The Return

Writers: Devin
Date Posted: 5th October 2008
Series: Proving His Worth

Characters: Talryne, N'vanik
Description: Talryne finds out N'vanik won the Flight, and he returns to Dragonsfall for her.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 22 of Turn 4

Talryne

N'vanik

Talryne glanced at the clock for the fifth time in as many minutes.
She knew gold Flights took longer, but still ... it had been a long
time. Maybe N'vanik had found someone at Dolphin Cove to burn off his
lust with. She hadn't expected him to come to her -- he'd said he
never would, not after a lost goldflight, when he got violent with his
partner -- but she'd thought he would at least come back to
Dragonsfall.

She tried to return her attention to the blanket she was working on.
She only got a few more stitches done before Loseth bespoke her.

}:I caught Nyith. N'vanik is Weyrleader now.:{

Her mouth fell open and she dropped her needle. He _won_?! Her stomach
twisted as she wondered what that would mean for her -- for them.

}:He will come for you later. He says not to worry. Everything will be fine.:{

"Okay." She tried to calm down. He was going to come for her. He'd
told her he'd bring her to Dolphin Cove if he won.

}:He says he loves you.:{

Tal smiled a little, knowing he was trying to reassure her. **I love
him, too.** How must he be feeling? Surprised, certainly, since he
hadn't thought he would win. But was he happy? Proud that he had
finally proven himself? Or was he afraid, suddenly faced with the
responsibility of leading a Weyr?

Talryne stared down at her half finished blanket, wondering if she
would have to do the reassuring when N'vanik got home.

~*~

She waited just inside the weyr as Loseth landed, a blanket wrapped
around her shoulders -- the one N'vanik got her for Turnover.

He forced a smile as he slid off the bronze's neck. "Looks like we'll
be packing our bags for sunny Dolphin Cove."

The smile didn't reach his eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked.

_He_ was supposed to be reassuring _her_. Talryne's concern was too
much, and he crumbled. N'vanik wrapped his arms around her, holding
her tight. "I don't know what I'm doing. I thought I would _lose_!"

She pressed her head against his shoulder. "You underestimated
yourself. You always do that."

"And now a whole Weyr is going to suffer for it."

She pulled back and gripped his arms, hard. "Don't you dare think like
that! You can do this. Just because you've never had the chance
doesn't mean you _can't_."

"But there's so much I don't know ..."

"You'll learn. You're smart, N'vanik, and you care. I see how much it
bothers you when a wingmate dies. I see you pour over formation charts
for candlemarks. You're a bronzerider. Loseth chose you for a reason.
You were meant to lead." She kept her eyes on his.

"I hope you're right."

}:She is right. We are meant for this.:{

N'vanik laughed a little, although he felt close to tears. "You're
ganging up on me again."

"Good. We have to keep you line. Right, Loseth?"

}:Right.:{

He sighed, feeling a little better. For the moment. "So, I guess we
should start packing."

"You still want me to come?" Fear made a grab for her.

"Course I do." He smiled.

"Are you sure? It's okay if you don't. You have Trae -- you have a
Weyr to run now." She clutched her blanket tighter, wishing she could
be stronger.

He didn't miss her slip up. N'vanik cupped her face in his hands. "I
have to live at Dolphin Cove now. It wouldn't be home without you,
Tal."

"Oh." It wasn't flattery. He meant it, and that took some of the
weight off her heart.

He kissed her and then pulled away, tracing her cheek. "We should
start packing. It's going to take forever to get all your weaver stuff
packed."

Her craft. "I'll have to let the weavers know I'm leaving." A few of
them had become friends. It had been so hard to get comfortable with
them ... shards, her whole life was here. Everything but N'vanik. She
had to follow him. She could practice her weaving anywhere, she could
make new friends, as hard as that was. But she couldn't replace him.
She could never replace him. Talryne could only hope that N'vanik
could never replace her.

"And I'll make sure you get set up at Dolphin Cove. Even if the
weavers don't want to let you in, I'll make them." He winked.

She managed a smile. "Are you doing to let this go to your head?"

He laughed. "If only _that_ was the problem." He steered her into the
weyr and looked at the mess surrounding Tal's chair. "Yeah, this is
gonna take a while."

"I could leave most of it."

"Don't. I want you to be happy there, and this is what makes you
happy. So we'll take it all, even if we have to load Loseth down." At
least his end of the packing wouldn't take too long. Shards, he
couldn't believe he was leaving. He couldn't believe any of this.

"Okay." What would happen once they got to Dolphin Cove? What would
happen now that he could see Traelyn all the time? _Had_ to see her.
She was his Weyrwoman now. Tal wrapped her arms around her stomach,
trying to thaw the icy ball there.

How long until he didn't need her anymore?

Last updated on the October 11th 2008

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The Return