What Were You Thinking?

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 25th August 2009

Characters: J'ren, T'vanen
Description: J'ren confronts T'vanen about Briata.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 8 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Briata

"You wanted to see me, J'ren?" the young bronzerider asked, reporting to
the Torrent Wing Wingsecond after drills as ordered.

"Yes I did." J'ren motioned for T'vanen to close the door behind him
and take a seat. He waited until the younger man was settled, then
folded his hands together and leaned forward. "Mind explaining yourself?"

Rapidly T'vanen replayed the morning's drills. **Did we do anything
wrong?** he asked Qwarith when no obvious errors came to mind.

}:_I_ did very well,:{ the bronze said with (in his rider's opinion)
quite unnecessary emphasis on the pronoun.

The young bronzerider sighed. "I'm not sure what it is that I should be
explaining," he admitted.

"I think you are." J'ren straightened up, the frown upon his lips
deepening. "I'm trying to figure out what got into you. What, exactly,
do you think you were doing taking the Lady Warder of Garnet Valley and
bringing her here?"

"Er -" For a moment the young man looked flummoxed. "Well, she was
miserable there. He was making her miserable. And she wanted to
escape." He thought back over his answer and wasn't particularly
inspired by it. "I think he hit her. That's what we do, isn't it? If
women want to leave their Hold? They're welcome here?"

J'ren heaved a sigh and ran a hand over his face. He had to give the
boy that and they would certainly not ignore a request for help, even of
someone of so high a rank. "Yes, but she was the Lady Warder. Of all
women to rescue." He managed a small smile to the younger bronzerider,
"You do realise this doesn't help relations between the Hold and the Weyr?"

"Never thought much about that," T'vanen admitted, now looking worried.
"But it didn't seem right to leave her there _because_ she had married
the Lord Warder."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you brought her here?" J'ren's
eyebrows arched upwards as his eyes intently studied the young man's
features. "Perhaps there was more to bringing her than because it
didn't seem right."

"Well ... No, not really. I like her - she's really sweet. But she's
not very interested in me, if that's what you mean."

"But are you interested in her?"

T'vanen's face lit up with a smile that was free from his previous
puzzlement and unease. "I was - but then she married the Lord Warder.
It was pretty obvious that she didn't have any plans to come to the Weyr
as anybody's weyrmate. As it turned out she needed a friend - and that
was me."

"And now that's all the interest you hold in her?" It was a sticky
situation with her simply being there, even more sticky of the young
bronzerider _did_ have feelings for the young Lady Warder.

"Right now. She's got to get un-married, doesn't she? And I don't know
how easy that is for Hold-folk."

"Depends on the situation." Not that J'ren had that much experience in
the matter either. "But let's say she does get 'unmarried'. Then what?"

"Then that would be a different story," the young man said hopefully,
then: "but there are no guarantees, are there?"

"No, there are never any guarantees." J'ren heard the note in his voice
and sincerely hoped that the boy wouldn't get his heart broken. "In the
meantime, try to keep your head about you."

"I won't do anything stupid," T'vanen assured the Wingsecond.

J'ren nodded. T'vanen didn't normally do stupid things, but when one
had feelings for someone, that could cloud judgement. "All right then.
You're dismissed."

With nothing to reply to that the young man left the Wingsecond's
office, dismissing the older man's concern. Nobody could really think
he'd 'stolen' Briata away for himself - could they?

Last updated on the August 29th 2009

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What Were You Thinking?