Her Decision

Writers: Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 11th March 2007

Characters: Ar'lis, Lenala
Description: Though Ar'lis is more than willing to offer Lenala comfort, she realizes that it might be time to try to stand on her own. Maybe a little bit, at least.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 24 of Turn 4

Lenala

Lenala smiled self-consciously at Ar'lis when she finally arrived at his door after her talk with Tsaera. "Thank you for helping Zylarth calm Vilarth down. I'm sorry I sent her to you so early in the morning, but things were... awkward."

"I just wish I could've been there," he told her quietly, opening the door wider to let her come inside.

She slipped past him and then slid an arm around his waist as soon as the door was closed. "I'm glad you weren't. You would have ended up punching M'galec, and then you'd be in trouble with the Weyrleader and I wouldn't have anyone to cuddle with this morning."

He snorted softly, wrapping his arms tightly around her, one hand reaching up to stroke her hair. "I don't think I've ever been so angry in my life...to know how he's been treating you, and knowing that I couldn't do anything to sharding stop it." He wasn't sharding blind. He saw the differences in her character the last time they saw each other, and he still saw them now. "He deserves more than just one punch."

Lenala relaxed against Ar'lis, a small smile coming to her lips. "But Tsaera thinks I did the right thing. And she's not angry with me, even though Vilarth... shards, the whole _Weyr_ probably heard her."

He touched her cheek, turning her face to his. "You don't have to think about that now, darling," he told her gently. "I'd ask if you want to...well, to talk about it, but you don't even have to do that. You don't have to do anything you don't want to right now."

She smiled a little sadly. "But people _are_ going to talk. And Vilarth's sitting on your ledge, Ar'lis. They're going to talk about you, too."

He shrugged, leading her to his sofa. "Let them talk all they want. It's just talk." But it was easier said than done--especially for her. She would have no choice but to take the brunt of it...and shards, he wanted to shield her from that.

Lenala sighed and slumped onto the couch. "Well, he'll have to go to deal with the Weyrlings in a candlemark or two. He has to... there isn't anyone else to do it. So I can go back and change when he's not there. If he hasn't moved his things out within a few days... well, I'll find him and I'll tell him to do it." The corner of her lips quirked up. "Tsaera said I could call a guard and have them move his things if he didn't do it."

He curled an arm around her. "Let me go with you?"

For a moment it was very tempting, but then she shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want you to get in trouble if M'galec decides to be stupid."

"I can be a reasonable man, Lenala. I wouldn't go into a raging fury the moment I lay my eyes on him." Unless he sharding provoked him to lose his temper... "I just don't like the idea of you going alone."

"He's not violent, Ar'lis. He won't hurt me physically. And if he tries anything else... well, I don't have to promise to tell you." She cast a look of amused resignation towards the ledge. "Vilarth will make it very clear."

He pulled her gently closer, still not liking the situation much, but if she didn't want him to come with her... "All right, darling."

She tensed a little against him. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Silently he berated himself for letting that soft growl creep into his tone. He should have known she would have interpreted it differently. He should have known that. Ar'lis shifted, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "No, Lenala, sweetheart. I'm not mad at you."

"I may be asking that a lot," she said with a resigned sigh, trying to relax. "Shards, what did I let him do to me, Ar'lis? How did he go from being so sweet to being..."

"A manipulative prick?" he finished through clenched teeth. Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes. The last thing she needed was to be around anger. She was especially sensitive to that emotion. **Shards, Lenala...** Once he thought he had his voice under control again, his eyes opened and he looked down at her. "You can stay here as long as you need to. You know that, don't you?"

"I do," she replied quietly. And it was tempting to curl up against his side and not leave again. "Maybe--I think maybe though I need to go back to my weyr. I love having you protect me, Ar'lis... but maybe I love it a little too much. I'm starting to wonder if that isn't part of the problem."

It was hard to keep his expression neutral when all he wanted right now was to wrap her in his arm and snarl at the world to leave her alone. He couldn't help feeling protective. He couldn't. But the last thing he wanted to was hold her back... But would he be, though? Shards! He wasn't a sharding mindhealer. "I don't want to inhibit you," he finally said, tone careful, hedging. **But my offer still stands...**

She'd been tensed against his answer without knowing it, but his words relaxed her. Whatever he wanted, he wasn't going to bully her into _doing_
what he wanted. "Maybe I'll make dumb decisions," she said, smiling up at him. "But, well... at least I'll be making them."

Last updated on the March 13th 2007

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Her Decision