Too much time to think (Weyrling chores)

[Rei]

Raylin entered the dusty records room and glanced around. The place was completely empty. It was really to bad that Ebolath was now too big to get into the room. She was going to be rather lonely unless some of the weyrling’s assigned to the same round of chores showed up. Giving a heaving sigh she gathered up some paper and ink and began to write.

A few moments later the quietness of the room and it’s musty darkness proved to much for the girl and she rested her head on the desk. Her thoughts all warred with each other in a mixed up jumble. Shmee‘s death, her own poisoning, worry about the state of the weyr, and yes even worry for T‘rid as strange as it sounded. He now counted as a person she liked. Perhaps it was Ebolath’s own bizarre affection for the man, or perhaps it was the fact that although he could be an insufferable rude idiot he still seemed to care, if only a bit.

Exhausted by lack of sleep and frustration with her blurry vision the girl fell into an uneasy sleep watched by her pale blue flitter, who was perched on a nearby bookshelf. Ebolath in turn was sprawled outside, her wings spread to catch the midday sun. She listened to her bonded’s thoughts for a bit and when Raylin fell asleep she snorted softly. Hers had not been resting well at all which in turn had made the dragon uneasy. Although she wished she could follow her bonded into sleep Ebolath had enough sense to keep alert for now. Felines were still prowling about.

[Rowana]

Finally a chore T'ke might actually enjoy. He was actually rather fond of reading and time in the records room usually meant more privacy and less likely interruptions from crazy ladies like Ieoha. He was not alone though, he soon saw. He was actually quite surprised to see Raylin was here at all. He had thought she would be exempt from chores for a while. She certainly didn't look entirely well.

T'ke hesitated for a long moment. He had never been very good at this sort of thing. Finally, he gently touch her on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked, even his nerves could not hide the note of concern in his shy voice.

[Rei]

Had Ebolath been paying attention when T’ke passed her she would have warned her bonded. Needless to say she hadn‘t and the resulting touch to Raylin’s arm caused her to jump out of her chair in fright. She knocked over the ink well she had been using causing ink to splatter across the parchment and table. The girl spun around to stare at T’ke with wide frightened eyes before his actual face filtered through and she realized she knew him. “Oh T’ke you scared me.” The green weyrling exclaimed breathlessly before turning to look at the desk. The resulting sight of ink drenched wood and parchment caused a groan to issue from her throat. It would take forever to clean up all that ink.

“Sorry I just… haven’t been sleeping well. Shards.” She slumped back down into a chair on the verge of tears. What the heck was wrong with her anyway? She felt Ebolath’s comforting pressure in the back of her mind and wanted nothing more than to rush headlong down the stairs to let her dragon comfort her. Instead she gently told her dragon she was okay, and shakily stood to find something to clean the mess with.

[Rowana]

If anything, Raylin's sudden reaction made T'ke even more nervous. He jumped back in surprise and dismay at the mess he had caused. "I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed in a half panicked. His words were coming almost to fast to be understood. "I didn't mean to scare you, I'll clean up, really, are you sure you're alright?" Realizing he was rambling, T'ke stopped dead and look at his feet in embarrassment.

Feeling foolish, he made an attempt to try and clear up the spilt ink with a rag before it did more damage. His efforts were only so effective as much of the ink just escaped him and spread all over. Finally, he sighed and gave up for the moment. Turning back to Raylin, he shifted uncomfortably. He would have thought that after all this time he would have gotten used to talking to her by now. They had done chores together all last month after all. "Are you sure you should be here?" he asked tentatively. "I mean, if you want to get some rest, I don't mind." He hoped she wouldn't take it as an insult. He wasn't the best with words.

[Rei]

Raylin gave a sigh as T’ke scrambled into apologizing and trying, unsuccessfully, to clean the mess she had made. She heaved her body from the chair and took the rag her Vega had fetched, from where she wasn’t sure. The weyrling set herself to sopping up the ink and spoke to T’ke in a shaky voice. “It’s ok don’t worry about it. Your fine really. Sometimes I am just to jumpy for my own good.” The dark haired girl turned as T’ke offered her an exit but she gave a shake of her head.

“No it’s ok” Raylin replied quietly. “We only have a few more hours here. I can rest afterwards.” She managed a grateful smile in his direction. “Sorry about your shirt. Ink is a pain to get out.” The weyrling offered quietly. “Is Garaeth outside? Ebolath is. You can send him to play with her if you want. She could use the company. With all the deaths and poisonings she has been very depressed.” Having finished with the clean up she sank back down into a chair, allowing her fire lizard to perch on her shoulder. Vega gave a croon and nuzzled his.

Ebolath was staring quite worriedly at the wall. Hers was tired, depressed, and upset. The small green began devising ways to try to cheer her up. Perhaps she could get hers to play pretend with Cherilith’s. That always cheered her up.

[Rowana]

T'ke looked down at his shirt and sighed. He hadn't even noticed it got ink on it. Now it was practically ruined. "It's alright," he said aloud. "I need to get a new shirt anyway." Shards, I'm starting to sound like Garaeth! T'ke took his seat next to Raylin and got ready to work. If she said she would be ok, then he believed her. Besides, Ebolath would never have let her come if she were still too sick. "Yeah," he answered her question. "He'd be happy to as always." Wouldn't you? he sent a mental question to his dragon.

Of course! Garaeth agreed readily. He found Ebolath easily. What are you thinking? he asked, noting her attention on the wall.

[Rei]

Raylin gave T’ke a small smile and reached for a piece of parchment. Setting it in front of her she began to write. Looking up at the boy in front of her she set down her quill. “How has Garaeth been? I mean with the deaths and such hasn’t he been depressed to?” The green weyrling asked. Come to think of it she couldn’t remember if Cherilith was upset either. Perhaps something else was bothering her lovely mind mate. Vega chirped a greeting to T’ke and stretched out on Raylin’s shoulder.

Ebolath crooned as Garaeth approached her. Thinking? Oh I was worrying about mine. She has not been sleeping well at all lately. She was upset I could feel it but she said she is ok now. Yours is there. Will you ask him if mine is ok? The green curled her tail around her haunches, her tail tip lightly drumming the ground.

[Rowana]

T'ke snorted as he collected his own tools for copying. "That dragon wouldn't be depressed if all the Weyr dropped dead tomorrow!" Realizing what he had just said out of his traitor mouth, his eyes widened in horror. "I didn't mean that! I mean..um...shards." His voice trailed off to a miserable whisper and he turned away to focus furiously on his work. He might be pessimistic about where all these deaths and illnesses were leading, but he certainly didn't want to see anyone else hurt.

I will ask. Garaeth agreed readily. T'ke? Ebolath wants to know if Raylin is alright? T'ke was feeling sulky after his outburst and not really in the mood for questions. How should I know? he asked bitterly. You could ask her, Garaeth pointed out, completely ignoring his rider's tone. T'ke sighed and turned nervously to Raylin again. "So," he began awkwardly. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you want to talk about it?"

[Rei]

Raylin gave a smile at T’ke’s statement and then raised an eyebrow as he stuttered awkwardly. “It’s ok I know what you meant. Your dragon is ever the optimist one. Ebolath is like that sometimes.” She paused and began to copy some old tithe records. Why did they need to keep this sort of stuff anyway? The girl wasn’t sure why they even bothered. Who needed to know what was give to the weyr 5 turns back? Ah well chores were chores no matter how senseless they seemed.

It took the girl a few moments to realize that T’ke was speaking to her again. Vega gave a chirp and peered at his eyes whirling a light blue. Raylin stroked the flitter and sighed. “If you are asking for Ebolath have Garaeth tell her I am fine. Really I am. Just tired no more than that and I bet half the weyr is tired these days. Who can sleep when your worried sick about someone you know falling ill?” Her pale flitter gave a hum of contentment blessedly filling awkward silence her statement created.