Sharing Comfort

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 1st February 2016

Characters: Lanniya, A'kades
Description: Lanniya comes to check on A'kades
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Lenala, Rhosyn

Lanniya

There was a soft knock on A'kades door. Lanniya knew he was in there
and awake; she'd asked his bronze before she came. "A'kades? Can I
come in?"

When he heard a knock and a female voice, his assumption had been Jadirah.
But it was high enough he knew it couldn't be her. "Come on in," he said,
looking up from the straps he was mending.

"Oh, Lanniya. How's Anaeryth?" he asked when she came in. He was surprised
to see the Weyr's youngest goldrider.

"She's fine. She's sleeping right now." Lanniya came closer and looked
at him. "I just wanted to know how you were doing. After everything, I
mean." Concern was visible on her expression. "To see if you needed
anything."

Lanniya was a senior weyrling. She should be worried about graduating into
Rhosyn's wing and about dealing with her unusual talent. As her teacher,
he should be reassuring her that he felt she'd do a great job. Instead
here she was, checking in on him. It was an important sign of her taking
on an adult goldrider's responsibility, thought the part of him that was
Weyrlingmaster's Second.

It was also a touching gesture from a young girl who was still growing up,
thought the part that was a normal, grieving man.

"I'm glad she's sleeping. I gather the dragons were probably very
cacophonous earlier, worrying about Vilarth."

"They woke me up." She admitted. She had had to calm the young gold
before she had gone to Rhosyn, but with the tension, it wasn't as easy
for her to go back to sleep. "Are you okay?"

By rights, he shouldn't have given her the real answer. After all, he was
older, a teacher, and authority figure... And he was tired, and she
reminded him somewhat of his daughter.

"I wish it hadn't happened. I wanted to have that child. Lenala and I were
so excited," he admitted after a long moment.

Her face showed the empathy for him. "I'm so sorry that it happened.
For both of you." Without guile or thought, she reached out and hugged
him around the shoulders.

He let himself take the hug and the comfort. "It was supposed to be a
future for us. Now she's in the Infirmary sick and..."

A'kades found himself giving voice to the cold thoughts from earlier.
"It's not like Threadfall. I can fight that. I can't fight what happens
_inside_ a person. I couldn't keep her safe."

She couldn't understand what exactly what he was feeling, but she had
known loss of her own. The feeling of loss she could understand. She
didn't want to say it would get better. Time dulled loss, but it
didn't take it away, not really. But she pulled away and spoke softly.
"Maybe you should go to her, A'kades. She's going to wake up and want
you there. I know the infirmary isn't always a nice place, but..." She
hugged him again. "You'll need each other, maybe." She recalled that
during her loss, she and her grandparents had desperately needed each
other, even if they hadn't said so.

He'd meant to sleep in his own bed, and to escape the feeling of dread
that seemed to be hanging in the Infirmary, casting a shadow over all
in it. To go somewhere where he felt secure, and not like a helpless
waiter, as he'd felt all day. But Lanniya's words held truth.

"Does Vilarth think she'll be waking up soon?" Lanniya would be able
to know better than anyone else.

"Vilarth is sleeping right now." Lanniya wasn't going to chance waking
her, even to ask that simple question. Not when she was finally
calmed. "But you can still be there to hold her hand when she wakes. I
bet she'd appreciate that."

He nodded and set the straps aside. "I think you're right. Thank you
for coming in."

She nodded. "You would have realized it on your own. I just hurried it
along." She smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm going to try to get
some rest. Let me know if I can help with anything."

The bronzerider nodded. "Volaith will let you know. Have a good night, Lanniya."

Last updated on the February 9th 2016

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