Something Old, Something New

Writers: Jane, Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 6th December 2007

Characters: Kateena, Swift, Mahantan
Description: Kateena and Swift prepare for their betrothal with family and friends
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 6, day 21 of Turn 4

The Gather clothes felt stiff and a little uncomfortable to the man who was usually had few reasons to dress in anything but the most casual of work clothes. Nevertheless, if there was a good reason for getting dressed up, then this was it. His wedding day. A small ceremony in the dining hall while it was empty between meals, some refreshments for those who gathered to witness their promises, and then the practicalities of moving his things into the new room he and Kateena had been assigned.

Swift looked around the hall, not wanting to interfere with the placement of the food on the tables but wishing he could. Anything would be better than just waiting with everybody until Kateena and her mother appeared.

Mahantan cleared his throat as he entered, decked out in his best clothes, though he had not been asked to do so. "Swift? I thought maybe you could use someone with you today? Besides your new wife, that is."

~*~

"How do I look?" Kateena asked nervously, as she turned from the looking glass to face her mother. Her hand shook as she held them first at her sides and then in front of her; trying to hide the fact she was trembling madly.

"Beautiful, just beautiful." Aneya answered, stepping forward and taking her daughters hands in her own. She pulled Kateena forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "I must admit, I'd almost given up on seeing this day arrive, but he is a nice man, my love, and I think he will treat you well."

~*~

"I'd be honoured," Swift said, pleased to be distracted from his waiting and warmed to think that the busy Master of Apprentices would take time out from his precious restday to support one of the kitchen workers.
"I'm a very lucky man," he added, confiding his thoughts to the other man. "This is my second marriage and both times I've known I was very lucky. I don't know that everybody can say that."

The other man nodded. "Not everybody can." His own marriage had ended badly and he was reluctant to form any attachments because of it. "The two of you seem to blend your interests well. That should carry your relationship a long way."

"As long as I'm given," Swift agreed. "I don't think there's much doubt that Kateena will outlast me." He shrugged philosophically. "She doesn't seem to mind."

~*~

There was a knock at the door and Aneya quickly answered it, "There's a rider here ma'am." the drudge said nervously, "he wanted to see you before the ceremony, he said."

"Show him in." From the reaction of the drudge, Aneya had a pretty clear idea who the rider was, and showed no surprise as the woman returned with a tall, dark haired man in her wake. His eyes locked with Aneya's and held, he didn't look left nor right as he approached - just straight ahead.

~*~

Mahantan cleared his throat and glanced sidelong at Swift. "This ceremony - I thought it was supposed to be a small one. But there's been quite a bit of activity, dragon type? Is something . . . wrong?"

"Very small," Swift assured the other man. "Only my lovely dolphineer journeywoman is the daughter of dragonriders. Her mother is here, I know. Are there other dragons?"

~*~

"K'ten!" Aneya greeted him warmly, taking him into her embrace, and feeling a warmth from him in return. "I wasn't sure, but I did hope."

"I couldn't _not_ come in the end." he replied quietly. "Does she not expect me?" he asked, nodding to the figure who stood off to the side in the room behind them."

"She too was hopeful, but we hadn't heard from you so weren't sure." she ushered him inside, "Kat, someone to see you." she smiled as her daughter turned to face them.

"Dad!" Kateena picked up her dress, not wanting to step on it in her haste as she rushed to her father and embraced him. "I'm..." tears flooded her eyes.

"Sssh! I don't want to get the blame for you looking mottled during the ceremony." he replied, lifting his hand to her face and brushing the happy tears from her face with his thumb. "You look beautiful." he sighed. "But then, you look like your mother, so that's expected."

"And you are as slick tongued as you always were." Aneya chided. "Is Tarinya here with you?" she asked.

"Outside with the dragons. She wasn't sure whether to come or not, feels safer out there."

"Oh dad, please - go and get her. She has nothing to be worried about, no one will look twice at her injuries. We live too close to the Weyr for people to be strange about injured riders."

"She was also worried about - you." he answered. "I told her you'd be fine with us, but - well she's around your age, and well, I am..." he lifted his arms and shrugged, "what I am."

"And neither of you have met Swift yet, have you?" she grinned. "Mum, take him out to meet Swift and then the pair of them can go and bring Tarinya in to the ceremony."

~*~

There was a stir at one of the entrances to the dining hall, distracting Swift from his question. He looked up hopefully but it wasn't Kateena there -

"That's is Kateena's mother, Aneya, gold Aramyth's rider," he murmured under his breath to the dolphineer master.

"Gold?" Mahantan's eyes widened. "Forrel was telling me about a gold dragon but I didn't connect what she was saying."

"Swift!" Aneya hailed, her arm was tightly entwined with K'ten's and wasn't allowing the bronze rider the chance of escape, "Permit me to introduce you to Kateena's father, K'ten." she smiled and nodded in greeting to the Master of Apprentices, not wishing to appear rude.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Swift said easily, extending his hand to the other man.

Mahantan returned the goldrider's nod and stepped back, allowing the two dragonriders to have some private time with Swift.

"And I you, Swift." he turned and cast a quizzical glance at Aneya, "I see what she meant."

"Thought you might." Aneya replied with a grin. "So do you think this might change her mind, and yours?" she asked cryptically, aware of the strange look from Swift.

"Kateena's mind?" Swift asked, guessing at but not really understanding the conversation.

"No! No, not Kat's mind, nothing and no one can change that." Aneya replied, "I meant K'ten's partners mind. She was worried Kateena might be offended if she attended the wedding, since she is so much younger than K'ten. I needed to introduce you two anyway, and thought meeting you would help allay _both_ of their fears." She turned back to K'ten, "So has it done the trick with you?"

"It certainly has." he replied with a smile, then turned to Swift, "I'm sorry this has been a strange introduction, but if you would come with me, to talk to Tarinya, I'm sure it would help - that is, if you still want to be a part of this slightly strange family?"

"I -," Swift glanced around and waved the Master of Apprentices closer.
"Master Mahantan, I have to pop out for a moment but if Kateena arrives ... _Don't_ let her leave."

"I'll do my best," was the dolphineer's reply, though he muttered to himself, "I doubt that she's going anywhere."

"She won't." Aneya assured them all. "I'll go back now and let her know you've gone to Tarinya, and then when K'ten comes back, he's to come and collect her from her room. "Well both walk her over for the ceremony.
So scoot!" she waved her hands in a brushing motion, as if to sweep them from the room. "I'm so sorry about the delay." she said, turning to the Master Dolphineer. "You're Mahantan?" she asked.

~*~

Swift found himself walking alongside the scarred bronzerider. "Is that the problem, then? That -" he searched for the name that the man had used, "- Tarinya is so much younger? Did she think the weyrwoman would mind? Or Kateena?"

"More that Kateena would be offended by her father being with a much younger woman. Aneya was already aware of the situation. I however,"
he paused and smiled at Swift, "wasn't aware of Kat's situation."

"Apologies about that, sir. We just seemed to run out of time to do everything before we married."

"There's no _reason_ for the quick nuptials then?" K'ten asked. "It just seemed I had only heard about you and then you were to marry."
Though he of all people could understand the want and need to find a mate and settle, for who knew what the next day would bring, in this uncertain time.

"Just impatience," Swift said with a smile.

"Oh, ok." K'ten nodded, "Just thought I'd ask." It was strange to be talking to a contemporary instead of someone half his age, he felt a little more comfortable this way, less self conscious about his scarring and other injuries, and the man hadn't seemed to notice his lack of appendage at the end of his left arm. Though he supposed it would be more noticeable if it had been his right - nothing to shake in greeting.
With a wry smile he looked along the beach to where Tarinya stood with the dragons. "I have yet to meet her parents." he nodded to the lone woman, and gave her a wave.

"I wish you as easy a time of it as I've had with Kateena's."

"Hmm, I've been too easy on you? I'd remedy that, but I'm counting on you to persuade Tarinya that all will be well if she attends the ceremony."

"I'm happy to do my best," the kitchen-hand promised.

~*~

The Master of Apprentices shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Yes, I'm Mahantan. And you, goldrider - where do you call home?"

"I'm from the North, but please, don't hold that against me." Aneya smiled, hoping she had not overstepped the mark with the master. "I hate to say this, but I need to disappear for a few moments, to let Kateena know what is happening, could I leave it to you to let people know the ceremony will begin very shortly?" This wasn't how Swift and Kateena had planned the day, but K'ten and Tarinya needed to feel welcome, and this was one way of accomplishing that end.

~*~

When Swift refturned to the dining hall it was in the company of two dragonriders; Kateena's father and the young woman K'ten was weyrmated too. The kitchen hand couldn't help but feel triumphant now that he had rounded up all of Kateena's family, hopefully making the ceremony in all that more special for his bride.

"She's not here yet?" he asked, slightly anxiously, of the Master of Apprentices and the goldrider he stood beside.

"I'm sure she'll be ready soon," Mahantan reassured him, though he wished that he could feel more certain of that.

~*~

She stood nervously outside the dining hall, she had seen Swift re-enter the building a few moments before with her father, and a young woman she presumed was her fathers weyrmate.

Her body was a bundle of nerves, with one last glance down over her gown, and an affirmative nod of her head, she entered the building, well aware that although it was a small ceremony there were eyes watching from many of the windows around the yard, as well as the people within the Hall.

She caught Swifts eye the moment she entered and felt a flutter of excitement build inside her. Their eyes met, and she knew, right then and there, that she would never want to spend her time with anyone else for the rest of her life.

Swift glanced at the dolphineer beside him, sharing a moment of relief that the waiting was over, then he looked back at his bride.

He was a man in his seventh decade, with a weather-beaten face and no natal rank or standing in a craft, and yet here was Kateena, a much younger and very beautiful woman who wanted to be his wife. He couldn't help but remember the brevity of his first marriage, not in sadness or regret, but as a reminder of how precious each moment of his married life with Kateena should be.

He smiled the the lovely woman walking toward him.

How precious each moment of his married life with Kateena _would_ be.

Last updated on the December 8th 2007

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Something Old, Something New