Awake At Last

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 26th June 2014
Series: The Price of Power

Characters: Coran, Arippa, Reven
Description: Reven finally wakes up
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 1 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: I'lan

Arippa

Reven

The darkness. He hated the darkness. Blood, he could smell it. It was
his own he was sure. Voices leapt at him, strange and unfamiliar, but
beneath them in a strong undercurrent he could hear the voices of
Smokey and Ehvan, and the Hooded Man.

"Did you think you could escape?" The gravelly voice hissed in his
ear. "We will take more than a pinky this time!" It promised.

His hand throbbed and he moaned. Not more fingers. Faranth, sweat
broke out on his brow, what if they took something else? Fingers he
could live without but hands, feet... A smothering sensation
overwhelmed him causing his heart to thunder in his ears. His head
felt like it would explode.

When Reven was sure he couldn't bear it any more he gasped, his body
jerking violently awake as cool, night air washed over him. The
darkness was gone, he could faintly make out a stone ceiling above
him, dimly illuminated by a half-shuttered basket of glows.

**Where am I?** His breath came in soft huffs as he racked his brain.
Trying to dredge up memories was like wading through waist-high
quicksand. As close as he came to them he always seemed to mire back
up in the whoolly sensation that permeated his mind.

She felt more than heard him jerk. Arippa had been curled up in a
chair next to his bed and unwilling to leave though several people had
come in to try and get her to one of the guest quarters for a nap.

"Reven," she said hoarsely and cleared her throat as she stood up to
bend over him. "Are you awake?"

Reven blinked, his eyes stood looking up at the stone ceiling. The
whispered voice was agonizingly familiar. Yet the last time he had
woken the voice had belonged to some young woman who had given him
fellis. As the person near his bed bent over, it took his eyes a
moment to adjust in the dim lighting.

"A-Arippa?" He whispered back, afraid that in a moment his vision
would clear and it would be someone else.

"Reven," she said, "It's me, you're at the healers and you're safe
love." She reached over and rang the bell the healer had given her in
case he woke up.

The sound of the bell made him flinch, and then another familiar face
swam into view, a face that closely resembled his own, "Coran?" How
had he gotten there?

"Hello to you too." Coran had always known the possibility would be
there- having to look down at his brother in an infirmary cot- since
he was a healer, but there was still something striking about seeing
his big, invincible brother, looking so small and weak.

"Where?" Reven questioned.

"At the Weyr. Do you remember?" Coran watched the fluttering of his
brother's eyes as the orbs grew a bit more focused.

"Vaguely." The Green Valley holder reached up and grasped at hair that
was no longer there, having been shorn short. "Well, shit." He
mumbled, earning him a smile from his younger brother.

"Yes, they cut it before Arippa and I got here. Luckily for you it's
just hair and will grow back."

Reven held up his bandaged hand, "Unlike fingers."

"Hm, yes, unlike fingers." Coran agreed, glad that Reven was at least
at some sort of resolution about that.

The holder's attention went back to the woman on his right, "How did
you get here?"

"Jeyme recognized you. Do you remember her?" She smiled. "The
Weyrwoman sent a bronzrider to bring us to you." It was a great honor
indeed for a bronze to be sent to transport a hold or hall resident
for any reason.

Reven thought about the name for a moment, "Your friend from Emerald
Falls?" He remembered seeing a few correspondences between Arippa and
a woman named Jeyme.

"Yes, thats right." Arippa threw a subtle smile at Coran. She'd
thought long and hard on the memory test the healers wanted her to try
and so far it looked like he had his memory. "She's a dragonrider now
and she was here when you came in."

"I don't really remember coming here." Reven said, his brow furrowing
as he tried to recall where he had been before waking up in the
infirmary.

"Don't strain yourself with trying to remember all of the nitty gritty
details right now. You have been through a traumatic experience. The
mind purposefully blocks out some memories. They'll come back to you
though, over time." Coran assured Reven.

The Green Valley holder wasn't sure if he wanted to remember fully.
With his good hand, Reven rubbed his forehead, "When can I go home?"

"You caught infection in that hand and ran a fever for days. I am sure
they will want to keep you a bit longer to ensure a safe trip
/between/." Coran was relieved by how normal Reven seemed, he hadn't
known what to expect.

"Soon I hope," she said about the same time as Coran. Then she leaned
over and kissed his cheek and whispered. "Sweetheart, we're having a baby."

Reven blinked, stunned by the news. Coran murmured softly about
needing to check on something before excusing himself to give the two
some privacy but Reven didn't even notice. He stared up at Arippa's
face. A baby. Their baby. An heir. It was everything that a holder
should dream of, at least, it was everything that he had dreamed of
until he had been taken.

What would he teach a child? Just the thought of finishing his
conversation and having the glows turned out was enough to leave him
feeling panicked and anxious. A nearly man nearly thirty afraid of the
dark.

Could he protect a child when he hadn't even been able to protect himself?

"Have you told anyone else?" He asked finally.

"No," she smiled and kissed him.

"Good," Reven whispered in relief. There was still a Hooded Man out
there, and Reven had no doubt that he would be hearing from the
mysterious figure. If it was common knowledge that Arippa was pregnant
then it would put an even larger target on her.

"But I've had morning sickness so I think Coran suspects." She held on
to his good hand. "We'll get you well enough to travel and then get
you home. Lord Corowal has provided us with additional guards for when
you return."

Additional guards, that was good, Reven decided. He wanted to be home,
in his own room, with no one to bother him. Despite spending the past
month fighting to get back to Arippa and his family, now that he was
with them, he just felt the need to be alone. There was no way any of
them could understand a moment of what he had experienced.

Last updated on the June 30th 2014

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Awake At Last