A Promising Memory

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 10th February 2022

Characters: C'rin, Riveenata
Description: C'rin, now at Dragonsfall, thinks back on the series of events that led him to where he is now - and all of these events center around Riveenata.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 24 of Turn 10

C'rin

C'rin sat on his ledge alone, watching as snow fell around him in soft, silent blankets. The triple cliffs of Dragonsfall were all three coated with the white powdery stuff, and Dasveth was down with a green, rolling and wallowing in the stuff as if he were a hatchling.

**Well, he is only two,** C'rin thought with an affectionate remembrance of his Impression.

The brownrider's slate blue eyes traveled across the landscape, once again marking the differences between Dolphin Cove and Dragonsfall. Moving from the tropical climate to the much cooler, snowier one was still an adjustment.

But sometimes adjustments were necessary....

**Flashback** (5 months prior)

Riveenata was debating the clothing she'd wear to see C'rin this evening. She was looking at one of her favorite tops from Before, a pretty deep blue one she had worn to hatchings and gathers. It had a low-cut scoop neckline and a design that had pushed her chest up in order to make her bust look bigger. The problem was that now she had the scars across her shoulder and upper chest, and she didn't want others to see them, because she hated how they looked, and she worried the top would accentuate them. While she was cleared to fly and go /between/ because they had sealed, they were still angry red lines traced across the skin, and the sight of them bothered her. Did she want to show up to a nice time with C'rin showing this off?

**He has seen you many times before after your injury when they were worse,** a part of her said.

**But that was when I was weak and feverish, not when I was trying to impress him,** the other part of her argued.

}:My rider is still deciding on hides,:{ Savith complained to Dasveth, listening to her rider's internal conflict.

}: My rider says her bare hide is the best.:{ Dasveth’s voice reflected the cheeky mental tone of his rider.

}:Unless they are staying in a weyr, she is not going to do that,:{ Savith relayed.

Riveenata looked at the second top, a long tunic in brown with a high neck and long sleeves, that flowed over the hips. Higher coverage of her scars, and one in a style she'd been taking to wearing. If they were going to a picnic with others she'd choose it without a thought. But for C'rin...

Her stomach did a little tumble. She and C'rin had used to hang out before at bonfires at River Bluff and later Dolphin Cove, gathering parties, game nights in the Candidate barracks - the events that weyrfolk of the same age always wound up at. They'd been friendly but never close. But ever since they'd been hanging out on their own, things had begun to shift, and when he was taking care of her and nurturing her in her sickbed, she'd felt her feelings deepening, her thoughts turning to him all of the time... well, the idea of being vulnerable with him wasn't so bad...

}:Do it,:{ Savith said, pulsing a sensation of adventure and excitement bright down their bond.

"I'll wear this one," she said aloud, pulling it on, lacing it up, and looking at herself. The bodice did make her cleavage look larger, even as it exposed the bright red welts on her breast where Thread had struck it. Paired with a flowing skirt, it looked lovely. She hoped C'rin liked it. She took a moment to apply makeup to her eyes, lining them to make them look deeper and alluring, trying to find some self-confidence again.

}:My rider is done. Where should we meet yours?:{ Savith asked.

}:He insists on picking her up.:{ Dasveth said, already in flight across the Weyr to Savith's ledge.

C'rin dismounted from his brown's neckridge when they arrived, his sharp jawline gleaming from a fresh shave. He wore fitted breeches and one of his gather-best shirts. It was their first 'real' date, as C'rin saw it, and he was pulling out all the stops for Riveenata.

"Riv?" he called as he walked through Savith's weyrcouch. He'd seen her in a variety of ways over the last couple of months since her accident. He'd seen her nauseous from the pain with dark circles under her eyes; he'd seen her in a sheen of sweat after the healers painstakingly cleaned and dressed every wound; and he'd seen her limp and exhausted after bathing herself again for the first time. She'd looked beautiful, even then, he thought, but he was unprepared for her beauty as he walked through the door of her weyr.

"Wow," he said, drawing up short.

"Hi," she said, a little shyly. Because she'd been focusing so much on her outfit, her hair weren't done in any kind of elaborate manner - no multiple braids woven together into a bun or waterfall. Just one ponytail at the nape of her neck to keep it off her face, and pouring down her back. She watched his eyes run over her and let her own cross him, looking at his well-fitted clothes and shivering slightly. "I see we both dressed up."

His lips tugged sideways into a grin. "Why shouldn't we?" He ran a finger lightly over the low neckline of her top. C'rin had seen the wounds across her shoulder and chest when they were new and raw, and he'd seen them in the various stages of healing since. Tonight he thought they looked especially fetching packaged up in the beautiful shirt that accentuated her breast.

"I like seeing you all dressed up." She shivered as his finger ran along the top. "I'm going to forget plans other than staring at you."

—

The ale house they arrived at wasn’t far from Dolphin Cove, so there was a pleasant blend of dragonriders and holders. A place where no prudish opinions prohibited behavior.

A Harper band was already in full swing in the corner with dancers on the floor as C’rin and Riveenata picked their way through to a table.

“Lively tonight,” the brownrider called with a laugh over the noise.

"It's nice to see it," she said. She was feeling hesitant about the top again, worried someone would see and comment on her scars. Someone who wasn't C'rin.

As they took a seat, she said, "How'd you find this place?"

"My mother," C'rin answered, before smiling up at the waitress that approached their table. "I'd like a cup of ale, please."

"A glass of juice, any kind is fine," she said. The waitress arched an eyebrow but jotted it down.

"Well, I like the atmosphere here. It's cheery."

"That's what I like about it, too," C'rin agreed, although his head was tilted to the side a smidge. "Juice?" he asked.

"I wasn't allowed a drink for so long during recovery that I've fallen out of it."

He reached across the table, covering her hand with his. C’rin understand the long road to recovery because he had been there nearly every day of it with her.

“Here we go. You eatin’?” The waitress set down their drinks.

“I’d like some of that spicy soup you serve.” C’rin said.

"That sounds good for me too," she said. She turned her hand up to curl fingers around C'rin's. "So how are you and Dasveth doing?"

“Good,” he idly rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “I think we’ll consider pursuing a wingthird position in the next couple of Turns.”

"That's fantastic. You deserve it," she said sincerely. "Does he want it, or you, or both?"

“It is mutual. I’ve toyed with the idea of Weyrlingstaff but those positions are pretty full here at Dolphin Cove. I’d have to go somewhere else for that… and I don’t plan on leaving the cove any time soon.” C’rin gave her hand a meaningful squeeze, and then reluctantly released it when their food arrived to the table.

"You've really settled here, hmm?"

“What’s not to like? I think the Weyrleaders are great. The beach is great.” He glanced up from the soup and winked. “And the greenriders aren’t bad either.”

Riveenata tasted the soup and coughed. "Oh, that is spicy - we could use some bread."

She paused, then said, "It's like River Bluff if the sand wasn't wrong, huh?"

“Exactly,” C’rin said while flagging down a waitress and gesturing to their table. A basket of bread was promptly place in front of them. “I do love spicy,” he admitted with a happy little sound as he put another spoonful into his mouth.

"You've got more tolerance than I do," she said, grabbing the bread and tearing off a hunk to dip it in the soup. "They seem to do food spicier in this area."

After they had polished off the spicy soup and had some dessert to cool off, the band struck up a slow tune that made C’rin take Riveenata’s hand once more.

“Want to dance?”

"I haven't had pudding this good in awhile," she said, appreciating the rich dessert. "Of course I'd like to dance with you."

“I was hoping you would say that. It gives me an excuse to hold you close.” C’rin said, standing and drawing the greenrider to her feet.

"You need an excuse?" she teased as she stepped up with him to the dance floor and then into his arms. "I like dancing with you. I remember when we used to dance around the bonfires at the Bluff."

“Those were good days,” he said with a smile. His hand slid lower on her back, pressing her snugly against him as they moved around the dance floor.

"They were. I'm glad I'm still close with several of my classmates, and with other people I was candidates with, like you." She leaned up to kiss his cheek.

Her actions gave C'rin the courage he needed to say, "I care about you a lot, Riv. I know you are supposed to eventually go to Barrier Lake..." he wouldn't say K'lvin's name, "but I'd like you to consider staying here, at Dolphin Cove, with me."

Her eyes widened slightly. “Staying here as friends, or so we can see if we want to be more?”

"It's already 'more' for me, Riv. Stay and see if I can make you happy."

Focusing on the dance and the feeling of his arms around her, it took a moment to process what he was saying. Her steps in the dance stumbled as she heard what he said about more. "I didn't know you felt that way already."

“It is easy to feel that way about you, Riveenata.” The dance ended but his hand remained on her hip.

"C'rin..." When he said such kind things about her, when he took care of her when she'd been injured, when he was dancing with her and holding her close, it was so easy to turn her head and press her lips to his gently, fall into his embrace.

"Ready to head home?" His lips murmured against her ear.

"I think we can skip dessert from here and find something there," she said. The kind of dancing she suddenly wanted to do wouldn't scandalize any dragonriders, but the holders...

**End Flashback**

The watchdragon's welcoming bugle to an incoming blue broke C'rin's reverie. That night five months ago had seemed so promising.

Last updated on the February 10th 2022

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A Promising Memory