Standing Still
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 20th December 2016
Characters: J'nus
Description: J'nus takes stock of his life.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 12 of Turn 8
It was a lot of work, pursuing a younger woman.
J'nus sat by the ocean, turning a bit of wood over in his hands. The edges of his work were still rough, and it was by no means expert - there were multitudes of people who could carve a box better than he could. But the task gave him something to do with his hands while he thought. And what he thought about was Kapera.
He'd come to Dolphin Cove because his turns at Dragonsfall Weyr hadn't meant anything. No promotions, no recognition, and he'd found some small measure of both after transferring. That, and Kapera was here. Infuriating woman that she was. She was whip-smart when she chose to be, as beautiful as her dragon, and as changeable as the moons. They'd orbited each other for several turns now, and it still baffled him that she'd deign to spend any time at all with an old bronzerider like him.
**How should I know what she thinks?** J'nus smiled a bit at the thought. He turned his project over in his scarred hands, running his thumb over the edges of the wood until he felt a bump. The knife in his hand made quick work of it. If J'nus was going to be honest with himself, he'd be the first to admit that he didn't want to know what she thought. After turns at Dragonsfall Weyr with nothing ever changing, it felt like a return to his Trader roots. Except here he was, sitting on a beach, wondering what went on in Kapera's mind. What she wanted.
What did he want? The bronzerider paused, looking out over the waves as he thought. He'd transferred to Dolphin Cove out of frustration and ennui, and the change had brought some measure of excitement back into his life. And warmth-- some days he missed snow, but the heat from the sun and scent of flowers soon chased away the nostalgia. But was it enough? **What am I looking for?** Perhaps at this point he was too old for knots. Perhaps he was too old for a family. Perhaps he was too old for _her_. But why keep him around, then? **Maybe it's because I'm reliable.**
He put his knife to the box as he turned his thoughts around in his head, looking for rough patches that felt untrue. Maybe Kapera did keep him around because he was reliable. Maybe he didn't want a family. Maybe he was too old for knots. Maybe it didn't matter. What did he want? The answer was as elusive as ever.
But what did ring true was that, for now, he didn't mind. Maybe next month he would, and this time he'd pack his things and leave before the Weyr folded in around him like a trap.
For now, he was content to stay.
Last updated on the January 31st 2017