No Certainty

Writers: Devin, Ames
Date Posted: 21st February 2011

Characters: Talryne, Kenza, N'vanik
Description: Kenza comes by to check on N'vanik
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 8 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentions: Traelyn

Talryne

N'vanik

Solith bugled her arrival to the watch dragon as she burst forth above
Dolphin Cove.

**Where is he?** She asked her green. }:Loseth and his are in their weyr:{

**Take me there.** she ordered Solith. }:Already on our way:{

In a quick circling motion, Solith brought her rider to the lip of
N'vanik's weyr. Sliding from her back, she sent the green off to take
in the sun and spend time with the others while she found N'vanik.

"N'vanik!" Kenza called as she hurried into his weyr. She was
concerned for her friend and had gotten here as quickly as possible
after she'd heard the news about Traelyn.

}:Solith's is here.:{ Loseth's voice sounded a little less weary than
it had been.

N'vanik turned to face the ledge entrance, but didn't get up from the
couch. "Hey Kenza." He didn't have to guess why she was here.

"Should I go?" Talryne asked. She'd refused to leave him alone in the
weyr, and it was the only reason he hadn't drowned himself in alcohol.

"No," he told her.

"Talryne," Kenza nodded towards N'vanik's weyrmate as she entered.
"N'vanik," she looked towards her friend. "I'd have come sooner but
this was the first time I could get away. Shards, but this is not how
I wanted to visit!" Kenza, though giving off a bit of a selfish,
frustrated air, was truly just pretending for N'vanik's sake. She was
concerned about her friend, but she knew she couldn't come right out
and ask him if he was okay. Shards, but no one would be okay after
what happened.

"Yeah, not exactly a happy occasion." He felt raw, and almost
everything seemed to rub him the wrong way. He kept swinging between a
pain of loss that was almost mourning and helpless anger. "You want
something to drink?"

Tal elbowed him.

"Ow. What, you think I could even _try_ to get drunk with you two
watching me? We can all have a drink. _One_ drink."

"Well, shards, I'm not sure one drink is enough for me, but I'll
behave for now!" Kenza replied, with a hint of humor and a hint of
seriousness about her. She knew drinking ones despairs away only left
them for another day, but sometimes it helped.

She settled into one of the chairs with a sigh. "So, you planning to
let the Weyr crumble around you because of this, N'vanik?" Kenza's
words weren't easy and light, and she knew Talryne probably wouldn't
appreciate them the way N'vanik would, but she was _not_ about to let
her dear friend off the hook too easily. Kenza guessed the N'vanik was
probably considering stepping aside and letting others step forward
after these nearly devastating events. "I'm sure those young rutting
bronzes out there would love to watch you step aside. Then they could
trip over their own foolish wings and only hope to fill the shoes you
leave behind."

"Maybe they could. Maybe they could do a better job." N'vanik got up
before he could get another elbow to the ribs and went to the liquor
cabinet.

"He's trying to blame himself for this," Talryne told Kenza. "You know
how he gets."

She looked to Talryne and nodded, then rose and followed him to the
liqour cabinet. Grabbing for the bottle before he could, Kenza said,
"Give me that." She poured two glasses and set the bottle aside.
"Drink it, and then get your act together, N'vanik," Kenza muttered to
him as she lifted her own glass and gulped it down in one swallow.
"None of those little ankle-biters are fit to lead Dolphin Cove and
you know it. _You_ didn't cause this. Don't go giving up so easily."
Kenza knew exactly how tempting giving up could be. If it hadn't been
for the mix of tough love and understanding her friends had given her,
she might not be standing here this very moment.

N'vanik poured a glass for Talryne. That was the deal they'd made. If
he drank, then she would drink too. "But it's not really up to me, is
it? When the next gold rises, the dragons choose."

Kenza sighed, knowing what he said was true. Turning back around she
gave Talryne a look that told of her own uncertainty. Kenza didn't
know _how_ to help N'vanik now. She wanted to be here and support him,
but that was just a body in the room. She'd be here to do whatever she
could, even though she had not idea what that could be. Tipping the
bottle she filled her glass again. "Go give Talryne her drink," Kenza
stated, nudging N'vanik to move, for she didn't honestly know what
else to do.

N'vanik handed Talryne her glass and sat down next to her. He took a
long drink and felt the familiar burn down his throat. "Sometimes I
wonder if Nyith chose Loseth because she knew him. I'm not saying
that's the only reason, but it might have tipped the scales. I won't
have that this time."

Kenza followed N'vanik and took her seat again. "Whatever Nyith's
reasons were, you and Loseth have led Dolphin Cove well. You must know
that and believe that with your whole heart. You definitely will not
win the next Flight if you don't have your heart and mind in the right
place."

"Kinda hard to have it in the right place after this." He looked down
at his glass. Talryne leaned against him, lending silent comfort.

Kenza frowned, knowing his words were true. She had not other words of
support to offer as she finished off her drink in silence.

Last updated on the January 28th 2012

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No Certainty