The Fire Inside

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 23rd August 2019

Characters: Kaiafel, Aileyan, J'nev, Ravyan
Description: Aileyan's hurt gets the better of her...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 20 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentions: U'kaiah
Backdated with many, many apologizes!

Kaiafel set the cup of water, nearly full, onto the plate in the
middle of the table. "Ok, Ravyan, where's that bag of marbles Da gave
you for Turns End? You know, the ones made out of the stones from his
Weyr's territory."

"Either in my toy chest or at the fostermom's," Ravyan replied and
rushed to examine the mentioned chest. He did found them, after
spreading all the other toys around. "Gothcha! Whatsa need them for?"

"We're going to put the marbles into the water, and you'll see
something amazing happen. Da showed me this. So now watch." Kaiafel
picked out a small rounded marble and plopped it into the cup. "See
how the water rose up a little bit? Now you try."

"Okay," Ravyan said and dumped whole handful of marbles into the
water. That of course made the water splash out of the dish.

"Oh shells," Kaiafel said as he covered his face with his hand. That
was certainly not the way he had planned the trick to go. "I meant
try one marble, Ravyan," he said with a patient sigh. "I'll go get a
towel to clean up the mess. Try to get the marbles out without
spilling too much more, ok?"

"Sorry," Ravyan said with unrepentant tone. He thought it was pretty funny.

"Just try not to make too much more of a mess," Kaiafel said as he
ducked into the alcove where he knew Aileyan kept her towels.

"Just wait until we get inside," Aileyan said and gently pushed J'nev
away. "I'll catch a cold if you start underdress me here!"

"Fine," he mock growled, reaching for the handle as he trapped the
greenrider between the door and his body. "But as soon as we get
inside it is coming all off. I might even use my teeth." The
bronzerider slipped a hand behind her back to steady her as he gently
pushed her back into the weyr, his lips hungrily seeking the skin of
her neck.

Aileyan giggled and wrapped her arms around him for support when she
felt like she was falling into her weyr.
The cheerful. "Hi, mom!", made her froze. He was not supposed to be here yet.

J'nev felt her body stiffen, and he looked over her shoulder to see
where the sound had come from. He had thought she said they would be
alone.

"He's not supposed to be here," Aileyan said to J'nev in a state of
near panic, guilt and embarrassement.
"Ravyan! What are you doing here? I expected you to be with your fostermother."

Kaiafel stepped out of the alcove, towel in hand. "I was trying to
show him the trick Da taught me about water tension. We needed his
marbles, so..." He looked between Aileyan and the bronzerider and
then lowered his eyes to the towel in his hand.

"Kaiafel?" she squaked and was hit with full panic mode.

"You better leave," she told J'nev and pretty much pushed him out of the weyr.

"Oh ok... How about later?" he asked as the door closed between them.

Kaiafel watched the scene in silence, shifting his weight
uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He wondered if they were in
trouble now.

She closed the door without answering him. Well, she could always send
a message (and an apology) via their dragons, later. She turned around
to face the boys. Feeling guilt and embarrassement, she covered it up
with anger. "Does your fostermother know you're here? And look at the
mess you've made!"

"I was just getting a towel to clean it up," Kaiafel said, his brow knitting.

Shards, he looked so much like his father. It didn't make her feel any better.

Kaiafel didn't make eye contact with the greenrider as he walked past
her to start wiping the table. A lot of people had been talking about Aileyan and
J'nev lately. He wondered just how much Aileyan knew about the
bronzerider. "Do you know J'nev says mean things about my Da?"

Aileyan just grunted. Yes, she knew that. She looked at Ravyan and
pointed towards the toys spewn around. With resigned sigh the boy wen
to pick up his toys.

Her response made him feel like she didn't take him seriously. "I'm
not lying. He never liked him. He _still_ tells people how much he
hates him, and my Da didn't do anything to him!"

"Your father is not here to correct him, is he?" Aileyan felt her
temper rising. She was usually very controlled. But it was the fire
inside her that had attracted men like U'kaiah and probably J'nev too.
"I'm aware the two of them never liked each other, and frankly, I
don't care. It's their problem." Her voice was rising to angry
levels.

Kaiafel couldn't understand why she didn't seem to care! "But if you
love someone and they're not around to defend themselves, you should
stand up for them. My Da would stand up for you!"

"Would he?" Aileyan snarled. "He sure couldn't wait to push me aside
so he could become a Weyrleader."

"That's not what happened," Kaiafel protested. She of all people
should know that he never wanted to be Weyrleader anywhere but at
Dragonfalls. "The dragons chose him. It's not his fault! He's
coming home as soon as he can!"

"They won't choose him if he's not there. I'm sure Hygalia is taking
good care of him," Aileyan said bitterly. She was normally more
cautious with her words around Kaiafel, not liking to show how bitter
and angry she really was.

Kaiafel didn't like the way Aileyan was taking. "Shards, you're
starting to sound like J'nev!"

"Maybe he has a point," Aileyan retorted.

He had heard enough. She wouldn't defend U'kaiah, but his son sure as
Thread fell would! "My father is a great man! Maybe the only reason
he's Weyrleader there instead of here is because he's too good for
this place, and too good for riders like you and J'nev!"

Aileyan was stunned and momentarily speechless.

Ravyan was looking from her to Kaiafel and back. He didn' t really
understand what was going on. Just that they acted strange and angry.
His lips started to tremple.

"If he really thinks that then it's better he stays away!" Aileyan
yelled, angry and hurt.

Kaiafel's eyes filled with angry tears. "He doesn't think so! _I_ think
so!" He threw down the towel and hurried past her to the door. If he
stayed in that room one more minute, he would lose it, and he just
could not bare that shame on top of her betrayal.

Aileyan knew she should say something, stop him, apologize, tell him
she didn't really mean it. But she was too proud, too hurt and too
angry. And then Ravyan started to cry because their yelling scared
him.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2019

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The Fire Inside