We'll Get Through This

Writers: Ames, Suzee
Date Posted: 25th July 2011

Characters: Cardella, K'ale
Description: Cardella and K'ale comfort each other over Rama's loss after graduating to senior weyrlings
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 18 of Turn 6

Cardella

K'ale

She sat in her weyr, staring at the floor. Everything around her
seemed almost surreal, as though she had been watching her life from a
distance for the past few days. The mindhealers had felt she was over
the worst of things and had allowed her to return to her own weyr
rather than back to the infirmary. Yet, sitting here, now, Cardella
hated the fact that she was alone.

}:You are not alone, mine,:{ Awenth gently reminded her. She knew her
rider was sad, sadder than she had ever been before. Awenth was sad
too, but her memories of the tragedy were already starting to fade.

Swiping tears from her eyes, she showered her green with love. She
knew Awenth would always be there for her, but what she needed most
was her friends. People. Those who could understand her. Her thoughts
drifted back to their earlier class and official graduation to senior
weyrlinghood earlier that day. Cardella had been anticipating that
moment for many months now, yet the day had turned bittersweet. Not
only was Rama gone, but another of her closest friends wasn't even
speaking to her. Did K'ale somehow blame her for what happened? Was he
just in shock as well? The mindhealers had helped her through the
initial loss, perhaps K'ale needed someone to talk to. She'd heard
he'd all but shut himself away in his weyr since the accident, yet he
_had_ visited her in the infirmary.

"I can't take it anymore. Awenth, let's go." The green dutifully
obeyed her rider, allowing Cardella to climb onboard. Instantly they
were airborne and on their way to K'ale and Ima's weyr. "He's _got_ to
talk to someone," she told herself as they landed. **And _I_ need my
friend again.**

He was leaning huddled against Imalkyth. He couldn't sleep and he'd
cut everyone off. When it was time for class he went and did what he
was supposed to but didn't put any time. He knew his lifemate's memory
was already beginning to fade but he couldn't help remembering her
lovely blue eyes and happy smile. So full of life and suddenly
extinguished like she'd never been.

It made him angry and sad all over again. He had shut himself off
somehow thinking that by doing that he could deny the pain but there
it was looming up again.

**Who's that** he asked when he saw her coming through the fading
light. }:Awenth and her's come. You must see them mine:{

It was only the big brown's plea that made him let her come in. **Oh
alright, let her come.**

"K'ale?" She called out as she entered his weyr. Her eyes found her
friend and her face puckered into a frown. He looked as terrible on
the outside as she felt on the inside. Drawing in a shaky breath and
trying to control the stem of emotions that hovered just below the
surface, she moved closer. "You can't stay in here forever." **And I
need you,** she silently added as she swallowed past the lump in her
throat.

He wanted to reply with **Yes I can** but realized exactly how
childish it would sound. "We all grieve in different ways Cardella."
His red rimmed eyes were a testament to his hours of weeping. He shook
his head. "I don't think I'm ready yet." He could barely keep it
together for the time he had to be in class. He couldn't stand the
endless chatter of the other weyrlings.

She swallowed, trying to hold back her own grief for the moment, but
quickly losing the battle. "Oh, Maybe I shouldn't have come," she
whispered quietly knowing his words meant he wanted to be alone, even
though she so desperately felt the need to _not_ be alone.

"I'm be here when you are ready," she managed to choke out as she
turned reaching out to Awenth. **Take me somewhere, anywhere,** she
told her green as she suppressed her own sob. Concerned for her rider,
the green showered her with love even as she, herself, reached out to
the Imalkyth, }:Mine is distressed again:{

He bent and grabbed her hand before she could run. "Don't go," he
wasn't quite sure he wanted to talk about anything but now that she
was here... he didn't want her to leave.

She turned back, swiping at the tears that were already starting to
fall from her own eyes. "Can I just sit with you?" She asked quietly,
needing to be with someone who cared about her and whom she cared
about as well. She didn't even manage to wait for his reply before she
fell to the ground and found herself sitting beside the one person she
knew would understand.

K'ale put his arm around her and pulled her against his chest. He knew
she was hurting as much as she was and it was very unfair of him to
reject her when they both needed to try and understand what had
happend to them and to their friend. "I'm sorry Cardella. I just miss
her. I was going to...." his voice faded away and he left it unsaid.
There was no use dwelling on what might have been.

He hugged her harder

She sniffled but leaned into his arms. "She was always talking about
you," Cardella said quietly. "She thought very highly of you and..."
Cardella left her own words drift into silence. Rama had wanted to be
with K'ale, wanted him to win her first flight. She reached up and
brushed another tear off her cheek as she drew in a shaky breath. "I
miss her."

"I do too," he said softly. Her news about Rama's feelings for him
made it very hard to talk and he tried to swallow the lump in his
throat. Imalkyth's eyes whirled with distress as the four of them,
Imalkyth, Awenth, K'ale and Cardella lay all balled up together.

"We'll get through it Cardella," he said finally. "But we'll always miss
her."

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

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