A Different Kind of Company
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Devin, Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 10th August 2006
Series: Saving Each Other
Characters: Traelyn, N'vanik, Traelyn
Description: Traelyn comes to visit N'vanik, but finds that he already has a different kind of company.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 14 of Turn 3
"'Japarrin slid his hands up her shirt, feeling the sweat . . .' Ok, I'm going to skip this part." A few pages rustled. "'His light doze was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping in the jungle. Japarrin sat up slowly, his hand reaching for his belt knife.'"
Talryne's head, which had been drooping toward his chest, came back up as she gave him a sad echo of her usual smile. "Where did you get a book with scenes so naughty you have to skip them?" she mumured, pulling her quilt up a little higher and tucking it under her chin as she settled her head back on his shoulder.
Sad or not, it was still a smile, and N'vanik was glad to see it. "I know a journeywoman in the Records Room that finds me all kinds of interesting books."
"Just be glad I'm not insisting you go back and read it all," Talryne replied, her eyes drifting shut again. She felt warm and comfortable tucked against N'vanik's side with a nice, heavy quilt covering her. That combined with his voice as he read was making it all too easy to drift in and out of sleep.
N'vanik started reading again, smiling at her comment. "'The jungle around him was silent, but he could sense something approaching . . .'" Talryne was here nearly all the time that he was now, and even though he would often rather be alone, he couldn't tell her to leave. She needed someone, and for some reason she'd chosen him. At moments like this, though . . . it wasn't so bad.
"N'vanik?" a familiar voice suddenly called from the shadows of Loseth's weyr. "N'vanik, it's Trae. I--oh." The young Weyrwoman halted in mid-step on the threshold separating the two weyrs, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Oh, shards...
Lost as he was in reading and his own thoughts, N'vanik was startled by her voice and turned quickly, jarring Talryne. "Trae . . ."
Talryne's head came up again, her eyes sleepy as they struggled to focus on the new person in the weyr. "Did I miss something?" she mumbled, sounding terribly confused.
"Trae came by for a surprise visit," N'vanik told her. Looking back up at the goldrider, he said, "This is Talryne."
Even knowing it was rude, Talryne couldn't manage more than an absent looking nod. Under the blankets, though, her fingers had tightened on N'vanik's leg as if she was terrified that he was going make her leave.
"Hello, Talryne," she gave the younger woman a small smile, but didn't take a step further into his weyr. Shards...she should have asked Nyith to bespeak Loseth first. This was the girl who'd lost her dragon... **I should leave them be.** Her eyes flickered to N'vanik's.
**Oh, shards.** He didn't know what to do. He didn't want Trae to leave, and he didn't want Talryne to leave either. N'vanik tightened his arm around Talryne's waist and bent his head toward her. "I'm not gonna kick you out,"
he said quietly. "But would it be okay if I talked to Trae for a little while? I won't leave the weyr. We'll just go out on the ledge."
Talryne's hand tightened on his leg again, almost hard enough to bruise. She let go almost as quickly, though, and pulled the blankets up more tightly around her. "I'm fine."
N'vanik got up slowly, settling her against the couch as he stood up. "I'll be back soon," he said, patting Talryne's shoulder awkwardly. Then he turned to Trae.
The young Weyrwoman kept her eyes trained on the ground as they walked out to the ledge. Nyith was crouched near Loseth, their noses almost touching as they basked in the evening sunlight. But she raised her head, however, as she picked up on her rider's unease.
"I'm sorry, N'vanik," Traelyn murmured, breaking the silence. "I should've asked Nyith to bespeak Loseth before coming over."
"It's okay. I'd like you to stay, but . . ." he shrugged. "She showed up at my weyr a few nights ago. Faranth knows why, but she keeps coming back."
She gave him a small, half-smile. "Maybe it's what she needs right now."
"But shards, why _me_?" N'vanik sighed, running a hand through his hair.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she shrugged a shoulder. He would probably know the reason better than she would. Then she looked up again, studying him. "How've you been doing?" she asked quietly, remembering the night he'd spent in her weyr, crying in her arms.
He shrugged, almost mirroring her movement. "Okay, I guess. Better than her." N'vanik fought an urge to check on Talryne. She would be okay alone for five minutes . . . wouldn't she?
Her jaw tightened a little in frustration. What had she been expecting?
Appreciation? Not really, but a knowing glance would have been enough right now. Scorch it--and scorch the sharding distance he'd just flung between them! The reasonable part of her mind cautioned her to not take it so sharding personal--he _did_ have Talryne in his weyr, after all... Traelyn let the silence stretch between them until she finally had enough control over her voice again. "I should probably go."
N'vanik was confused by her reaction. What had he said to make her angry?
Maybe she expected something after he'd bawled all over her. **Shards, I wish I hadn't done that.**
}:It was good for you, :{ Loseth said, his mental tone both firm and gentle.
The bronzerider sighed again. "Don't be like that, Trae."
"Like what?" She kept her tone purposefully bland.
"Don't get mad," he said. "I've had a lot on my mind, Trae. I'd like to get out of the Weyr and spend some time with you, but I can't leave Talryne alone, and I don't wanna dump her on someone else."
A soft footstep and the rustle of Talryne's quilt dragging on the floor announced her arrival. She looked pale and tired and completely defeated.
"It's alright, N'vanik... I'm going back to the infirmary now. I'm sorry."
**Scorching crackdust!** He turned from Trae to Talryne. "No, Talryne. I didn't mean it like that!" Loseth rumbled, catching his rider's distress.
Talryne's eyes drifted away from N'vanik and focused on the goldrider. "I'm sorry," she said again.
Traelyn shook her head, feeling wretched. **Shards.** "No, no. I was leaving..."
It seemed like the hardest thing Talryne had ever done to shake her head.
"You don't have to. I've been here for a long time already."
N'vanik gave Trae a glance that had a hint of panic in it. It would have been nice to leave, to get away somewhere and not think about any of this, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. N'vanik went to Talyrne and put his arms around her, the gesture feeling almost alien. "And you're going to stay as long as you want."
Feeling uneasy and very out of place as she watched them, Traelyn glanced at N'vanik one more time before backing towards her dragon, wanting very much to tell him something, but knowing this wasn't the time and place to.
Talryne needed him right now. "Take care."
N'vanik turned toward the goldrider, still holding Talryne. "You, too." His smile was slight, and uncertain.
Though she probably should have felt guilty, all Talryne felt was relief as she leaned into N'vanik, letting him support her. He wasn't going to make her leave, and she wasn't going to be alone. In the end, it was all she could bring herself to care about.
Last updated on the August 14th 2006
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