After the Trial, A Break

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 16th October 2019

Characters: J'ackt, Alina
Description: Alina and J'ackt speak after Grevan's trial.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 25 of Turn 9
Notes: Takes place after "The Trial"

J'ackt

Alina

Alina expected to feel relieved after the trial was over, but the
whole thing had left her vibrating with pent-up emotion. She'd had to
sit up in the stands, silent, as J'ackt sat out in front of everyone
alone. It was the first time she'd laid eyes on Grevan, and then she
had to bite her tongue and sit on her hands as Jerinne lied and lied
and lied. It was a shame that she hadn't dumped that tunnelsnake
between when she'd had the chance.

**Get Zith to tell J'ackt that I'll meet him outside,** she told
Imarith. Likely the Weyrleaders and Harpers and everyone else would
want to talk to J'ackt now that it was over, and the sensible thing to
do would be to go back to their weyr to wait for him there. But she
couldn't. Alina paced the hall outside the cavern where the trial was
held, impatiently tugging the end of her braid as she tried to sort
out just what it all meant.

J'ackt emerged from the room, face set and body coiled as though
preparing for another attack. His walk was more of a stalk,
reminiscent of how he'd behaved shortly after his arrival at the Weyr,
it screamed of wariness, distrust, and barely concealed anger and
frustration that simmered just under the surface. It was only from
the effort of Zith that he had not reverted completely. He glanced at
Alina, and gestured shortly with his chin for her to walk with him.
He didn't say anything; his thoughts were elsewhere.

"So?" Alina fell into step beside him.

"The mines." His gaze flickered from side to side as he walked. "He'll
live as long as he works. " N'vanik had wanted more, had wanted the
man staked out for Thread, but had been outvoted by the other two.
Even so, he couldn't decide if the mines had been more merciful.

Her lips tightened in a scowl. "Better than he deserves. What do you think?"

J'ackt frowned. "I don't think that he'll live to ever come home. Not
what his mother wanted, but personally, I wanted him to be made
Holdless and dropped in the mountains somewhere. Then he'd be able to
understand what he hates so much."

"At least at the mines, he'll be guarded and won't be able to come
back." Alina was quiet a moment. "I can't believe Jerinne."

"I can." J'ackt's lips thinned. "You made an enemy of her, you know
that right? If she's allowed to stay at the Weyr..."

"She won't be. And even if she is allowed to stay, she's got more to
fear from us than we do from her." Despite her words, Alina
unconsciously rubbed her arms, feeling the ghost of the fist-sized
dark bruises that Jerinne had left her with when she'd taken her to
N'vanik. "She's absolutely vile, and now everyone knows it. With any
luck she'll follow Grevan to the mines."

"I'll keep an eye on my straps all the same. You keep an eye on yours
too, if she's allowed to stay." He exhaled. "I threatened her, Alina.
Faranth, I threatened to run her through if she didn't tell the
truth."

"It's just words. Unlike her, _you_ didn't go out of your way to make
any of it come true." Alina tucked her hand into the crook of J'ackt's
elbow. "N'vanik knows what a horrid person she is. I'd be utterly
shocked if he let her stay."

"I would have. I wanted to." He softly admitted. "Alina, I've killed a
person before." He exhaled. "Another holdless man. I'm more than
capable of it. I wanted to kill that guard and I would have if Sh'del
hadn't pulled me off. I had every intention of it." Admitting it was
hard, but he knew it was true. He was a killer, had killed, and felt
the urge to do so again. "I wanted to kill Grevan, maybe I should
have. But...I didn't." He rubbed his face with his hand. "It's not
just words, Alina. If N'vanik hadn't been there with me and Jerinne,
I might have."

"But you didn't," Alina said firmly. She tightened her grip on
J'ackt's arm. "And you're not going to-- to _kill_ anyone. Things have
changed now, even if you don't always feel it. You can't beat yourself
up over something that didn't happen."

He looked down at her and his eyes softened. "Sometimes I wonder what
you see in me. What anyone does. " Leaning over to kiss the top of
her head, he sighed. "We'll see what happens with Jerinne. Faranth,
I'm glad that there wasn't a child with her. " He shuddered at the
thought.

"Me too, although knowing her she'd probably just orphan it in the
creches." She shook her head. Weyrfolk were so odd. "But... it's over
now. We can get on with our lives and stupid Grevan can spend the rest
of his life shoveling firestone." She sniffed haughtily. "Good
riddance."

J'ackt fell silent as he walked with Alina, his brow furrowed deeply.
He kept a hand on hers, but his mind was obviously elsewhere as they
walked across the Bowl. "No, I don't think it will ever be over. " His
jaw set. "I'm going to start sparring again. I'm not going to be
caught unawares again."

Alina looked up, alarmed at his tone. "You really think that?"

"Yes." The word was short and abrupt. "I really think that. I'm out of
practice and it nearly got me killed. I'm not doing that again."

"I don't like this. I want this to be _over_," she said firmly.
"Maybe... I don't know. Maybe we could transfer. We could go
together."

"It'll follow. A Hold is a Hold, no matter where we're at or whatever
Weyr we're at. " The muscles in his jaw pulsed in time with his
heartbeat. "I just need to get ready. "

"A Hold is not-- fine." Alina huffed in irritation. J'ackt was clearly
in no mood to listen. "So how can I help."

That made him pause in his thoughts and his eyes finally focused on
her. "You?" Her frowned. "I don't know. " He admitted.

**You?!** She glared at him. "Well you'd better figure it out. Because
if we're together, then we're doing _this_ together too."

The only think his mother had done with his father was to get beaten,
protect him and cook; Alina didn't cook, he certainly wasn't going to
hit her, and there were no children to protect from him, thank
Faranth. "I'm going to start exercising and practicing with my sword
again. I haven't been. What I'll need from you is to not panic if I
come home bruised."

"Or maybe you could just be good enough to not get yourself beaten,"
Alina said tartly.

"Every sparring match deals with blows and counter strikes." J'ackt
replied briskly. "I can't dodge every single one, Alina."

"Maybe you could if you were better," she said teasingly. "You should try it."

He scowled at her. "Next time I spar with someone, why don't you watch?"

"Sure." Learning to fight had been one of her least favourite chores
as a Candidate, but at least watching wouldn't leave her covered in
bruises. She could summon up some interest, for his sake. "But not
tonight. Let's do something different tonight."

"No, not tonight. I need to find someone to spar with first. "
J'ackt tried to push his irritation and disquiet away. "What did you
have in mind?"

"Getting out of here. You, me, a picnic dinner somewhere nice..."
Alina glanced at her weyrmate slyly from the corner of her eye. The
day had worn on him, and she had an inkling of what might loosen him
up a bit. "Maybe up in the mountains somewhere, or a nice beach, or
maybe we could find an old orchard somewhere..."

Brows immediately shot upwards and there was an easing of tension
around his shoulders as interest in her proposal took its place. One
arm slid around her back, thumb stroking her side. "An orchard... in
the shade, hmm? That sounds... enjoyable."

Pleasurable goosebumps raced up her spine. "It's been a difficult day.
Might be nice to have a change of scenery."

"Come on, then. Let's get out of here. " He pressed his lips against
the crown of her head.

~*~

Last updated on the November 1st 2019

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After the Trial, A Break