I'm Sorry!

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 3rd October 2022

Characters: R'fal, Aviday
Description: R'fal and Aviday finally speak again.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 14 of Turn 11

Aviday

She'd been purposefully avoiding him for a couple of sevendays, diving
into work with the new weyrlings and coming back late to her weyr.
Even on her restdays, she kept busy, but now, Aviday had run out of
things to do on this restday and she was tired of coming up with
reasons not to see R'fal. Her brain had never stopped chewing over
what she had heard, what had happened, and the worst outcomes that she
could imagine. What if R'fal was in trouble now? What if he was
transferred away? She hadn't heard anything and her own anxiety
wouldn't let up.

So, unable to take it further, she found herself landing on his ledge
on the evening of his restday. She looked up at his brown and spoke
quietly. "Can I come in? Is that okay?"

The brown rumbled a welcome, his blue-green eyes whirling a little
faster, and he tilted his head towards the weyr.

Inside, R'fal was sitting at his desk with his head resting on his
hands, trying to focus on his notes from a dragonhealing class without
much success. When Marlath told him he had a visitor, he scrambled to
his feet, nearly knocking his mug of klah flying. "Aviday?"

Aviday stepped into the weyr, noting with surprise that it didn't look
as neat as it usually did. It almost looked as bad as her own! She
heard a clatter and looked up, then started with further surprise as
she took in the sight of R'fal; he looked absolutely ragged. What had
happened to him? He _was_ in trouble! Her hand lifted to reach out to
him, then faltered before she let it drop. She shifted on her feet,
dropping her gaze as her toe scuffed lightly at the floor. "Hey."

R'fal glanced around, suddenly aware of the disarray. There were papers
scattered over his desk, some on the floor, and the only other chair was
draped with riding straps that he'd begun to mend and then given up on.
"Sorry - I wasn't expecting..." He heaved the straps off the chair and
dumped them in his sleeping alcove with a puff of breath at their
weight. "Would you like..." His voice trailed off as he remembered he
didn't have anything to offer her but a lukewarm pot of klah.

Shifting on her feet again, she studied him and suddenly sympathy for
him and how he must be feeling after the chaos settled surged in her.
Her lower lip trembled and she hurried forward, wrapping her arms
around him tightly and pressing her cheek against his chest. "I'm
sorry."

He closed his eyes and hugged her back, an overwhelming wave of relief
rushing through him. "But - what for? It should be me...I should have
told you where I was going... I'm sorry, too."

Burrowing her face into R'fal's chest, she squeezed him tightly and
hid a little sniffle. "I thought...I'm sorry. I thought you maybe
helped your Da leave. I know that you love him and...I didn't know
what to say to you."

"I thought everyone thought that. That even if I didn't fly him out, I
might have helped him, somehow." How could they think otherwise? A son
should be loyal to his father. Since that dreadful night, he'd hardly
left his weyr unless his duties required it, too ashamed to face his
friends or wingmates. "I didn't, but... He didn't have anything to do
with what happened. He couldn't have."

She slowly lifted her head to look him in the face. "I believe you
didn't help him." She didn't state that she did think his father was
involved. That rumor had been spreading wildly around. Aviday lifted
her hand to touch his cheek. "I believe you."

"You do?" His brown eyes went wide in surprise. As awful as everything
was, a small flicker of hope began to stir in him. He wasn't alone.
Aviday believed him. "Really?"

She nodded solemnly and then squeezed him tighter with one of her
arms. "I know you, R'fal. You're a good person. You wouldn't betray
the Weyr like that." Aviday gave a watery smile, then hurriedly wiped
at her eyes. "I'm really sorry I didn't come sooner. I should have."

"I should have come back to you that night, once I realized he was
gone," R'fal admitted. If he'd done that, it would have saved a great
deal of trouble. "I thought maybe if I could find him, I could persuade
him to come back. And then - Kobeth was upset, so I didn't think I
should disturb you, but perhaps I should have." He felt guiltier about
that than anything. "Is she still angry with Marlath and me?"

Aviday paused, her eyes unfocusing as she quickly relayed the
question. They refocused and looked rueful. "She's not happy with
Marlath because he hasn't been paying her any attention and was
avoiding her.." She scuffed her foot against the stone floor. "She's
not angry at you, just Marlath."

He had to smile. **Marlath, I think you've got some groveling to do.**
From the ledge, he heard a soft, apologetic rumble and saw the brown's
head dipping downwards, offering to nuzzle the green's neck. "Do you
think she might forgive him?"

Kobeth gave an audible sniff that was clearly more for show than real
pique. She eyed Marlath, turned her head away for a moment to show her
displeasure with him just for a moment longer, then arched her neck to
allow the nuzzle. Aviday snickered at the display and nodded. "With
appropriate groveling maybe." She looked up at R'fal and spoke softly.
"So are we good now?"

"We're good." R'fal lifted a hand to touch her cheek in a gesture not
unlike his dragon's. "Do you want to go somewhere? Out of the Weyr -
just the two of us." Suddenly he wanted more than anything to be out of
his weyr, with all of its scattered mess, half-finished work and bad
memories. "The Weyrleader didn't ground me. We could fly down the coast,
find a beach, watch the sun set."

She rubbed her cheek against his palm and nodded. "Yeah. Let's get out
of here. Let our dragons play in the water and find a good shaded tree
on the beach." Aviday smiled up at him. "I'll even go get a blanket
and some wine or something. Or juice."

"Maybe some meatrolls?" R'fal asked hopefully. He'd suddenly realized he
was absolutely starving, and his stomach rumbled in protest. "I think if
I drink any wine I might fall over."

"Meatrolls." Aviday readily agreed. "With some fruit and cheese and
bread. No wine. I'll get redfruit juice." She stepped back, then
quickly stood on her tiptoes to kiss his lips lightly. "You get ready
and we'll go. I'll go to the kitchens and get everything. Meet me at
the Weyrlake in...." She paused to think. "A quarter of a candlemark?"

"All right." Time enough to tidy his weyr, in case they should return
here later... He returned the light kiss. "You're amazing, Aviday. I'm
so lucky."

"Yes," she agreed promptly, "you are. Good to know that you know
that." She flashed a quick grin and then hurried out, feeling much
better about herself, R'fal, and the whole situation.

The young brownrider watched her go with a silly smile on his face,
before he remembered that he only had a quarter-candlemark to make
himself and his weyr look presentable and sprang into action, gathering
up the scattered detritus of papers, clothes and empty mugs. **Marlath!
Let's get ready to fly.**

}: We're not going to search for that man again? :{

R'fal shook his head. He wished Marlath didn't sound quite so cold when
he pictured Terren, but he supposed it was understandable. **Not this
time.** Instead, he imagined Kobeth playing in the waves, and was
rewarded with a rush of delighted approval through their bond. They
could look for his father another time - this evening was all for Aviday.

Last updated on the October 30th 2022

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I'm Sorry!