We're Done

Writers: Devin, Dana
Date Posted: 18th February 2009

Characters: Traelyn, N'vanik
Description: Traelyn tries to talk to N'vanik about the tension between them, but things get worse.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 5

N'vanik

"Here's our Hatching Record." Traelyn placed the hide down on N'vanik's desk. There was a chart drawn on it with the date of the Hatching, Nyith's and Loseth's names at the top, their names below their dragons', the number of eggs, their resultant colors, and each hatchling's name and who they were paired to. "I thought you might want to look it over before I send it down to the scribe."

He glanced over it, his eyes lingering for a second on the gold, the three bronzes, and his daughter's name. "Looks good."

She nodded, taking the hide back. "I'll send it down to the scribe today then."

"Okay."

Traelyn was silent for a long moment, studying him with a slight frown creasing her brow. Things had been tense between them ever since the Hatching, and she was tired of it. Enough was enough. She sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk and leaned back, folding her hands in her lap. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Hmm ..." N'vanik looked at a stack of hides. "I'm all full up today. Let me see if I can schedule something later."

"Don't act like a prick, N'vanik."

"Why not? There's nobody around to put a show on for."

A pale brow rose and she quickly reined in her rising anger. "I'm making an effort here," she told him quietly.

"Why? So we can make nice and you can have things the way you want them again?" he asked.

Shards and shells. "Are you telling me that you want to stay angry?"

"I'm saying I'm not going to make up just so you can feel better." She couldn't treat him like an after thought on one of the most important days of his life and then expect him to just forget about it.

Temper flared and she rose to her feet. "You either need to tell me why you're angry so we can move past this or I'm going to leave right now. It's your choice. You can be mature about this, or not. I'm leaving it up to you."

"I don't want to 'move past this' because it'll be the same thing over and over again. You live in your own little Traelyn world where everything revolves around you. The rest of us only matter until you decide you want something else." He was angry, but it was restrained.

"And how did you come to this conclusion?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"A Turn and a half of close observation." he said.

She snorted, hiding her discomfort behind an impassive mask. "You think that's a fair assessment? We haven't lived in the same Weyr for most of that time frame, N'vanik."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Distance can give you a little perspective."

She studied his face, trying very hard to keep her temper in check. Just who did he think he was, admonishing her like she was an errant child? He was the last person on Pern who should be jumping to conclusions about her, especially considering where he had come from in his own life. Hypocrite. "If I have used and abused you so much in the past, why did you have Loseth chase Nyith? Or why didn't you break it off with me completely when Talryne came into your life? So why don't you cut the crap and tell me what this is all really about."

"I don't have that many friends, Traelyn, and I'm a dimglow for thinking you understood me." Maybe he was a little mad at himself because he kept getting fooled.

"Don't you _dare_ play the victim with me. That's not going to fly." Her gray eyes flashed with anger. "Being the Weyrleader isn't all about you, you know. I'm not your property. I'm not a pretty little ornament you're entitled to because your bronze flew my gold. You have no right to assume I'm going to drop the life I've been leading here for the past Turn and a half because you're here now."

How ironic, when she'd just treated him like an ornament at the Hatching. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "See? There you go. I might as well be just another bronzerider to you. From what I understand, friends spend time together once in a while because they like each other's company. They don't treat it like a burden that disrupts their whole life." Not to mention that he'd disrupted _his_ whole life by winning her flight.

"Don't put words in my mouth!" she snarled. "I never said you disrupted my life, N'vanik. I just didn't sleep with you one night--_one_. Yes, it was your Hatching, but it was mine too. And I had a right to spend it with whoever I wanted, just like you did."

"And it never even occurred to you that I might want to celebrate _our_ Hatching _together_?" He shook his head. "I had the right to spend it with anyone, as long as it wasn't you."

"See, this is what I'm talking about! You just assumed I would be available. You should have asked me--I would have said yes. But you didn't." Since he had been silent on the matter, she had figured he'd be with Talryne after the feast. It hadn't surprised her at the time, especially considering he had left her for Talryne before. One incident at Dragonsfall Weyr, when she and Nyith had been stranded there during the violent hurricane that tore apart Dolphin Cove, came to mind. But this time, she hadn't taken offense. "And my lover did ask me, so I said yes to him."

And she _still_ didn't get it. "I'm done with this," N'vanik said. "Get out of my office."

A brow rose. "Running from me so soon?"

Shards, she was so full of herself. "I must be. In your little world, men only run from you or after you, and I'm not running after you."

She stared silently at him for a long moment, lingering anger warring with rising disappointment. She had expected more from him--so much more. "I never thought you would categorize me like that and shove me into a corresponding box. Not _you_, of all sharding people." She shook her head. "If that's how you really see me, then you don't know me at all." Traelyn rolled up the Hatching Record in her hand and turned around, heading for the door. If this was how it was going to be from now on, after one misunderstanding between them, she wanted no part of it. This, on top of every other hellish thing that had happened in her life recently, was the last straw. She was fed up with it--all of it. Pausing when she reached the door, she looked over her shoulder at him, expression distant and cold. "We're done." Then she slipped out, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Don't know me at all ... He felt the same way. It wasn't just the Hatching, it was what it represented. He hadn't expected her to change her life, to put him first all the time. Not even most of the time. But he'd thought they were friends, good friends. He hadn't asked her to spend time with him after the Hatching because he thought it was obvious. On such an important night for both of them, why should he have had to schedule time with her? Because unless he was standing right in front of her, he was barely worth a thought. Traelyn meant more to him than he meant to her, and that fact hurt, hurt deep. If even being her Weyrleader wasn't good enough for her, then it was time to cut Trae out of his heart.

Last updated on the February 20th 2009

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We're Done