More Important than Crafting

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 31st January 2009

Characters: F'gol, Jestyn
Description: Jestyn gives F'gol his congratulations and then the two argue.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 23 of Turn 4

F'gol had inched his way towards the stage. He knew it was almost time to perform his composition, but he was dreading it. He wanted his dragon's love, that love he had felt on the sands, but all he felt was sleeping contentment. He thought about going back to the barracks, to wake Tealth and get that love and comfort he desperately needed, but he didn't want to be such a coward. He'd deal, he wasn't a boy anymore, not now that he'd Impressed a fighting dragon, he was a man and he'd better start acting like it. He saw the familiar face of Jestyn and grabbed at it, a friend, that was what he needed right now. "Jestyn, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you." The fellow harper grinned. For a moment he seemed to think about offering his hand, but instead stuck his thumb awkwardly into his belt as he shifted from foot to foot. "I wanted to congratulate you...and watch you perform, of course."

"I didn't mean to Impress Tealth, I just wanted to see you and Sheste Impress." F'gol tried to explain. He hoped his friend wasn't mad at him for Impressing when he didn't.

"Yeah...okay." It was so awkward. Jestyn wasn't sure how to talk to his friend. After all that teasing about _him_, Figol goes and impresses a blue. What did that say? "Um...unfortunately neither of us impressed." He was disappointed. He had wanted to impress badly as did Sheste and she seemed to be taking it harder than he was.

F'gol could tell there was a wall between them, but he knew Jestyn wasn't trying to show it. So he _was_ mad, or hurt, but he didn't want to let that come between them. F'gol could appreciate that and was glad he had such a good friend. "Have you seen her? Is she coming?"

"She's around here, somewhere." Jestyn turned to look for her, but he could not spy the girl among the crowd. Maybe it was best. Jestyn wasn't so sure Sheste would want to talk to F'gol anyway. "Wandering about I guess. Maybe getting some food."

He frowned as he looked down at the floor. "I don't know if she's ever going to forgive me."

Jestyn frowned and shifted from foot to foot again. "I don't know. You were pretty harsh."

"I didn't mean to kiss her, and I didn't mean to hurt her. I care about her, I do." F'gol cried. "It all seems for naught now though doesn't it. I hurt her because I wanted to be the best harper I could be, but now I don't get to be any sort of harper at all!"

Jestyn shook his head. He could certainly understand F'gol's desire, but he questioned the way the other boy was trying to go about it. "And music should never come before people. I don't think you realise _how_ much you hurt her, F'gol." Anger welled up within him - anger that he had felt when Sheste had first told him about what had happened. "And frankly, I think you're stupid for pushing away people for the sake of your craft. Frankly, I'm glad you impressed. Maybe you'll grow up and realise that some things are more important than crafting."

F'gol had clamp down on his emotions, he felt his eyes stinging and he knew it wouldn't take much before the tears fell, and he _wasn't_ going to cry because of Jestyn. He'd done what was right, what he'd _had_ to do at the time. He'd wanted to be a harper and he wouldn't be held back by a girl. "Well it doesn't matter now, I'm not a crafter anymore. I'm a dragonrider and I won't have time for anything other than drills and fighting thread and dying. So I'm glad that you're glad that I'm doomed to a miserable future."

"Shaffit, F'gol, don't you get it? It's not a miserable future! You just think that the only thing that matters is music. Now you're basically saying that it matters even more than the dragon you impressed." The anger was welling up and Jestyn knew he couldn't stay there much longer or he'd probably deck the bluerider. "You didn't deserve to impress. You didn't deserve that dragon. Frankly, I think he made a mistake." Without even giving F'gol a chance to answer, Jestyn stormed off. Let the other boy wallow in his self pity - he wasn't going to play audience to it.

F'gol watched the boy go and almost ran after him, needed to explain himself, to make him understand, but he saw the jouneyman motion to him that it was almost time to perform. All he wanted to do was run back to the barracks, to wrap his arms around Tealth and wake him up and feel his love and devotion and understanding. But this was going to be his last chance to perform. The first and only time he was going to get to hear his own original composition performed in front of an eager audience. It was everything he'd ever wanted and he wasn't going to miss it. As he lifted his gitar from the case and sat down on the stage he couldn't hold it in any more. The tears started to fall and it blinded him. He didn't bother to wipe them away though as the first beats of the drum started, he didn't need to look at the sheet music in front of him, he knew the notes by heart because it was his music and because he was a harper, at least for tonight.

Last updated on the January 31st 2009

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