Tell Me

Writers: Devin
Date Posted: 31st March 2013

Characters: N'vanik, Talryne
Description: N'vanik tells Talryne why he's upset.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 28 of Turn 6
Notes: Notes: follows "Don't Worry" and "What's Wrong?"
Mentioned: Rhosyn, K'sedel, Meledei

N'vanik

Talryne

Talryne set down her needles. "If you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm
going to ask Loseth."

N'vanik sighed. She would. "Fine. I went to see Rhosyn because Orlaith
gave us a mysterious message about something happening to her. She
insisted her rider was fine, but I was still worried. I just wanted to
know what it was, that's all. But when I got there, she refused to see
me. Sent two healers to stop me from walking into her weyr, even used
her sharding _Queen_ to block my way." He clenched his jaw. "Since
none of them would tell me what was wrong, I went to K'sedel. You know
what it was?"

Of course she didn't, but it was a rhetorical question. Talryne shook her head.

"Sun scorching. That's all. Yeah, that can be serious, but really,
what was the big deal? K'sedel said she was probably embarrassed.
_Embarrassed_! She couldn't tell me the truth because she was sharding
_embarrassed_." N'vanik growled. Thinking about it made him angry all
over again. "Apparently I'm not worth being honest to. What in flaming
Thread is with goldriders? Lost in their own little world where
nothing matters but themselves." Well, except Meledei, who was one of
the sweetest, most honest people he'd ever met.

Talryne moved her knitting to the table and slid closer to him on the
sofa. "She didn't tell you because she was embarrassed?" There had to
be more to it.

"Yeah, that's what K'sedel said. And it's not like I can ask her
because she wouldn't sharding _talk_ to me." He crossed his arms.
"Keeping secrets, just like Traelyn."

Talryne had noticed that on the rare occasions he mentioned the former
Weyrwoman, he never used the affectionate nickname 'Trae' anymore. It
was always the full name. "Is that what's really bothering you? That
you think she might ... pull away from you the way she did?"

"I guess. And she made me worry over nothing. I was so afraid
something awful had happened." He looked at Tal. She always seemed a
little uncomfortable when he talked about Rhosyn, and he didn't blame
her. "I shouldn't be talking to you about this."

Talryne laid a hand on his leg. "Talking is good for you. You can tell
me anything, it's okay." Even if she was jealous of the River Bluff
Weyrwoman. She tried not to be, but she couldn't help it. Rhosyn was
... whole, and if circumstances were different he could be leading a
Weyr with her. And then where would Talryne be?

He turned to stare at the wall, where a fireplace would be if he was
still at Dragonsfall. "You remember what happened to Jaela?"

"How could I forget?" Losing a Weyrwoman during a pass wasn't
something you forgot.

"When the healer apprentice told me Rhosyn's sickness was a 'private
matter' the first thing I thought was ..." He hesitated. This was
treading on very personal territory for him and Tal. He swallowed and
plunged on. "I thought about Jaela dying after losing a baby, and I
thought maybe Rhosyn had lost a baby and she was having
complications." He snorted. "Sunscorching. Selfish wherry."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she just leaned against him.
She'd gotten rid of their baby and it was still painful to remember
how much that had hurt him. At the time, she thought he was worried
about her safety, that she might have problems like Jaela. Talryne
hadn't even considered that he might want to keep it until he said so.
After it was too late.

"I don't know why I go chasing women all across Pern. It's stupid." He
turned to Tal, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're all I need.
Everyone else is just ... a bit of fun. You're the one I love."

She smiled and reached up to trail her fingers along his cheek. She
never got tired of hearing that. "I love you, too." Deep down, the
nasty jealous part of her hoped that meant he was done with Rhosyn.

Last updated on the April 19th 2013

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