Where Duty Falls

Writers: Devin, Halyonix
Date Posted: 26th August 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: K'mai, I'serin, Isoria
Description: K'mai is there for I'serin as he says goodbye to A'len
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 22 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra

K'mai

I'serin

Notes:
~*~

}: K'mai is coming to you, :{ Aluneth said softly, having summoned the bluerider through Sebeth. Now that Saibra and the others were gone, I'serin was left in the Infirmary with an awful silence and the feeling as though he was clinging to the sheerest rock cliff, where just one slip of his mental fingers would cause him to tumble into the turbulent, consuming waters of grief below.

Thoughts and questions flitted through K'mai's mind as he made his way to the infirmary. What had happened? Was it an accident? It was hard to believe A'len would do something like that _deliberately_ but . . . it was possible. It was hard to think that any dragonrider would take their own life while their dragon was still living, though it had happened. But when K'mai reached I'serin, he said simply, "I'm here." And held out his hand.

The Weyrleader of Dragonsfall Weyr took his hand, tucked his face into the hollow of K'mai's shoulder, and began to cry.

K'mai wrapped his arms around I'serin and held him tight. "I'm so sorry." Although A'len had been terrible to him, he was still I'serin's father and his death was shocking. And poor Tirenth!

I'serin said nothing. The terrible waters of grief pulled him under, letting him come up only for sobs of breath. He had no idea how long he clung to K'mai as he cried, while a thousand unanswerable questions and equally awful thoughts ebbed and flowed like tidal waves, dashing him on the knowledge that he would never know what had happened in A'len's final moments.

K'mai murmured soothing words, a hand rubbing at I'serin's back. He'd held others through grief before and sometimes all you could do was be a rock someone clung to through the storm of emotion.

Eventually broken words bubbled forth in between sobs. About how M'kall had found A'len's body after it fell from the heights. The wineskin, the slide of footprints like A'len had lost his balance. How A'len and I'serin had fought over the edict of his transfer just hours before. How he hated that they fought so much. How he did not know what he was going to tell his mother.

"I can go with you, if you think that would help," K'mai said gently.

It would help him. But I'serin could also see how it would hurt his mother further in some way. Why was every decision he had to make so heavy? "I d-do not w-want to tell her," he admitted, quailing as though he were a child. But he knew he must.

"About your father or about us? I can be there as just your friend, I'serin. The rest can wait."

I'serin realized that he did not care if his mother knew about them. It was an odd feeling but it did not linger. Reality dashed against it. "My f-f-father. She...she will...blame me. S-Somehow." He knew she would. He did not know what form it would take but he knew it would be there.

"She better not." The fierce words were out before K'mai could stop them. "A'len made his own choices, and whatever happened it was _not_ your fault."

I'serin knew this. His head did. His heart...said otherwise.

The bronzerider did not respond. He hid his face in K'mai's shoulder, clinging tighter. A hundred wailing words came to mind, all of them protesting against the reality presented. How he was going to face his mother, face the Weyr, with what had happened... "D-Do not leave me," he quietly begged K'mai.

"Never." K'mai would have to consider what that meant later. "Maybe we can go somewhere more comfortable than the infirmary, though?"

"I..." I'serin started to say. He looked over at the sheet-covered form. "It...it is the W-Weyrleader's responsibility..."

K'mai followed his gaze and his stomach sank. "Oh . . ." He swallowed. "Do you want me to go with you? I could ride with you just so you won't be alone when you. . ."

The bronzerider was long in answering. Too long. Which was when Aluneth said to both of them, }: Yes. :{ The dragon's simple reply, dark and polished, indicated that he would carry A'len /between/ and that K'mai would ride honor guard with I'serin.

A shudder ran through I'serin as he tried to compose himself enough to handle this final responsibility.

K'mai squeezed his shoulder. "I'm here for you. Lean on me as much as you need to." He didn't want to carry A'len's body. He didn't want to help take a rider /between/ for the last time. But K'mai would do anything to ease even a fraction of I'serin's pain.

I'serin opened his mouth to respond but they were interrupted. Shoving the curtain aside, Isoria, I'serin's mother, barged in, her eyes wide and searching. She saw the two of them touching and I'serin steeled himself for some backhanded remark but her gaze shifted to the sheet-covered form of his father and whatever commentary she would have normally made was lost in a wail. She hurried to her weyrmate's side. "A'len! A'len!" she screamed, as though it would bring him back. "What _happened_?!" she demanded desperately.

I'serin felt his insides turn to water. "He f-fell. From the Heights. He...had b-been drinking." He hoped that Isoria would accept that explanation. He had to believe it had been an accident. While she cried over A'len's body, I'serin held on to K'mai's hand tightly.

K'mai squeezed his hand back. He had the urge to say something comforting, but he didn't want to interrupt them.

She sobbed for what seemed like an hour while they stood there. "I don't understand," she eventually said, wiping her eyes. "He was always so _careful_. Especially up there." She buried her head into the covered shoulder. "Oh, A'len, why?"

Why indeed.

I'serin found his voice, though it quavered. "Mother, he...he should be with Tirenth."

They watched as she pulled back physically and emotionally, becoming the clinical Healer who understood her duty to the Weyr. Who understood that she would always take second place to a dragon. "Yes, I...you're right, I'serin. He should." Her fingers shook as she kissed them and briefly touched A'len's cold forehead. "Oh, my love..." she sighed through renewed tears.

I'serin hated everything about what was happening even as he moved to complete his final task. "Help me carry him to Aluneth please," he murmured to K'mai.

K'mai nodded and swallowed before moving to help I'serin. Isoria's grief was palpable, and K'mai marveled at how a man who'd spent so much time on insults and unhappiness could inspire such love and sadness.

With words softly shared, the two men managed to wrap A'len's body into a makeshift shroud and carry it to a waiting Aluneth, who set his claws as a cradle. While I'serin mounted and reached down to help K'mai up behind him, Isoria hovered near the body, grief radiating from her frame. Aluneth let out a soft rumble of warning as he unfurled his wings. She took a step back and the dragon took off.

I'serin closed his eyes, imagined the Weyr from higher up, and, holding K'mai's hand tightly, gave Aluneth the terrible order to go /between/. When the light greeted them a few horrible heartbeats later, Aluneth's claws were empty.

Isoria was nowhere in sight.

Aluneth settled on the snowy Weyrleader's ledge, rumbling softly in comfort. I'serin leaned his head against the dragon's neckridge as he pulled K'mai close against his back. "It is done," he said in a tiny, weary, shaky voice.

K'mai squeezed him, trying to pour all the love and comfort he could into I'serin. "He's with Tirenth now."

I'serin nodded dully. He knew he still had one last duty to perform -- to tell the Weyr what had happened -- but he hated how he felt weighed down. Immovable. Yet, time grabbed at him, trying to pull him forward, despite his resistance. "I...must inform the Weyr," he told K'mai in a colorless voice. Even though everyone already knew that A'len was gone, they just did not know why. At least he would be able to stand with Saibra while he announced that. "Will you..."

What did he want to ask? What did he have the strength or the courage to ask?

Aluneth intervened through Sebeth. }: Have K'mai meet I'serin in his weyr after the announcement. He will need comfort. :{

"I'll be here for you," K'mai said after Sebeth had passed on the message. "Put on a brave face for the Weyr if you think you need to, but then you can come to me and feel whatever you need to feel." From everything he'd said, it seemed that I'serin had never had anyone he could truly let go around, and that included far more then his sexuality. It made K'mai ache all the more for him.

The offer should have brought about its usual edge of panic but I'serin...felt numb. He heard himself say, "I will do that," with only the barest glimmer of comfort taken from K'mai's words. The kiss he left on the bluerider's knuckles was dry. He sighed as he readied himself to dismount and face the Weyr but then paused. "Thank you," he said in a very quiet voice. Two words that were said for far more than just the current moment.

K'mai only nodded, a lump in his throat.

I'serin slid down and then reached up to help K'mai off Aluneth's high shoulder. He gently touched the bluerider's chin in quiet promise and then turned on his heel to be Weyrleader once more.

Last updated on the August 29th 2025

[Prev: Threads] Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined [Next: Five of Cups]

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Where Duty Falls