A Time For Quiet

Writers: AL, Len
Date Posted: 14th April 2011

Characters: Briata, J'nne
Description: Briata and Jayonne meet on the beach and get to talking about the death of his brother and his father
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 7 of Turn 6

Briata

Jayonne was walking across to the beach when he saw a familiar face.
"Hey Briata!" he called out to the beautiful girl.

Briata paused and turned. She had been making her way down to the
place where she stopped so often as of late. Almost every night she
was there, watching the sun as he made its way down. Her lips curled
up a little at the corners, but the light of any smile rarely reached
her eyes, but it was pleasant enough. "Hello Jayonne."

He smiled as he stopped up next to the girl. Unlike her, his smile
reached his entire face. "You going to watch the sunset?"

"I often watch the sunset here." Briata nodded, then turned her gaze
to the horizon. "It's always so beautiful. Peaceful. Sometimes I
forget to think when I watch it."

"That's the best way to be, isn't it? I feel that way sometimes when
I'm playing the fiddle...like it and I become just the music." He
walked with her as they talked.

"Yes. It is the best way to be." Especially when all she could have
in her mind was the ache of someone who was not with her. Briata
forced herself not to sigh and rather pushed a small smile on her
face. "What brings you to the beach?"

He hadn't missed the tragic look that passed over her face. After
all, being a Harper, he was trained to look for that sort of stuff.
Answering her question, he said, "oh, sometimes I just like a bit of
time to myself. Jaylene's and J'zen's positivity can be a bit..wearing
sometimes."

"I can understand that." Briata nodded. There were those who were
positively bubbling and she had to step away from them for a while.
Perhaps she was getting too far into her sorrow, but why did some
people expect her to be so bubbly and bright? "It's a lovely place to
go when you need some solace."

"It is. Sometimes I like to think about my dad and my brother and
their lifemates. I suppose it's a way to honour them, y'know?" He
settled down on the sand and gave her a sad smile.

Briata tilted her head, turning her gaze back to the man who had
joined her. "Your brother and father? Were they killed?" Her voice
was soft, as if she were almost afraid to ask the question.

"My father was, " he answered in a soft voice. "The first turn of the
pass, he and his blue were scored, went /between/ and that was it. And
my brother's green was killed and he choose to join her. She was a
real beauty, his green. Really brave..too brave..." The last bit came
out in an unexpected choke. He blinked a bit, keeping back any tears
that threatened to form. He couldn't believe it had only been two
turns ago.

"I...I'm sorry." Briata managed, drawing a little closer to place a
gentle hand on his shoulder. She wanted to share in his grief, to
tell him about B'lamick. Her mouth opened and she started to, but she
shut it. She didn't need to add to it. He had his own burden to
bear.

He smiled at her, blinking a bit. "Yeah, so now my mother and I get
the stress of worrying about Jaylene and J'zen every time there's a
Fall. I hope at some point there'll be a reason to not worry so
much." He was just grateful that both their greens seemed sensible
types, not like J'lan's spirited little lifemate.

"Some day." Unfortunately, Briata knew that day would not come for a
long time. Thread had only begun a few turns prior and she and
Jayonne would be quite a bit older before it stopped. "Your
mother...she's still here at the Weyr?"

"Yeah, she's a cracking harper!" His face lit up, thinking about his
mother. "She's always playing for the Hatchings and what not, you
might have heard her play."

"I'm sure I have, though I did not go to the last hatching." That had
been an act of defiance against Zharesti. This time, Briata would
have no need to go and hide. This time, she would be able to attend
the hatching of a woman that she respected. "Does she play at dinner
sometimes? Perhaps you can point her out to me next time she plays."

"No problems, she does." He went quiet, just watching the sun go down.

As Jayonne lapsed into silence, so too did Briata. She turned her
eyes to the sky, a streak of clouds adding texture to the amazing
painting that the sun spread across the horizon.

Last updated on the April 28th 2011

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A Time For Quiet