She Said What??

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 19th December 2020

Characters: J'ackt, Alina
Description: Alina hears about the contract with Cyradis
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 6, day 15 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis, Cosani

J'ackt

Alina

"She said _what_!?" Alina stared at J'ackt, aghast. That couldn't be right.

J'ackt pinched the bridge of his nose. He had known that Alina
wouldn't take the news well. "Look, I know you don't like it. I told
her you wouldn't. But it was the only way to get her to agree, Alina.
After a turn, it'll be over. "

"That's not the point! She can't-- she can't meddle in our weyrmating
like this! I don't care if Cyradis is the Weyrwoman. She has no
right!"

He sighed. "I can't keep pulling Zith from flights, Alina. You've
seen how irritable he's been lately. It won't work for much longer and
I can't keep doing that to him." J'ackt rubbed his face. "I won't stay
after a flight with a moth, I promise you. I'll do what I have to and
leave. I know you don't like them, but I've had to go to them before
after a flight. I just won't stay."

Alina stood to pace, Stumpy looking up from his bed in the corner to
watch her. She felt like she was buzzing, her blood fizzing with anger
and the need to move-- to do _something_! She took two steps, then
turned and sat down again across the table from her weyrmate. "This
is-- this is _ridiculous_," she spat. "She can't do this. She can't
tell you how to deal with flights and she can't _breed_ you like
some-- some herdbeast."

Her words echoed his own thoughts; that he was being bred like some
prize runner stallion, but it was what he'd agreed to. "Apparently,
she can, Alina." His eyes followed her as she sat down. "Weyrblood,
that sort of thing. They need children of riders, I guess. They way
she explained it, women take all the risks for bearing children, so
they get a choice in the matter; N'vanik said the same thing. But
she's going to make sure I don't know if anyone catches or bears any
children of my blood. That's the only way she'd approve any surgery,
Alina. And really, if you think about it, " He sighed, "it might have
happened anyway with flights. This way at least, I won't know about
them and maybe no one will get pregnant anyway. After a turn of this
mess, I can just handle it and not worry so much any more.'

"This is ridiculous." Alina put her head in her hands, heartsick and
angry. They'd decided on this together, and then Cyradis decided to
take that decision away from them. J'ackt wouldn't have a child with
her but he _had_ to do so with someone else, just because Cyradis
decided she liked the idea of it. She wanted to scream. "There are
already a bunch of bronzeriders running around the Weyr. Why does it
have to be _you_?"

J'ackt swallowed hard. Looking across the table from his weyrmate,
seeing her distress and anger at the situation, made his stomach
lurch. "I don't know." He scooted his chair around to sit down beside
her and slowly wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry, Alina. I
didn't want this either. I just wanted to fix everything." His brow
furrowed. "Maybe I should just go to Healer Hall. Not tell Cyradis or
N'vanik about it. Just take care of it on my own."

"Ha." It would serve them right. Alina buried her face in J'ackt's
shoulder. "They probably already thought of that. Cyradis doesn't
respect you enough to care what you want, and you're a bronzerider.
And I don't matter at all."

That immediately brought a frown. "Don't say that. You _do_ matter.
You and Zith, you're the only things that really matter to me." He
didn't know what to say to make things better and he was in an awkward
position to actually defend Cyradis. "Alina, even if I didn't sign
that contract, it could still happen. With a moth or another
greenrider who decided she might want a flight babe. But now, neither
of us have to know if it happens. And after a turn, we never have to
worry about it again. We'll be free of it."

"That's not the point!" Alina pulled away from her weyrmate, scowling.
"You and I made a decision about _our_ lives, and she decided to make
it about _her_ instead. There's no freedom at the Weyr. They're all
liars."

"It's not specifically about her life, Alina." He rubbed at his
temple. "I guess she's thinking about the Weyr. She's thinking about
the bloodlines of riders. Most riders don't care about it or don't
think about it." He paused and looked over at his weyrmate and then
asked quietly. "Do you want me to refuse to sign?" He studied her
face, his own pinched. "If that's what you want," He looked down,
"I'll figure something else out."

"What I think is that she's being totally unreasonable," Alina said.
She reached out and took J'ackt's hand, hating that she was helpless
to change any of it. "I hate her for doing this to you."

"I keep telling myself it's only a turn," His lips thinned. "I don't
want to know about any children. N'vanik and Cyradis keep insisting
that I don't have to be involved. I'll hold them to that. As far as
I'm concerned, there's not going to be any. If I find out that there
are, or any woman pushes it, the contact is meaningless. Everything
stops and by Faranth, I'll go to Healer Hall that day."

A sudden thought occured to her. Alina bit her lip, suddenly shy. "I
could... I mean, Zith will chase greens when they rise. But I could...
be there for you. If you wanted."

His brows shot up at her suggestion and his arm around her tightened
and his eyes locked on hers, suddenly heated. Cyradis wouldn't be able
to complain about that; Alina hadn't signed a contract and if she
decided to 'moth' his flights, it would be within the boundaries of
what they'd agreed on. Reasonably, Alina wouldn't be able to draw him
out in every flight; he would win some, or she would be in drills or
otherwise busy. "I would like that." His voice was husky and leaned
over to brush his lips along her neck. "I'd rather have you there anyway."

She smiled, letting herself lean into his touch. "Really?"

"I don't know why you even have to ask." J'ackt stroked his hand
soothingly along her spine. "If you don't know by now how much I want
you, then I'm not doing something right."

She took a deep breath. "If I can't be there... maybe you should talk
to Cosani, too." Between the two of them, they might be able to keep
J'ackt safe.

His head shot back quickly and he stared at Alina in real surprise.
They _never_ discussed Cosani. He never brought her up to Alina,
knowing how she felt. "I suppose I can ask her," he agreed, though
he had his doubts that Cosani would be ask that interested in doing
that.

"If it would keep you... she could... help keep you away from the
others." Alina knotted her hands together, trying her hardest to speak
past the knot of jealousy that was rising in her throat. Better the
enemy you knew. "Just for a turn."

J'ackt moved to cup her cheeks and lift her face to look at him. "Do
you know how amazing you are?" The fact that she'd be willing to have
that happen, knowing how she felt about his time with Cosani, spoke of
how strongly she supported him. His thumbs stroked her cheeks. "I
don't deserve you, Alina. I really don't."

She took a deep breath and met his eyes. "We have to take care of each
other, as it seems that nobody else will."

"And I love you. Anything you need or want, if I can get it, I will."
He pressed his mouth to hers, the kiss tender and sweet. "Anything."

She kissed him back. "For now, all I need is you."

Last updated on the January 13th 2021

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

She Said What??