Priorities Are Important

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 14th January 2020

Characters: Alina, J'ackt
Description: Alina makes sure J'ackt's priorities are in order
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 5 of Turn 10

Alina

J'ackt

The bucket of dragon oil and rags bumped comfortably against Alina's
leg as she walked back toward the Weyr from the Weyrlake. Imarith,
after being bathed and oiled, had decided to stay by the lake to sun
herself on the hot rocks, leaving her rider to walk back in the
gathering dusk. It was a nice enough evening for a walk. The air was
warm and the sky just beginning to tinge pink as the sun slipped
toward the horizon, and there were always flowers blooming along the
paths. Being skyborne so often made the flowers feel like an
unexpected treat. She paused to pick a blousy red flower and tuck it
behind her ear as she walked.

Shouts and the clack of wood made her pause, then Alina turned from
her path toward the sound. J'ackt would be practicing, and if she was
lucky she'd be able to sit for a bit and watch. They could walk back
to the Weyr together for dinner. She hesitated as she neared the
clearing where the guards and dragonriders practiced, standing on
tiptoes to see if she could see her weyrmate.

Around the ring where J'ackt practiced, the usual throng of
greenriders, candidates, and a fair few blueriders watched. J'ackt
ignored them and ignored the giggles of young men and women. He'd
gotten used to them, accepting them as no more than scenery. Bare
chested, he wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow, resting lightly
against a post as the old guardsman approached. He bent to whisper in
J'ackt's ear and a blonde brow quirked upwards before nodding.

The older man, Cabrick, had been a guard at Topaz Sea Hold before
moving to retire at the Weyr, and had proven to be both trustworthy
and nonjudgmental of J'ackt; instead of a adversarial relationship
developing, J'ackt had found that the man was a good swordsman and
instructor, teaching J'ackt a few tricks of the trade that experience
had taught him. Still spry, Cabrick had spurned retirement in favor of
teaching the young folk of the Weyr swordsmanship, often calling on
J'ackt to assist with some of the advanced students.

It was one of the advanced students that stood across the ring, a
newly arrived young man from the Emerald Falls area who was close to
J'ackt in age and had been chosen in Search for Dessa's clutch.
Ufrades had been training as a guard since he was twelve, patrolled
the cotholds, had very little actual experience excepting breaking up
tavern brawls, and had proven to be arrogant about his skills; Cabrick
had decided to use J'ackt and his reputation as a lesson.

After Cabrick stepped back, J'ackt picked up the practice sword in his
left hand, pulling his right back across his back behind him in a
variation of a traditional stance. Settling his weight lightly, he
waited until Cabrick announced the start of the sparring match.

Alina settled herself on the wooden bleachers just in time, not
fancying elbowing through the small crowd gathered around the ring to
watch. She narrowed her eyes as she twisted the ring J'ackt had given
her around her finger, looking between J'ackt and his challenger. The
other man looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place him. She
quickly turned her attention back to her weyrmate. **Why is J'ackt
holding his sword in his left hand?**

Cabrick dropped his hand and Ufrades charged forward immediately,
lunging at J'ackt with an intensity born of wanting to both show off
for the assembled women and to Cabrick. J'ackt far less practiced with
his left, parried a lunge and a blow, puposefully stepping back and
allowing Ufrades to take push him back. The crowd began to murmur in
surprise as J'ackt dodged one blow, then another, only occasionally
striking back.

Ufrades began to grin as J'ackt went on the defensive and Cabrick
circled the pair. J'ackt waited, letting Ufrades get more confident
as he seemed to be barely deflecting the blows. It was true that his
left side was weaker, both by the injury from Grevan and the more
intensive training given to his right, but J'ackt's eyes never showed
concern. Instead, he allowed himself to be backed up close to the
railing, working to force Ufrades' sword high by seeming to swipe
clumsily at his chest and shoulders.

When Ufrades lifted his sword to give a powerful overhand blow, J'ackt
waited until he was just enough off balance to give a kick to the
other man's midsection. He checked it just enough to send Ufrades
staggering back, brought out his right hand from behind his back and
flipped the practice sword into it.

**There!** Alina sat back with a smirk. J'ackt had been toying with
his opponent all along! Her attention wavered momentarily as one of
the young women pressed against the fence blew J'ackt a kiss, but she
twisted her ring around her finger to reassure herself. She pulled her
attention from the other woman and fixed it back where it belonged--
on her weyrmate, who was about to deliver a trouncing. "Get him,
J'ackt!" she called, adding her voice to the cacophony.

Over the voices, he heard his weyrmate's voice, clear over the others.
His lip finally twitched upwards and as he advanced on Ufrades, he
pressed two fingers to his lips, then pointed in Alina's direction,
acknowledging her cheer directly. His advancement on Ufrades was more
of a stalk, allowing him to get just settled enough before he took
advantage of the distraction. The wood swords were crafted to be
flexible and when striking bare skin, brought enough of a sting to
bring a slight welt. Before Ufrades could bring his sword back up to
bear on J'ackt, J'ackt's sword struck three blows on the ribs, arm and
shoulder. The strikes were quick, precise, further distracting the
young man from getting into a full defensive position.

J'ackt didn't relent for a moment, driving forward with repeated
slashes and lunges at kill points along the abdomen. Ufrades' wild
attempt to parry the quick strikes forced him back and made him
stumble over his own feet. J'ackt took the opportunity to slap the
flat of his blade hard against Ufrades' wrist, forcing the practice
sword to drop from a suddenly numbed hand. Ufrades yelped in pain and
was brought up short by the edge of a wooden blade against his neck.

It had all happened so fast, but the way J'ackt moved had been
strangely beautiful. Alina smiled as the bronzerider disarmed his
opponent. Down there he looked strong and confident, and lost the wary
look he usually wore. The sun on his brown skin and pale hair didn't
hurt either. **Good for you,** she thought. His opponent looked angry,
but still oddly familiar although she couldn't quite place him.

Cabrick's voice was loud enough to carry across the yard as he spoke. "Break!"

As J'ackt withdrew the practice sword, Ufrades scowled. "That wasn't
fair! You're not supposed to kick during a sword fight!"

J'ackt arched a brow. "There's no such thing as fair when you're in a
fight. You left an obvious opening."

Cabrick added, "You were over confident. You didn't plan and you
didn't think to study your opponent. You've watched J'ackt for three
months. You should have known that his left hand is his off-hand and
that he wasn't really trying. It'll give you something to think
about." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, pair up!"

The other assembled students formed a double line, but J'ackt stepped
back, sliding the wooden sword into the rack. Wiping his hand across
his brow, he looked up to find Alina, and ignoring the crowd, swung
himself over the fence. One young woman, someone vaguely familiar
who he was certain was in Alina's wing approached, laying a hand on
his chest and murmured something. J'ackt only looked down at her for a
moment before he brushed her aside, ignoring her scowl to make his way
to the stands. "Gonna stay up there?"

"I didn't think you'd be ready to go yet." Alina sat with her elbows
on her knees as she smiled down at him. She hadn't missed the way Plya
had approached J'ackt-- and what had happened after. It made her
feel-- special, she realized. And she liked it.

He crooked a finger at her. "Well, still got a bit to go, but
doesn't mean I can't get a victory kiss, does it?"

All at once Alina felt everyone's eyes on her. Women didn't kiss their
husbands in front of an audience, like a show. But she wasn't a wife--
she was a green rider. So Alina smiled, stood, and walked down the
bleachers to slide into his arms and kiss him as thoroughly as she
could. He was hot to the touch and tasted salty with sweat and the
dust kicked up in the practice yard, and as she kissed him she
couldn't help the stray thought, **Mine.**

As J'ackt's hands wrapped around her waist to pull her tight against
him, a few cheers and raucous cries were heard. A bluerider called
out, "Got room for one more, J'ackt?" accompanied by a round of
laughter. J'ackt lifted one hand and made a rude gesture that brought
more laughter. "Yeah, that too, if you're _up_ for it!"

"Looks like he will be!" A female voice called out and J'ackt finally
gave a soft chuckle against Alina's lips.

Pulling away from her slowly, J'ackt gave another lingering kiss to
her bottom lip, before speaking softly. "More tonight, I promise you
that. "

Her cheeks were flushed. Alina felt both exposed and safe where she
was with her weyrmate's arms around her, and keenly aware of how much
J'ackt _belonged_ here. He wouldn't be teased like that if he didn't.
"You're sure you don't want to cut your practice short?" she asked.

His brows shot up as he glanced over his shoulder and then back down
to her. There presently was a far more pressing need for his weyrmate
than further practice. "Hey, Cabrick?"

"Yeah?" The man looked up at the yell, then grinned, showing a missing tooth.

"Be back tomorrow."

"I figured! Be sure to get _some_ rest!"

That brought a gale of laughter, and more than a few sharp whistles
from the crowd. One young woman, an older woman from Alina's wing,
whooped out, "That's how you do it, Alina! Get 'im! Let me know if you
need any help!" There was another yell from a young man on the yard,
holding a sword. "Wear him out a little, will ya?"

J'ackt rolled his eyes, but tucked his arm around his weyrmate's
waist, pulling her away before it got worse. "Let's get out of here
before they get worse and your ears start burning."

Alina paused to grab her bucket of dragon hide oil, then cast a quick
glance over her shoulder at the pairs of fighters who were squaring
off. "They really like you," she said quietly.

He snorted softly. "They just like yanking my chain." He patted her
waist. "And yours too, I guess." He looked down at her and kissed her
brow as they walked. "It's all in good fun."

"I know it is." She took his hand. "Hope you're not too sour about
cutting things short."

His brow quirked upwards and a slow grin flashed teeth. "You kidding?
I know what's waiting for me at our weyr. " He tugged her a little
closer. "How can I be sour about that, especially when you made the
suggestion."

She shrugged, secretly pleased. "I'm glad to hear that your priorities
are in order."

Both brows rose at that and before she could say anything else, he
bent, scooped her up in his arms and tossed the bucket aside, leaving
it behind him. He heard more whoops and cheers behind them and walked
a little faster. "They certainly are."

Alina laughed and buried her face in his shoulder to hide her burning face.

Last updated on the January 18th 2020

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Priorities Are Important