Don't Give Up

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 16th June 2019

Characters: Alyena, Grevan
Description: Alyena comes and visits her son
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 6 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: J'ackt, N'vanik, Corowal, Urlene (not by name)

Alyena followed the dragonrider down the winding tunnel deep in the
cliff, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. It had only
taken a few turns before she'd lost track of the way out. The walls
felt as though they were closing in on her, as if she was being taken
down into a prison where she'd never see the light of day again.

**Grevan is here,** she told herself silently. The worst part was
over. She had ridden on the dragon, and gone /between/.

That morning, she'd risen before dawn so that she'd be able to walk to
the Hold in time to meet them. The children had food and tasks for the
day, and she had told them to go to her nearest neighbours if she
wasn't back by nightfall. Alyena hoped that the Lord Holder's
protection would keep her safe here, but if not...there was still that
promise that her family would be taken care of.

Then there had been the flight on the dragon. Alyena had dreaded that
most of all, but when she'd got close to the dragon, a young blue, it
hadn't been so bad as she'd feared. His eyes had been almost
beautiful, a gentle blue-green, and his hide soft and warm. The rider
had been wary, but polite. And when they'd leapt into the air... If it
hadn't been for everything else, she might almost have been
exhilarated by the speed, the rush of wind in her hair. It was better
than the times she'd ridden a runner, as a girl, before her marriage.
But then they'd gone /between/, into that awful dark nothingness, and
come out over the Weyr, and all her fears had returned at once.

The man she was following came to a halt in front of a door. Alyena
took a deep breath. She was here to help Grevan. Nothing else
mattered.

Grevan was dozing on his cot as the door opened, cradling his broken
wrist to his chest. Though the Healers had set it and placed it in a
cast, it still often ached. The beautiful Healer still came in and
checked it, but said little to him other than how he was doing and
making sure he was properly fed. The sound of the door opening made
him jerk upwards, the sliver of light around the door to the storage
area waking him from a groggy sleep.

The woman who appeared at the door made him choke. "Mama?" His eyes
immediately filled with joy and shame. He'd thought never to see his
mother again. "Is that you?"

Alyena ran to him and knelt down beside the cot to embrace him,
careful of his wrist. "I'm here now. Everything's going to be all
right." She felt the tears filling her eyes, anger mingling with
relief that at least his injuries weren't worse. Not like his
father's. "What have they done to you?"

Grevan clasped his mother to him, burying his head in her shoulder
with a sob. "Mama, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I thought it would
make things better. I wanted him to pay for what he did. To father.
I'm sorry I lied to you."

"Hush now. It's all right." She stroked his hair, comforting him as she
hadn't since he was a child. "It doesn't matter. I'm here, I'll help
you." She glanced at the dragonrider at the door, realising she'd have
to be very careful what she said. "How are they treating you? Do you
have enough to eat?"

He leaned against her, taking comfort in his mother's embrace before
nodding. "Aye...always enough to eat. Plenty really." More than they
had at home, he bitterly reminded himself. "The Healer she comes to
see me to check on my wrist and teeth." He was missing a few from the
blows, but the Healers had done what they could. "They just keep me in
here." He lifted his head, his expression pained. "Mama...what I
did..."

"I know. The Lord Holder told me." Alyena spoke quickly, before he could
say any more, knowing his words and hers would be reported. She wanted
to tell him it didn't matter, that she didn't care what he'd done to
that dragonrider, he was still her son. But she couldn't. "He said there
will be a trial. It'll be - " She couldn't quite call it fair. "They'll
follow the law. You can have a harper to represent you, if you want. I
can find one for you."

His once tanned face was pale as he looked at her. "You can't afford
it, Mama." His voice was rough. "I'm guilty. Everyone knows I'm
guilty. It would be a waste of marks that you can't spare." His broad
shoulders slumped. "There's no point in a Harper." His gaze met her
own. "I'm not going to fight anymore. I'm going to plead guilty and
just let them do what they want with me...as long as you all are kept
safe, that's all I care about."

"No." She felt a sudden cold fear, pulled away from him. Lord Corowal
had said they might put him out for Thread... "No, Grevan, you can't.
You've got to fight. Think of your brother and sister. We can't...I
can't go on without you." Her hands gripped his shoulders, painfully
tight. "It doesn't matter about the marks. I'll work twice as hard to
pay them back if I have to. But you can't give up like this. You have to
come home."

He shook his head dully. "The Weyrleader's already told me that I was
never going home." His expression defeated, he gazed at his mother
with no hope at all in his expression. "Go back and live at the Hold.
Lord Corowal will let you, he said so. Just tell Elanni that I'm sorry
and I hope she finds a better man than me. Tell Furayle and Evalya to
be good and that I'm sorry." He bowed his head and began to weep
softly, tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Mama, but I'm
not going to fight anymore. I'm tired of fighting."

"No. You're not." A sudden fierce anger flared in her, and she forgot
the cramped room, the watching dragonrider, the whole hostile Weyr
around them. "Look at me, Grevan. Your father was a guard. So were both
your grandfathers. Fighting is in your blood. You are not going to give
up. I am going to find a Harper, and you're going to do whatever he says
to get you out of here."

She wanted nothing more than to hold him close, but she also knew she
couldn't let him lose himself in despair. She lowered her voice to a
whisper. "Either that, or I go straight to the Weyrleaders and tell them
I planned the attack and made you carry it out."

Through his tears, he looked up at her, eyes widening in alarm before
he shook his head. "No, Mama. You wouldn't do that to Furayle and
Evalya. It would leave them with no one and you'd never do that to
them." There was no hope in his gaze. "It's over, Mama. I'm guilty and
everyone knows it. You can't save me this time." He gave her a tight
hug. "I made a mistake. I have to ...I have to pay for it."

Alyena's fingers dug into him as she held him, as tightly as if she
would never let him go. "You don't know what I would do to save you."
She would plead with the Lord Holder, with the Hallmaster, would go down
on her knees before the Weyrleaders themselves to get mercy for her son.
"I won't give up on you. But..." Her voice softened a little. "I won't
do anything that risks Furayle and Evalya. I promise."

The rider who was acting as a guard spoke softly. "I'm afraid your
time's up."

Grevan squeezed his mother tightly, then released her. "Go home, mama.
Give them a hug for me."

She held his shoulders still, not knowing how she could bear to leave
him here, in the dark. "I'll come back. With a harper. Don't make any
pleas until you see him." She glanced at the dragonrider, then leaned
over and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you again, very soon." Then,
slowly, she got to her feet and let the rider escort her out.

Grevan watched as the door closed, his shoulder's slumping as he
listened to his mother's footsteps fade down the hall. Another tear
leaked down his cheek, then he called out to the guard he knew
remained outside. "Can I speak to the Weyrleader?"

---

Last updated on the June 24th 2019

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Don't Give Up