Graduation Day (2) : False Promises

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 12th December 2017

Characters: Kaiafel, Aileyan
Description: Aileyan comforts Kaiafel after his disappointment.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 14 of Turn 9
Notes: Follows "Graduation Day: He Had Promised"
Story 2 of a storyline

Kaiafel leaned his chin on the top of his hands as he watched a bronze
circle over the feeding pens. **He said he would come...** His Da
had promised him, come fog, fire or fall, he would be at his
graduation from Harper classes, but yet again, the bronzerider didn't
show. As he looked up at the bronze in the sky, his vision clouded
and he felt a familiar tightening in his chest. **I won't cry. I
will not cry. I'm not a baby...**

Aileyan was worried about Kaiafel. That U'kaiah hadn't showed up was
no surprise to her. They boy was as dear to her as her own son, so she
went to look for him. She wasn't surprised to find him at the feeding
pens.

"Kaiafel, are you alright?" she asked softly, not wanting to startle him.

Hearing a familiar voice of one of the special people who actually
managed to come made his bottom lip quiver. He didn't trust himself
to speak, so he just nodded, hoping that Aileyan wouldn't see that it
was a lie.

Aileyan had little boy herself, so she knew he wasn't being trutful.
She also knew not to approach the subject directly. She came to stand
next to him, leaning against the fence. "Do you know who's bronze that
is?" she nodded towards the hunting dragon.

Kaiafel was usually really good at recognizing the bronzes of the
Weyr. After all, they were the rarest of colors after gold, and their
riders all could be potential Weyrleaders one day. They were the most
famous of the riders in any Weyr. But he hadn't been paying close
attention. It wasn't Kalamath. That was all he knew and all he
cared. So he just shook his head.

"Okay," Aileyan just said and let the silence fall. She waited if he
wanted to open up on his own.

He looked at her sideways, knowing that she was waiting for him to say
something. Kaiafel sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. There was no way
she hadn't noticed he was upset. The only thing he could do was make
sure she believed he wasn't _that_ upset. "I'm sure it was something
really important," he finally whispered.

"I'm sure it was some weyr-shattering crisis," Aileyan said, carefully
keeping her voice neutral and non-judgemental. Whatever she thought of
him in private, she didn't want it to affect Kaiafel. She didn't want
to be accused of deliberately sabotaging the relationship between
father and son. He seemed to be doing it all by himself.

"Tavia's angry at him. I didn't mean for Tavia to get angry at him,"
he said, guilt mixing with his sadness to bring fresh tears.

"You didn't get Tavia angry, your father did that. Don't take the
blame for him," Aileyan said. She reached to place her hand over
Kaiafel's. "It's ugly when grown ups fight, but it's rarely the
child's fault."

"It's not his fault he's a Weyrleader," Kaiafel said, trying to defend
him even as it brought on a fresh wave of tears. He didn't want
Aileyan angry at him, too.

"Well, no one forced him to go there, but he did and that's that. We
can just live with the consquences," Aileyan said. Didn't it sound
grand? Too bad she was unable to follow her own advice.

Kaiafel nodded, not quite sure what the consequences were that she
spoke of. To him that word meant punishment. And maybe it did feel a
bit that way. "I just wish he was Dragonsfall's Weyrleader."

"Me too," Aileyan agreed and ruffled his hair.

Kaiafel turned and wrapped his arms around the greenrider and leaned
his head against her shoulder. "He'll come back. He promised," he
said, as much to convince himself as her.

Aileyan didn't say anything, because she couldn't figure out to say
anything to make it better or it would just sound hollow. She had
tears in her eyes when she hugged the boy. False promises, they both
had heard enough of them.

Last updated on the December 21st 2017

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Graduation Day (2) : False Promises