Tell Me Your News, Biri

Writers: Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 2nd March 2006

Characters: Demalia, Birigundi
Description: Demalia brings Birigundi to break the new of Nialyn's pregnancy in person
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 28 of Turn 3

Birigundi

Tapheth was all ready to go, her rider having carefully fastened the straps on her.

**I'm going to need you today,** she told the green.

}:I am here,:{ replied Tapheth, raising her head to look comfortingly at Demalia. }:Always.:{
** I know,** she replied.

"All right," Birigundi huffed as he arrived out of breath. "Sorry I'm late." Truly he had enjoyed the sprint down to the waiting dragon. It had helped him get a bit of his nervous energy out.

"It's okay," she replied. "We're ready."

"Let's get going then." He patted the green's neck when she lifted a leg to help him into place. Birigundi settled himself onto her neck and wrapped the straps around himself, eagar to get off the ground and get this meeting over with.

"Ready?" asked Demalia.

Birigundi was tempted to say no. He knew his mother. This wasn't going to be easy. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then we'll go."

Tapheth, slowly took off, gaining height, before making the short jump /between/ to the runner station.

Birigundi watched as the ground and the tavern grew larger and larger as they descended towards the ground. He could already see his mother running out of the builing, shielding her eyes against the bright noonday sky and waving furiously. **She looks so happy... hopefully she can be happy for _me_ too...** His arms unconsciously grew tighter around the greenrider in front of him. He was glad Demalia was there.

Tapheth landed, and Demalia gently loosed Birigundi's grip. "Here we are," she said. "Ready?"

"Uh huh."

His mother was beside the green even before he could get his buckle undone. "Welcome Demalia! Biri, get down here, and you too Demalia so I can give you both a hug!"

Demalia made a bit of a show of unfastening the straps, watching as Birigundi got down.

He gave his mother a genuinely fond, and rather long hug. She pulled back with a chuckle. "Biri, why didn't you give me warning that you kids would be coming? I would have made some of my stew Demalia likes!"

"You don't need to go to any trouble," stated Demalia.

"Oh but I do!" Ma cried as she grabbed up the greenrider in a hug.
"It's so good to see you both!"

Birigundi gave his friend an apologetic smile. "Let's go inside, Ma.
It's a bit cold out here, and you've got not coat on."

"All right then. I'm sure I can whip up something for a nice lunch for us," she smiled as she hooked on elbow in Demalia's arm and one in her sons. "And you can tell me what brings you out here."

"It was Biri really," said Demalia. "I think he has something to tell you."

The older woman turned her eyes on her son expectantly.

"Uh, let's get inside and get a little something to eat." **And maybe a lot to drink...** he thought.

Birigundi slipped into a seat next to the fire as his mother bustled off into the kitchen. "Well, so far this is going good," he said with a half smile as Demalia sat down beside him.

"Lets see what she says when you tell her your news."

"Right." Birigundi wished his mother would hurry so they could this over with.

At wasn't long before his mother emerged from the kitchen with plates full of bread, cheese, and roast herdbest. Sitting down with a smile she said, "So... tell me your news, Biri."

"Well..." He glanced over at Demalia quickly for reassurance. Perhaps the direct approach was best. "It seems I am to be a father."

His mother stopped, a piece of cheese halfway to her mouth. She looked from one face to the other. "Why... Biri... that's..." Ma looked at Demalia and a slow smile spread across her face. "Demalia... that's..."

"Wait, Ma. Demalia and I have only ever been friends." He looked at the greenrider for support.

Demalia nodded, "I, I brought him here, because the healers say you shouldn't go /between/ if you are in the early stages of pregnancy."

A look of utter confusion crossed Ma's face as she looked at the greenrider. "But I thought..." Her look turned to one of realization as she looked at Demalia. "Ah... I see." She gave the young woman an understanding half smile, wondering that her son could be so thick.

Demalia returned it weakly, because she truly liked Biri's mother, but the fact remained that he now had an unbreakable link to another. And that hurt.

Ma liked Demalia too, but soon her disappointment turned to confussion.
"Well then, who _is_ the mother, Biri?"

Birigundi could tell there was some kind of secret communication going on that he couldn't follow and in the end he had given up and put a piece of herdbeast in his mouth. He swallowed it quickly when she asked her question and replied. "Well, her name is Nialyn. She's a drudge at the Weyr."

"I see. And you are in love with this girl?" Ma asked as she handed him a glass of milk to wash his food down with.

"Oh no. No no," he replied with a quick shake of his head. "She's nice, but no, we're not in _love_ or anything."

His mother looked at him incredulously. "Then just how did she end up pregnant?"

Shards. Here it comes, Biri though as he looked over at Demalia for help. Of course she couldn't help, but a drowning man would clutch at anything. "I don't know, Ma. It just happened. It wasn't anything we had planned."

"Uh huh," his mother replied with a slight frown. "And you will marry this girl now?"

"That's the not how it works in the Weyr, Ma," he said, grabbing a piece of bread.

"Oh, so you are allowed to shirk your responsibilities to a woman in a Weyr? Is that it?" her mother asked angry, but her expression softened when she glanced at the greenrider.

"No, Ma, I never said I was going to shirk anything! I'm going to help Nialyn any way I can. I'm just not going to _marry_ her. But I have been supporting her. Haven't I, Demalia." He looked hopefully towards his friend.

"He has," she had to admit. "He wouldn't leave her, he wouldn't leave anyone in that situation." Well, that at least was a relief to his mother. Her voice softened a bit. "And just what is your relationship to this girl?"

"We're friends..." Birigundi closed his eyes and sighed. She might as well know. Get it all out now. "I met her one night and... Well, it was never meant to be a lasting relationship."

"Oh, Biri," his mother groaned as she rested her head in her hands. "What were you _thinking_?"

"Ma, that's how it is in the Weyr. You know that," he mumbled, his face starting to burn a little bit. "People... just want to have a good time, and..."

"And impregnate girls they've only known a night?" his mother asked sarcastically. "How many other children have you fathered that I don't know about?"

"None that I know of," he said defensively.

"That you know of. Well, that's just wonderful. It's good to know I raised my son right." She stood and pulled her apron off. "Excuse me. I think I need to go for a walk."

"Ma..." Birigundi watched as she grabbed her coat off the hook and walked out into the chill afternoon air. He sighed as he looked over at his friend. "Well, that could have been... shards."

"Let me go after her," she said. "Maybe I can talk to her?"

He shrugged. "Couldn't hurt. Faranth knows she won't listen me now anyway."

"I'll see what I can do."

Last updated on the March 2nd 2006

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Tell Me Your News, Biri