Friends

Writers: Devin, Len
Date Posted: 16th September 2011

Characters: Sh'del, Talryne
Description: Sh'del checks in on friend Talryne
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 12 of Turn 6

Talryne

"Hey Tal, you in?" Sh'del taped at the girl's door and waited
patiently. Since his talk with N'vanik, he had noticed she wasn't
around much lately and was starting to worry about her.

She opened the door and gave him a little smile. "Sh'del, hi."

"Hullo, How are you doing?" He held up a bottle of wine for her.

"I'm fine, but it looks like I'm about to be better." She opened the
door wider and stepped aside to let him in.

"There you go, that's the spirit." Sh'del gave her a kiss on the
cheek before walking in. "Where d'you keep your glasses? I can pour
us a drink."

"In that cabinet." She pointed and followed him into the main room.
"Are you hiding from the weyrlings?"

"Is it that obvious?" He handed her a glass before downing half of
his. "They'll be the death of me yet."

Talryne took a sip. "You'll survive."

"Will I?" he teased. "You sure of that?" After taking a sip of his
own, he settled in beside her.

"You better. I don't think N'vanik wants to look for another
Weyrlingmaster Second."

"Serve him right if I were to expire on the job, letting his bronze
sire that many hatchlings." He gave her a cheeky grin. "So how have
you been doing? I haven't seen you around much lately, starting to
get worried about you." He may have looked cheerful but underneath
there was an air of concern for her.

She shrugged. "I'm fine. I've been busy with weaving and stuff, and
well ... N'vanik's needed a lot of attention lately." When he wasn't
busy with his duties he spent most of his time with her. Even with his
visits to Rhosyn and a few nights with Janani, he was still spending
more time with her than usual.

N'vanik needed a lot of attention? Sh'del threatened to start
laughing at that, juggling three women as he was. The look he gave
her was sceptical, in the least. "Hmm..."

Talryne rolled her eyes. "Not _that_. I mean, not _just_ that."

"Well then, what? I'd think the last guy on Pern that needs yet more
attention is that man." Sh'del snorted at that. "Now you, on the
other hand, you need loads of attention. N'vanik was saying he's
trying to get you to go to that gather that's coming up over at
Dragonsfall's territory. How come you're reluctant to go?" In his
eyes, that'd be a way to get that River's Buff woman to back off a bit
and have Talryne show who was N'vanik's real weyrmate.

She looked down at her glass. "I don't like crowds." Sometimes it was
okay, but more often being around all those people made her nervous.

"That the only reason?" He reached out and patted her hand like an
old auntie would.

She sighed. "I'm worried I'll ruin it for him. He'll spend the whole
time making sure I'm okay and if I can't handle it, he'll take me
back. He'd have more fun if he went alone, or with someone else." Like
Rhosyn, as long as someone didn't throw wine on her this time.

"Like who?"

"I don't know, Janani or Rhosyn, someone who isn't going to panic."
She took another sip of wine. Drinking still made her feel vaguely
guilty, remembering when the healers and N'vanik had told her to stay
away from alcohol.

"You don't mind them then?" Sh'del let out the breath he was holding.
If Talryne was okay with N'vanik messing about then who was he to say
a word? He just didn't want to see such a nice girl hurt.

"Them in particular? Or that N'vanik sees other women?"

He grinned. "Well, Janani's okay..."

"You don't like Rhosyn?" Of the two, Rhosyn made her more nervous but
she had nothing personal against her.

"Well, I know Janani, but I'm sure Rhosyn's okay as well, I just don't
know her."

"Oh." Talryne took another sip of wine.

"So..you seriously are okay with this then?" Sh'del wasn't going to
get himself backed into a corner about how he felt about any gold
rider.

Talryne shrugged. "I knew who N'vanik was when we got into this. I'm
not going to force him to change, and honestly I wouldn't want him to.
If he did I'd feel guilty he was forcing himself to be someone he's
not."

"True." He patted her hand like the old auntie he felt like. "Well,
if it helps, if you want to go to the gather and are afraid of
disappointing N'vanik, I'd be more than happy to take you."

She shook her head. "Then I'd be disappointing you."

"You wouldn't..." He gave her a stern look and then wrapped an arm
around her shoulders. "Come on, I'm a friend, you can't disappoint
good mates, right?"

"I don't want anyone to make a fuss over me." It made her self
conscious when people went out of their way because of her.

Sh'del groaned and shook his head. "Come on, let one of us fuss
over you, just once. It can't hurt."

She thought about pointing out that N'vanik fussed over her enough,
but decided not to. "I'll think about it."

Last updated on the October 15th 2011

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