Well, she'd bathed, oiled and fed Somnolenth, if she hurried she'd have time for breakfast before the lecture. She felt a momentary irritation towards her dragon for being so taciturn and waiting for Kira to wake up rather than calling attention to her hunger.
Coming out of a side corridor was a familiar face, and she skidded to a stop.
"K'dan!"
She hadn't seen him around since the hatching feast, well, not to talk to, and somehow events of that evening had conspired against either of them approaching the other at the time.
She felt a moment's disquiet, as usual wondering how things would go.
He started when he saw Kira-- she had been the last person he expected to see. "Hey Kira, so how's Morlevan's newest goldrider?" The greeting sounded a little lackluster to his ears.
But she was the goldrider now, no time for the asocial little introvert.
There it was - that smart mouth, she thought. It briefly crossed her mind that he wasn't being cheeky, after all he did sound a little flat, but she wasn't going to give him any chances - mentally, that was. >>No, I'll be nice, until I find out just why you didn't talk to me at the hatching feast, or since, for that matter.<<
"Fine, thanks. Well, tired, actually. I never realised how much hard work it was going to be. There's a lot of Somnolenth to oil, and she eats *heaps*. I'm sure she just grew another handspan overnight." She smiled gaily at him. "How's Saith?"
>>You better apologise, you tunnel snake!<<
"And she's going to get bigger, and bigger and bigger." K'dan managed a grin then. "And hungrier, and hungrier..." >>Huh-- how busy *are* you anyway?<<
"And Saith's good, demanding as ever-- and a sudden fan of bad puns and jokes. He's known me too long." He rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating. Something in him was dying to know just what exactly she had been doing at the party (besides dancing with who was turning into the Weyr-Resident-Stud). But it would have been tactless to ask--
Not as if those four letters ever meant a thing to him. "Out of curiousity, what exactly *have* you been up to? The life of a goldrider'n'all..."
Kira stared at him. "Well, you know." But obviously he didn't. "Being a goldrider's not all it's cracked up to be. You'd think it was all fun and laughter, like at the Hatching celebration - "
>>Ooops ...<<
"Anyway, it's not. Fun and laughter, I mean." She'd started, so she might as well carry on. "Not even at the celebration. All I could think of was the responsibility, and those predatory bronzeriders everyone kept on going on about." She was close to tears - luckily Somnolenth was asleep, or she might have upset her. >>I *hate* you sometimes, K'dan.<< Why did he always have to bring out the worst in her?
He had been about to comment on the celebration, but instead, looked at her, finding himself in unfamiliar territory. She looked obviously flustered-- and here he was, wholly uncertain about what he had done.
He mentioned something about the celebration, then... >>Great Faranth, what happened to her there?<< "Uhm... a lot of people have heard stuff about them. I really don't think it's true though, unless--" >>Oh, whoa, waitasec.<< He caught himself just before saying 'unless you're a clingy, commitment type.' She very well could be the clingy commitment type-- and women seemed to take offense at the slightest thing. Apparently.
>>Ech, fardling conscience....<< "Hey, classes start soon... but, uh, well, I know I'm being kinda blunt, but something wrong?"
>>Unless ... what?<< Kira *was* worried about that, but if he wasn't going to say, then she wouldn't push it. The last thing she wanted was to look like more of an uninformed idiot. Especially in front of him. And she *wasn't* going to cry!
She looked at him for a few seconds, trying to guage if he was just being polite, or really had any concern for how she felt, but as usual he had that inscrutable expression. He *had* asked however - she'd give him that.
She sniffed loudly. "Just tired, I guess. I'm alright - really."
She changed the subject. "Hey - we should catch up sometime, properly I mean - maybe when we've got more time - if that ever happens?" She didn't wait for any reply he might have had. "Mine and Somnolenth's weyr is on the first level - the second one along. I'm sure she'd like to meet you - well, *I'd* like it. 'Cos I'm not coming to the weyrling barracks to find you!" She gave him a cheeky grin, totally recovered from her distress. "I better get to breakfast. See you later!"
Needs finishing.
