Moving Towards the Future

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st September 2019

Characters: Alina, J'ackt
Description: Alina and J'ackt discuss the new Weyrhold, moving, and meeting family
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 1 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: D'hol, Cyradis, Saidrene, Urlene, N'vanik, Timassa, K'yne, Cosani

Alina

J'ackt

~*~

Alina came in after drills quietly, deep in thought. She paused to
scratch Stumpy's ears as the canine danced around her feet in welcome,
then carefully hung up her helmet, gloves and flight jacket before
crossing the room to greet J'ackt with a kiss. The first time she'd
done it, it had felt strange. Too forward, and she was terrified that
she'd do it wrong or he'd push her away. But now it just felt _right_.

J'ackt looked up, accepting the kiss with a lingering smile before
turning back down to scowl at the flamethrower on the table. He turned
away from it, sipping his water. "Been cleared to fly again. In the
Queens Wing."

"That's fantastic news! About time, too." She peered down at the
flamethrower. "But you'll be using that? Not flaming?"

He shook his head. "No." He ran a hand through his hair, which he
couldn't help but notice needed yet another trim. With Saidrene not
speaking to him, he supposed he'd have to either ask Alina to cut it,
and he didn't know if she could, or he'd have to take his own knife to
the locks. "I still don't have enough strength to catch bags on my
side without wearing out too soon. Urlene's not going to let me do
that until I'm completely healed."

Alina slid onto the chair opposite him. "How long did she say you'll
have to use that?"

At the question, J'ackt's scowl deepened further. "Until she says
otherwise and hands off her release to N'vanik and Cyradis." He wanted
to shove the flamethrower right off the table. Zith was offended by
its very presence and J'ackt knew that the bronze would be literally
chomping to get his teeth into firestone as soon as possible. The next
month was going to be a nightmare.

She reached across the table to take one of his hands in her own. "I
can help. I can throw you sacks or something... I don't know what it
takes to heal your shoulder, but I can help."

He looked at her and nodded. "Yeah. We can try that...but if I strain
my shoulder again, N'vanik will tear my hide into strips...again."
J'ackt pinched the bridge of his nose. "I fecking feel useless right
about now."

"Well, moping about it won't make your shoulder heal any faster," she
said tartly. Then she softened. "And flying in the Queen's Wing isn't
nothing. You'll be busy will drills again and I'm sure that within a
month you'll be back with Hurricane Wing. You'll see."

He gave her his scowl and grumbled. "Yeah. Maybe." He looked at his
punching bag. "Urlene said if I so much as touched that bag without
her clearance, she'd have my ass over my shoulders. Didn't say how."
He turned back to her and then shrugged. "Guess I just gotta be
careful." Remembering that their life wasn't entirely about him, he
turned back to her. "How's your day been?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Fine. But... I had an interesting meeting
with D'hol today."

His brow quirked up. "What about? You aren't in trouble, are you? I
don't see D'hol giving much pep talks or the like."

"No..." Alina pulled her braid over her shoulder and brushed the end
against her fingertips. "He's being transferred to the new Weyr. And
he suggested that I think about transferring too."

J'ackt went still, his eyes locking on her. Tension grew along his
shoulders. "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "What do you think?"

"No." The reply was immediate. "I don't see how you could think it."
His face was taut with the restraint he was trying to maintain. "We
just weyrmated. I just...I want you here."

"Well, I wouldn't just go without you--" Alina paused, "You honestly
thought I'd go without you?"

He studied her face then looked down at her hands. "I don't know.
Maybe. If you thought this was too much you might."

Alina sighed in exasperation. She leaned across the table and extended
her hands, palm up. "Why would you even think that you're too much?
And even if you were-- leaving is what dragonriders do when they
Weyrmate, but that's not me. I made a promise and I intend to keep it.
I wouldn't just _leave_ you. If we go, we go together."

J'ackt laid his hand on her own. "Everything's been a big change for
you. I know that. But it's been going pretty well so far. I like being
with you everyday, sleeping beside you at night. I love it." He
frowned. "But I don't want to go. N'vanik...he's like...he's like the
father I wanted when I was a kid and Cyradis, she's...she reminds me
of my mother. And Timassa's here and it's almost like I have my mother
back in a lot of ways. I know I have K'yne now too..but I feel like I
actually have some sort of family here. I don't want to lose that. "

She fought down a twinge of jealousy. "Have you even told them about
me?" Alina asked quietly.

The quiet of her response surprised him but also gave him a hint that
something was wrong. J'ackt stroked his fingers over hers. "Course
they do. Asked Cyradis months ago for advice and Timassa too.
N'vanik, he don't miss much either, so of course he knows."

And none of them had said a word. Alina couldn't help but feel
slighted, although it wasn't as if Weyrfolk ever seemed to celebrate
their friends' or families' events. It was likely that nobody cared at
all. Or worse, that they were all just waiting for J'ackt to come to
his senses and find someone better to weyrmate. Like Cosani-- weyrbred
to the bone and the Weyrleader's daugher, to boot. "Just... think
about it, all right? You said that you don't want to look over your
shoulder anymore. If we go to a different Weyr, one that's further
from Emerald Falls, you could start fresh. We both could."

J'ackt looked at her, eyes flicking over her face. "Yeah, I suppose
that's true. I'll think about it. " he leaned back, but kept her hand
in his. "Speaking of telling anyone, I'd like to meet your family. "
They were waiting on word from him for a date of their arrival and he
had to give them one soon. "You've met mine."

"Not really." Knowing who they were and being introduced as J'ackt's
weyrmates were two totally different things, but she couldn't be
bothered to argue the point right then. The thought of introducing
J'ackt to her family was nervewracking enough. She sighed, irritated.
"Maybe at the end of the month. Spring is a busy time, with planting
and weeding... so maybe the rest day?" And maybe she'd have the time
to go warn them, first.

"Our next restday would probably be just fine." He pounced on the
idea, resolving to send the message as soon as he could. "Don't worry,
I'll behave myself completely."

She gave him a skeptical look, even though it wasn't J'ackt that she
was worried about. Mostly. "Why do you want to meet them so badly,
anyway?"

"They're important to you." The answer was simple. "You talk about
them all the time and if they're important to you, I should meet them."

Alina did her best to suppress the involuntary small smile that his
words provoked. "I don't talk about them that much."

"Doesn't mean you don't think 'bout them, does it? I don't talk about
my mam, but I think about her all the time."

"I wish I could have met her." The words slipped out automatically,
but Alina found that she meant it.

J'ackt gave a small sad smile. "So do I. I think she would have liked
you. She was... she was gentle. Loving." His eyes misted for a moment
before he cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. "You
love your family. I know that, Alina. I think they'll be okay. "

**It's not just them I'm worried about.** But Alina forced a smile
anyway. "Well... maybe we can visit. But I want to see if they're free
first, so no promises."

Hiding his smile with a quick incline of his head, J'ackt agreed.
They'd be free, he'd send a message the moment he was able. "Agreed."

He'd agreed too quickly. He'd be so disappointed when her family was
busy with the fields. Alina sighed and resigned herself to a long
sevenday of worrying.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2019

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