The sound of two canines
play-fighting reached A'lar's ears, and he frowned down at Castor and Pollux.
"You're not supposed to be in the Great Hall, crazy canines," he said.
"What
do you expect, you've spoiled them rotten since they were puppies," Thedan
pointed out, lounging in his chair at the table beside A'lar.
A'lar glanced
at his friend, but only laughed a bit. "Well...yeah, I have." He grinned. "So
what brought you back to the Weyr?"
It had been nearly a year since A'lar
had Impressed his blue Rduith, and he had not seen Thedan since he had gone home
after the Hatching. It was refreshing to see his old friend again.
Thedan
leaned back, knitting his fingers at the back of his head. He had a very
satisfied look on his face. "I..." He drawled it out.
"What is it already?"
"...have been searched!" Thedan exclaimed excitedly, grey eyes practically
shining.
"Hey, that's great!" A'lar said, genuinely glad for his friend.
"Yeah, if I Impress, I'll be able to bug you 24/7."
A'lar snorted. "And
I can't believe I've missed it."
"Oh, hey, Thedan! When did you get here?"
Both boys turned to see the speaker. She was a young woman around the same
age as them, pretty with dark hair and blue-green eyes.
"Ah, Cadyn, always a
sight for sore eyes. The boys at the Hold are all mourning their loss to the
Weyr," Thedan said, gallantly standing and presenting his arm for Cadyn.
A'lar's reaction was much different. "Oh! Cadyn, come sit over here," he
gestured to Thedan's vacated seat with a nervous smile.
She returned his
smile, slightly apologeticly. "I can't, sorry, I have to be someplace else. I
just wanted to see how you all were doing." Turning as though at something that
only she could hear, she gave A'lar one last nod and walked away.
"Oh,"
A'lar said.
"Hey, didn't she want to know I was searched?" Thedan whined.
Then he took notice of A'lar, and a sly smile crept onto his face.
"What?"
A'lar asked warily.
"Let me guess," Thedan said, "You developed a massive
crush on Cadyn right after she got over you, huh?"
His answer was a
despairing groan as A'lar's forehead hit the table. | |
