RCW:: Boxes And Children

Posted on Sun Oct 27th, 2024 @ 9:42pm by Gold Rider Lana & Bronze Rider A'ren

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: River Cove Weyr
Timeline: MD 2 D4

Lana looked at the boxes she had requested bored weyrlings to get out of the closet and looked through the items to see if she could find a source to the question that had been bugging her for several months. Why had Dragon Hold picked them of all the Weyrs and how could she project them better in the future? There had to be answers somewhere in the Weyr on moving forward and securing the future better. Lana sighed as she started to look through what looked like a hastily packed box that had been one of the first ones retrieved and set on the council chamber table. She sat down and looked through the search records confused, she knew the average numbers and this was double that and then some.

“How did they get these numbers?” Lana asked herself as the door opened.

It had taken A'ren a bit but he had finally figured out where Lana was thanks to overhearing some grumbling weyrlings. He smiled a bit as he made his way down to where Lana sat looking through boxes.

“What numbers?” He asked stepping into the room.

“Hello Weyrleader.” She greeted as she looked at the notebook still frowning before she realised how rude she was being. Lana offered a smile up at the man as she held out the search notebook and started to go through the offer items in the book. “This is a search riders notebook but the number does not add up.” She said wondering if she was misreading it or something.

“Hello.” something certainly had caught her attention. He took the notebook as she handed it to him and studied the notes. She was right. They weren't adding up. “You're right, love. These numbers don't make sense.”

“Some of these names they’ve impressed. Kirala, K'len, Jena.” Lana said quietly pointing out the queen rider's name and location where she had been picked up as a candidate. “You were just saying last month that the search riders have not been able to find as many people recently.”

A'ren nodded. He recognized those names. And it was very odd. “I don't understand. Why are the numbers down now?” Those numbers weren't making sense at all.

Lana started to dig through the boxes more, pulling out trinkets and random pieces of tools and items trying to see if she could work out who the notebook belonged to. “Look through the notebook and see if you can work out who it belongs to.”

The Weyrleader slid onto the floor next to his mate. What a sight they made. “I'll see what I can find,” he answered as he started to flip through the notebook. Whoever it was certainly was good at finding candidates.

Lana gave back putting the items back a lot more tidy than they had been put in. Lana sighed as she noticed the flipping had discharged a wadge of paper, flattened in the middle. Lana leant over and grabbed it, starting to open it before she paused Seeing the sketches. “Oh….” She whispered to herself as the realization hit her of who the person could be.

A'ren was getting a bit frustrated. The notes were very meticulous yet he hadn't seen anything that gave away who the owner of the journal was. He looked up at Lana’s soft word. “What did you find?”

Lana pulled out sketches of locations that she had never seen before until she held up a sketch of K’ron holding a baby, R’en and an unfinished sketch of a green dragon. “Nerlyn.” She said looking at the notepad carefully again. “But it doesn’t explain how..”

A'ren looked over Lana’s shoulder. That sketch certainly gave the owner of the book away. “She's always been a good search rider. But how?”

“I don’t know,” Lana said thoughtfully as she unfolded the sketches more trying to smooth out the lines. There was still something about that day when Nerlyn became dragonless that bothered her but she had never been able to put her finger on what it was. “Do we stir and ask or let it be and hope Weyrleader?” She asked defaulting to him in this search was one of his responsibilities.

A'ren scrubbed at his face. “I'd like to just let it go but if we don't find out some answers someone else is going to figure it out and we could have more problems.” He just hoped that Nerlyn could handle the questions.

“Let me ask. See if I can work out what is going on before you get involved.” Lana sighed and slowly pulled herself from the floor and offered him a hand. “We are both too old to be sitting on the floor.” She commented.

He nodded. “That is probably a good idea.” He didn't want to put Nerlyn on the defense. A'ren laughed a bit as he accepted her help. “Very true.”

Lana wiped her hand on her skirt from the dust on the floor and sighed softly. “I believe she is back tomorrow morning so I will enquire first thing around her with K’ron.” Lana decided to put the notebook safely on top of her jacket to take out when she left. “Did you come help with records or was there something more important you came looking for A’ren?” Lana wondered realising he had come there for something.

“That will be soon enough,” he agreed, hoping things went smoothly. This certainly wasn't anything he had expected to hear when he had made his way down here. A'ren shook his head. “Mainly looking for you to see if needed help and let you know Ari demanded dinner tonight,” he smiled.

“That child rules you and my extension this Weyr.” Lana teased trying to not think about what the conversation could bring up. She knew Nerlyn was delicate but she wanted answers to help the Weyr, it was a messy balance that she could attempt to delve into before she needed A’ren’s less subtle ways.

The Weyrleader laughed. “Perhaps,” he agreed. he couldn’t argue that point. Ariana was his world. Although now they had another thing to add to their plate.

“There is no perhaps Weyrleader,” Lana assured smiling at him. “I am glad that she makes you happy though and you have a good relationship.” Lana was a little more hands-off with their daughter thanks to Dragon Hold and the fear that Lana had grown that if she loved the little girl she would be a bigger target than she had been.

A'ren grinned. “Okay yes, you are right. I love our little weyrbrat,” he agreed. He still couldn't believe sometimes that they had a little one. “So what else needs done in here?” he asked.

“Nothing right now by you as Ariana has demanded dinner.” Lana prompted thinking she could carry on looking but she had a feeling that the notebook was the key to some of her questions over the turns.

The bronze rider chuckled. “That she has but I'm hoping her pretty mother plans to join us.” He had a feeling Lana would stay here all night if he let her.

“Oh.. um… I thought it was just you that she demanded.” Lana admitted in a soft tone that spoke of her feelings on the subject. “I was just going to…” she indicated the boxes as if that answered everything.

A'ren raised a brow. “No, she demanded both of us,” he answered, looking at all the boxes. Shards there were a lot. “Really? You choose the boxes?”

Lana shook her head. She would love to go and have dinner with them both. She had just assumed the dinner was just for the man. “Well, I thought it was just for you,” Lana said continuing to look at the boxes spread out covering the table and floor in some places. She really should have left some of them in the cupboard.

“Not at all. I had specific instructions that mommy had to come too,” he assured her. He knew his mate wasn't as close to their daughter as he was but Ariana still asked about Lana every time they were together. “I'll help you finish up in here after dinner.”

Lana looked a little lost for a moment before she nodded. She had not been struck by something her daughter had said since F’cone had been the Weyrleader and Lana had pulled away out of fear. “I would love to join you both.” She assured grabbing up her flight jacket hiding the notebook in a box. “Lead the way Weyrleader.”

Something had surprised her but A'ren didn't know what. Surely it hadn't been that Ariana wanted her mother? He would figure that out later. “Of course. Off to get our daughter,” he grinned.

Lana followed in silence as they stepped into the cavern and a small ripple of silence descended out of respect as they were spotted together. Lana paused and nodded acknowledging the respect before the noise started again. The riders always did that at strange moments but they always approved when they saw the Weyrleaders together coming for meals. “Ariana is with her foster mother,” Lana said spotting the pair coming from the other direction.

A'ren nodded to their riders. River Cove was a great Weyr in his opinion. The riders were respectful but at the same time knew they could come to him or Lana. “Ah I see that,” he smiled. “Well there's my baby girl,” he said.

Ariana’s foster mother nodded as the girl ran towards disappearing back the way she had come. She would be back later to retrieve the little girl but Ariana deserved time with her parents when she could. Ariana ran past several clusters of riders standing around without much effort before she leapt up at A’ren.

A'ren laughed as he watched their daughter dart through the different riders. He easily caught her and swung her up in his arms. “Hey sweetheart.”

“Daddy… you kept your promise and brought mama with you for dinner.” Ariana declared smiling as she looped her arms around his neck squeezing him before she looked at Lana smiling. “Mama… we can have your favourite. Tula told me she was making pie.” The girl declared.

“Well then little one I am glad your father retrieved me from the records.” Lana said gently as she looked around for somewhere to sit.

“Of course I did little one. Even your momma has to eat,” he said, shooting Lana a teasing smile. “Ooh pie. Tula has outdone herself.” He pointed toward a table. “What about there?” He suggested, still holding Ariana.

“Perfect. You sit, I'll get food.” Lana offered smiling slightly at the tease. She was trying to be practical so it made sense as the girl was connected to him that she got the food. She smiled at the pair before disappearing off to get the food.

A'ren didn't get a chance to argue as Lana disappeared. He playfully bounced Ariana in his arms before he sat down. “Alright half pint, how was your day?” He asked as he glanced after Lana.

Ariana followed A’ren’s gaze watching her mother herself hoping she would come back to get a hug from her. “I had my lessons with Journeyman Halia and then I helped Tula and Jena prepare numbweed. It smelled bad.” She declared wiggling her nose as if she could still smell it. She was enjoying the lessons that her parents had arranged to keep her out of trouble. “What did you and Mama do? No thread today.”

The Weyrleader chuckled. “Yes numbweed does smell bad but it is very helpful. And I am glad you enjoyed your lessons.” A'ren was glad that Lana had agreed to come to lunch. He knew Ariana enjoyed seeing her mother. “Well we got very dusty going through old boxes to clean them out,” he answered.

“Why mama has dust on her cheek?” Ariana laughed as her mother came back carrying 2 trays and indeed a line across her cheek from the dust.

“What are you chuckling at little one?” Lana wondered putting the trays down but then looked lost on where to sit.

He grinned at his daughter. “That's right. We'll have to tell her.” A'ren looked up as Lana returned. “Ari was just pointing out about the dust on your cheek,” he answered, moving over for her to sit down.

Lana looked at the Weyrleader as he shifted over to give her enough space to see down. “Thank you.” She touched his leg before looking confused at the concept that she had dust on her cheek still and started trying to rub it off.

“Here mama.” Ariana said, climbing across her father to touch her mothers cheek and wipe the dust off. Lana said perfectly still watching the little girl.

He nodded as Lana finally sat down. He raised a brow as Lana seemed to freeze. “Pretty sure Ari isn't going to bite,” he teased his mate as he watched Ariana try to get the dust off.

Lana shot him a look but said nothing until the little girl had completed her mission and the dust was pretty much gone from the weyrwoman’s face. “Thank you.” Lana praised and the girl smiled as she decided to settled down between the pair instead of just next to A’ren.

A'ren bit his lip to keep from smiling. At least Ariana didn't seem to notice. “So then shall we enjoy some of this wonderful looking food?” He asked the two beside him.

“Yes! I’m hungry.” The little girl declared waiting patiently as her mother passed over the plates she had set up knowing each person appetite. Lana was not overly hungry but she had put enough on her plate to keep herself going.

A'ren didn't comment about Lana’s lack of food but he did grinned at Ariana’s enthusiasm. “Then it's a good thing your momma knew what you liked.”

“I try.” Lana smiled at the pair before nibbling on what she had in her plate just listening to the back and forth of conversation as Ariana told them about her Harper lessons and how the other children were in the crèche and with her foster mother. It was nice to hear what was going on in the Weyr from a child's point of view.