Chap. 10 Ooops

Chap. 10  Oops

The night sky was full of stars. K'ndar, sitting on the beach, was mesmerized by the soft rush of the sea. The moons shone their silvery light on the surf. He could not get over the ocean. Having been born out on the steppe, he'd never seen it until he came to the Weyr. He hoped to see a dolphin. Did dolphins swim at night? 

He ran his hands through the sand, allowing it to drip through his fingers like water, but without the wet.  Lindea had told him about 'tides'. Sometimes the water's edge was high up the beach, and other times, like now, far off. What made it do that? Something Lindea, his friend, had said still puzzled him. "Never turn your back on the ocean, K'ndar," she'd warned. How could such a quiet body of water be dangerous? It didn't have a mind. It was just water.

Far out to sea, the sea was glowing green. How could that be? Was it some sort of giant plant or creature? Was the water different there? Hotter, colder?

He looked for the familiar constellations he'd learn to navigate by when he was riding night herd. There was the Wherry.  To the east was the Swordsman. To the west was the blazing Grand Wheel, the Swordsman lunging at it. You could always tell which way west was by seeing him. At zenith was a brilliant double star system that he'd never learned the name of.

He had so little time, these days, to reflect on what his life had become. Impressing Raventh--his heart softened at the thought of his brown dragonet--as the best thing that had ever happened to him. It was an added joy to that of leaving behind his tyrannical father. Not as happy was leaving the rest of his family. He missed his horse, grey Jordan, who he'd bred himself, then trained to ride. Jordan was as much a part of his heart as Raventh.

Do I miss all that? he asked himself.

It was all so entangled. He felt a bit of disloyalty to his mother, who had sacrificed much to give him and his siblings the best she could.

But he could not deny that, even without a dragon, he enjoyed being free.

The onshore wind picked up, chilling him with a cold breeze.

Feeling peckish, he decided to go to the dining hall and get a mug of klah. There was always something to eat there. Maybe Lindea would be able to say hello.

The hall was warm after the cold of the beach. He poured himself a mug of klah and sat down at one of the tables. The hall was deserted this late at night.

He remembered long peaceful nights, just like this one, waiting for a mare to foal.  It would be silent save for the sounds of the night creatures and the mare's movements. She would be focused on her impending birth-and waiting him out. Why do we even bother with foal watch, he wondered. It never, ever failed. You'd get up to go pee or get a cup of klah, after hours of watching, only to return to see a shaking, shivering foal on the ground. The mare would look at you, smirking because she had, once again, beat you at the game.

He heard a step behind him and looked up at a mountain.

Oscoral, the night baker, stood over him.

"Long night?" he asked, conversationally.

"Kind of. I couldn't sleep, I know, that's weird considering how hard we worked today."

Oscoral sat down, folding his flour dusted hands.

"I'm Oscoral, the night baker. And you would be?"

"K'ndar, sir. I'm a friend of Lindea's. Is she around?"

"She's busy at the moment. So, are you a transfer rider? New here?" Oscoral asked-knowing immediately who and what K'ndar was.

"No, sir. I'm a Weyrling," K'ndar said, proudly.

Oscoral cleared his throat. "You are aware, K'ndar, that Weyrlings have a curfew?"

Shock and fear flooded his entire being. Clapping his hands to head in dismay, he tried to jump to his feet.

"Oh, SHARDS! I forgot!  Oh no, I've never had a curfew, I completely forgot, I have to get back to the barracks!" he shouted.

Oscoral clapped a giant paw on his shoulder, keeping K'ndar from running off. "I'm going to have to report this, K'ndar," he said.

He waited. This is where a person showed his true colors. Would this boy lie? Beg? Whine, make excuses, blame someone else?  Grow angry? Even, as once happened, try to bribe him?

K'ndar froze. He heaved a huge sigh and hung his head.

"I know, sir. I should have remembered. Shards shards shards."

He shook his head, exasperated at his own stupidity.

"Looks like I'll be cleaning latrines for a while," he said, morosely.

Oscoral, laughing, removed his hand.

"That's my lad. It's not so bad, once you get used to the smell. Tell you what, K'ndar. I'll escort you back to the barracks. Bet you won't forget again."

"I wouldn't bet on that, sir. Apparently I can be pretty stupid," K'ndar grumbled.