Jenna of Fort Weyr - Logs

Checkup

Concerned that Saneth has yet to rise and catch a green, and that F'niah has turned down multiple offers of bedmates, Jenna gently orders him to have Saneth checked out by Kindre.

jenna - Tuesday, September 10, 2002, 7:59 AM
--------------------------------------------

Fort Weyr Living Cavern(#199RJa$)

Approaching half the size of the Hatching Grounds, this cavern echoes with voices during the day, and the soft patter of feet during the night. Dozens of tables are spaced throughout, each with open space around to provide small amounts of privacy for the discussions carried on at each. The night hearth, with a cluster of pots of stew and klah, is situated near the large entrance to the Several other hearths are spaced around the huge chamber, lending light and some heat to the room. The far wall is lined with tables that always hold something edible to feed the throngs of people who come into this immense room in search of a meal, a snack, or something to drink. As with most Weyrs, the Living Cavern is the busiest place with the most activity. It is here that Fortians and visitors alike migrate in an effort to find information, share gossip, and just plain socialize.

Broad marble steps to the southwest lead up to the impressive Fort Weyr kitchen. An almost constant stream of activity centers around this staircase: people coming and going with loads of goods for the stores, fresh food, dirty or clean dishes and utensils, and plenty of folks just going in to do their duty for the day or night. The aromas wafting down the stairs are indicators of which meal is being prepared or served at the moment. The view into the kitchens is clear from the Living Cavern, everything gleaming and clean, and the muffled but bustling noises coming from within just add to the air of comfort, family, and hard work done at Fort Weyr.

To the east, a short flight of stairs leads to the hallway to the inner caverns. A stout door to the north has a healer's emblem on it, marking the Infirmary. To the south is a wide tunnel, leading out of the Weyr, and a wide opening to the west leads to the Weyr bowl.

Contents:
F'niah
Meg and Peg
Fort Weyr Firelizard Perch

Jenna comes in, frowning faintly. She heads for F'niah, "When was the last time you oiled Saneth?" Her tone is curious, not accusing.

Saneth's rider is enjoying a quiet breakfast in one of the nooks that seem almost created for private conversations. His back to the main cavern, he doesn't /quite/ leap in surprise when you speak to him, but he does drop his toast. "Ah! Huh, what? Uh... yester - no, day before yesterday. Why?"

Jenna says wryly, "Oh, no reason. Other than rolling around with all four feet in the air in the dirt is usually a sign he itches. Though with Saneth, one can never be sure. Make sure you check him for cracks?" She pauses and then asks, "So are things going well with you and K'fen? You seem determined to out run him every chance you get..." Her voice is low enough not to carry to the busybodies, and a glance is shot at Meg and Peg, just to be sure.

F'niah's eyes drift past you toward where - tens of feet and tons of stone away - Saneth is writhing. "Uh... You sure? ...Oh." He recollects attention, manners, and toast at the same time, motioning you toward the opposite chair. "He says it just came up and he didn't want to bother me. I'll look later." As for the other... Greenish eyes study his toast. "Why would things be going well? Or, um. Badly? It was nice to see him the other day, dunno why he came to visit. Did you hear that Dakota got Searched?"

Jenna says mildly, "I was there when they took her." She settles into a chair, "And don't try to change the subject. How did things go when you were at Igen? Niyath just said you came back rather quickly.

"Well, uh, yeah." Sef leaves off studying his toast to nibble at it instead. "Got the things, came back. That's what you wanted, right?" He flicks a glance up at you - will you fall for it?

Jenna says, rather patiently too, "Of course not, silly. It was a set up. You'd said you wanted to go to Igen *with* me to see him, and I couldn't take the time to go. Why are you so nervous anyway? I wasn't," she says bluntly.

"You weren't?" Sef echoes - is this proof that his head is a large empty cavern? Don't be mean. "Why would... I mean, what sort of, um, set up...

Jenna rolls her eyes. "What've we been talking about? Surely you haven't forgotten? And no, I wasn't nervous. Excited, not nervous. Not that I have this limitless experience, but." She pauses and then says "You do like him, don't you? He's worried about you." And why is that? Maybe because someone spilled the beans?

F'niah drops his eyes back to his toast. Nice toast. "Um... Aiee... Why'd he be worried about," false laugh, "Me? I

F'niah drops his eyes back to his toast. Nice toast. "Um... Aiee... Why'd he be worried about," false laugh, "Me? I'm fine, Saneth's fine... we're both fine." See? Fine. Even the toast is fine, thank you for asking.

Jenna says, "If you were fine you wouldn't be so worried about that one thing. And Saneth'd be off chasing greens." She shakes her head. "Come on, Sef. There's nothing *wrong* with being worried about it. But being worried because of what everyone else is going to think, that's just plain silly." For some reason that pulls her up short and she smiles wryly. "S'what J'nas was trying to tell me last night."

F'niah's hand holding the toast drops as he stares at you, shocked. "You told /J'nas/ TOO?!"

Jenna blinks. "What? Nonono. J'nas and I were talking about - something else," she finishes. "But Sef, he's noticed too that Saneth isn't chasing like Hanreth is. Well, no one chases as much as Hanreth, but still."

F'niah immediately looks down, away. "Hanreth's fine," he says, sounding as if he's thinking -very- fast. "And he chases all the time. No one's wondering if /he's/ fine. So Saneth doesn't chase much," at all. "How come that means... he's fine too!"

Jenna frowns. "Sef, there's a difference between 'much' and 'not at all'. He's old enough. Has he ever wanted to? Does he even understand what it is?"

F'niah's quiet for a moment, then reports quietly, "He says there's no point; that either he's a better flyer or else..." He gestures with the toast. Many 'or else's. Then even quieter, "He likes Tenkanoth."

Jenna is just as quiet, "That didn't exxactly answer my question, did it?"

F'niah grimaces at the remaining crust of his toast: he's nibbled away the rest. "I don't think there is an answer to your question. At least not one... you'll like. There's nothing wrong with him, all right? He does just fine in Fall, no one's asking why he's not bigger! He's just... He's fine. He's fine."

Jenna shakes her head. "I want you to see one of the dragonhealers. It's not really my area. But at this point, it's hard to tell who is inhibiting who. And there may be something they can do. P'ter's often busy, but he really is the best person - discreet too." She pauses and then says, "This isn't exactly a request, F'niah. Besides," she says briskly, "I'm sure you'll love to come back and tell me the healers said exactly that: he's fine."

Jenna considers, "And if you don't want to see someone here in the weyr, Kindre, up at Telgar, would be an excellent choice. Very down to earth, business like."

F'niah colors an awkward shade and leans forward. "You want me to talk to /P'ter/?" he hisses. "Or... or a... Kindre? A /goldrider/??" The shame! The horror! "I can't do that! Ember said he was fine, she's a dragonhealer." Or will be. Close enough.

Jenna shakes her head. "No. Ember's good, but she's still being trained. You need someone with turns of experience to take a look at him. And that's not me or Ember. Kindre's a goldrider, but she's also been riding longer than you and I put together. There's nothing you could say that could shock her, and she might even have seen a similar situation before. If you're not comfortable talking to P'ter about it, though he's very discreet."

F'niah would rather the earth just opened up and swallowed him where he sits, thank you. "Aie... I couldn't just... just -talk- to... a, a... complete /stranger/! About.. about /this/! That's not. She'd. I -can't-!"

Jenna says quietly, "Well, if you can come up with an alternative dragonhealer, I'm open to the suggestion."

F'niah blinks helplessly at you, toast all but forgotten.

Jenna nods. "S'what I thought. And she wouldn't think anything, other than to assess and make recommendations. She is very professional. She's been a Weyrwoman before, for pity's sake. I wouldn't send you to just anybody, you know. So." Now that that's settled, "I'll send her a note later on, ask when she'd be available. And you can use the excuse of going to Telgar to see the eggs and Dakota as your cover story."

If you didn't think Sef could blush any harder, you're now being proven wrong. "You," he squeaks, clears his throat. Tries again: "You don't have to do that, Jenna. He's fine. He's..." Pale eyes flick about, fasten on the toast. "You should've seen him the other day with Tenkanoth! He, um... you know those browns? From Telgar? He uh, he warned them off!" Sort of.

Jenna smiles sweetly, "It's no trouble at all. You'll like Kindre. I'll write her this afternoon, see if I can't get Hal to carry the message."

F'niah isn't actually whimpering, that's just a figment of your imagination. He -is- quite desperate, though. "Jenna... Jen.. don't? Please? -Please-?"

Jenna shakes her head. "I mentioned this was a possibility earlier on, F'niah. I'm sure you're embarassed," as if the scarlet face weren't enough of a clue, "But there's no reason to be. Saneth's fine, right? This will just prove it." And there's the catch. If Saneth were fine, he wouldn't have any trouble having Kindre take a look at him, right?

F'niah reaches a hestitant hand across the table. "Jenna," he whispers hoarsely, a bright flaming scarlet that's probably attracting attention halfway across the caverns, "Please. Please don't. I can't. Couldn't. She's older than my -mother-!"

Jenna's expression is sympathetic, and she quite willingly reaches to touch the bluerider's hand. "Then there's nothing you say that will shock her, Sef. But I can't tell you what you want to hear. She can. She can tell you that Saneth's fine. And then at least, you'll know the cause of all of this. And, it'll get me off your back about it."

Did you know that the root of 'mortification' means 'death'? Betcha Sef does!

F'niah drops his head as your hand touches his. "Shells. Shells, shells..." There's a pause. Please, if there is any justice to the universe, he will drop dead. Right now. Any time here. Pause. "Shells."

Jenna says gently, "It's not as bad as all that, you know. Not like I'm asking you to fight fall without 'stone or something. An hour at most, and then it's all over and you can have the satisfaction of coming back here and rubbing it in my face, telling me I don't know a thing about dragons."

"No," Sef agrees muffledly, giving you a lovely view of the tips of his ears: also scarlet. "You just want me to talk to my... to a strange woman about, about sex." Much easier. He'll take option A, please.

Jenna says lightly, "Kindre's not strange. Not for a Telgari goldrider," she amends, deliberately misundertanding the problem. "Besides, I daresay she's done it before."

F'niah wails (or perhaps it's a whine, or a drawn out whimper) under his breath and pulls his hand back. "I... I've got to go. Saneth. Saneth needs oiling."

Jenna nods, though she doesn't relent, "I'll write Kindre today and find out what her schedule is like."

F'niah tries one last time, tipping up pleading eyes to beg silently. "Please, Jenna, don't? Please don't?"

Jenna says quietly, "I'm sorry, F'niah."

"Sure you are," the bluerider agrees sarcastically, his voice still kept low. He clambers to his feet, leaving the scattered remnants of breakfast for firelizard's claiming. He pauses, as if to say something more, but instead breaks for the bowl.

Jenna sighs faintly, watching him go.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Saneth leaves off his writhing - so satisfying! - to wonder, << Why is he all hot? >>

F'niah heads out the cavernous entrance to the bowl.
F'niah has left.

Niyath> I bespoke Saneth with << He is bothered over what others think. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << Well /that's/ silly. >> Not that much bothers Saneth. << ...Oh. He says he does not want to talk to *image of a 6-foot tunnelsnake with VTOLs for eyes and pointy teeth* about me. I do not think I want him to talk either. >> >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath edits that image, substituting a smiling Kindre with a lovely Herath. << That is who he is to talk to. Herath is good company. She knows many things. >>

Dragon> Niyath senses that Saneth much prefers that image, thank you. << She does not look like, >> he flashes the tunnelsnake image again. << She looks nice. The gold is pretty. Not as pretty as you, though. You are prettier. >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath croons coyly, well flattered. << She is older. But very wise. I will have many turns before I am that wise. >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath adds, as an afterthought, << You should encourage your rider to go see her. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << He says he... cannot? talk to her. ...That you - your *Jenna*? Yes, *Jenna* is... a... worrywherry? >> A sudden flash of indignation. << He says she says I am broken! I am not broken, I am itchy! >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath croons softly. << Of course you are not broken. And Herath's rider will tell you that. This is why you should see her. >>

Dragon> Niyath senses that Saneth flumps about indignantly. << /You/ tell your *Jenna* that I am not broken. She will believe -you-. >>

Niyath> I bespoke Saneth with << I'm still inexperienced. She would believe Herath's rider. She knows things. Just as Herath knows more than I do. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << /I/ believe you. Why does she not? >>

Niyath> I bespoke Saneth with << Because, Herath is senior. She knows more than Jenna and I do. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << I am not broken at /all/. See? He is getting the oil. Oh look, he is changing color again! Now he looks like he is supposed to, not red and funnylooking. >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath rumbles softly. << You need to see Herath and her rider. I am sure Jinieth and Elynth would agree. And, >> even more gently, iron hand in velvet glove, << My Jenna said it was not a request. She is unhappy about it, but better that than losing you between. This is her worry. And mine. >>

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << Why would I be lost *between*? Ooh, that feels good. Niyath, you should make *Jenna* oil you. >>

Niyath> Saneth senses that Niyath is deliberately vague, << It is a concern. -- I would, but my ledge has /pebbles/ on it from Elynth. >> And she sounds very dissatisfied with that.

Dragon> Saneth bespoke Niyath with << You can come to -my- ledge. There is enough oil for you. >>

Niyath> I bespoke Saneth with << I could, but I doubt your rider would like that. >>

F'niah pages to Jenna and Kindre: So Sef's been arm twisted into a visit - when are you usually on, Kindre? I'll be leaving shortly, but I'll be back tomorrow from about 10AM -1PM EST, and then again after 8PM.

Dragon> Niyath senses that Saneth waves off any indignation on Sef's part for him. << He likes oiling. >>