Happy Soon Enough

Writers: Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 14th December 2006

Characters: Talrian, Lyela
Description: Talrian and Lyela share a late night cup of tea and talk about some of their worries.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 4

Talrian arrived back from Dragonsfall late in the evening, but found himself too restless to return to the small rooms he shared with his younger daughter. Thoughts of his elder daughter and the dull look in her eyes haunted him, making it impossible to consider sleep. The strange undercurrents he'd observed between Talryne and N'vanik also bore consideration... they certainly didn't _act_ like lovers, but there was something unusual going on that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Instead of seeking his rooms, he made his way to the hearth in the dining room, pouring himself a mug of hot water from the small pot that was kept over the fire for just such occasions. The selection of tea left next to the hearth left much to be desired, but he managed to find something that smelled decent enough, and carried his mug to one of the corner tables.

"Talrian?" One of the shadows in the corner moved, and Lyela's green eyes peered up at him, her own hands curled around a steaming mug of the same tea he had.

"Hello, Lyela." Talrian altered his path enough to take the seat across from her. "What are you doing up so late?"

She gave him a half-smile. "I'm...feeling a little restless tonight. I thought maybe a hot drink would help."

"I know the feeling," he replied with a smile. "I need a little while to shake off the cold of /between/ as well. A dragonrider was kind enough to bring me to see my daughter today."

"Talryne? How is she doing?" she asked softly, carefully, trying to gauge his expression. The hushed rumors that had been spreading throughout the Hall like a wildfire made her wonder, and if they were true, she hoped to Faranth that Talryne was recovering.

Talrian was quiet for a while, staring down at his tea. Then he shrugged.
"I'm honestly not sure. There are things about the Weyr that I don't understand."

She looked down into her mug. "It is a place so very different from the Hall."

He took a sip of his tea before looking up at her. "She lost her dragon."

"Oh...oh, Talrian." Her brows were drawn in concern as she met his eyes.
"That is devastating..."

"I wish I _understood_," he said suddenly, his voice intense. "Everyone tells me that it's amazing she's alive. And I know that it's true, but I don't know why. And sometimes I wonder if she's really even alive at all."

"Why?" she asked softly.

"Have you ever seen a dragonrider who's lost their dragon?" Talrian asked quietly. His eyes looked terrified as he stared back down at his hands.
"It's... Shards, I can't describe it. She doesn't even look like my daughter anymore."

"Oh, Talrian..." Lyela didn't know what she could say. She could hardly fathom what he must be going through...but she did know he was in pain.
Pain she knew--and understood--very well. Her fingers reached out to brush against his before she could think twice about her actions, which could very well be considered bold. But that didn't matter right now.
All that mattered was that he was in obvious distress, and she wanted to ease it somehow.

His fingers wrapped around hers, tightening for a moment as if desperate for comfort. But the frailness of her hands made him loosen his fingers, remembering too late that Lyela was a young woman who already had burdens of her own. Talrian lifted his eyes to her face, remembering how she'd looked when her grandfather had first brought her to the Hall. Terrified and trembling, bruised in body as well as spirit.

He cleared his throat and tried to smile. "I'm sorry. I suppose things won't look so bad in the morning, but it's been a long night."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. You needed to...to talk. I'm glad I could be here to listen." And she realized she really did mean that.

"Well, why don't you let me listen now?" Talrian asked, slipping his hand away from hers. "How is your arm recovering?"

"It's doing better." Lyela looked down at it, more to conceal her sudden flush than to actually study it. "It's still a little weaker than my right, but that's to be expected, isn't it?"

"For a little while," Talrian replied with a nod. He took a sip of his tea and smiled at her. "If it doesn't feel better in a sevenday or two, though, please let me know. We've all been under a lot of stress, and it doesn't help the healing."

Nodding, she looked up at him. "Things... Things will get better, right, Talrian?" she asked quietly, suddenly needing to feel reassured that eventually the stress _would_ fade away...that the bad times would be gone and be replaced with better ones. It happened a lot since Tyrome had brought her here to live with him--that aching need for reassurance. It was like she was a young child again...as young as her daughter, even.

"Of course they will." Talrian smiled and reached out to pat her hand again, trying to remind himself that Lyela wasn't so much older than Talryne. Another reason he shouldn't be laying any more burdens on her. "Just look at how beautiful the new Hall is. The cots out back even have electricity!"

A small smile eased across her lips and she looked down, letting his reassuring smile and words wash over her--through her. "It really is incredible, isn't it?"

"It really is. It may not seem like home, yet. But I've got a feeling we may all be happy here soon enough." And maybe he'd be able to coax Talryne into returning here with him before too long. Living here with his two daughters would make him the closest thing to happy that he'd been since his wife had died.

Last updated on the December 16th 2006

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Happy Soon Enough