Everything Has Changed

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 8th January 2015

Characters: D'kere, Talwynn
Description: D'kere has difficulty accepting Talwynn's behavior after Riveth's mating flight.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Jodeth, P'nal

D'kere had never considered himself a jealous person. He was weyrbred,
and a member of the Weyrling staff, so he quite understood how mating
flights worked. Kenirath had flown after Riveth, but had come up short
to the popular Jodeth- who always seemed to know how to work his magic
when it came to winning flights. When Kenirath had lost D'kere had,
obviously, been disappointed but had accepted his fate and
good-naturedly ducked from the flight room.

Then the waiting had begun. Time had ticked slowly by and whenever
D'kere asked Kenirath about Talwynn the answer was always the same,
she was still in the flight room. What was taking so long?

**Oh, you know what is taking so long.** His mind would answer back,
which would send adrenaline coursing through his veins.

}:You are jealous?:{ Kenirath asked curiously.

**We have been spending an absurd amount of time together for the past
few months. _I_ have been the one exercising and training with her
because she wants to rejoin a fighting Wing some day. Who was it that
stayed with her and kept her warm and massaged her aching joints
during the black out? That was _me_. Who put up with her proddy,
hormonal attitude for the past fortnight? ME! I mean, I guess we never
said anything about being exclusive... I just assumed....** He let his
thoughts trail off down their dark pathway.

"That's what assuming gets me." D'kere muttered.

The bronzerider sat and sulked all the way up until time for the
evening meal. He and Talwynn usually ate together and then retired to
one of their weyrs, but tonight she was notably absent. D'kere tried
to tell himself that it didn't matter.

**You are a Weyrlingmaster, man, pull yourself together. You can't let
people see you upset over a _mating flight_. She doesn't belong to you
anyway. You have always been a second rate bronzerider and an
alternate choice from the beginning.**

}:You are not in a good place. Maybe you should just eat in your weyr
tonight.:{ Kenirath suggested. He hated when his rider began having
thoughts about inadequacy and not fitting in. It always, inevitably,
followed up with several days of isolation from other people.

D'kere sighed and ran his hand over his face. **You are right. I'll
just run by the cavern and pick up some food to bring back.** The man
pushed himself up from his chair and took off for the Dining Cavern.
By the time he arrived there he had almost convinced himself that he
was getting worked up over nothing... Until he saw Talwynn, sitting,
smiling and having evening meal with P'nal.

Jaw tightening, D'kere forced himself to calmly join others in line at
the service table. **So after one mating flight I'm chopped liver,
huh?** He thought darkly, fighting the urge to go over and make a
scene in front of everyone. What good would that serve other than to
point out his short comings in front of everyone? He told himself not
to look in their direction as he quickly grabbed some food.

Nothing on the table looked appetizing, and D'kere was sure it would
go to waste but he forced himself to grab some things nonetheless, and
then he left through the back entrance that led through the kitchens,
just to avoid the chance that he might have to see Talwynn and P'nal
again.

P'nal had been right that it was dinnertime. They hadn't missed
dessert, but it had been sufficiently late that there were slimmer
pickings. At least the food had been good and the conversation had not
been bad. She didn't have a lot in common with P'nal per se, but he
was serious and driven and the kind of person she certainly respected
as an authority figure. He was the kind of person she liked working
with when she was an active wingrider.

Now he was headed off to his duties, while Talwynn picked at the last
of her cookie, thinking about nothing in particular. With food in her
belly and klah in her system, she was starting to feel like normal.
The sensuousness and playfulness that had characterized the flight was
draining away, to be replaced by her normal, more serious demeanor. It
was overcast, which meant not much of a chance to practice her craft,
and no duties to distract her if she wanted to have the rest of the
night off. She stretched as she stood, wincing slightly. Back to her
weyr for a change of clothes, then maybe a nice hot soak.

Speaking of a bath - she wondered if D'kere was free or if he had the
night weyrling watch. **Riveth, could you ask?**

Her green was curled up next to her choice, rather than over by the
bronze with who she'd been spending time with. But she still complied
with the
request. She'd had her desire, her rider could do what she wanted.
}:Kenirath, is yours available?:{

}:Riveth's wishes to know if you are available.:{ Kenirath dutifully
relayed the message, even though he very clearly knew that his rider
was not in the mood for company- especially not _her_ company.

"Now she has time for me." D'kere growled, the food he had taken from
the cavern was sitting untouched on the table beside of his chair.
"No, I am not available." He could not imagine himself being available
for a long time to come.

}:He's busy,:{ Riveth relayed.

**Oh.** He must have weyrling duty, then, she decided. He hadn't
mentioned it earlier - but she hadn't been in a listening mood
earlier. The perils of living with a proddy dragon.

She started back towards her own weyr, but as she passed by D'kere's,
peered up just to see. It seemed like there was a light on, but he'd
said he was busy. She stood there for a moment, indecisive.

D'kere remained brooding in his weyr, still unable to determine why
things had taken place as they did. He clearly did not understand
Talwynn as well as he had thought. Perhaps there was nothing between
them, maybe she was just a greenrider who sometimes slept with him,
stayed at his weyr in the evenings, and used his bathing pool. **Maybe
she was always just using me.**

She decided she didn't want to bother him if he was working and headed
back to her own weyr, slowly climbing the steps. Her muscles protested
the overuse of the day's exertions and as she sat on the edge of her
bed, she thought that maybe she'd want to just stay here all night. It
would be warm and comfortable.

Talwynn resisted the temptation and pushed herself up. She wasn't
tired, since now was effectively just a bit after mid-day by her
schedule. She'd bathe and then go practice her craft somewhere where
the sky was better. She set out her travel gear so that she could just
go when she was done.

But fortune was not with her. She couldn't find a hand viewer and its
notebook. It wasn't on the shelf of gear. Where could she have left
it? And as she looked, she realized her smaller travel pack was
missing. When was the last time she'd taken it somewhere?

When she went fishing. Which meant it might be In D'kere's weyr. Which
meant it was unreachable, since he was busy. Unless...

}:Mine has left something in the weyr of yours,:{ Riveth told the
bronze, unsure of why her rider was feeling conflicted. }:Yours is
still busy?:{

D'kere ground his teeth together and considered leaving his weyr
altogether so that he would not have to be there when she came to
retrieve whatever it was that she wanted. **I will not be driven out
of my own weyr.** He decided though. Leaving his food untouched,
D'kere took his place behind his desk and pulled out some of the
Weyrling reports that he needed to do anyway. This way he at least
appeared busy and as if the day's events had not affected him at all.

}:She may come.:{ Kenirath told Riveth.

The green shifted in her position and considered the bronze's words.
}:Is your rider unhappy?:{

When Talwynn received the go-ahead from her green, she wrapped herself
in a robe and headed down the short steps towards his weyr. She would
just duck in and out and then escape somewhere else. Maybe Amber Hills
or Opal Cove would have clear skies...

He was indeed in his weyr, not on watch duty like she'd
half-suspected. So she had seen a light. She hesitated on the step
before waving with her bad hand when she came in. "Evening."

"Evening." He said without looking up. D'kere had never been good at
hiding his emotions and he knew they would show on his face if he
looked up. And honestly, D'kere did not want Talwynn thinking that he
was some petty, clingy, jealous man... Even if that was how he was
feeling at the moment.

"I just have to get my travel bag, I was thinking of heading to Opal
Cove." A little bit of babbling there as she entered and looked for
it. It was set in the corner where she'd left it. "I was going to ask
if you wanted to come along, but I suppose you have weyrling watch?"

D'kere stared at the words on the page before him, but he did not
really see them, "No, I don't."

**So now my company is desired since you're alone.** He thought
darkly, barely refraining from saying them aloud.

"Don't have watch or don't have time?" she asked as she stood up,
slinging the pack over her shoulder.

"I don't have watch." He clarified, setting the paper aside and
looking up at her for the first time.

"Ah. Well." Words escaped her and she tried to process what it all
meant - his drawn face, short words. He hadn't seemed like this
earlier, not even when she'd been so cranky.

In a tone that tried to be casual, but came out uncertain, "I'll see
you later, then?"

"Mmmhmm." D'kere made a non-commital noise as he turned back to the
paper work on his desk.

Talwynn turned and left, still puzzled by what was going on. The best
cure would be time outside, she figured. Work was always soothing.

Last updated on the January 27th 2015

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Everything Has Changed