A Brief Reunion

Writers: Estelle, Devin
Date Posted: 12th June 2024

Characters: Gilbek, U'varr, Calenta
Description: Gil gets a visit from his wife
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 13 of Turn 11
Notes: Mentioned: Tasni

Two harpers waited outside the Northern Hall, one in his regular blue
tunic while the other, a woman with a long pale-brown braid, was wrapped
up in a warm coat despite the afternoon sun. The man had his head tilted
back, watching the skies, while the woman saw nothing, her eyes
sightless - but sensitive to every breeze and cool shadow that fell
across the courtyard.

"I can see a dragon." The man touched her arm. "Are you sure you want to
go alone? I'll come with you if you want."

"I'll be fine." She turned her head towards his voice, with a slight
smile. "The Weyr promised I'd be safe. There'll be a dragonrider with me
all the time. But I don't think it'll be needed. Not unless he's changed
more than I can believe possible."

The other harper frowned as if that was what he was afraid of, but he
said nothing as they waited for the dragonpair to land.

The green was dainty, but when her rider dismounted it was clear he
was very large. He inclined his head courteously toward the harpers.
"Well met, Harpers. Are you Calenta, ma'am?"

"Yes, I am. My duty to your dragon, sir," she replied. "This is my
fiance, Journeyman Beniran."

"Well met, Greenrider," the man said politely, taking care to choose a
word that would let Calenta know the color of the dragon.

"I'm U'varr, and this is Jilsath. Am I to take you both to Dolphin
Cove, then?" His voice was a deep rumble.

"No, it's just me. Beniran is here to see me off," Calenta replied
firmly, before the other journeyman could respond. "I don't know if
Gilbek told you, but I'm blind and I might need a little help with the
dragon."

"Ah, one of my friends has an auntie who went blind and I gave her a
lift a few times. Jilsath and I will be careful with you, Harper
Calenta." U'varr would need to be extra watchful when she was speaking
with the prisoner. He reached out, stopping just short of touching
her. "I have my hand out just in front of you, ma'am, if you'd like to
take it." Behind him, the green crouched low.

"Thank you." Calenta turned her head towards Beniran. "I'll see you this
evening, love. Don't worry. I'm in good hands."

The other harper looked uneasy at being left behind, but he didn't argue
and lightly kissed her on the cheek. "Take care. I'll be watching for
your return."

She smiled, then reached out and took U'varr's hand so that he could
help her up to the green's back.

Jilsath was very patient as her rider got Calenta up onto her neck and
strapped her in carefully. "I'm going to put my arm around you ma'am
for added security." He'd put the harper in front to have better
control over her safety during the trip, just as he did with the
young, the elderly, or those unused to riding dragons. One of U'varr's
huge arms went around her waist, the other reached in front of her to
grip the straps. "We're taking off now," he warned just before the
green tensed to leap upward.

Calenta felt the green's muscles move beneath her, then the sudden
spring into the air that pushed her back in the straps, but with the
dragonrider's arm around her she felt safe. As they ascended, she smiled
in joy to feel the wind ruffling her hair and the warm sun on her face.
Below her and unseen, the Harper Hall and the small figure watching them
receded to the size of a child's toy hall.

The jump /between/, when all sensation vanished, made her heart pound,
but a few breaths later they emerged again into a hotter climate with
the taste of the sea in the air and the faint crashing of waves on rock
below. It was different, and yet familiar - she remembered this place,
from when she'd come here with the harpers after the fire.

"We'll be going straight for the weyr where he's being held," U'varr
said close to her ear. "The winds are a bit strong here, but we'll get
you there safe." Jilsath adjusted her wings to navigate the air
currents along the cliffside as they dropped closer to the sea. She
touched down as lightly as she could on the small ledge of Gil's
prison. U'varr unbuckled himself first and then helped Calenta down.

Calenta steadied herself as her feet touched the stone ledge, and she
kept still, instinct telling her that they were high up. She sensed the
presence of the dragon behind her and felt her warm breath, and
carefully turned to face her. "Thank you, Jilsath. The ride was very
smooth."

"Calenta?"

She turned again, towards the voice that she hadn't heard in more than
eight Turns. Even after all that time it still made her heart leap.
"Gilbek? Is that you?"

Gil had emerged from the entrance to the weyr, gazing at the green
dragon's passenger in astonishment, his mouth open. When she lifted a
hand and reached out tentatively, he started towards her, forgetting for
a moment where he was.

"Not too close," U'varr rumbled.

He looked stricken, seeing her still reaching out towards him, but held
himself back. "You came all this way, from the North."

"The Weyr brought me. It's not so far for a dragon," Calenta replied,
her voice gentle. She let her arm fall.

"And you're a journeywoman, like your friend said. Congratulations."
After the first shock of seeing her and the pain of keeping his
distance, he managed a tentative smile. "I always knew you would do
something special."

"I've been lucky, and had good teachers. But you..." She hesitated,
unsure how much she could say. "Gilbek, are you all right?"

"Of course. There's no need to worry about me. I'm being treated well."
Gil glanced at the greenrider. "I'm sorry - I'm keeping you standing out
here. Can we go in?"

"Yes, but I'm to stay with the lady," U'varr said. He gently touched
his arm to hers. "Let me show you in, ma'am." He felt like he was
intruding on a personal conversation, but he certainly wasn't going to
risk Calenta's safety.

"Thank you." Calenta rested her hand lightly on the greenrider's arm and
followed the sound of Gil's footsteps into the cool interior of the
weyr. She heard the scrape of wood on stone as he pulled out a chair for
her, and reached out to touch the back of it before sitting.

Gil sat down across from her, and there was a short silence, while he
considered asking about her journey, or her craft, or some other polite
question between two people who'd not seen each other in Turns. But
instead, he said, "I got your letter. The journeywoman - Tasni - she
gave it to me."

"Yes, I know. She wrote to tell me. It came with the message from the
Harper Hallsecond." Calenta seemed to relax now that subject was out in
the open. "It seems you weren't easy to find."

"I'm sorry about that. I was working at a hold, guarding a quarry. From
what she told me, she did trace me there, but by then I'd left the
holder's service." He glanced at the greenrider with an unspoken plea
not to fill in any details. "I meant what I said. I'm glad for you,
truly. If there's any formalities, anything you need me to sign..."

"No, my Hallmaster told me it's not necessary, though your having spoken
to Tasni helped." Calenta slid a hand across the table. "Thank you."

Gil started to reach out to her, then stopped himself, looking to U'varr
for permission.

The greenrider studied Gil with narrowed eyes. The man hadn't made any
aggressive moves so far, but that didn't mean he wasn't planning
something. However, there was a table between him and his ex-wife and
the poor woman couldn't even see him. Sound and touch were all she
had. U'varr crossed his arms and gave him a sharp nod.

Gil didn't speak, but his eyes conveyed his thanks as he reached across
the remaining distance and rested his hand lightly on Calenta's.

Her fingers curled around his, and the two of them sat quietly for a
while. It was Calenta who spoke first. "Gilbek, what happened to you?
Why are you here?"

His shoulders tensed, but his hold on her hand stayed loose and light.
"They didn't tell you?"

"I wanted to hear it from you," Calenta replied softly.

Gil was silent for a moment. When he began to speak, his voice was slow,
halting. "That hold, where I worked. It wasn't a good place. The quarry
was run with prison labor, and the Holder was involved in things he
shouldn't have been. Stirring up trouble against the Lord Holder and the
Weyr."

"And you?" she asked.

"I overheard them. I carried messages and followed orders." The shame
was evident in his voice. "I suppose I thought that, after Emerald
Falls, each side was as bad as the other, and even if I spoke out no one
would believe me, but really - " He hesitated. "I thought that if I just
kept my job, and a roof over my head, if I stayed alive, there was a
chance...we might meet again."

"But you left them. And here we are."

"Here we are." Gil's voice nearly cracked, but he took a deep breath,
closed his eyes and went on. "They ordered me to do something that was -
it was too much, so I left. The dragonriders found me afterwards. I was
working for an old couple at their cothold." He tried to sound
unconcerned. "They just wanted to ask me some questions. It's safer that
I'm here, until it's cleared up." He turned to look at U'varr again,
with the same silent request not to say any more for Calenta's sake.

U'varr's main duty was to keep Calenta safe, but his secondary task
was to listen. If Gil wanted to gloss over the worst of it, that was
information too.

Calenta was quiet for a while, thinking over his words. She wasn't
convinced; she could hear the strain in his voice, and didn't think the
dragonriders would keep him in an isolated weyr if his situation wasn't
serious. "Is there anything you need? I could speak to the Hallmaster."

"No. It's enough to see you again, one more time. I didn't know if I
ever would." He leaned forward a little. "I only want to tell you how
sorry I was for what I said, that last evening at the Harper Hall. I
never meant for you to give up your Craft. I suppose...I was scared I
was losing you. It serves me right that my words ended up parting us
anyway." Their argument, overheard by others at the Hall, had been one
of the accusations against him. "I promise, on my word of honor, I
didn't start the fire. I would never have risked your life like that."

"I know." Calenta gently squeezed his hand, and felt him do the same in
response. "I never believed it was you. And as for what we said, I
forgive you. I did a long time ago."

"Thank you." Gil managed a weak smile. "I never thought I wouldn't get
the chance to apologize until now, after all these Turns. I'm glad I
did." He closed his eyes briefly, then loosened his fingers, drawing
back his hand. "I wish you every happiness, Calenta, truly. Don't think
about me any more."

"I don't know if I can do that. But thank you." Tears gathered in
Calenta's eyes, and she stretched out towards him for a moment. Then,
when her fingers met nothing but air, she slowly drew her hand back.

"Would you like me to take you home, ma'am?" U'varr asked.

"I..." She turned in the direction of his voice. "I could stay..."

"I'll be all right." Gil got to his feet, attempting to lighten his
tone. "Maybe we'll meet again some day, when this is all over, as
friends. I'll come and listen to you sing."

Calenta stood slowly, her hand resting on the chair for support while
she brushed away the tears with the other. She'd known Gil long enough
not to be convinced. He sounded resigned, as if he thought there was
only one way he was getting out of this weyr and it wouldn't be for a
trip to her Hall. She didn't speak, but stretched her arms into the open
space between them.

Looking at her reaching out, Gil seemed as if his resolve to seem
cheerful and part as friends might collapse at any moment. He looked to
U'varr. "Please? I won't - I would never hurt her."

The greenrider gave him a hard look. Easier and safer to deny him, but
the poor woman had done no wrong. "Let me search you."

For a moment he looked as if he might protest, but then sighed and moved
away from the table, not wanting to argue in front of Calenta. "All right."

U'varr wasn't rough but he was thorough. Satisfied that Gil wasn't
hiding a weapon, U'varr allowed him to approach his ex-wife.

Calenta's head turned, following his footsteps, and he reached out to
touch her arm, gently. She didn't hesitate and stepped forward into his
embrace, leaning her head against his chest as he rested his cheek
against her hair. They stood together like that for a long moment,
listening to each other's breathing, neither wanting to let go. At last,
both knowing that time was short, they drew apart.

"Safe journey back," Gil said quietly. His fingers brushed her arm one
last time, and then he stepped back so that U'varr could lead her out of
the weyr.

Last updated on the July 2nd 2024

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A Brief Reunion