Once a Devious Drudge...

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 18th March 2019

Characters: Ranni, R'nar
Description: Ranni finally decides to approach R'nar about what transpired in the closet during Panitath's flight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 28 of Turn 9
Notes: .... Always a devious drudge ;)

Ranni

Dark eyes watched R'nar's every movement as he unloaded Iorath's chest strap, which was loaded with the crates that he was transporting from the vintners to the lower caverns at Dolphin Cove. Ranni had been thinking since her last encounter with the bronzerider. It had piqued her curiosity that the man had never sought her out after their "encounter" in the storage closet during the gold flight. She wasn't sure if that showed his guilt, or that he had no ill intentions toward her. After all, if he was out "to get her," as her mind often said he was, then wouldn't he have approached her again already?

An entire sevenday had almost gone by and yet she hadn't seen him again. Each day she had gone about her Candidate chores expecting to see him whenever she turned around, but he'd kept his distance. **What if he tells his mother how you threw yourself at him like some wanton slut? She won't want a Candidate like that standing to Impress one of her eggs,** another voice in her brain insisted.

The old fear of rank was creeping back. He was a bronzerider, and she was a Candidate, she didn't even have Weyr bloodlines to fall back on. If he told the wrong story to his mother, the _Weyrwoman_, then she could be in serious trouble, and she would do anything, _anything_, to stay at Dolphin Cove. Even if it meant apologizing. Her lip curled a little.

**Just go do it, it won't be the worst thing you've done in your life,** she reasoned with herself. Growling a little, Ranni forced one foot in front of the other until she was standing near enough to touch the bronzerider.

"Ehem," she cleared her throat to get his attention.

R'nar whirled around and flinched. "Sweet jumping dragonets! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Ranni took a step back. "Oh, I didn't mean to-"

"Geez," he dragged in a breath, putting a hand against Iorath for support.

}:You didn't see her coming?:{ Iorath teased.

**No, and thanks for the warning!**

"Phew, I'm sorry, you just... startled me." R'nar looked her over now that the initial shock was fading.

"Oh, well," Ranni clenched her hands together behind her back. Apologizing didn't come easy to her. "I just," she puffed out an exhale, "wanted to apologize for what happened the other day."

R'nar blinked, certain that he'd misheard her. "You want to apologize?"

Her eyes narrowed. "That's what I said."

He held up both hands. "I'm just surprised, is all. What do you have to apologize for?" R'nar was confident that he was the one who owed her an apology, he just hadn't figured out the best way to approach her about it and had been deliberating all sevenday.

Ranni licked her lips. **Just say the words,** she told herself. "I acted inappropriately."

R'nar's eyebrows were still lifted. "You did?"

Was he really going to make her spell it out for him? "Yes, I shouldn't have kissed you. I understand now that had I not then I would not have gotten myself into the situation. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about what happened." Ranni whirled to leave.

"Hey, wait," he reached out and took her arm, which she immediately jerked out of his grip. "You got to have your say, the least you could do is hear me out."

Ranni's body was tensed to flee again, but when she looked around she realized that they were out in the public eye of the weyrbowl. Surely there was nothing he could do to her out there in front of everyone... Was there?

"Go on then," she lifted her chin, prepared for him to place the blame on her.

"I also wanted to apologize. I am a dragonrider and I am supposed to be better aware of flights and my own dragon's participation in them. I should have left the Weyr with Iorath when Panitath first made for the feeding pens. I want you to know that I really didn't have any ulterior motives in coming to see you that day."

"So.. you didn't tell your mother?" Ranni asked.

R'nar cocked an eyebrow. "Why would I tell my mother?"

Ranni shrugged, not certain how to explain it to him.

The bronzerider's eyes narrowed. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No!" The Candidate's eyes grew large.

"Then I guess the only person that knows besides me and you is the Headwoman, and she assured me that she wasn't going to say anything."

Ranni felt a trickle of relief race down her spine.

"Do you think it would be possible for you and I to talk some time without something insane happening or you getting mad at me?" R'nar asked, the hint of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

There was a reflexive, defensive wall that came up as soon as he asked, but there was also that niggling voice... **You need an ally at the Weyr. Should someone ever come looking for you from Sunstone.... A bronzerider could make you safe.** Especially if she failed to Impress....

What were the odds that she would get another bronzerider to even look twice at her? She should probably be counting her fortunes, she thought. Here was one, clearly interested, all she had to take was take advantage of that interest.

"What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"You been up to the Star Stones, yet?"

Ranni shook her head, she knew what Star Stones were, of course, but had hardly given them a second thought.

"Well, how about Iorath and I take you up there, and then, if you want to after that, we'll take you to our favorite spot on the beach. Do you swim?" he asked.

"I can swim," she said, unable to keep the defensive tone out of her voice, as if he had insinuated that she might not be able to because she was a drudge.

R'nar could sense the chip on Ranni's shoulder, but he kind of like that. She didn't care that he was a bronzerider or the Weyrwoman's son, he thought, she would tell him what she thought or give him a shove if she felt the need to... he liked that.

"Then bring something to swim in. Are you free tomorrow around midday?" he asked.

Ranni went through her schedule in her mind. "Yes, I should be free. I'll have to be back that evening for chores, though."

R'nar put a hand to his heart. "Iorath and I will have you back in time. I promise."

"Okay," she said, even though she felt that she was making a horrible decision. She didn't like the warmth in the bronzerider's eyes, or the kindness behind his smile. Didn't he know that nice guys always ended up hurt in the end?

Last updated on the March 23rd 2019

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Once a Devious Drudge...