The Past Lies Buried

Writers: Devin, Yvonne
Date Posted: 30th January 2025

Characters: Tsaera, K'mai
Description: K'mai visits Tsaera
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 4 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Uetia, Saibra, U'das, Kapera, Lenala, M'galec

K'mai

K'mai considered the huge golden form with a pang of nostalgia. Even after all these Turns, Tabanirth was a familiar sight and while it stirred up thoughts of everything that had been lost when River Bluff fell, seeing her also felt like . . . home. It was that thought that finally overcame his hesitation and he urged his blue to send a message.

}:Greetings Queen Tabanirth,:{ Sebeth's mindvoice was a little shy. }:I welcome you to Dragonsfall. Mine would like to visit yours, if she would not mind some company.:{

Tabanirth turned to scan the Weyrbowl until she spotted Sebeth. }:Who is your rider?:{ she asked. The blue dragon was hers. One of hers from... before. It was so hard to remember.

}:K'mai.:{

}:Sebeth's rider wishes to speak with you,:{ Tabanirth relayed. }:His rider is named K'mai.:{

Tsaera paused with a book half-shelved, one of the many that she'd meant to read Turns ago but had somehow never found the time. For some reason she'd toted it over to Dragonsfall Weyr when she'd moved as if she'd have the time now. **K'mai... he's from River Bluff. Tell him he's welcome to join me in half a candlemark.** There had been a steady stream of her former Weyr residents knocking on her door. Their faces and names... it made her miss the home she'd lost. Coming to Dragonsfall had been a bittersweet decision.

K'mai made sure he was presentable and Sebeth landed on the goldrider's ledge almost exactly half a candlemark later. He dismounted and gave a salute. "Weyrwoman . . . Second. My duty to Tabanirth."

"Thank you. Please, come in." She gestured at the open door with a smile. "You look well, K'mai."

"Thank you ma'am," K'mai said as he entered the weyr. "It's good to see another familiar face from River Bluff." She was much the same as he remembered, though maybe she looked a bit older. She'd become Weyrwoman when he was a teenager and despite his casual ways, he'd had respect for the leadership drilled into him, especially the Senior Weyrwoman.

"It was very kind of Saibra to invite me. Can I offer you tea?" She gestured at the small table, which had been set for two. "For some strange reason I've found myself drawn to hot drinks lately."

"Tea would be nice, thank you." K'mai smiled and took a seat. "The weather is a shock, isn't it? And it's only early fall, it gets _so_ much worse."

The goldrider sighed. "So I hear. Have you been here since-- you were relocated, after the earthquake?"

K'mai nodded. "Uetia was transferred here and I chose to go with her so I could stay close to her and our daughter. Did you hear that we have a little girl?"

Uetia-- she was one of Tsaera's former Weyrleaders' daughters. "I do remember that. Your daughter must be... what, three Turns by now? Four?"

"Four." Thinking about Sabia always brought a smile to his face. "She's got her mom's spirit. And maybe a little of my mischief."

"U'das certainly speaks of her fondly," Tsaera said, blowing on her tea. "I'll keep my eye out for her at the creche. Does she take after you or Uetia?"

"Uetia, at least I think so, and we can't be _sure_ she's mine, but . . ." He shrugged.

The goldrider nodded. "And you? I know you've been here for Turns now, but how are you doing here?"

He took a sip of tea. "I don't know if I'll ever get used to the weather, but . . . there are lots of people from River Bluff here and I've made plenty of new friends. And a warm, sunny place is just a quick jump away."

"There does seem to be quite the community here. I'm glad that the Weyr wasn't entirely destroyed..." Tsaera trailed off. Their disaster was Turns ago, and as much as it hurt to lose one's home they weren't the only ones. "How do you think the River Bluff riders have been doing here, overall? It seems like there are more than a few 'Bluff riders with Dragonsfall knots on their shoulders these days."

"And more keep coming." He nodded toward her. "I think we've been doing pretty well." A shadow crossed his expression, and he wondered if he should say anything to her. He didn't want this visit to be gloomy.

Tsaera sipped her tea. "And?"

"Well . . ." He took a breath. "With the Queen dying suddenly at Barrier Lake, I think a lot of us were reminded of what happened at River Bluff." His voice dropped almost to a whisper. "What happened to Lenala and Vilarth."

"I know. Our scars run deep, don't they." The goldrider was quiet a moment as she studied the young man in front of her. "Were you at Barrier Lake for the Completion Ceremony?"

K'mai swallowed and nodded. "I felt it through Sebeth. And there was the keening and people screaming, and suddenly it felt like I was back there . . ." His hand shook, tea sloshing dangerously close to the brim of the cup.

Tsaera reached out to take the cup gently from his hands as Tabanirth began a rough, crooning rumble on her ledge. "What happened was awful. Of course you feel the way you do."

"We were friends." K'mai said, grief crawling up his throat. "Me and Lenala. We'd drifted apart, but we were pretty close for a little while. And she . . . she . . . she's still _in_ there!" He covered his face as he choked on a sob. Not just her, but so many others. People he'd known all his life. Gone. Buried.

"I know." She set the cup aside and took his hands in her own. "I miss her too."

}:I love you.:{ Sebeth's warm comfort filled his mind. }:I do not like when you are sad, but it's okay to feel sad sometimes. To feel grief means that you have also felt love.:{

Those wise words brought a watery smile. K'mai took a few shaky breaths as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I mean to come say hello, not . . ."

Tsaera gave his hands a little squeeze. "I know. It's all right. I'm grateful that you trusted me enough to talk to me. You're always welcome in my weyr. Now, where did I..." The goldrider looked around, then rose from her seat to fetch a clean, neatly folded handkerchief from a drawer and handed it to K'mai. "Here. Drink your tea and tell me a story about Lenala. I think it might do you some good to tell me one, and I know it would do me some good to hear it."

K'mai murmured his thanks as he took the handkerchief and started wiping his face. For a moment he could only think of negative things: her death, her terrible relationship with M'galec. But then he remembered something and a faint smile curved his lips. "Well, one time we went to a Gather . . ."

Last updated on the February 11th 2025

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The Past Lies Buried