Questions and Answers

Writers: Devin, Steel
Date Posted: 5th September 2026

Characters: T'thalin, N'vanik
Description: T'thalin has an unexpected visitor
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 4, day 27 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: K'mai, I'serin, H'yazi

N'vanik

Loseth arrived at Barrier Lake Weyr and reached out for the young bronze. }:Hello, Roxarith. I'm Loseth, from Dolphin Cove. Mine would like to talk to yours. Sebeth's rider said he would like for our riders to meet.:{ And with the Hatching over, Loseth no longer needed to help guard the eggs.

The Dolphin Cove Weyrleader was here. The Dolphin Cove Weyrleader was _here_. For _him_.

Roxarith rumbled, sensing his rider's uncertainty and having none of it. }:Mine will meet with Yours. I will bring him. Or you may come to our weyr.:{ he added, a little bit grudgingly. This was _his_ ledge. }:Sebeth's rider is nice to Mine. Will Yours be polite?:{

**Roxarith!!** T'thalin objected, instantly.

Loseth rumbled in amusement. }:Mine will be kind.:{ Which wasn't exactly the same thing, but it was accurate. }:We're coming to your weyr.:{ N'vanik thought it was best to have privacy for this conversation.

As he landed, Loseth greeted the young bronze. N'vanik dismounted and smiled at T'thalin. "This isn't an official visit, so don't worry about being formal. I'm N'vanik." He held out his hand.

Roxarith moved over, though he huffed a reluctant greeting back and eyed Loseth. }:My ledge is big enough for both of us.:{ he conceded.

His rider couldn't help but falter, just for a moment, before he remembered himself and shook N'vanik's hand. "Yes, sir! ... I mean, um, N'vanik sir!" He blurted, and stood to the side, motioned to the door into his weyr. "I... um. Do you want to come in? I... Roxarith said your bronze told him we... know some of the same people?"

"K'mai suggested I come talk to you. And yeah, I'd like to come in." N'vanik stepped past the young man and glanced around the weyr. "Must be nice, having a place of your own."

The weyr itself was at least decently sized for a single occupant, Roxarith's spare harness hung by the exit to the ledge, and there's a few pillows scattered on the sofa.

T'thalin swallowed. "I... yes, sir. I mean, N'vanik." He offered. "I... Do you want anything to drink? I... have water. Some herdbeast jerky." He adds. "I... No. I've never had a place that's just for me before. Well... me and Roxarith."

N'vanik remembered what it was like to get his own first weyr. A place where he could stay, where he could be _safe_. "I'm good." He waved off the offer. N'vanik had never been very good with small talk, especially when there was something on his mind, like now. "You know, there's nothing wrong with liking men."

T'thalin stared at him. Opened his mouth. Closed it.

Finally, he swallowed, and his gaze flickered from N'vanik down to his own hands. "The Weyr is... different." He agreed, more quietly. "But... um. I'm... I'm a _bronze_ rider. It was maybe a little different before I Impressed, but..."

His shoulders slumped. "... What did K'mai say about me?"

"He said you were nice, and shy, and that you didn't expect bronze because you like men," N'vanik said. The way the kid talked about himself, the body language . . . it reminded him of I'serin. K'mai was definitely right about that. "I didn't start liking men until _after_ I Impressed bronze. Way after."

"I, um. I'm working on that." T'thalin dared. "I... I mean, the shy part. Like... like Roxarith said. I'm... well. He's bronze." He fidgeted a little bit, then exhaled. "I was... a little shocked." He admitted. "I... honestly wasn't... expecting _any_ dragon. Maybe a blue, like-- like K'mai said he told you I expected. But... then Roxarith was there. And he didn't care about... well. Any of that. He almost got in a fight with another hatchling over getting to me."

"He knew who he wanted," N'vanik said. "Dragons see _all_ of us -- the good and the bad, and the parts we don't even know about ourselves. Roxarith chose you out of all the people on the Sands, and _that_ makes you a bronzerider, not all the stereotype bullshit. You've got the potential to be a Wingleader or even Weyrleader someday, and you should take that seriously, but don't let anybody put you in a box."

"I didn't _steal_ Roxarith." T'thalin agreed, and took another breath.

}:Of course not.:{ Roxarith huffed. }:You are Mine.:{

The bronze weyrling hesitated, then added, "I... I'm sorry, sir, but... K'mai told you I was... well. One of the Holdless, right? It's... I have to be _perfect_. The model bronzerider. If that means, um, being boxed, a little bit..." He trailed off. "I just... I owe it to Roxarith."

A pang of guilt went through N'vanik at not being willing to share that he'd been holdless, too. "And what does Roxarith think about you thinking it's more important to impress people than to be yourself?"

"... He says if... Um. He says that if I wasn't me, he wouldn't be Roxarith." T'thalin responded dutifully. "... He says I'm his. That's what matters."

}:Indeed.:{ Roxarith asserted.

"There you go," N'vanik said. "You don't need to make a spectacle of it like I did." He laughed a little at himself. "But don't hide that part of yourself, either. Scorch anyone who thinks less of you for it."

"... I know." T'thalin volunteered. "I mean... um. I... well. Roxarith... helps. A lot. I... Because of him, I have a _home_, finally. And... I'm trying to do my best in training." He added.

"I'm sure you're doing fine," N'vanik said. "Do you know H'yazi? Wait, he was using a different name before . . . shards, I can't remember what it was. He came from the caves, too. About your age."

"I... don't know a H'yazi." T'thalin offered, half apologetic. "But I can try to have Roxarith find his dragon, if you know their name."

"His blue is Iarlath. You have similar personalities, and I think you might get along." And N'vanik thought it would be good for H'yazi to have another formerly Holdless person as a friend.

"I'll... have Roxarith reach out." T'thalin promised. "... Thank you, sir. For coming to talk to us. And... I hope so."

Last updated on the November 2nd 2026

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