Mournful Splash

Writers: Kenya, Sunrose
Date Posted: 10th February 2006

Characters: Jer'ic, Illiana
Description: Jerric and Illiana have a serious conversation about their parents
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 4 of Turn 3

Illiana sat with her feet in the water, it was another nice day at River Bluff Weyr, and she and Jerric had decided to spend a few candlemarks at the beach. "So tell me about your mom." Illiana said breaking the silence.

Jerric shrugged, taken by surprise by her sudden interest in his mother. "Her name is Laira. She was a Master Harper back in the North," Jerric told her, not really providing very much information. He still wasn't sure how to feel about the mother he had more or less abandoned for the Weyr.

"What is she like?" Illiana asked as she leaned back and rested her back on a rock behind her, looking to her right at Jerric.

"If you ever met her, I think you might like her. She is like any mother. You know how they are; overprotective. To be quite honest, she sheltered me a bit more than I would have liked and that is one of the reasons I came here. I doubt she even knows where I am now," he said, feeling extremely guilty. "Your mother can't be that much different, right?"

Illiana looked out at the ocean, her eyes glazed over a bit. "Well . . . I . . . I never had a mother." She said, refusing to look at Jerric now, she never _ever_ cried in front of someone. She took slow, deep breathes to try to calm herself down.

Jerric wasn't quite sure if this meant her mother had passed away or if Illiana had been abandoned but he knew immediately not to pry. That was the last thing he knew he had wanted when his own father had died several turns ago. Deciding to use that to comfort Illiana, he couldn't help but feel the urge to pull her into his arms. He resisted though and silently wondered which would have been harder; to have a mother you never had the chance of knowing or to have a father whom you grew so attached to and watched crumble to his ruin.

He didn't need to ask, Illiana filled in the blanks for him. "I never even met her, well I suppose she held me in her arms right after I was born, but I don't remember it."

"I'm sorry," Jerric said, unsure of how else to console but he could certainly sympathize with her. "I knew my father but he and my mother didn't get along very well.... They were always fighting and... He died a few turns ago," Jerric said, looking hard at the ground. He didn't want to admit that he had always blamed his mother for his father's demise. He afraid that Illiana might think less of him for demoralizing his mother.

Illiana reached out and rubbed Jerric's arm. "I'm sorry too." She said in a whisper.

Trying to shift the subject slightly, he asked, "And your father? I hope he is well?" For Jerric had decided it would be a tragedy indeed if Illiana had lost both her mother and father. He was somewhat sure that Illiana had spoke of her father appeared and had the impression that he was alive but then again, Jerric had spoken of his father too.

"Oh, he is well, probably worrying himself sick, you see he has always been very protective of me. And now that I'm not there for him to watch over he is probably beside himself. I'm very surprised he hasn't sent one of my brothers to watch over me yet." A small smile came to her face, she never had a father, but she did have a loving father and five wonderful brothers.

"I wouldn't hold my breath. I would be surprised if they didn't come after you. But then again, my mother is protective of me and she hasn't turned up.... yet," he said, grinning at the possiblity that his mother might one day find him. "I'm rather thankful that she hasn't. I enjoy being on my own for once."

The corner of Illiana's lips curved up even more. "As soon as they hear that I have a friend who is a boy, they'll be after you." She teased.

"Then for the sake of our friendship, let us hope that they don't find you," Jerric said, a began to relax a little, although still a bit saddened by their earlier conversation. Memories of his father came to his mind; both good and bad. "I think my mother will approve of you just fine though," Jerric assured her. "And I have no siblings for you to worry about."

Illiana chuckled. "Would your mother approve if i did this!?" She ask as she kicked some water up at Jerric, soaking his front.

Resisting the urge to push her in the water, Jerric cleared his throat. "You're lucky that I have _manners_," he said, just as playfully as she had kicked water on him. He didn't like the idea of the rest of his clothes getting wet and then possibly leading to a cold so he pulled his shirt off in hopes that it would dry quickly.

"Manners, pssshhhh." Illiana said as she kicked more water at him. "How long do these manners last?"

"You would have to learn some first!" he retorted and put his hands down in the water to splash her back finally. Using his hands was much more effective and Illiana was easily soaked in water, wetting her long red tresses. It was a good way to get rid of their depressing tone from before.

Illiana sputtered. "Oh, nowyou're in trouble!" She said as she splashed with her hands, but her small hands didn't compare to Jerric's, so it was rather ineffective.

The two splashed back and forth furiously for some time. Jerric perhaps could have taken her but it seemed that Illiana was far more motivated in winning. Falling on his back, soaked in water and now a bit muddy, Jerric put his hands up in defense. "Ok! Ok! You win!" he declared, taking time to take a full breath without having to worry about getting a mouth full of water.

Throwing her hands up in the air she jumped ot her feet and did a little 'victory dance.' "Haha! I knew I'd win." She stuck out her tongue at Jerric and sat down beside him, taking a chance to catch her breath.

"Yes! Fine! You won! Now can we go back to the Weyr so that I can take a bath and change into proper clothes?" Jerric asked, pretending to be a bit bitter but earnestly wanting to dry off. He had a bad feeling about sitting like this for too long. He stood up and helped her up, as he always did whenever the opportunity presented itself. Together they walked back to the Weyr, their friendship strengthened more than they both knew it in less than a candlemark of time.

Last updated on the February 11th 2006

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Mournful Splash