A Night to Remember

Writers: Heather, Miriah, Suzee, Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th September 2019

Characters: Alina, J'ackt, Timassa, K'yne, Elibra, Palinon, Palbran
Description: J'ackt surprises Alina with a party when they visit Nadol Cothold
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 7 of Turn 9

Alina

J'ackt

Timassa

K'yne

Alina's nerves might as well have been a nest of tunnelsnakes as Imarith popped out of /between/ over Nadol Cothold with Zith close behind. J'ackt had been insistent about meeting her family, and while a part of her wanted him to... imagined that they'd welcome him and be happy for her... she was also terrified that they'd snub him because of his past and that stupid song, and then she'd have to fight with them, and J'ackt would be angry with her and blame her for what her Cothold thought, and she'd be stuck in the middle and end up having everyone upset and angry.

Imarith banked and she could see the Cothold below. The big tables had been dragged out of the kitchens and they'd lit a bonfire that glowed in the dusk like a star. She caught a whiff of something roasting. **Oh just _perfect_,** she thought miserably. Nadol cothold was having a celebration. There was no _way_ she'd be able to sneak J'ackt in to meet her parents without the rest of the cothold noticing and sticking their noses - and opinions - in. **Imarith, ask Zith to ask J'ackt if he wants to come back another time. I doubt that he wants to meet the entire cothold. We can come back when it's quieter.**

}: We are fine.:{ There was a hint of amused satisfaction in Zith's voice. }: Mine is not uncomfortable. :{ The bronze was already banking to land, finding the previously used open area with ease. He backwinged, landed and allowed J'ackt to dismount before, settling down a good distance from where the bonfire flickered. J'ackt waited for Imarith to land, then approached the green, offering his hand to help Alina down.

She made a face but let him help her anyway. "You're sure about this? I know you don't like a lot of people," she said quietly. "We can still go."

"I'm sure." He _didn't_ like a lot of people, but this evening wasn't about him. He could suffer a crowd for his weyrmate. Tucking her hand in his elbow and with an odd glint of mischief in his eyes that he couldn't hide, he led her towards the bonfire.

Alina followed, but couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that had settled over her as soon as they'd come out from /between/.

The bonfire had been lit at the far edge of the paved area around the cothold. The flagstones were swept clean for the tables, which were laid with white cloth and heaped with pies and platters of vegetables. No one was eating, though-- and Alina hesitated at the edge of the firelight until J'ackt dragged her forward. And then people turned, and-- cheered.

Alina's mother, Elibra, stepped forward from the crowd. She was in her Gather best and her hair was swept up and knotted at at the top of her head. She was smiling as she crossed the paved yard to embrace her daughter. "You never told us you'd married," she said.

Alina stiffened as her mother wrapped her arms around her. "What's going on?"

"Your-- J'ackt came to see us. Shame on you for not telling us yourself." Elibra turned to embrace J'ackt as well. "Welcome."

At Elibra's embrace, this time he didn't stiffen, but accepted it, albeit a bit hesitantly. "Thank you."

J'ackt spoke quietly to Alina, his eyes surprisingly soft. "I wanted to give you a celebration like you would have gotten if you'd married at the Hold. To show you that it's important to me. That's its not just any weyrmating."

Alina wished she could kiss him there and then but there were too many people watching. Instead she pressed her fingertips to her lips as she smiled, her eyes shining at the gift.

Someone-- her father, Alina realized-- eased Alina's and J'ackt's flight jackets off their shoulders and whisked them away. A girl of about ten Turns had appeared at Elibra's elbow holding out a pair of flower crowns. Elibra plucked them from her grasp and placed one on Alina's head, and the other on J'ackt's. She then unwound a green ribbon from her wrist and wrapped it around J'ackt and Alina's, binding them together. "I know it's not the same as when the Harper would have done for you-- if the Harper used the ribbon. But we always did in my family and it feels odd to me to celebrate a wedding without it. So you'll just have to bear it!" she said brightly.

Alina grasped J'ackt's hand with her own and leaned over to whisper into his ear. "You really arranged all this!?"

Wearing the flower crown made him feel silly and a bit ridiculous, but he bore it without complaint. His fingers winding with Alina's, he bent to listen to her whisper, then nodded. "Yes." His voice was a murmur. "I invited Timassa and K'yne, but I don't know that they'll be able to make it. We couldn't have a wedding like you might have dreamed about, but I wanted you to have at least part of it."

For a moment she saw her old home through Timassa and K'yne's eyes-- a bit shabby, a working cothold with home-made pies and a few wildflowers shoved into chipped crockery as decoration. Although people were wearing their Gather best, the clothing looked more like what drudges wore at the Weyr than something for a special occasion. She tightened her grip on J'ackt's hand as they were shoved forward to stand in the centre of the circle of tables.

"Here." Her brother Palbran was at her elbow and handed a cup of wine to her. He handed another to J'ackt, but not before pausing to give the bronzerider an inscrutable look.

Some movement on the outskirts of the gathering drew peoples' attention, especially when a tall, golden-haired dragonrider
approached J'ackt and Alina. There was enough resemblance between K'yne and J'ackt for there to be no question why he was at the wedding. It seemed strange to K'yne, the thought of dragonriders getting married, but his relationship was far too tenuous with his son for him to cast any judgement. He had been surprised and honored just to be asked. "Looks like we arrived just in time," he murmured into the ear of the woman on his arm.

Timassa smiled at all the people at the bonfire knowing her own resemblance to the 'groom'. "Hello," she said and stepped forward to kiss Alina's cheek and then turned to J'ackt. "I wish your ma were here to see you today," she murmured in his ear. "I'm so proud."

J'ackt took the cup from Palbran, thanking him and returning the look with an arched brow. Before he could bring it to his lips, he nudged Alina and nodded towards where K'yne and Timassa had emerged. "Looks like they made it." Keeping her hand twined in his, he rose and greeted both of them. "I'm glad you could come." The mention of his mother made his throat tighten and he nodded. "Thank you." He turned to Elibra. "Elibra, this is my mother's twin, Timassa of green Saryolth. This is my father, K'yne of brown Arinoth."

Elibra curtsied respectfully. "Welcome to our Cothold, dragonriders. We are most honoured to have you with us tonight. Palbran-- please find our guests wine." She shoo'ed her son away on his errand and turned back to her guests. "You've arrived just in time. After the Harper's through his ceremony we always invite the cothold to send good wishes to the new couple, but since this--" She hesitated, looking a little uncertainly at Alina before her smile slipped back into place. "--it's a little different, with no Harper and no ceremony. I thought we would just do the second half."

"It's lovely," Timassa nodded her approval and smoothed the front of her own dress. She'd worn her second best gather dress in a lovely green shade and a strand of jade beads. She pulled out a small box and held it out toward Alina. "This was my sister's," she said. "I think she'd want you to have it."

Alina blinked, surprised and touched by the gift. She opened the box and gently took out the enamel hair comb inside. Bright flowers raced across the top of the comb in blue and red and gold. It was the nicest thing she'd seen, and now it was hers. "I-- thank you, Timassa. This is so lovely!"

Palinon, Alina's father, stepped forward and raised his glass. "To Alina and J'ackt: may you live long lives!"

"May you have many children!" Elibra added.

"To happiness," K'yne added, raising his glass to his son and Alina.

The gift surprised him, but it was fitting. His mother _would_ have wanted Alina to have it. He looked down at her, eyes soft, then looked up as the toasts began. J'ackt's eye twitched at the toast about children, but now was not not the time to let Alina's mother know that he didn't want children. "Thank you. All of you."

Timassa lifted her glass with the rest almost feeling like her sister was there with her arm in arm, proud of the man her son had become. She couldn't help the tears that welled up in her eyes. "Be happy," was all she could add.

Last updated on the October 26th 2019

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A Night to Remember