I Don't...Know
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 12th December 2005
Characters: Almonteo, Traelyn
Description: Almonteo and Trae have a rather personal conversation
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 2 of Turn 3
Almonteo smiled as he walked towards the young Weyrwoman. He wondered if she had the same need he did to get out from stone walls, or if maybe she just needed time alone with her thoughts as she looked out at the ocean. Oh well. He was an old man, a Hallmaster, and a curious harper, all of which gave him the right to disturb her silent reflection, he decided. "It's a lovely day, isn't it, Trae?"
"It is," she replied with a smile, turning her head towards the Hallmaster. She shifted, patting the sandy spot next to her, inviting him to sit beside her. "Nyith's enjoying herself," she grinned, nodding towards the queen dragon who was basking in the ocean far beyond the swell of the waves. Beside her was her bronze mate, his neck arched over hers possessively.
The Hallmaster was luckily still lithe from turns of dancing, he sat beside her with the ease and grace of a man half his turns. "Your gold seems happy in her choice of mate."
"She is. She's always been an outrageous flirt, but she seems genuinely fond of Hasaarth." Trae curled her knees up to her chest, watching as the gold lightly ran her muzzle demurely down Hasaarth's neck.
"How lucky," Almonteo smiled. "And your U'kaiah? Were you two able to spend enough time together after the Harper Hall Welcome? Or did he return to Dragonsfall?"
"_My_ U'kaiah? He's not mine." She glanced at him. "He returned to Dragonsfall."
"Ah, forgive me. Your _friend_ U'kaiah then." He returned her glance. "It's too bad he couldn't stay longer. But I suppose he had pressing duties to attend to back home."
She nodded. Pressing duties, and Jaela... "He's one of the Wingleaders, so he has mounds of hides piling up on his desk...it probably looks like mine!" she grinned a little, leaning back on her hands.
The Hallmaster rolled his eyes as he thought of the mound on his own desk. "You didn't tell me he was a harper. I was surprised to meet him."
"His favorite place in the Weyr is the Records Room," Trae grinned, remembering when he'd shown her. How she had _laughed_ at him...
"An archivist? Really?" The Hallmaster nodded appreciatively. He would not have figured him as the type to enjoy dusty old hides. But the again, perhaps it was just his own stereotype of bronzeriders. "And what instrument did he specialize in?"
"Mmmm.... I don't...I don't know, Almonteo." Her expression was almost guilty when she turned her head to look at him.
"Well, he's a journeyman, and he seemed to have a bit of rhythm when he was dancing last night. He must play at _least_ one instrument well." He shrugged. "I'll have to ask him next time we meet. A journeyman, archivist bronzerider and wingleader. Quite a combination. Seems there must be a few layers to that man." And apparently to the Weyrwoman's relationship with him...
"There's a few layers to everyone. But only some people are allowed to glimpse the inner layers of others...."
"Very true. It takes a true friend to see the things we have hidden deeper down." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You're lucky to have found such a friend."
"I know..." she replied softly. "I am." Traelyn looked at him. "And you know the funny thing about it?"
"What is funny?"
"I've only known him for three months." She wrapped her arms around her knees again, resting her chin on them. "It's such a short time, isn't it?"
The Hallmaster shrugged. "I knew I wanted to spend my entire life with Carmora the sixth time I met her. Sometimes something just... fits right."
Traelyn smiled at him. "You're lucky to have found her."
He put an arm around the young woman's shoulders. "Sometimes the only difference between a friend and a lover is the kind of love involved, not necessarily the depth of feeling."
She leaned against him briefly, thinking about his words. They were true. "We've never... He's never been my lover," she confided quietly. "But most people don't believe it. They look at us and then they'll whisper, judging us because I'll touch his cheek, or he'll kiss my forehead..."
Of course, being Hall-bred, what she was describing would lead _him_ to assume they were lovers too. But perhaps friendship was different in the Weyr. "I should think that in the Weyr it wouldn't matter if you were just friends or if you were lovers really. Or would it?"
Trae shrugged. "I suppose not. For most Weyrfolk, anyway."
"Does it bother you that you are mistaken for lovers?"
Again, she shrugged. "People can think what they want. But when they start blowing things out of proportion... Well, then it just gets sharding irritating." A small grin crossed her lips. "I'm only human, after all. Just because I'm Weyrbred doesn't mean gossip can't bother me."
"If its not too personal," though he wasn't sure how personal was defined in the Weyr, "what stopped you from being U'kaiah's lover? I mean, I saw you dancing with him, and the way you looked at each other..."
One brow rose and she turned her head to stare at him. What a question to ask! Well...she couldn't really blame him for being curious... Though this was some serious curiosity! Shards. "I don't know, Almonteo," she replied quietly after a moment.
"Forgive me, Trae. Perhaps that was an unfair question." He smiled appologetically. "Some people are just destined to be friends."
The young Weyrwoman inclined her head to him before resting her chin back on her knees. "Yes...they are."
Last updated on the December 12th 2005