Mistaken Identity

Writers: Devin, Bree
Date Posted: 21st May 2006

Characters: N'vanik, Abrei
Description: N'vanik first mistakes Abrei for Talryne, and then annoys her.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 22 of Turn 3

N'vanik

Abrei

Abrei had forgotten her jacket again, making the walk from the smithy back to the lower caverns seem far longer than it actually was. Granted, the weather at Dragonsfall was certainly warmer now than it had been a month or two ago, but Abrei found herself huddling against the wind as she marched across the ground. Next time, she told herself bitterly, Tysalne could come and visit her. At River Bluff. Where it was _warm_.

A gust of wind whipped by, freeing a few more strands of her hair to blow across her face. Another of her hairpins slipped from her hair, and she sighed and stopped, squinting at the ground in an attempt to find it. If it took more than a few heartbeats, she was going to give it up for lost and find her way inside.

Spotting her from a distance, a grin crossed N'vanik's face. Approaching from the side and behind so she wouldn't see him, he got close enough to whisper in her ear, "I've come up with some new inspirations involving that fine body of yours."

For a moment she thought U'kaiah had snuck up on her, as she couldn't _imagine_ who else would be saying something like that to her. But the voice was wrong, and when she shoved her hair back and glanced over her shoulder, she didn't recognize the face looking at her. "You had best not be talking to me," she said coldly, taking a hasty step away from the man.

N'vanik tilted his head. "What's wrong, Tal . . ." But wait, something was off. "I am _not_ Talryne," Abrei replied shortly, hoping with everything in her that the bronzerider would respond to the name with confusion. Talryne had only been at Dragonsfall for a few months... was _this_ the sort of company she'd fallen in with already?

Now he could see the differences in her features. "Huh, that's dissapointing." He crossed his arms. "Are you related? Cause you look an awful lot a like."

Abrei's eyes narrowed. So Talryne hadn't learned anything from her mistakes at River Bluff. "She's my cousin's daughter. His _young_ daughter." "Not _that_ young." N'vanik couldn't help a smirk.

"Young enough," Abrei replied in a rather unfriendly tone. "Have you made...
friends with my cousin?"

The smirk remained. "We've been quite friendly with each other."

Abrei raked her eyes up and down the bronzerider. "Can't you find women your _own_ age?"

"Plenty. But your cousin has particular charms that I rather enjoy." N'vanik looked her up and down, a bit slower than she had done to him. "_You_ seem to be closer to my age. I wonder if your similarity to Talryne goes beyond looks."

Abrei crossed her arms over her body, wishing she still had her warm, bulky jacket. "Probably not. For one thing, I've got taste."

N'vanik chuckled. "Well, she certainly is friendlier than you."

"I wouldn't say that's a good thing," Abrei snapped. "The last thing that girl needs in her life is a smirking, arrogant bronzerider. She's been through serious emotional turmoil, and I certainly doubt _you're_ capable of helping her with it." "She seems fine to me." The bronzerider shrugged.

Abrei gave him another withering look. "I'm sure you talk to her about her problems all the time, don't you?"

"She doesn't bring it up, and neither do I," N'vanik said, unbothered by her expression. "In fact, we don't talk much at all." The smirk was back.

"Oh, that's _so_ charming." Abrei snapped, wondering what Talryne could possibly see in the man. Well, she could understand what she might _see_ in him, but it wasn't as if he didn't more than cancel out his good looks by opening his mouth. "Stay away from her. All you're going to do is hurt her in the long run."

The bronzerider laughed. "What? Afraid I might break her heart? We're just having a little fun, that's all."

Abrei bit off a laugh. "Oh, of course you are. That's all bronzeriders know how to do." Bitterness dripped from her words so obviously that even _she_
knew how she sounded, and her cheeks flushed. The worst part was not knowing if it was R'han or M'galec she was angry with now. "Hmmm . . . sounds like someone had a bad relationship," he said, eyes sparkling with amusement.

Stepping to the side, Abrei ground her teeth to keep from answering and saying anything even more revealing. She'd walk away, that's what she'd do.
Walk away, and tell Talryne to pick her men a little more carefully. "Oh, it _must_ have been bad," N'vanik taunted. Abrei spun. "And that's _funny_ to you?" she exploded before she mangaged to bite her tongue again. His smile widened. "It's getting funnier by the minute."

She could only imagine the sort of things she might have said to him a few months ago... before R'han and M'galec had buried her in self-doubt. "You're obnoxious," was the only thing she could think of to say as she turned again, determined to ignore that condescending look in his eyes and walk away before she embarassed herself further by trying to hit him.

"It was nice meeting you," N'vanik called after her, still smiling. He wondered how could two people who looked so much alike be so different.

Last updated on the May 22nd 2006

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Mistaken Identity