Forgiveness

Writers: Miriah, Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 12th September 2014

Characters: A'kua, Ninaine
Description: Time for a reconciliation.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 5 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: T'lat

Ninaine

After getting the poem and then speaking to T'lat, Ninaine knew that Aluka
deserved better than the silent treatment from her. It hadn't been his
mistake; it had been hers and it wasn't right to punish him for a
misunderstanding on her part. So, after the days drills and lessons were
done, she made Luneth stay outside of the barracks while she went inside.
The green groused about the necessity, but would not fit through the doors,
so she remained, albeit in constant mental contact with her rider.

She found Aluka's cot and looked down at the cloth in her hand. It wasn't
much, just an embroidered handkerchief that she had carefully placed a
bright red A on, but hopefully it was enough of a gift. She cleared her
throat to catch his attention. "Aluka?"

The Candidate was under his desk, fishing out the charcoal stick he had
accidentally dropped in the process of finishing a report. So when Ninaine
spoke up, she was treated to the humorous sight and sound of Aluka jerking
in surprise, whacking his head on the desk, and voicing a short string of
inventive curses. The redhead backed out and stood, rubbing his head as he
turned around to give the unexpected visitor a piece of his mind, only for
the words to die before birth. Ninaine was actually in his room while he
wasn't sick. Did that mean she had gotten his message and was ready to
forgive him? The thought made him nervous and strangely elated. "Hi," he
said, now finding himself at a loss for words. "Ya look well."

"Oh, are you alright?" She took a hurried step forward, but stopped as he
came out, cheeks coloring at his language. She cleared her throat and gave
a slight lift of her lips. "I guess I am, all considered. You're looking
much better than the last time I saw you." She glanced around and then
looked down at the handkerchief in her hand. "I got your poem. It was
beautiful. Thank you." She took a deep breath and then slowly put her hand
forward, holding out the small bit of cloth. "This is for you."

Aluka stared at the kerchief in wonder. He could count on one hand the
times he had gotten a gift simply because. He picked it up with the kind of
care one would normally offer an Ancient's relic, making sure not to touch
Ninaine's hand for fear of upsetting Luneth, and unfolded it. His throat
got suspiciously tight. "Thank ya," he said humbly. "I-" He cleared his
throat, lost again. "I'm not good at friendship, or gratitude, or makin'
apologies," he suddenly stated, the words coming on their own. "I never had
friends 'fore ya. No one wanted me, so I told myself I didn' need 'em. But
I'd see friends give each other gifts just 'cause, and I thought that was
how it was done. I didn' think it'd be so different in other Holds. I didn'
know how to fix it when it went cockeyed, and when I started thinkin' ya
didn't wanna see me, it hurt more'n I expected. I swear, I never meant to
hurt your feelin's, or make ya feel misled, or anythin' else like that."

"I'm not good at friends either. I didn't have many at Amber Hills." She
looked at him and spoke softly. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I made
an assumption that I shouldn't have. You didn't do anything but just be
nice to me." She gave a half-smile. "There's nothing to forgive, Aluka."

A weight came off his shoulders, and he gave her a bright and profoundly
relieved smile, wishing he could hug her. "Thank ya," he repeated. "Really."

"You're welcome." She clasped her hands in front of her, unsure what to do
next. "Uhm...You're feeling better I guess?"

"Much better." For various reasons now. "The fever had me pretty hard, but
it cleared up faster'n I expected. Have ya and Luneth been all right?
Whatcha been up to lately?"

Her smile grew a little broader. "We're doing better. She's right outside,
but she's getting better about being left alone. She's had to, since she's
too big to follow me now." She thought about what had been going on since
she'd last talked to him. "But she still throws tantrums some times if I'm
gone too long. And she still doesn't like people touching me, but she
hasn't bit or scratched any one. She just complains and growls now. And
we've flown together finally." That brought some brightness to her eyes.
"But J'darin is still worried about us going /between/ so I don't know if
we'll get to at the same time as everyone else."

"Congratulations!" Aluka exclaimed, the smile becoming a grin. It felt so
wonderful to see some light come back to her expression. "I'm proud of ya
both. Don' stress none 'bout the betweenin'. When ya do learn it, Luneth'll
always bring ya home safe."

"Thank you." She tried to master her smile into a polite lifting of lips
but the light in her eyes didn't dim. "And I have my own weyr now. It's
small, but it's mine."

That was good. Everyone needed a sanctuary where they could be alone, or
relatively so. "Been havin' fun decoratin'?"

"Uhm. No, not really. I really don't have that much, Aluka. Just a few
dresses and the clothes that they make me wear when I'm with Luneth. I
don't have a craft to make marks with. Everything's pretty simple, but I
don't mind."

"Who needs Marks in a Weyr?" Aluka asked. "Clothin's free, and if ya want
somethin' pretty to hang on the walls, all ya gotta do is hit the storage
rooms for discarded tapestries to fix up. Not much goes to waste here. On
the other hand, if ya wanna commission somethin', then aye, ya need Marks,
or time to do big favors for the person makin' it." Had her parents not
given her an allowance before she Impressed? Did she actually need the
money for something? He still had a fourth-Mark, the last of what he had
stolen from his hold; if Ninaine did indicate she needed something, he
decided he would give it to her. It wasn't as if he was going to a Gather
or something of the sort any time soon.

"I don't know how to fix tapestries and I have no skills other than what
I've learned as a rider, Aluka. I wasn't meant for more than children and
amusing a husband.." It was a gentle reminder of what she was. "And I won't
do the favors that some would ask for. I don't mind living simply."

"Not even runnin' a message or makin' a delivery?" Aluka asked, being
deliberately obtuse as he could guess what kind of favors Ninaine was
thinking of. He also wondered what his friend had been taught if not how to
make something presentable again. How to sit quietly? How to smile
prettily? How to not cry if she was abused? Ancients, he hated her parents
even more now. He hadn't thought that was possible. He went to his cot,
going to his knees to pull out the bag that held his clothing and other
things.

"I guess I could do that, but those aren't big favors. And my embroidery
isn't good enough to sell, so I suppose I'll have to make do with what the
Weyr provides. They have crafts people here that do far better than I."

"Not big favors, no, but sometimes it's what people need." Aluka folded his
new kerchief tenderly, placed it on one of his tunics, and dug out the
fourth-Mark from the bottom of the sack, where it was partially hidden in a
seam. After putting the bag back, he got up and held out the money to
Ninaine. "Here. 'Cause I think ya deserve somethin' nice for your weyr."

She looked at the mark in Aluka's hand and stepped back. "No, Aluka. I'm
not taking that." She shook her head. "That's yours and if I want something
nice, I'll earn it." Her voice was firm. "I don't have a husband and I
never will have. I have to learn to rely on myself and not expect to be
taken care of."

"I'm not takin' care of ya. I just think ya should have some fun with your
weyr. It's not like I'm gonna be usin' this for anythin'," Aluka said, but
he lowered his hand. It was probably best if he didn't push too hard right
now, much as he wanted to do something good for the friend who had bravely
chosen to believe he was worth putting up with. "How's Luneth doin' now
that she's flyin' and huntin' by herself?" he asked in an attempt to avoid
awkwardness.

"Well, you might have a weyr of your own someday, so save it for yourself."
She insisted, but offered a bit of a smile. "She's doing well. She enjoys
hunting and but won't fly too far from me." She paused. "And she's starting
to flirt a little. Bronzes mostly." She gave a little roll of her
shoulders, but it was clear that she wasn't to comfortable with that aspect
of her dragon. "I guess it's about time for her to."

"Emphasis on 'might' and 'someday'," Aluka said good-naturedly, knowing he
wasn't ready to Impress any time soon. Dragonets probably didn't want
people with his issues. Since there was nothing reassuring he could say
that would help put Ninaine at ease, nothing she hadn't heard a dozen times
before, he asked about something else, and relished his friend's presence
until it was time to part ways.

Last updated on the October 5th 2014

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Forgiveness