Dinner With A Friend

Writers: Suzee, AL
Date Posted: 17th May 2011

Characters: J'lor, Briata, Y'gel
Description: Y'gel invites friends to dinner
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 4 of Turn 6

J'lor

Briata

Y'gel

Y'gel sat at his usual table in the dining hall with his usual drink.
But this time things weren't quite like usual. Sure he was drinking
and there was another man drinking with him but they were also eating.

His eyes scanned the dining hall watching for one person in
particular. He'd invited Briata to join him for dinner this evening.
Her whole life seemed to consist of crafting at the weavers or helping
during Fall in the Dragonhealers cavern. She needed other interests
but always seemed to avoid any opportunities to get to know anyone. He
just thought he might help her along by inviting the young bluerider
to eat with them.

Briata was, unfortunately, late. She'd been working on those sketches
for the Weyrwoman and had lost track of the time. It wasn't like her.
When she realised how late she was, the girl had hurried out of her
quarters and through the hallways as fast as she could go, skirts held
tightly in her hands.

The dining hall came into view and once through the doors, she slowed,
looking around and finally catching sight of the face she was seeking.
She hadn't meant to keep Y'gel waiting, and she approached the table,
cheeks high with colour. "I'm sorry." She offered in apology as she
lowered into a seat. "I...got caught up in my work." Then she
paused, eyes shifting to fall upon an unfamiliar face.

"No worries," he said reaching out to pat her hand. "It is always good
to get caught up!" He looked where her eyes had gone. "Oh, Briata this
is J'lor. He's the rider of that nice big blue we released just when
you started working with us." His head went in the other direction.
"J'lor, Briata"

"Nice to meet you Briata," he said with a welcoming smile. He pushed a
mug in her direction and picked up the pot. "Want some?"

"Well met, J'lor." Her eyes slipped to the mug and she nodded. "Yes,
thank you." Briata watched as the man filled her mug, then lifted it
to sip slowly at the warm liquid. "Your blue...that was Luruth?"
Her eyes lifted to fall upon the rider. "How is he?"

"He's stronger every day. We're transferring back to our regular wing
next sevenday."

"I'm glad to hear that." The blue hadn't received the worst of
injuries but there was always an issue of infection which could make a
mild injury go to major very quickly. Sometimes infection didn't set
in until after a dragon was released. Briata was glad to see Luruth
was doing well. "I hope that neither of you will return to the
infirmary."

"I'll have to agree with that!" he said with a charming smile.

Y'gel just smiled at his plate and reached for another piece of
toasted bread. "Luruth has done very well. How's that brother of yours
J'lor?"

Briata offered no more commentary. It would be rude to intercept a
question that had been asked. Instead, she turned her attention to
her plate, picking at her food before deciding on the fish and taking
a small bite, listening politely.

J'lor smiled watching the lovely young woman stab at her plate. "You
know J'var," he said with a smile. "excels at everything." J'lor
wasn't really jealous of his brother just a little friendly
competition.

Y'gel chuckled. "Do you have any brothers or sisters Briata?" he asked.

"Yes, I do, several." Briata nodded, then took a sip of her wine. "They
are all younger, I am the third eldest."

Y'gel thought this was about the most he'd heard her talk in one
sitting J'nor must be good for her. He knew he'd liked the young man
when he'd met him. He was steady like his Luruth.

J'lor smiled, "Where are they all? Any of them here at the Weyr?"

Briata shook her head. "Bridatal is the heir to my father's hold.
N'tal is at Dolphin Cove. The rest are still at the hold." She
glanced over at Y'gel, noting the way he seemed to look so intensely
at his plate. What was he thinking?

Y'gel continued to eat and didn't notice her look.

J'lor picked up on her brother being a dragon rider but she had
weavers knots not candidates. "So, you have a brother who's a dragon
rider and you don't plan to stand?"

"No, I do not." Briata shook her head. That question inevitably came
up with almost every person she met. It shocked them. They just
didn't understand. "I'm fine with the way things are."

J'lor visibly flinched. "Sorry," he looked back and forth between the
other two. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Y'gel answered, "She's just excessively touchy on the subject."

Briata sighed and reached up to rub at the bridge of her nose. "I'm
just...tired of getting asked if I'm going to stand and why I'm not
going to stand. I apologise if I am a bit...tense when it comes to
this subject. I was pressured very heavily in the past, and still
feel some of it."

"I'ts a natural sort of question in a Weyr. Most people will just
assume you want to stand if you're the right age," said the blue
rider.

"It seems to be a question I get more often than most." Briata stated
with another punctuated sigh. The smile that appeared was small and
apologetic. "I...was ordered to do so once. And since then I've been
a bit...sensitive about the subject."

Y'gel figured he knew who ordered her to stand and rolled his eyes.
"Zharasti?" was all he asked.

Briata's smile was tight. Yes, she and that woman had butted heads.
"She made some...veiled threats at the time when I refused to Stand.
I had a..." There she paused, her throat tightening, but she managed
to struggle through. "A friend take me away during the hatching."

His eyes narrowed, "I imagine hatching time could be a bit difficult
for you." He'd completely forgotten the other man's presence and
leaned toward Briata. He cared about the girl and only sought a way to
help her get through what all dragon riders knew was coming for each
of them at some point.

"My first visit to the Weyr was a hatching." Briata explained. J'lor
had all been but forgotten by Briata as well as she spoke to the man
who had become her friend. "It was quite overwhelming. I couldn't
stay for the entire thing and had a horrible headache. It was hard
when I first came here permanently as well."

J'lor just sat back and watched the other two involved in their
conversation and shook his head. He just felt like a third wheel as he
worked on his meal.

Y'gel shook his head, he could only imagine what it must have been
like with all those dragon voices in her head. "If you must leave
during the hatchings Briata, I'll be happy to take you away."

"Or I," said J'lor.

That elicited a small smile, not just for Y'gel, but for J'lor as
well. "Thank you. Both of you. But I think this time I will attend,
though I will not Stand. It would be nice to be able to watch and
see. And now that I have a better handle on this ability, I might be
able to watch the entire thing."

J'lor looked puzzled between the other two. "What ability?"

Y'gel smiled and shook his head. "She can hear all dragons."

"Whoa! Really?" J'lor looked back at the young woman.

"You didn't know?" Briata tilted her head and regarded J'lor just before
giving Y'gel a sidelong glance. There had been plenty of rumours about
her, so she couldn't help but be at least a little surprised.

"No, well I mean, I knew we had one I just didn't think you'd be so
pretty." He stopped a little embarrassed.

Y'gel burst out laughing and slapped the younger man on his shoulder.
"What do you mean? I told you she was beautiful!"

J'lor's compliment was met with a gracing of pink upon Briata's
cheeks. "You are very kind." She knew she was nice to look at, but
Briata preferred that people looked at _other_ aspects rather than
just her looks. She cast a glance toward Y'gel, then looked back down
at her food, the fork picking idly at the meat before finally allowing
a bite. "So..." The conversation had dwindled onto the subject of her
and to be honest, Briata would prefer that it _not_. "Are either of
you...going to the Dolphin Cove hatching?" She knew that was coming
up fairly soon, though there was never any guarantee people would know
the _exact_ date.

Y'gel was proud of his job for the next hatching and didn't hesitate.
"I'll be escorting the Weyrwoman." he smiled. "So, yes I'll be going."

J'lor grinned over at the big bronzerider. "That's one of the perks of
being a bronzrider. But that means..." He smiled at the young woman
dining with them. "Did you want to attend? I would be happy to escort
you," he offered.

Y'gel wasn't quite sure why he was suddenly a little unhappy with the
bluerider. It looked like he and Briata were hitting it off pretty
well and wasn't that what he wanted?

Briata was surprised by the offer, but it was met with a smile. "That
would be nice. And it would mean my brother wouldn't have to ferry me
as well as others that he'll have a duty to do." She and N'tal kept
in touch, but they didn't get to see each other as much as they liked.
Plus he had his own friends at the Weyr. Still, it would be nice to
see him again and not force him to be the one to make the trip to get
her. "I thank you for your willingness, J'lor."

"Luruth and I will be honored." J'lor made a mock seated bow to her
with one hand over his heart. He was beginning to believe himself
quite fortunate to have been introduced to the young woman.

"Oh? I didn't realize you had a brother there. I'd like to meet him
sometime." There was still so much he didn't know about Briata.

"I do. We don't get to see each other very much, our lives are busy.
But he comes when he can." And it would be nice to see him again
without having to put him out of his way. "I...think I know the dress
I shall wear, as well." It had been one she had been working before
her marriage to Ishek. It was one of the finest pieces she had
created, and worthy of a Lady Holder - but she had never gotten a
chance to wear it. Now she was no longer...Lady Steward? Was that
the title? She had never been sure, had never been allowed to take
part in the hold, or in Ishek's life. Not truly. But now, here was a
chance to show off at least one of the dresses she had created.
Perhaps she would get a chance to show off the other two as well - in
time.

"I do get to see my brother as often as I would wish." He thought about
Yondre often but didn't act on it and here he was a dragonrider with
out an excuse. "I should go see him."

"I look forward to a dance then," the big healer said after a moment.

Briata nodded. "I will look forward to that as well." Briata enjoyed
dancing, and a feast generally meant dancing. It would be good to get
away. Good to dance. Good to just...live...for a little while.

Last updated on the March 21st 2019

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Dinner With A Friend