P'rru comes up the stairs.

P'rru lopes down the stairs, clackety clackety clack. The brownrider appears as tired as usual, jacket flung casually over his shoulder, gloves still covering his hands, and the impression of riding goggles still pressed into his skin.

Khena is sitting in a deep chair, knees pulled up and a knife in her hand, cutting little piece of a stick. Looking up as she hears footsteps, a slight smile spreads on her face when she sees who it is. "Heya, P'rru," she notes, going back to the cutting, though the stick has already taken on a sharp point.

P'rru crumples into a chair with an exaggerated sigh. "I swear I spend half my days chasing people around. Skylark this morning, Kaorru round noon and then B'loo to Telgar of all places where he's gotten -another- hold lass pregnant" Another sigh, accompanied by a ragged scrub of his lower jaw. "Hmph. What in the world are you doing there, love?" Peer peer.

Khena looks up again, an eyebrow lifting slightly at the brownrider's rant, then shakes her head, taking another bit off the stick, the shaving falling to the ground to the small pile already there. "Nothing," she says, rolling a shoulder in a shrug. "Just... Seeing if I can still handle a knife, I s'pose. Haven't touched it since I Impressed." Eyes on the stick again, she avoids making any sort of prolonged eye contact with P'rru.

P'rru doesn't notice the lack of eye contact really, but leans down with a whistling groan to pluck up a shaving, fiddling with it in his fingers. "Oh aye. Well tis not like we need to use one, really, not in our ah- profession" He shakes his head slowly and stretched then, against the chair. "So nice to have some peace and quiet for a change, isn't it? How's Mneoth fairing?"

Khena nods slowly, glancing at the blade, which she turns a little, the metal reflecting what little light there is. "I don't s'pose we do," she mutters, juggling the knife a little before replacing it in its sheath. "Before I Impressed I'd never be without my knife, y'know? Not even when I was sleeping. I'd keep it under my pillow then." Looking up at P'rru again, she tilts her head, the corners of her mouth tugging this way and that between a smile and a grimace. "Mneoth's doing great. Doesn't mind drills or sweeps." If the brownrider's not mentioning anything about herself, and how she's fairing, it probably is quite on purpose.

P'rru is going to ask Khena how she is, it's the order of conversation "That's good. You do know if you have any problems with either S'nor or Jesha, just come and tell me. I'll look after you, pet" Of course, it's the reason she's now a Mudslider. To be under Father's Wary Gaze. "And how are you? Nice and settled? It's so wonderful, dearest, to have you in the wing. Like keeping it in the family." It's made him happy and content, apparent in the fond smile on his face.

Khena fiddles with the pointed stick she's made, twirling it around like a baton between able fingers. "I'm... Fine, I guess," she mutters, avoiding P'rru's eyes again. "Nothing wrong with Mudslide." Except maybe that a certain greenrider had also been tapped for that wing. Unfolding her legs, she stretches them out in front of them, crossing them at the ankles. "S'pose it's best that I didn't end up in Inferno," she finally notes, not stating /why/ she feels that why. Taking a deep breath, she straightens a little, looking back up. "How're you? And 'salth? I haven't seen you in such a long time..."

P'rru coughs "Inferno? Bah! Mudslide not only has nothing wrong with it, dearheart, it is the best place to be. We have stellar brownriders, in Jesha, Snor -and- Daeyn, our illustrious weyrsecond. Don't you go moping, love, about Inferno. Mudslide was the best. And since you are such a fine young rider, then that was the most obvious wing for you to join.." Yes, he's patriotic to his wing. "Dsalth and I are well. Settled. Nothing out of the ordinary. He's been coddling me a little since the scoring, but it's bearable..just" a wink.

Khena almost drops her stick, the easy movements disrubted by P'rru's last comment. She'd completely forgotten that the brownrider'd been scored. "How /is/ that coming along? Not keeping you grounded anymore is it?" she asks, the look in her eyes turning worried. Stick starting to twirl again, she grins a little, remembering how unbearable he'd been when he'd been scored. "It's really the first time you were scored?" She couldn't quite believe that, but then it was probably because she herself had been in close contact with Thread in hers and Mneoth's very first Fall.

P'rru rolls his right sleeve to his elbow, and reaches his arm over to show Khena, a thick pink angry scar running raggedly from wrist to elbow. "Tis healed, but it's so ugly. Dsalth bids me hide it whenever we go out in public" He notes, prodding at the scar. "It's the first time in 20 odd turns I've been scored" The brownrider grins and then puffs a breath of air out his cheeks. "How disgusting, an experienced wingsecond scored during a weyrling threadfall. Wind wasn't even strong!" That's the worse part for him, the utter humiliation he is sure everyone talks about behind his back.

"You've been luckier than most, then," Khena notes, eyeing the score without a trace of disgust on her face, her body leaning a little closer to see. In fact, the look in her eyes could almost said to be fascinated. "Scars aren't bad. Got plenty of 'em myself." A roll of her shoulders and she leans back, using the point of her stick to bore at her thumb. "At least it wasn't lethal, right?"

P'rru rings a hand around the back of his neck "Aye, least it wasn't that bag of bones who got the scoring. That would have been impossible. Imagine. Him ordering me around and pestering people.." In fact, Dsalth probably would have handled it better than P'rru did. But don't burst his bubble. "It'll remind me to my death how careless and irresponsible I was that flight, though. Best thing. Make sure I never let it happen again" Sure, sure, but the way in which he speaks with such conviction probably lends credibility to what he's saying. "So, my girl, tell me about what you've been up to lately...I'd heard some gossip about yknow..that healer..and I do hope you listened to my advice last time eh?" he checks, ducking his head to peer at her, concerned.

Boring the point of the stick deeper into her thumb, almost to the point of breaking the skin, Khena doesn't even flinch from the pain. "She's..." she begins, but doesn't go on for a good long time, her eyes watching how the stick make a deep indentation in her thumb. "I dunno... I guess she's just not interested in being anything more than friends." Too bad that the brownrider wanted more then. "How 'bout yourself? And Amalia?" Change of subjet. Good stragety, that, when one didn't want to speak of oneself. "Or is that over too?"

P'rru snorts "You're best rid of that one, as much as I think she's rather nice, for a healer, she obviously doesn't know a good thing when she sees it" He remarks, reaching out to pull the stick away from her. "And Amalia? To tell you the truth pet, I haven't seen her for a time. She's always busy, then I am always busy..I don't know what to do. I'm truly very fond of her but..." he shrugs and chuckles. "Look at the pair of us eh? Made for each other" He doesn't mean in an icky gross way, in a two of a kind thing.

Khena drops her jaw, forgetting to bore the stick into her thumb. "But... But... Ele's not doing it to be mean," she says, staring hard at P'rru, ready to defend the Healer in any way. "She's just... I dunno, confused maybe?" Shaking her head, the brownrider resume her self-mutilation, though now she pokes the stick into the palm of her hand. "At least you have your kids..." Looking up at that sentence, she tilts her head and lifts an eyebrow. "Whatever happened to that.. Aldric, was that his name? The one who said you're his father?"

P'rru lifts his shoulders, the shirt crinkling softly "Adric, well, he went back to the herder hall to study. Says he can't face it right now- whatever that means...my son's have always been more trouble than hey are worth. Not like Skylark- mind you, she's getting on a bit, and Dsalth tells me every time she has him ferry a young lad up to the weyr.." Hpmph. "Mind you, I can really on the old bones to keep a stern watch when I can't...won't have her galavanting off with some studly rider! No way!" You just have to feel sorry for Skylark really. "Oh here's something- Branwyth told Dsalth that she wants Sasha to have a baby...would be so good for those two if they had a child, right thing to do- especially since S'nor is getting too old for it" The brownrider chuckles, yes he'll be pushing the idea to the couple aswell.

Khena sighs and tosses her stick into the seat of a neighboring chair, rubbing the sore skin of thumb and palm. "Still.. " she mutters, slumping into the chair, pulling her legs up under her. "I can't seem to get used to being alone. I mean, Mneoth's always there, of course, but I'm used to having other /people/ there. Now there's just me and Mneo up there in the weyr," she continues, glancing up at the other brownrider a pained look in her eyes. "And Mneo usually sleeps on the ledge. Gets so quiet in the weyr, y'know?"

P'rru reaches out and squeezes Khena's shoulder. "How about you come round for tea later? Skylark would love the company, and I'm sure Dsalth would be happy to discuss the latest proddy greens and wing formations with Mneoth.." he offers, head tilted to one side. "And you'll enjoy it after a while..better than living in the cramped confines of the dorms or barracks. Just needs some getting used to, you'll manage" He does. He always does though, so it's hard for him to understand how you could -not- like having your own private space.

"I've /always/ lived in cramped confines, P'rru," Khena explains, glancing up at him again, the corners of her mouth tugging downward. "Since the day I was born, when I came here, became a guard. Even when we were weyrlings. I s'pose I just need a little more time. Would be nice to have a weyrmate, though," she muses, eyes staring out into space in front of her, imagining one particular person as her 'mate. "Well, I'd come visit you any time. You know that, P'rru," she says, pulling herself out of reverie to turn to the brownrider. "It's been a while since I've seen 'Lark, actually..."

P'rru chuckles "Aye. She's good, looks after me as usual. Dsalth told me that Kh'ryn gave her another runner, no wonder she's alwawys in the stables.." he grumbles though, as if that incident concerned him, but doesn't extrapolate on the notion. "Weyrmates, schmeyrmates, Khena. Look at me, never had one, and I'm fine...right?" he nudges her, grin on his face.

Khena smirks at P'rru, an actual grin forming on her lips. The grumpy ol' brownrider turned out alright? There might be several opinions on that statement. "Well.. Maybe so," she says, shifting a bit in the chair to face the other. "I just thought it might be nice to have her as a 'mate..." Not realizing what she'd said 'till she said it, Necha stares at P'rru hoping he hadn't caught on, then turns her head, covering her eyes with a hand, while muttering something under her breath.

P'rru clears his throat "You wanted Elehu as a weyrmate? After you've known she's been with 2 of your fellow weyrlings? Khena!" he remarks, sitting rigidly in his chair. "Must I really give you another lecture? You are worth more than that, my precious girl. You deserve a Lady Holder! Or..a Craftmaster! A wandering journeyman with grand tales to tell!" he proclaims, a hand raised in the air.

Khena sighs deeply, sliding further still into the chair, wanting to disappear into the upholstry. "Don't /say/ that, P'rru!," she exclaims, turning her head to give the brownrider an icy stare. "Just don't /say/ that about her. I still care about her, y'know!" Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she turns her head away from P'rru, clutching her upper arms to the point that her knuckles whitens. "I really do care about her," she whispers after a long pause, just loud enough for the other to hear.

P'rru sighs and sccots over to perch on the armrest on Khena's chair, wrapping his arms around her shoulders "Hush hush" He says quietly "All I want is the best for you, dearest...and whatever this thing with Elehu is, I can see it's not making you happy" He plants a kiss on the top of her head quickly. "If you keep brooding on it, imagine what Mneoth will think eh? You have to do the best for him and yourself, remember now". He's trying to console. Not working right.

Khena allows herself to fall into P'rru's embrace, relaxing her muscles one by one until she practically a ragdoll sprawled in the brownrider's arms. "You're right, of course. But Mneoth likes.. Liked Ele too. It was his idea that I tell her how I feel," she says, letting a sigh escape her lips again. "I dunno, P'rru," she continues, moving to break the embrace, getting out of the chair, moving a couple of steps away, "I don't think /she/ even knows what she wants...."

P'rru sinks back into the chair, as if he's tired of the argument "Dearest, she doesn't want you!" he says quickly, regretting the words as soon as they'd come out. "Shells, honey, you can't keep going on like this. It's not healthy! You can't rely on one person to make you happy" The brownrider reasons, hands clasped patiently on one knee.

Khena glances over one shoulder, blinking to keep tears from coming to her eyes. Wrapping her arms around herself again, she hangs her head, shaking almost visibly as a sob escapes her lips. "I can't do anything right. Didn't work with Renya, or Reiko.. And now Ele," she says, voice thick with emotion. Standing rock-still for a moment, she nods suddenly a slight chuckle lightening her mood. "I know, love. I'll always have you." A comment obviously not meant for P'rru.

P'rru couldn't be any more concerned if Khena was hanging by her underpants from the star stones. Well that would also be funny, but this isn't. "Oh my poor little pet, just because it didn't work with 3, doesn't mean that there is fault with you. Reiko- well we all know she isn't as chaste as I like to think she is eh? I've heard stories about her, so it's not your fault there. Renya? Well I've no idea..and Elehu- same as Reiko, she's getting about with all sorts" He stands up and takes a few steps towards her "Come along, let's get some ale eh?" Need drink to drown her sorrows afterall.

"Ale...? Yeah, sure," Khena mutters, wiping away the dampness on her cheek with a couple of quick touches of her sleeve. "Just don't make me drink as much as I had the night we graduated. Had a terrible headache the morning after." Collecting her Pointy Stick, she motions for P'rru to lead the way.

P'rru wanders out through the little door all but hidden off to the side.

Dsalth appears from the dust-filled pens.

Dsalth comes when he's beckoned silently, plodding along with his usual haughty gait and smooth slide. "Ah, Dsalth, we're going up..mind you tell Skylark we're coming so we don't suprise her in the middle of..anything" Purr grumbles, giving Khena a quick glance. Walking in on your daughter with someone is not a good experience for a protective father at all. Dsalth responds with a light whuffle, neckridges bristled.

Khena chuckles as she moves toward her own lifemate, Mneoth giving off a slightly worried rumble, then turns to Dsalth as Necha reassures him that nothing is wrong. "I s'pose that's one good thing about being alone," she notes, moving to mount Mneoth, "you don't have to worry about... Walking in on someone... Doing.. things.." A slight grin is shot P'rru-ways and then she grabs hold of a glossy-black strap to make her way to a klah-colored neck.

With Mneoth lending a weary forearm, you have no trouble getting to a stable seat between his neckridges.

P'rru goes home.

*** FADE TO BLACK ***