Chap. 219 Departure

 

Chap. 219 Departure

"Well, I can't say I blame you, K'ndar. I don't think we need to go into why," D'mitran said.

K'ndar was in D'mitran's home weyr. His kids were listening avidly. His wife was hanging back, not wishing to interfere.

"Why, Daddy?" his youngest said.

He reached over, picked up the young girl and put her on his lap. He put his arms around the little one.

"It's complex, my little lass. Something really boring, something that adults have to do. Aren't you lucky, kids don't have to worry about it!!"

She brightened. "I'm lucky?" she repeated.

"Yes, you are, you have the best mum and brother in the whole world. Now, go give them a hand, eh?" He kissed her on the cheek and slid her off his knee.

"Mum! Daddy says I'm lucky!" the little girl ran to her mother.

"Of course you are, sweetheart. You have the best daddy, too," her mother said.

K'ndar reflected,almost wistfully, on his Wingleaders obvious love for his family. No surprise there, he thought. I'm lucky, too. He's been a good teacher...and has become a good friend. I'll miss him.

As if hearing his thoughts-given that their dragons often talked, Raventh had probably already transmitted his thoughts to Careth, D'mitran said, "You needn't be a stranger, K'ndar. Leaving the weyr isn't cutting oneself off completely. Come back anytime, we'll put you up should you need a place to stay. No need for you to stay in the visitor's weyr."

"Thank you. Hariko has already informed me that I won't be staying in the visitor's dorm, I'll have a bunk in her weyr. And Oscorals, and D'nis's..." K'ndar said, half laughing. The other half of his mind was disturbed by the word 'visitor'. A visitor in my own Weyr?

He put that thought away.

"I've already asked D'nis. If I have an expedition come up, may I call on you to come help?"

D'mitran grinned. "I'd be insulted if you didn't. That is, if my wife gives me the go ahead."

She looked at him. "As if! Wild wherries couldn't keep you, Dim. K'ndar, you can count on him. Good luck to you at Landing," she said. She shepherded the kids out of the room.

D'mitran smiled. "Don't forget, too, that I've a datalink. It's easy to use. My boy is already adept at it, and he's just six. Just access me should you need to," he said. He stood up and put his hand on K'ndar's shoulder.

"Thanks, K'ndar. See you," the man said.

K'ndar nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

_________________________________________________________________________

The hardest part will be telling my sister, he thought.

He trudged through the light rain towards sister's foster family's cottage. It'd been rebuilt after the hurricane.

They were eating dinner.

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner,' he said.

"Nonsense! Come in, come in!!" Shirae, Glyena's foster mother said. "Won't you join us? There's plenty. Can I get you some klah, or would you like some wine?"

"No, thank you, I've eaten, and I've had three mugs, one each from D'mitran, D'nis, and Hariko. If I have any more I'll have to stop mid-between to empty."

"You're going..where?"

He could see his sister and her foster sisters in the back, eating.

"I'm signing out of the weyr," he said, softly, "And I'm worried about how to break it to Glyena."

She opened her mouth, then, seeing his expression, shut it with a clop. He could see the thoughts racing through her mind.

After several moments, she said, "Let me guess. M'rvin?"

He nodded. "Yeah. But not just that. He was just the bale that broke the ox's back. No, I've accepted a position at Landing, as their staff field biologist."

"Oh, WONDERFUL!! Good for you, K'ndar, it will be a perfect fit!" Shirae said, relieved to not have to address the problems M'rvin was causing.

Glyena came out of the kitchen, still chewing.

"Whabwilbeaperfetfit?" she said.

Shirae glowered. "Glyena, what have I told you about speaking with your mouth full?"

Glyena rolled her eyes, but dutifully finished chewing and swallowed.

I'm glad she disciplines her, K'ndar thought, she's so strong willed. She's like a hot but sensitive filly. If one doesn't train her early and gently, she can become unmanageable. I don't have to worry, now.

"What will be a perfect fit? Riding gloves? I can make gloves, you know, want to see what I'm working on? They're soft as a baby kitten but they won't tear. Promise." Glyena said, pulling his arm.

"Not right now, sis, and I know how talented you are with leather. No. I'm..."

Here goes, he thought, it wasn't the way he'd planned to tell her. I hope she doesn't cry. I don't know how to handle her if she cries. Or begs me to stay.

"I'm...leaving the weyr. I've accepted a job at Landing as their staff field biologist."

She stopped, absorbing the news, then said, "Nice. Are you taking your binocular? Because I think I'd like a binocular. I've been learning to identify the birds and the wherries and it would be easier to see them if I had a binocular."

Shirae caught his eye. Hers were laughing. I should have known she'd take it without a qualm, he thought.

He grinned. "Not too upset, eh? Tell you what, once I get settled at Landing, if I have a pair in my job, I'll see if I can't give you mine. No promises, mind you. A field biologist needs nocs every day."

"K," Glyena said. She put her arms around him and hugged him, tight.

"Tell Raventh I love him," she said.

He returned her hug.

"That's all? Just Raventh?"

"Oh, I love you, too. Don't forget to call me on my data link. It's Glyena at Kahrain Steppe Weyr. Only one n," she said.

"Like I can't spell your name? Silly." He roughed the hair on her head.

She released him and headed back to the dinner table.

Shirae looked at him and shrugged.

"Strong," she said.

"No doubt," he agreed.

_______________________________________________________________________

Just as Pattis at Flight Ops had forecast, the rain had stopped.

He looked at the empty cavern where he'd spent his dragon life. It'd been such an amazing change from the crowded cottage of his childhood. Now, with his few belongings packed and loaded on Raventh, he paused. Am I doing the right thing? This cave of mine..it looks so forlorn and empty, like when I first moved in. I turned into a comfortable nest, a sanctuary. I had privacy, for the first time in my life. It was Mine. I feel like I did when I left the cothold to come here. I was scared of the unknown, just like now, even though I've been to Landing, many times. I've spent what seemed a lifetime here, yet it's only been a few years.

I was so scared, he thought, so worried that I'd not impress a dragon. Or make it through Weyrlingschool. I missed my mum and siblings so much, but not my father. I was so homesick, yet I didn't dare go back. I would have been ashamed.

Just outside his room was Raventh's portion of the weyr. The dragon's stone couch was perfectly situated so that the dragon could rest and still look outside. How amazing that a volcanic ridge could be turned into a warm, dry comfortable home for humans and dragons. We might not have the amazing tools the Ancients had, but we can still make rock walls into homes.

He walked through the small cavern, his footsteps echoing against the walls. He'd installed that shelf, where his precious books and notebooks had been stored. He remembered stuffing his entire library of four books into his shirt when Raventh had warned him that Jenmay, the tyrannical Oldtimer, was coming to harass and intimidate him. Had she found the books she suspected him of having, she would have thrown them into the flames and him out of the Weyr.

Remember, I just lay here, pretending to not hear her order me to move. Hahaha! She tried to push me aside! It was funny to see her crawling on her hands and knees to get to you.

I do remember. You protected me. And my books.

Books. They're still so valuable to me. Now I'll have access to so many more.

Siskin was perched on the natural rock shelf that the lizard had claimed as his own.

Below it, was a small niche, virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the rough rock wall. I hid my opal rock in that, he thought, and he reached in, just to check. Yes, he'd packed the opal. But...what was this?

His fingers felt a rolled up bit of hide. He pulled it out, immediately recognizing it.

It was the 'love letter' Glyena had pressed into his hand, just as he climbed aboard C'val's blue dragon, Rastabenth. The day, so long ago, when he left his cothold for good.

He'd promised her a ride on his dragon, 'once he impressed' him, he told her.

He unrolled it. Glyena, only six at the time, had drawn a bulbous dragon with a tongue of flame emitting from his mouth, and a smiling K'ndar on his back, and the words, "Kandar, don't forget give me a ride I love you Glyena".

It had made him cry and laugh at the same time. It had given him courage and resolve.

I almost forgot this! Shards! he thought, dread flooding his heart. I can't even remember stuffing it in here, but...here it is. It would have broken my heart to leave it.

He held it tightly for a moment. Glyena. So pragmatic, so self assured. Why was I so worried about her reaction? She's stronger than I ever will be.

We've about an hour of flying light. Are we going to go?

He woke from his reverie. Raventh was waiting patiently on the ledge outside his weyr. The crates had been securely lashed to his harness.

Beyond the dragon, the evening sun cast long shadows on the sea. As he'd done countless times before, he scanned the sea to the horizon, hoping to see dolphins.

I'll miss the ocean most of all, he thought. Who would have thought I'd come to love it so?

Well?

He shook his head to dispel his thoughts. "Siskin, let's go," he said. The blue fire lizard chirped and flew to Raventh. He tucked his hind feet into the leather collar around the dragon's neck, the one that Glyena had made 'special for Raventh'.

Let's go.