What?! No. Really? Shit.
Those were the first four reactions Darsce had to the news of just which particular bronze flew Seryth.
Stiff, fatigued, and sleepy, she’d been late to work. Half the Weyr was late to breakfast, so that didn’t much matter. She’d waited until the bathing caverns cleared to have her soak, padded back to her room in her bathrobe to ready herself for work and gotten there with breakfast well underway. Checking with the cooks, who were busily humming along, she couldn’t help but overhear there was a new Weyrleader of Xanadu.
Ka’el.
Darsce had kept her reaction to herself. Well, she’d stared open-mouthed but the two cooks chattering to one another hadn’t noticed. The trays to the Weyrleader’s office, she was told upon asking, wouldn’t be required today, so she’d taken the one for the steward’s office numbly and headed that way with it. That office was empty yet and so she’d sought the sanctuary of her own before closing the door behind her and leaning upon it. Hyperventilating this early in the day, never a good sign!
Whyyyyyy am I being punished?
She’d wanted to wail that to the skies but she’d refrained. It wouldn’t help and besides, the Nova and Quasar Wing riders would probably hear her.
She warned herself, Breathe, Darsce, not so fast. Slowly or you’ll pass out.
Where was Jethaniel? Where were her tissues? Where was the numbweed? Gonna need a lot of that!
Heretofore it had made no difference to her who’d sat behind the Weyrleader’s desk. N’shen, the half-brother, she’d never known until she’d moved to Xanadu, usually blandly cordial to her, had been okay to work with…work for…encounter in the admin hall…whatever.
Ka’el, though. Sure to be a different story!
So much for her being good.
She’d eyed her desk, void of a pink slip thus far. But for how long?