The Courting Question
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 21st December 2016
Characters: Alina, J'ackt
Description: Alina remembers and regrets.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 4 of Turn 8
The sun was setting, casting a reddish glow over the Weyrbowl. Alina stood at the edge of Imarith's couch and looked out across the sweep of the valley, picking out the dragons she knew and silently naming them. The wind that sped up the mountain smelled like flowers and did its best to work tangles into her long hair, which she'd unbraided to let dry. Before coming back here she'd stopped for a brief wash at the bathing pools. Transport duty after drills had left her sweaty and eager to scrub the day from her skin.
Her gaze paused on a pair of burnished wings by the edge of the ocean. Zith. The sight of him made her stomach twist painfully. Despite herself she searched the beach, trying to spot his rider, but she couldn't see him. Maybe he was swimming, or more likely, too far to see.
:}You should go talk to him,:{ Imarith shifted behind her. The soft scrape of hide against rock was nearly indistinguishable from the wind.
Alina turned away from the edge. **I already told you. I don't think that's a good idea.**
}:You think about him all the time.:{
**That's my problem." Alina sank onto the hot stone next to her dragon and pulled her damp hair over her shoulder. She divided it into three and began to braid. **I screwed up, Imarith. I don't think I can go back from that.**
~*~
J'ackt's nerves jangled as he waited. He'd been listening to conversations, trying to get just the right approach for his question for Alina. He'd also been trying to pay attention more to the Holders who came to visit, though he kept his distance; the last thing he needed to happen at the moment was to get into another fight. He didn't fear the fight, but shards, Cyradis would scrape him raw if he caused anymore tensions between the Holds and the Weyr.
So, he stared at the small basket of breads, cheese and fruit and the small blanket. He felt a bit foolish as he picked up a few of the flower petals he had tried to scatter romantically. He had _tried_ but it looked...well...stupid. He was of half a mind just to forget the whole thing. He scratched at his head and looked down again.. Maybe he could get rid of them before she got here. *Nicer wine. Got that at least. And some cups.** He looked up. The Weyr ledge had a nice view of the sunset too. He glanced back down at the petals. Maybe she would like it...no, they looked silly and sappy. She wasn't the sappy type, surely. He hurriedly scooped the petals off of the blanket and stuck them in his pocket. That was better.
All he had asked Zith to do was relay the message to Imarith that he'd like to speak to Alina this evening and where. His bronze was amused at J'ackt's uncertainty, something that was not common for his rider; so, it was with relish that the bronze announced that Imarith was on her way.
Soon enough green wings appeared over the ledge and Imarith settled on the edge. Her rider stared a moment before unbuckling her straps and stepping down from Imarith's knee. **What's he doing?** She tucked the windblown strands of hair that had escaped her braid behind her ears as she slowly walked over to where J'ackt sat. On a blanket. On the ledge. The memory of waking up next to him was still strong enough that it made her stomach twist. "Hi."
His shoulders tensed as Imarith landed, but he looked up as Alina approached and his eyes searched her face. She was nervous as well, but most likely not for the same reason as he. He gestured to the blanket and an area across from him. "Have a seat?"
"Um." She glanced at the blanket. There was a single purple flower petal half-crushed beneath a bottle of wine-- a rather nice bottle too, if what she'd learned from Saidrene was correct. Alina lowered herself to the ground and tucked her legs beneath her. "What's this all about?" she said, gesturing to the blanket.
Zith immediately moved to stand near Imarith, rubbing his chin over the delicate green neck with a croon. He watched the interaction between the two riders with intent interest. }: This should be interesting.:{ He nudged Imarith lightly.
"Wanted to talk to you about something." He reached and poured the wine, exhaling slowly and wondering if she was likely to toss the wine in his face the moment she found out what he was going to suggest. He handed her the glass and poured his own, but didn't sip, just keeping the glass cupped in his hand. "Look, I know things are different in the Hold than here about..." he waved his other hand, "relationships. And I know you want certain things for yourself, right?" He paused for a long moment, debating with himself how to approach it. He decided to be direct. She appreciated directness. "I want to court you. The Hold way. I know I'm supposed to ask your father or something, but I can't for really obvious reasons."
Alina blinked stupidly. "What?"
"Court you." He repeated, a bit more slowly. He gestured to the glass he had given her.
Her blood ran cold, then hot. And then she laughed, the sound bubbling up nervously from the sudden pit in her belly. "What!?"
The laugh made him draw back in surprise, then his brow furrowed with immediate offense. "What's so funny about it?"
"It's just-- really!?" She gestured at the blanket with a hand that wobbled a bit. "All this? What sort of game is this?" Even as she said it, she knew that he wasn't playing. J'ackt didn't play games. And that was terrifying because it meant-- it couldn't mean anything. It _couldn't_.
His mouth parted slightly in shock, then abruptly closed as a flash of hurt, then anger flashed on his face. She was laughing at him. _Laughing_. His mouth compressed and Zith, always intently tuned into his rider's fractious emotions, began shifting from side to side, his head weaving in displeased response. J'ackt felt a white hot embarrassment as he rose abruptly, forcing the feeling back down to his stomach and letting himself grow stony. "Forget it." The words were short and clipped. "I knew this was a fecking stupid idea."
He looked at the glass still in his hand, snorted and dumped the wine out beside the blanket, splattering it on the cloth. "Just forget it." He tossed the glass off of the cliff, uncaring where it went or shattered, and then strode to Zith, his steps jarring. Zith immediately crouched, not saying a word to Imarith, as J'ackt climbed up to settled on his neck. J'ackt didn't even look at Alina as Zith leaped off of the ledge.
Alina watched him go, the laughter frozen on her lips and pride - or terror - keeping her pinned in place rather than calling him back. Explaining. Saying sorry. Saying -- 'yes, yes I want this.' Whatever this was, whatever it meant or didn't mean. Whether it was for an instant or forever. Because it was when he turned away that Alina had suddenly made up her mind.
Imarith crooned at her rider and nuzzled her gently as Alina buried her face in her hands. "Shards... what did I do?" Because she knew with certainty that this sort of chance wouldn't come around ever again.
Last updated on the January 31st 2017