Things Change

Writers: Devin, Eimi
Date Posted: 17th January 2008

Characters: N'vanik, U'kaiah
Description: N'vanik and U'kaiah ponder the changes a Turn can bring
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 15 of Turn 4

N'vanik

Drills had just finished and N'vanik told his bronze to wait a few minutes while he went over to talk to U'kaiah. "Any word on when G'sen will be back in the wings?" he asked. The greenrider had been injured in Fall the month before.

"A while yet," the Wingleader replied, unbuttoning his Weyrhide jacket's top few fastenings. Despite the snow, now that he was back on the ground he found his full winter rider gear a bit stiffling.
"He developed an infection which complicated things. It's cleared up now, of course, but it did slow down the process a bit."

N'vanik shook his head. Poor guy. "That still leaves us one short on the change over."

"I know. I'm working on it." The alternate formations U'kaiah had found so far all left an unprotected spot somewhere along the line.
The situation was unacceptable. They couldn't take too many more loses. Especially since it would still be months before they would have any new replacements. But thank Faranth Eggs were _finally_ on the Sands again!

"Guess we'll keep dealin with it." N'vanik shrugged. It was like the first few months of Threadfall - shortages everywhere.

"What choice do we have," U'kaiah agreed. He just hoped the gaps didn't result in his riders over-stretching themselves. That would just compound the problem. "Anything we miss, we just have to trust the Queen's wing to pick up."

N'vanik huffed. "We shouldn't be putting them at more risk."

"Do you have a better idea?" the Wingleader sighed, pulling his helmet off his head. A slight wisp of steam curled up from his damp curls. "If you do I'd be all ears."

N'vanik shook his head. "For once, I don't. Just stick me in the weak spot and I'll do what I can."

U'kaiah tucked his helmet under his arm and began pulling his gloves off. As much as he and N'vanik had managed to infuriate each other over the last Turn, the bronzerider had proved himself one of the best riders in his wing. "I'll let K'yo know tomorrow that I'm switching you with him. He's a little inexperienced to be covering that corner alone."

"Good."

And here was where they fell into awkward silence once more. U'kaiah slapped his gloves lightly against the side of his trousers. "So," he finally said, "how is Talryne doing?"

"She's good. Half the time my weyr looks like a weaver's workshop,"
N'vanik said. "But she enjoys it, and she's learning fast." She tried to keep most of her work in her own weyr, but things kept drifting over.

U'kaiah was glad to hear it, though he missed seeing her. After the row he had caused by visiting with her before, he rarely caught a glimpse of her any more. "Well, that's good then. I'm happy for her."

N'vanik nodded, his expression distant. Then he decided to ask the question he'd been meaning to ask for days. Sevendays, really. "How's Trae?"

"Oh, um..." U'kaiah hadn't realized N'vanik knew. Then again, it hadn't exactly been secret that he had been spending a lot of time at Dolphin Cove, and her gold must have been spotted on occassion. "She's... she's good. Busy. You know, as usual. But she's good. _We're_ good." "What do you mean 'we'?" N'vanik frowned at the odd emphasis. "You guys have a fight I don't know about?"

Shards, he had really stepped in it now. "You mean you really don't know about Trae and I?"

"You and Trae ... are you saying what I _think_ you're saying?"

The Wingleader squared his shoulders a bit. All right, this might be unexpected, but really did N'vanik expect that Trae would hold onto him forever? Especially since he had seemed to find a woman he prefered? "Yes. Trae and I are 'we' now."

N'vanik felt a flash of anger and jealousy. He'd been right _all along_! They'd always been too close. All that wherry dung about them being 'just friends'. Then, almost as quickly as it had come, the feeling faded. "Huh," he said thoughtfully.

U'kaiah couldn't really read his reaction. "It wasn't expected. I think it took us both by surprise."

Now N'vanik snorted. "I saw it coming a hundred lengths away. Honestly I'm surprised it took so long."

"Well, we hadn't really thought of each other in that way." At least, not since they first met. Of course, U'kaiah had been interested in getting to know Dragonsfall's newest gold, but it had quickly grown much deeper than that. He had been content just being her friend, no matter what the Weyr and N'vanik might have thought. "You can't always see what's right in front of you." N'vanik shrugged.
"Shards, I thought I'd be fit to flame when it finally happened." **And more hurt.** "But ... I guess things change."

"Yeah. I guess they do." Who would have thought a turn ago that Jaela would be gone, U'kaiah and Trae would be in love, and N'vanik would be attached to a riderless Talryne. He would have sooner believed /between/ would have a balmy day. "Time has a funny way."

"Sure does." N'vanik thought about how angry and bitter he'd been when he'd first come here. The transfer had, at least in part, been a punishment, and he'd felt it keenly. He still hated the sharding weather, but now ... Now Dragonsfall felt like home. "You never can tell how things will end up."

Well, U'kaiah was pretty sure nothing ever 'ended up'. "Makes you wonder what the next turn will bring."

"Maybe we'll be best friends," the older bronzerider joked.

"I suppose stranger things have happened." Though not in U'kaiah's lifetime.

N'vanik laughed. "Then let's leave it at that, before we find something to disagree about." "Right. Well, I will go make that change offical." U'kaiah stopped himself before asking the bronzerider to give Talryne his best. He may have gotten over his territorial claim on Trae, but she was another matter.

Last updated on the January 19th 2008

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Things Change