Confrontation

Writers: Suzee, Miriah, Emma
Date Posted: 2nd September 2013

Characters: K'deren, D'hol, Cyradis, Kielya
Description: K'deren and Cyradis get confronted by D'hol
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 1 of Turn 7

K'deren

D'hol

Cyradis

Kielya

He had waited for a couple of days, but his mind could think of little
else besides Cyradis' last words to him. A daughter. Keilya was his
daughter. He'd said nothing to K'deren, keeping his personal feelings
out of wing business, but he couldn't help his manner being somewhat
more distant. Approaching the door to the weyr that Cyradis and
K'deren shared, he paused, stared at it, and then rapped sharply on
the door, face tight.

She opened the door and looked up and up. "Hi," she said. She'd seen
this man before in mommy's office and he told good stories. "Daddy,"
Kielya called out before she turned away from the door. "Bronzerider
here to see you." She skipped away into the main living area.

"Won't be a moment," called K'deren as he put down the mug of klah he was
enjoying.

He stood and walked over to the door. When he realised who it was, he almost
did a double take, the Wingleader had never visited his personal space
before now. "Come in," he said.

Hearing her call K'deren 'Daddy' stung. Thinking logically, he knew it was
reasonable that she should do so, but he was hard pressed not to snarl at
his Wingsecond in immediate response. Instead, he stepped in, his entire
body tense. He spoke in a low voice, but his words were sharp. "I want to
see my daughter."

"Does Cyradis know you're here?" Those were the first words to come into his
head. Logically he knew this would come after he found out who had fathered
Kielya. "I don't want you upsetting Kielya."

Hazel eyes narrowed. "I have no intentions of upsetting the child. And this
situation could have been averted a long time ago, had Cyradis been honest."
D'hol's lips thinned. "She knew I would come here after she admitted it."

"She might have told you, but Kielya doesn't know," K'deren said softly in
case the child came back. "Seriously, don't upset her, she needs to hear the
truth, but from her mother."

A twitch in the jaw betrayed the strain that D'hol's control was
under. "Then I suggest you get your weyrmate here."

But Cyradis was already on her way. Panitath had told her Donneth's
and Yumath's were having difficulty. She walked in her door in time
to hear D'hol's last. "I've been trying to prepare her for the news
but she's only eight turns. Please D'hol," she kept her voice soft
pleading with him. "Just give me a little time." She'd known he would
come from the moment she told him about Kielya but the little girl had
absolutely no clue N'lon wasn't her father. "She doesn't' take to
change well." **Rather like you.**

D'hol whirled at her voice. "You've had Turns." His jaw twitched
wildly and his voice remained soft, but there was no denying the angry
hurt in his voice. The bitterness. "You have all that you wanted, but
by Faranth, you can't keep my child from me any more. You tell her,
Cyradis."

"When you left I didn't know. You were already long gone when I
figured it out and by then she was already attached to N'lon. What was
I supposed to tell her D'hol?" She gestured wildly. "Some guy you've
never met is your real father? Don't you think this has been eating at
me since you showed up here?" She took a breath to try and remain
calm, but her eyes were coals to match his acid tone. Cyradis' whole
concern was Kielya.

"Look, I'm not trying to keep her from you D'hol. I have no problem
with you spending time with her. But you don't know her and she
doesn't know you. This isn't just a glow you can turn on a whim. It's
a childs life and you're going to have to woo her. All I'm asking is
that you give me some time to help her understand. Can you do that? Or
are your rights as a father more important than her happiness?"

For the moment K'deren was forgotten as D'hol stepped forward, his
teeth clenched. "I think that you would have much rather me never
know. If you had wanted me to know, you would have found me. Had
Panitath seek out Yumath. It wouldn't have been difficult. You know I
would have done anything for that child had I known. But it didn't fit
in the life you wanted." **Just like I didn't.** He stared at her for
a long moment, meeting her gaze. "So how much time, Cyradis? Another
Turn? Or will you wait until I'm threaded in a Fall and between and
you don't have to worry about it?"

Her eyes got a little moist. There was truth in his words but he
really had no clue what she and the children had been through the last
few turns nor did he care she imagined. He was just as selfish as he'd
ever been and her chin lifted. But she caught movement out off to the
side and turned her head to see Kielya staring at them all. Her heart
skipped a beat **How much did she hear.**

"Hi sweetheart," she said in a completely different tone. "I thought
you were playing in your room."

Kielya looked with such with a dark expression at D'hol that was an
uncanny reflection of the bronze rider himself. She stalked over to
her mother and took Cyradis' hand. "Why is he so mad," she asked.

Cyradis gave K'deren a rather helpless look. "Well, we had some
business to discuss."

"Grown up stuff," K'deren said getting down to her level. "Something we have
to sort out, then we'll talk to you about it. But there is nothing to worry
about."

D'hol's head whipped to see the child approach. Recognizing his own
expression so clearly on Keilya's face was startling, but his own face
noticeably shifted to something gentler, softer. His fists relaxed
from their clenched positions at his sides and he spoke softly. "I
apologize for disturbing you Keilya. I wouldn't want to run off my
favorite listener for stories."

Kielya could tell the grownups were not telling all the truth and her
eyes shifted to each of them in turn just a little suspicious that
they'd all changed so abruptly. K'deren she trusted more than anyone
other than her mother. So she nodded solemnly at him but she still
clasped her mothers hand when she looked up at the bronzerider. Mommy
had told her they had to be nice to bronzeriders. "Harper says
bronzeriders are supposed to be extra special nice to gold riders."
She lifted a finger and shook it at him. "You shouldn't be so mad."
She did hope he would be nice because she did like his stories very
much.

Pain filled Cyradis eyes. Kielya had always been a challenge but she'd
made certain her youngest daughter knew she loved her and when those
traits of hers that were so like D'hol made things difficult Cyradis
had only tried harder. It wasn't her baby's fault that her very
existence was a painful reminder of a poor decision she'd once made.

There was a flash of guilt in D'hol's face that Keilya had seen his temper
at her own mother. He took a slow breath and spoke softly. "Yes, we should."
He glanced at Cyradis and his jaw twitched. "But sometimes we just get mad.
I'm sorry you had to see that." He looked at K'deren and then at Cyradis
again before looking back at Keilya. "I'll be telling stories tomorrow
morning, if you'd like to listen. Yumath will be there. " He took a slow
breath and then turned to face the other adults in the room. His voice was
soft, restrained. "You have your time. "

K'deren had got back to his feet, "Thank you," he said simply. "For her
sake."

Cyradis looked down at Kielya who was looking up at her hopefully and
she smiled and nodded her permission. She looked back at D'hol in
gratitude. "She'll be there. She loves your story time."

"Woohoo," Kielya whooped as she skipped away from the adults at the door.

"Soon," Cyradis promised.

The cold stare that D'hol leveled at both K'deren and Cyradis left no doubt
that he did not believe her for an instant, nor did he believe that K'deren
would make sure she followed through. Instead of answering, he simply left,
shutting the door firmly behind him.

Last updated on the November 2nd 2013

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Confrontation