I'm Not Fighting
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 11th November 2015
Characters: D'hol, Jeyme
Description: The after affects of N'vanik's visit come to a head.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 20 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik
Not long after N'vanik left Dheymin's foster mother came by the weyr
to pick him up and take him to the creche for the rest of the evening.
Watching another woman carry her baby away left an ache in Jeyme's
chest that was hard to describe. Picking up her knitting needles, she
settled in her favorite comfortable chair to try and take her mind off
of Dheymin. While she knitted, however, her mind replayed the
interaction with D'hol earlier that evening. He'd seemed oddly cool
about the entire thing, even when she knew that he was probably
seething about N'vanik being in their weyr. It left her feeling
pensive about what kind of mood D'hol would be in when he came back.
He had taken a long, steaming bath in the public bathing chambers,
unused to the crowd, but willing to overlook it. After getting
dressed, he headed back to his weyr, scrubbing his hair dry as he
went. He knew the man was gone, thanks to Yumath. Pushing open the
door, he came into the weyr and dropped his soiled clothing in the
basket for dirty linens. He glanced at Jeyme and arched a brow.
"So..." He moved to prepare a pot of klah. "the visit went well, I
take it."
Jeyme approached the topic with caution, still puzzled at how.. calm
D'hol was being. "Yes, it went well. Did you have a nice bath?" She
asked, making polite conversation.
"I would have preferred to take it in the weyr." He peered at the klah
pot,waiting for it to boil.
"Yes, his visit was unexpected." She said simply, mostly to keep
herself from apologizing.
"And in our weyr." He pointed out. When the pot was steaming, he
poured himself a cup, and then another. He picked both up, his lips
thin as he handed the spare one to her.
Jeyme took the offered cup of klah, leaving her knitting in her lap,
"Yes, in our weyr. He wasn't here long, though, mainly just long
enough to bring by a rattle he'd gotten for Dheymin."
He sat on the chair across from her, jaw tightening for a moment. He
took a sip of klah, his eyes never leaving her. "And to put his hands
on you." His voice was still calm. "And despite me requesting of both
of you that he not come here."
The greenrider winced. D'hol didn't need to raise his voice, the look
in his eyes said it all, "I'm sorry. He asked to drop by, and I didn't
think it would hurt if it was just a quick visit to check on Dheymin."
She licked her lips, lifting her cup of klah to them again.
He exhaled through his nose sharply. "I didn't want him involved. But
you did, so I stopped arguing and let it go because you wanted it. I
didn't want him in the weyr, but apparently that doesn't matter
either. " His jaw worked from side to side. "You're an adult. You see
and befriend whomever you please. I wouldn't stop it and I wouldn't
bother to try. If you want to see N'vanik, then it's your choice,
obviously. As is letting him in your bed, if you so desire." His eyes
never
wavered from her. "But I would not suggest complaining when I ignore
your wishes on something."
Jeyme felt thoroughly chastised, and a little guilty, but there was
also a fair bit of indignation, "I apologized, it won't happen again.
The comment about bedding him is out of line, D'hol. I've never been
interested in being in anyone's bed but yours and you know that."
"Not really, if you think about it." He took another sip of klah, but
his lips were thin as he continued. "You've made it clear that what I
wish has little meaning and quite frankly, I'm tired of arguing about
it. As I said, you're your own woman and you make your own choices and
decisions. Dheymin is your son and we don't know who his father is.
This is also your weyr, so you can also decide who comes and goes.
I'm not going to argue that point any longer. But I also do not have
to be here when you have your guests." He rose, finished his klah with
one gulp and put aside the cup. "But kindly warn me when you have him
here so I can make sure to be elsewhere."
"I hate this passive-aggressive thing you are doing. Clearly you know
I want to please you, it's an ingrained Hold trait in most women. I
don't want you to be upset with me, I don't want you to be upset
period, because I love you. If having N'vanik around means you won't
be then clearly I won't have him around, and you know that." She
slammed her cup of klah down, splattering the liquid. "So stop making
this seem as if you are leaving me with a choice, it's an ultimatum."
Surely he knew that she would give up nearly anything to keep him in
her life, she wasn't so confident in their relationship that she felt
she could ever push him to do anything without fear that he might
leave.
He turned to look at her with an arched brow. "You've never been a
typical Hold woman." He pointed out. "And I made no ultimatum. I
didn't say that I would leave if you didn't do what I wanted." He
pinched the bridge of his nose as he controlled the anger bubbling in
his gut. "He wins. I'm done fighting it."
Jeyme wanted to point out that this wasn't a win-lose situation, but
she knew that would only make things worse. She could think of nothing
to say that would make the situation better, so she simply settled for
saying "okay" even though she had already decided that she would never
allow N'vanik to come and visit Dheymin in their weyr again. Next time
she would take Dheymin to N'vanik's.
D'hol sighed, rubbed his temples and sat back down on the couch,
closing his eyes. He was, he decided, simply too old some days.
It wasn't the first time they had sat in semi-strained silence, and
Jeyme doubted, with the way they sometimes butted-heads, that it would
be the last. She quietly went back to her knitting. She hated when
things were tense, and she would just rather they both let it go and
move forward with their evening.
A slow headache began to throb along his temples and as he opened his
eyes, he glanced at Jeyme's lap. "What are you knitting?"
"A cap for Dheymin, having three hairs on his head must be chilly."
Her lips twisted into a little grin of humor.
"Hm." He made a noncommittal grunt, then eyed the color. "I get the
blue. But does it have to be a pastel blue?"
"What color would you prefer?" She asked, arching an eyebrow with humor.
"Not a pastel." D'hol was quick to reply. "Maybe a bronze color."
"Alright, I'll give this one to Judassa then." She said, thinking of
the child her sister had supposedly had with I'lan. Jeyme still had
her doubts about the father, but at least Judassa had left her and
D'hol alone ever since.
D'hol nodded again, the tension in the room easing. He would say
nothing more on the matter of her and N'vanik. Instead, he would enjoy
the rest of the evening as best he could.
Last updated on the November 15th 2015