It's Not You

Writers: Bree, Dana
Date Posted: 6th November 2006

Characters: Ar'lis, Lenala
Description: After forcing M'galec to leave, Vilarth calls an old friend to come and comfort Lenala, without warning Lenala that she's doing so
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 23 of Turn 3

Lenala

When Zylarth landed on their ledge, Lenala turned to give her dragon an accusatory look. "Vilarth!"

Her dragon seemed totally unashamed. }:Zylarth's rider is good for you.:{ "Zylarth's rider hasn't spoken to me in months," Lenala retorted under her breath, glaring at her dragon. She'd spent the last half candlemark since M'galec's departure trying to convince her dragon that she was fine, and that M'galec didn't mean any harm.

}:I know what's best,:{ Vilarth announced with annoying finality before crooning a greeting to Zylarth.

The bronze rubbed his jaw along her golden neck briefly, rumbling affectionately back. His rider and hers might not get along, but he got on with the queen just fine. When she deigned to notice him, at least.

With a wary look in his eyes, Ar'lis slid from Zylarth's neck and slowly approached Lenala, stopping before he was an arm's length from her. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Lenala sighed and turned to face him. "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have bothered you, Ar'lis. Vilarth was just... upset."

"Don't try that on me, Lenala. Queens don't get riled over little things."

"No, they don't," she admitted, turning back to Vilarth. But her dragon seemed unconcerned with receiving comfort for her now... the gold was too busy returning Zylarth's affection. Defeated, she turned back to her weyr and invited Ar'lis in with a gesture, not waiting to see if he followed her. "But I do. M'galec sort of startled me. It was silly, but Vilarth got defensive and said he had to leave."

Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back against the wall of her weyr, watching her as she made her way over to the sofa. "Startled you how?" If her _queen_ had told M'galec to leave... Shards. There was more to it, and Ar'lis knew it. He wasn't a stupid man.

Lenala pulled her knees up toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them, a defensive posture she'd thought she'd long since outgrown. "I appreciate you're trying to help, but you don't really want to be in the middle of this, Ar'lis. I know you don't."

"Don't sharding change the subject on me," he growled, noticing for the first time how...different she was. Her whole manner, and the look in her eyes... Taking in a deep breath, he tried to calm the anger starting to fester. He wasn't really angry at _her_, but at what he was seeing in her. "What happened?"

She couldn't hide the way she flinched away from his angry tone, her arms tightening around her legs to hide her shiver. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." She'd say anything to make the anger leave his eyes, because the last thing she needed was another bronzerider being mad at her.

His jaw clenched. Scorching shards...what had happened to her? Managing to smooth his expression, he came forward slowly. "You didn't upset me, darling," he told her softly, kneeling in front of her, trying to meet her eyes. When she wouldn't look at him, he gently reached out and touched the tips of his fingers to her chin. "It's not you."

The woman who looked back at him was nothing like the woman who had first arrived at River Bluff Weyr, full of cheerful lust and easy confidence.
She bit her lower lip in a nervous gesture before her eyes skittered away from his again, as if too nervous to hold his gaze for very long. "M'galec and I just had a fight," she said finally. "I can be thoughtless sometimes. You know that better than anyone."

"Did he threaten you?"

Lenala shook her head. "No, of course not. Things just got a little out of hand, that's all. He was just frustrated."

Trying not to be impatient, the bronzerider kept his voice soft. "Vilarth threw him out for a reason, Lenala. What did he do?"

Seeing that he wasn't going to give up, Lenala sighed. "It was nothing, Ar'lis. He was making fun of one of my books. He--he was holding it where I couldn't reach and he wouldn't let me up."

"Are you telling me he _forcibly_ held you to the ground?" He couldn't quite keep his tone in check anymore. A little heat crept into his words, but his touch on her hands was soft, conveying that he wasn't angry with her. No, not with her.

Lenala winced. "It wasn't _like_ that, though. Not like you're making it sound."

"Well, obviously you both weren't going to make a round or two of playful sex, otherwise Vilarth would have acted differently."

Lenala pulled her hands away from his, twining her fingers together almost painfully. "I don't know. I don't know how it happened, or why. But it was just one mistake, and Vilarth will calm down."

Ar'lis didn't like it. Not one bit. But what could he do if she wouldn't talk? "Do you want me to leave, then, Lenala?"

She didn't want to be alone, but she was terrified of what M'galec would say if he found out Ar'lis had been in her weyr. Not that she should have to explain anything like that to him... but he would be angry. Conflict showed in Lenala's eyes as she hesitated. "I... you don't have to stay. If you don't want to." It wasn't an answer, but maybe if she didn't answer, she wouldn't have to be responsible for whatever choice he made.

If that wasn't a plea to stay, he didn't know what was. Rising, he eased back onto the sofa, opening his arms. "Come here, sweetheart."

She wavered for only a moment before shifting across the couch and settled gingerly back into his arms.

He cradled her against him, resting his cheek against her hair. A fierce protectiveness washed over him--something he hadn't felt for her since Vilarth rose all those months ago. "You can always call for me. You know that, don't you?"

After a moment she nodded, her body slowly relaxing against him. "I'm sorry for everything that happened," she said finally. "I didn't treat you very well."

Ar'lis went silent, thinking back to those terrible moments, candlemarks and days after the flight. He sighed then, closing his eyes. "It...wasn't an easy time, Lenala. But it's in the past now." And hopefully it would stay there.

Lenala's hand snuck into his, her fingers curling around his almost hesitantly. "Thank you for coming, Ar'lis."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Last updated on the November 6th 2006

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It's Not You