's Wing, and was in the process of changing from her riding leathers into wear for the rest of the day. Her jacket and shirt were off, but her riding pants were still on. She quickly pulled a loose cream tunic over her head and ran her hands through her hair, which was out of the bun and still partially tangled in ties.

She pulled it open, expecting to see a wing member with more questions, or one of the gold riders with more duties. "Yes?" was on her lips, but stuttered when she saw who it was. J'nus. Oh. _Oh_, she wasn't expecting to see his face.

"Ah - come on in," she said after a moment, holding the door open and waving him in. Her unpacking was done, a few decorations scattered about, and she had gotten two plain chairs from stores to put around the small table.

"Thanks." J'nus strolled into her weyr, taking note of the airy feel and overall disarray. He tried not to think too much about the woman closing the door behind him, or soft wave of her hair against her neck. "I thought I'd come say hello, since it looks like we're living the same Weyr again." He turned to face her, one end of his mouth curving into a lopsided smile. "I guess my transfer request came in a bit after yours. I didn't realize that you were transfering too."

When she was done closing the door, she settled in one of the plain wood chairs, and thought absently that she needed a cushion for it. Her eyes fell on the wooden box on the shelf and then darted back to him.

"I'm happy to see you again," she said after a moment. "So, is the tropical weather why you picked here instead of the North?"

Of course she knew about the opportunity there. The chance to get rid of overcrowding by sending people North was something her Weyrleaders had welcomed - though they had been surprised by her choice.

"You didn't choose to go to the North?"

J'nus shook his head as he sat across from her. "Moving North with a bunch of power-hungry dragonmen doesn't appeal to me. That sort of ambition isn't pretty. Why didn't you?"

"Too cold up there," she said, hoping that would be enough of an explanation. When the winter sickness had hit, she had spent sevendays in the infirmary being feverish and unable to breathe. The idea of doing that again terrified her. "Dolphin Cove had an opening, and Windswept wasn't letting us back in the Wings."

While she waited, she studied his face to see what had changed, if anything had, in the Turns since she'd seen him. She had had her reasons - hadn't really wanted to see anyone after leaving Dragonsfall in self-perceived disgrace, and once Riyanth had been grounded, she'd had no ability to visit anyone. But now that she looked at him again, she felt a sense of relief to know another familiar face, and her reasons seemed... petty. Prideful. Shallow.

"More fool them and lucky for Dolphin Cove," he said. "You're a good rider, and a benefit to any Wing or Weyr."

She looked up, surprised by the confidence. "Thanks." She wondered if he'd heard anything about what happened to them - but he wasn't the stock in rumors kind, was he?

"Was N'vanik glad to have you? From what I've seen, the Cove has a bunch of young cocky bronzeriders, but seasoned ones are still in shorter supply."

"That's what he said, too." J'nus shrugged, trying not to feel that twinge of jealousy that talk of all the young bronzeriders brought. Not that he really wished he was young again. He hadn't liked himself much as a young man. "We'll see what happens when we're in the air, though. I'm sure that they're fine. Just-- young."

"I'll feel better knowing you're protecting me," she said with a bright smile. Privately, she hoped N'vanik would give him the kind of recognition he deserved.

J'nus snorted. "Flatterer," he told her, although he was pleased.

"Will you want a tour?" she asked impulsively. "We can learn where everything is together."

"Sure. I like that idea." A slow smile spread across his face. "Or, we could skip the tour and just go for a wander, and see what's not on the official map."

"I'd like that." She liked seeing him smile, too. It wouldn't be so bad to have someone else she knew around. "And with a place like this, I'm sure there's all kind of abandoned little spots..."

Abandoned spots with Kapera. His mind went off on a tangent whether he wanted it to or not. "And all Weyrs have their quirks. I can't quite believe that
there's no power here yet. If you help me scavenge some supplies, I could see if I could rig us both a fan."

"A fan." She sighed in pleasure at the thought. She was pretty sure she was never going to use her favorite soft fur - and she'd need new nightclothes to
sleep in. "I hear that they might be working on the power situation. I'm going to ask for details on that."

"Interesting. Let's hope that it happens soon. As much as I'm looking forward to some heat, I'm worried I'll melt within a sevenday."

"It would be impressive if they managed it that quickly. But at least our dragons will love it." She pondered the possibilities. "You really think you can rig a fan? Man of many talents."

The bronzerider shrugged. "You never know until you try. I understand the basic idea. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Then I'll be happy to help you find the parts," she said. "Just let me know what restday you want to go looking."

"Are you free this one coming up?"

She grinned at him. "I can be."

"I'll come by mid-morning, then, and we can go see whatever we can see." J'nus rapped his knuckles on the tabletop for emphasis. "It will be a good way
to welcome ourselves to Dolphin Cove."

"Than it's a - plan." She hesitated over the last word a little, substituting it at the last moment. "I'll look forward to it."

Last updated on the July 15th 2014

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