This Has to Stop

Writers: Devin, Suzee
Date Posted: 16th April 2025

Characters: N'vanik, Cyradis
Description: N'vanik talks to Cyradis about the attack in the Dining Cavern.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 3 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Gil, Talryne, R'ayl, Tr'vel, Enali, J'ackt, Corofel
Follows "Betrayal"

N'vanik

Cyradis

After walking Gil to the infirmary, N'vanik had spent a few moments
with Talryne, making sure she was okay. Holding her tight to reassure
himself that she was safe and unharmed. She'd been more angry and
protective of R'ayl than fearing for her own safety. His fierce, brave
Tal.

As he made his way to the Weyrwoman's office, the thought of what had
happened, what _could_ have happened, made his fury rise again. "I
suppose you won't let me fling that tunnel snake from the Star
Stones," he said as he entered.

"True," she said mildly. "But you've talked to him. Did he say why he did it?"

"It's Ingrizon, one of the conspirators from White Hollow. He thought
R'ayl had been the one to give them up so he tried to kill the kid.
Tal was right there, he could have . . ." N'vanik closed his eyes and
took a breath.

}:She's safe, and he can't hurt anyone else,:{ Loseth said.

"What if's didn't happen," she said as she saw the color drain from
his face. "Is Talryne alright, and R'ayl?"

"She's alright." N'vanik made himself calm down. "I haven't checked on
R'ayl but he wasn't hurt and his mother was there to take care of
him."

"And what did you do with Ingrizion? Was anyone else involved?"
Cyradis was beginning to resent all these attacks on dragonriders. "No
one goes anywhere without a backup," she ground out.

"Tr'vel took him to one of the cliff weyrs. No one else was involved
in the actual attack, but maybe I'll have Gil take a look at anyone
who arrived within the last month who isn't a transfer." N'vanik shook
his head. "Gil was the one who recognized him and stopped him."

She nodded at the bits of information even as she seethed. "I'm so
tired of all this sharding mess. You'd think we were still in the
interval and Thread was just a bad dream." She shook her head and
couldn't help turning back. "Gil saved R'ayl?"

"Yeah. Got himself cut up fighting that holder, but he'll be fine,"
the Weyrleader said. "Gil is . . . well, there's still a paranoid
little voice in my head saying this could all be some elaborate
scheme, but he really might be a good man who got caught up with bad
people."

"I like that there is a paranoid voice in your head N'vanik." she
said. "It likely means no one is going to sneak up on you. Me on the
other hand. I always want to believe the best of people. But at this
point, I think I need a companion or guard whenever I go anywhere
outside the Weyr." She looked up at him. "It can't always be you."

Enali had already poisoned Cyradis, it certainly wasn't beyond them to
go after a Weyrwoman. He looked down and sighed. "Yeah, true. How
about J'ackt?"

"J'ackt could work," she nodded. "Or at some point Gil, once you trust him."

N'vanik arched an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'd trust him enough for
_that_." Eventually allowing him to live in the Weyr without
restriction was one thing, trusting him to protect the Weyrwoman's
life was another. "We've got C'nal and Tr'vel, too."

She arched an eyebrow right back at him. "Well at some point he needs
a job so decide what you want to do with him. In the meantime I'll
take whoever you suggest. But just remember that at night now, I'm
alone."

"You want Gil to warm your bed?" he teased. Then he turned serious.
"If you want someone to guard your weyr, I'll get you one."

"Not even," she laughed. Then she turned serious as well. "I
appreciate that. J'ackt might have some ideas if any of the guards are
viable." Then her sense of humor kicked in, " Or I can just sleep my
way through the mature bronze and brown riders until I find one I want to keep."

N'vanik snorted. "If you're really worried you could sleep somewhere
else, where someone wouldn't look for you." He sighed. "If you want to
look for a silver lining, at least Ingrizon is someone we already knew
about who got away. This isn't some new threat."

"Right," she nodded. "I don't know _what_ I want," she said and sat
down heavily. "I'm so tired of all this drama. It's so stupid."

"Wish they were as easy to burn as Thread." N'vanik clenched a fist.
"What will you let me do to him? Since he fled justice, he made
himself holdless. Unless you and Corofel want to argue he still
belongs to Emerald Falls."

She looked at him for a long moment. "Give him to Corofel if he wants
him. If not, do what you want with him. I already saved one... but
this has just got to stop."

"Corofel will have to fight me for that tunnelsnake. If Corofel had
done his job Ingrizon wouldn't be here at all." Not that N'vanik
wanted more problems with Emerald Falls, but he didn't want Ingrizon
facing holder justice when he'd acted against the Weyr. _Again_.

She shook her head tiredly. "Drop him /between/ and forget about him."

It was so out of character it cut through his anger. He went to her
and put his arms around her. "Hey, I'll take care of it. I'll keep us
safe." Even if he was afraid he couldn't, at least he'd do his
sharding best to try.

She clung to him for a moment before patting his arm to signal that
she would be alright, "Thank you," she said, both for the embrace and
the promise of safety.

Last updated on the April 22nd 2025

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This Has to Stop