Harsh Words Were Said

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 8th March 2019

Characters: T'kala, Riveenata
Description: T'kala and Riveenata talk about why the greenrider is down.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 6 of Turn 9

"Riveenata," T'kala called as Dagreth landed on Savith's ledge. The
green had said that it was okay for him to come over, but he always
liked to announce his arrival just in case.

In one hand the bluerider held a small jar as he walked through the
greenrider's weyrcouch and into her weyr. "Hey," he said when he found
her, "I just wanted to bring by that stuff you leant me for the bruise
on my shoulder. It worked great."

Riveenata was sitting in a chair, holding riding straps that she
wasn't actually doing anything with. She looked up from the straps
when T'kala arrived. "Glad it helped you out. Nice to know I haven't
lost my skills as a Healer, at least." Her words came out in a very
glum tone.

The bluerider cocked an eyebrow, "You okay? You don't sound like yourself."

"Bad day," she muttered. "You want to sit, have a drink?"

T'kala parked himself in a chair, "Pour and I'll listen."

She hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to complain and sound weak
or pathetic or anything like that. But shardit, she was hurting inside
and she'd known T'kala forever. If she couldn't tell him, she'd just
keep it inside, burning. "So I told you I've been seeing K'lvin
around, right?"

The bluerider smiled a little, "Oh yes, I remember that. Things were
going pretty well as I remember."

"That's what I thought," she said, snorting. "Then he decided I was a
frivolous waste of time."

T'kala nearly spewed wine from his mouth. "He what?!"

"He said spending time with me was a frivolous waste," she repeated
dully, lifting a hand to swipe at her eyes.

T'kala knew his mouth was hanging open. He couldn't believe it. First,
that it had been said, and second, that it had come out of K'lvin's
mouth. The Wingleader had always struck him as the polite,
well-mannered sort. "Riv, I am so sorry. I can't believe he said
that... or actually meant it. What brought this about?"

"I don't _know_," she said, her voice cracking on the last word and
the tears coming to her eyes even though she tried to fight them back.
"He said that he'd been told to be careful of his health. So then he
said he needed time for important things. Like his children. And not
unimportant ones like me."

She sighed. "I thought it was going well too, we spent extra time
together after Panitath's flight and it was good and nice. And then I
was going to the Infirmary and I overheard he'd been there so I went
to check on him. Because I was worried. And then he threw that in my
face."

Even if he didn't want to spend time with Riveenata anymore he could
have said it more gently, couldn't he? T'kala thought.

"Maybe the heart thing just scared him and... he panicked or
something?" T'kala wasn't really sure what would cause the man to call
time with Riveenata a "waste."

She breathed out a long and ragged breath. "Mm." Very noncommittally.

T'kala knew it wasn't what she wanted to hear. He glanced at her empty
glass, "More wine?"

"Sure," she said, sliding the glass across. "I just don't know why he'd
say that. When he said he wanted to focus on important things, I
thought..." She laughed at herself. "I thought that maybe he was going
to say he realized what he and I was building was important. Were
building, I guess. Maybe. I thought we were building..."

"You _were_ building," T'kala confirmed. "I saw the way he looked at you
and it didn't seem frivolous."

"It was silly to think he'd ask me to be more serious, I suppose." She
bit her lip. "Sorry for just dumping this."

"Hey, don't apologize. K'lvin should be the one apologizing. Wasn't he
the one taking things all slow and stuff like it was going to be
serious?" T'kala asked.

"That's what I thought."

T'kala moved over and gave her a hug, "I'm sorry, Riv. I wish I could
say something to make you feel better right now."

"You listened. That helps." She sniffed again, shrugged a shoulder.

The bluerider rubbed a hand soothingly along her back. "I know. Would
it help if I said that K'lvin's a complete idiot?"

"I guess. Maybe?" She at least managed a laugh. "Do you know of
anything fun coming up? Anything we should go to? I really should get
out the weyr."

"The Dragonsfall Hatching is coming up, supposed to happen any day
now. Or, if you want something less formal, we could just find a good
remote spot on the beach," he offered.

"I don't think I have the energy to travel," she said, "so let's do
the beach, if that's okay. Say, do you know if anyone's doing beach
firepit nights on the restdays anymore?"

That had been a River Bluff tradition that several of the younger
riders had imported, but somehow she'd fallen out of it. Was it even
still running? She thought, maybe after a few days of hanging with
friends, avoiding K'lvin, falling back into her own patterns, she'd
feel normal again.

"I am pretty sure that C'rin and the others still do it, every other
rest day." T'kala hadn't been to the last one since he'd been on duty as
punishment from K'ran and Jeyme over the Wing fiasco.

"Then I'll go to that. And we can do something even sooner. Maybe catch
some spiderclaws or just look for firelizard clutchs." Kind of a
childish activity, but...

"It's a date," he said pressing a platonic kiss to her hair.

"Thanks, T'kala," she said, shifting and giving him a hug. "For
listening, and for everything. Hey, next time you should have some
gossip for me. Maybe some happier gossip."

"I shall do my best to bring a juicy bit of gossip for you," T'kala
vowed with a smile.

Last updated on the March 11th 2019

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Harsh Words Were Said