I Just Want to Talk

Writers: Devin, Eimi
Date Posted: 4th May 2006

Characters: N'vanik, U'kaiah
Description: N'vanik talks with U'kaiah about a particular concern.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 16 of Turn 3

N'vanik

Morning drills were over and N'vanik headed toward the Weyr for the noon meal. Near the entrance, he spotted U'kaiah ahead of him. A myriad of emotions filled him at the sight of his former Wingleader, but anger was no longer the dominant feeling. Unsure of what he was planning to do, N'vanik stepped up beside him. "Hey, U'kaiah."

He recognized the voice at once, and his shoulders tightened in reflex.
**Shards, what does he want now?** "Hey to you, N'vanik."

"So . . . how are things with the Weyrlings?" The wingrider asked hesitantly.

"Fine," U'kaiah said, resolved not to let his irritation show at that pointed question, which seemed to be more another dig than actual curiosity. "There are quite a few promising riders, and the junior weyrlings will start going /between/ next month."

N'vanik nodded, although he was hardly listening. "Do you have any idea when you're coming back to Cyan?"

Shards, he really was trying to push it, wasn't he. **Sharding ass...**
"That's not for me to decide."

"So you have no idea?" N'vanik asked. "No, N'vanik," U'kaiah said evenly as he fought down the anger he was starting to feel. "I will come back to Cyan when D'wrayt tells me to come back."

There was a brief pause. "So, you could be stuck with the Weyrlings for a long time?"

He could feel his jaw tighten as he fought to not let his irritation show. "Could be."

N'vanik could see his growing irritation and decided to abandon the subject. Maybe some other time. There was another problem on his mind, though. "Could I talk with you for a minute?"

"Aren't we talking now?"

He fought back irritation. "I mean, maybe somewhere a little quieter?"
N'vanik nodded toward the people filing past them.

"I don't want to play anymore games with you, N'vanik," U'kaiah said through his teeth quiet enough that only the bronzerider would hear him.
"I've been in enough trouble as it is."

N'vanik rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna punch you or anything. I just want to talk, U'kaiah."

"May I ask what about?" It better be sharding important, 'cause a heart to heart with N'vanik wasn't worth missing his lunch over.

"I'm worried about Trae," he said quietly.

Well, shards... "There's no one sitting in the chair by the fire yet."

When they reached the relatively quiet spot, N'vanik asked, "Has she . .
. said anything to you?" He knew he was sticking his nose where it didn't belong, but he wanted to know what was going on.

"About what?" U'kaiah asked quietly. They'd said a lot of things to each other.

"She's been acting . . . well, like me lately. Whenever I ask her what's wrong, she says she doesn't want to talk about it." Since her last visit, it had been on his mind a lot.

U'kaiah frowned. "The last time I saw her she was upset but she wouldn't tell me why. Then I saw her later that day when her Second's gold rose, and she seemed... all right. Fine, in fact. Maybe whatever it was... well, maybe they are unrelated."

If someone had told him a month ago that he would be talking to U'kaiah like this . . . "She came to see me after that, and something was still bothering her. And before I-- we had our fight, it was bothering her then, too."

"Yes, I know there has been something on her mind," the other bronzerider said thoughtfully. "But she doesn't seem to talk about it with me. With either of us it seems." It was rather... worrisome...

If she wasn't talking to U'kaiah about it, did that mean it was really bad? N'vanik sighed. "I suppose it shouldn't bother me. It's her business, not mine."

"I don't know how things have been between you two, but since she moved to Dolphin Cove she's been so... serious all the time. Maybe she just needs to have a bit of fun again."

N'vanik had a feeling it was more than that, but he nodded anyway. "I suppose I could take her out. Get her mind off things."

"I suppose that's all we can do until she's ready to talk to...
someone..." Though who that someone would be was yet to be seen...

"Yeah," N'vanik said thoughtfully. "Well, guess I should go get something to eat."

U'kaiah nodded. "I'm going to stay here a while."

"Okay." He took a few steps away, and then paused. For a moment N'vanik stood there, looking as if he might say something. Then he shook his head, almost imperceptibly, and continued on.

Last updated on the May 4th 2006

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I Just Want to Talk