Taking and Giving

Writers: Devin, Eimi
Date Posted: 21st February 2007

Characters: Gilsha, N'vanik
Description: Gilsha and N'vanik's friendship comes to a cross-roads
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 19 of Turn 4

N'vanik

He'd just gotten to the part where the main characters kissed for the first time when someone kicked sand on the book as they passed. "Hey!"
N'vanik sat up and started brushing sand from the pages. "Watch it!" He looked up to see who was to blame and sighed. "Oh, it's you."

"Well," Gilsha grinned, planting her hands on her hips as she looked down on the bronzerider. "That's quite a greeting you have for me."

"You got sand in my book." He shook out a few more grains.

"Oh, I am so sorry," she said with a pentatent pout. "Here, let me help you clean it off." She bent down and made a great show of wiping the pages before grabbing the book out of his hands and making a run for it.

"Hey!" N'vanik scrambled to his feet and went after her. "Give it back!"

"Oh, but why? I might learn something new about you!" she grinned as she changed directions, sensing his closing in on her.

**Shell cracks! She's gonna see what it is!** "It's--it's not mine, I borrowed it!" He grabbed for her just as she turned, missing and giving her a few feet of lead. "Ashamed to claim it as your own, eh?" she laughed as she paused to read the title. The desire to run left her as thoroughly amused smile spread across her face. "Love Takes Wing? My my. You do have interesting reading habits, bronzerider."

N'vanik made a grab for it. "I ran out of stuff to read."

"Worked through the entire archive so soon?" she teased as she twisted the book out of his reach. "And just what kind of friend has been recommending such fine literature to you?"

"Just someone," he said. "I have to give it back when I'm done." He reached for it and missed again.

"Looking for ideas, are you?" she asked with a wicked gleam in her eye, twirling once more out of his way. That question was a little too much. His embarrassment rose and then started to turn to anger. "This isn't funny anymore, Gilsha! Give it back!"

"A bit touchy, aren't we?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Since when were your buttons so easily pushed?"

"Since always." He held out his hand. "Give it back."

"No, N'vanik, not since always," Gilsha frowned as she flipped through the book once more. She had an idea who might have recommended that book. He had been rather sensitive about a former greenrider before. Suddenly she didn't want to even look at the thing. Whether it was hers or not, it wasn't fun any more. "Take it."

N'vanik snatched the book back. "Well, now you've had your little laugh for the day."

"Yes, well, it seems I've suddenly lost my sense of humor. I'm sorry to have disturbed you." And there was nothing she wanted more than to get as far away as she possibly could from that reminder of a fate worse than death.

What had changed her mood so suddenly? N'vanik looked down at the book.
Something about the book itself, or had Gilsha made connections? "You shouldn't go around taking people's books," he grumbled. "It's rude."

"Even between friends?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I had always thought we were friends."

He snorted. "Friends? You must have a broad view of friendship."

"Perhaps that's my weakness," she shrugged as she brushed passed him. }:You should be friendlier,:{ Loseth commented.

**So you keep tellin' me.** "How about 'sometimes friendly acquaintances'?" N'vanik said.

"And the rest of the time?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. "Sorry, N'vanik, but that's just not good enough."

"It's all I got to offer right now," he said, somewhere between sad and angry.

"That is a pity. Then I'll save my time for someone with a little more to give." She didn't wait for him to reply. Someone with such a limited supply of friendship wasn't worth another moment of her time.

She had no idea how much he'd been giving, and if what little he had left to offer her wasn't enough, then N'vanik didn't have time for her, either.

Last updated on the February 24th 2007

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Taking and Giving