Miscommunication

Writers: Bree, Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th April 2006

Characters: J'nus, Kenza
Description: J'nus confronts Kenza over her behaviour during their meeting with S'rak
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 1 of Turn 3

Kenza tilted her head when J'nus opened the door, studying him for a
moment with a frown. "Well, you don't look nearly as happy to see me
as I'd hoped."

The bronzerider suppressed a sigh. Why now? He had just settled down
with a book and a bowl of nuts, and had planned on enjoying the
evening quietly -for the first time since he'd accepted leadership of
the Wing. "What can I do for you, Kenza?"

"I thought I'd come by to visit," she replied, still studying his
face. "I'm getting the idea that I'm not very welcome, though."

"No no! Not at all!" He stepped aside to let the greenrider in. "I'm
about a page into a new book fresh from the Printer's Hall. No wonder
I don't have any marks."

Kenza still hesitated. "You're not going to lie and say you're not
annoyed with me about something, are you? I'd rather just have it all
out in the open."

"Fine." J'nus pulled Kenza into his weyr and shut the door firmly
behind her. "When we met with S'rak the other day - what were you
sharding _thinking_? Or do you have so little faith in my leadership
abilities that you'd scorching well undermine me in front of a man
who obviously thinks I have the intelligence and moral fiber of a
tunnelsnake?"

Gaping in shock, Kenza stared up at J'nus as if he'd gone mad.
"Undermining you? Why would I _want_ to undermine you? And in front
of S'rak?"

The bronzerider frowned. "I don't know. You tell me."

"I wouldn't!" Annoyed, Kenza moved past him and dropped into a chair
to give herself time to think. "Shards, I was _trying_ to get him to
shut up during our meeting. Did that escape your notice?"

"Yes. And I'm reasonably certain that it escaped S'rak's as well,"
J'nus said dryly. He sat down across from her but didn't relax.

"Oh." Kenza looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, I think he's an
ass. All the time. You're only one on special occasions, so I'd much
rather have you in charge of the wing. I thought you knew that."

"No, I didn't. You didn't imply that in our meeting, but thank you
all the same." She was trying to butter him up, and J'nus could feel
himself falling for it anyway. Sharding woman. He held out his bowl.
"Nuts for the nut?"

Kenza made a face at him and waved the bowl away. "I'm sorry, J'nus.
I haven't learned to bite my tongue, and watching condescending
bronzeriders wave their egos around tends to bring out the worst in
me."

J'nus sighed and scooped a handful of nuts from the bowl before
setting it aside. "You're doing it again, Kenza. If you have a
problem with me, say it. If you don't, then be a little clearer about
it."

"Are you sure you're not being a little sensitive?" Kenza retorted.
"I should think you'd know that the last thing I have a problem doing
is telling you just what I think."

"I'm _well_ acquainted with that trait of yours. All I'm asking is
that you make it clear exactly who you're referring to - _especially_
if S'rak or any other of my Wingriders is around." The bronzerider
frowned. "I can count on you to at least _try_, can't I."

"Of course," Kenza replied lightly, a wicked smile curling her lips
upward. "Especially if you're going to let me poke enough holes in
S'rak's ego to let you fit him into formation somewhere."

J'nus smiled back. "It's got to hurt to have Wing leadership snatched
out from beneath him, but I expected a _little_ more dignity..."

"It wasn't very subtle, was it?" Kenza unbent enough to lean over and
scoop up a few nuts. "I hope we were all just having a bad night,
because I don't know if I can put up with that on a regular basis."

"Me either." He was quiet a moment. "D'wrayt's put us all in a
difficult position. Things are likely to change at any moment and
nobody is comfortable with that."

"Least of all the riders," Kenza replied, shaking her head. Then she
glanced at J'nus. "I didn't mean anything by what I said about
knowing the riders, J'nus. I just mean that I've been the wingthird
in this wing for a long time... and I know everyone who has been
trouble or had trouble. That's my job, and I'm good at it. And I'll
do it for you just like I did it for every wingleader before you."

J'nus smiled slightly and ran a hand over his short hair. "I know."

She made a face at him. "Then why did you get so riled up when I
_said_ it?" she retorted.

"Because I doubted the _way_ you said it." The bronzerider suppressed
a sigh; trust a woman to want to keep poking at a problem even after
it
had been solved. "Any other Wing business to discuss, or can we go
back to enjoying a quiet evening?"

"Is that what we were doing?" Kenza asked, quirking an eyebrow at
him. "Or was that a hint to leave you to your book?"

J'nus reached for another handful of nuts. "That depends on you. Are
you going to be pleasant?"

"Sure," Kenza drawled, kicking her leg over the arm of his chair.
"What shall we talk about?"

"Something pleasant."

Kenza rolled her eyes. How terribly helpful. "All right... what are
you reading?"

J'nus grinned evilly. "It's a travel journal describing a journey
over the sea of Azov. You'd like it. It's _pleasant_."

The look Kenza gave him was priceless. It was going to be a pleasant
evening after all.

Last updated on the May 3rd 2006

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Miscommunication