Facing the Fallout

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 16th February 2021

Characters: D'kere, Talwynn
Description: D'kere and Talwynn weather the fallout of Yasmeane's accusations.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 21 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: K'reyel, Saibra, Yasmeane
Late due to LOAs

D'kere felt... numb. So much had happened in the past day. He'd gone from a respected Weyrlingmaster's Second to being questioned as if he were some sort of abusive womanizer. He still recalled in his mind the looks on the Weyrleaders' faces as he had resigned his position. The thought of working with Weyrlings anymore was unthinkable. He knew that K'reyel and Saibra were just doing their jobs, but a part of him could not help but be offended that he'd had to defend himself at all after all of his Turns of service at Dragonsfall.

When he walked into his weyr he came face-to-face with Talwynn, whom he had not spoken to since Riveth's flight.

Talwynn practically leapt off the couch and into his arms. "D'kere!"

D'kere caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly against him. Relief flooded through him.

"I didn't know if you'd be here," he said, his voice low and weary.

"I came back to our weyr after I was told I could leave and I've been waiting for you ever since. Of course I'd be here," she said.

She rested her head against his shoulder, then paused. Something was different. Something about the way her face was resting. She lifted her head up slightly, and saw his shoulder was bare of knots. White-hot fury flooded her like a dragon's flame. "They stripped your knots?!" she growled.

The corners of D'kere's mouth tipped. "No, they didn't, I resigned."

"Oh," she said, sounding slightly stupefied.

"Yeah," he said, feeling the way she sounded. "I'm just a regular wingrider now. Plus, I will have time to get back to dragonhealing."

"You love the weyrlings and your work with them, though," she said, frowning.

D'kere reached out and fingered a strand of her hair. "Yes, but I love you and our life together more. I don't want it coming between us ever again."

"What did they even say to you? Or do you not want to talk about it?"

"They explained that Yasmeane had been in a flight, S'gair won, she fought him in the flight because she was still a virgin and panicked, apparently. When she came to confront me part of what she was saying seemed to be like she was remembering what had happened in her flight." D'kere shook his head at the whole thing. "Anyway, they said I was cleared, that they were sorry I'd had to go through the whole process."

"They asked me if you'd ever been physically abusive to anyone, like me. If I could ever see you forcing yourself on a woman, like some ancient Holder man whelping an unwilling bride. Because of what Yasmeane was saying about you, they dragged your reputation through the mud. Shaffit, I know they told me not to talk to anyone, but won't rumors spread about this already?"

Talwynn's fingers curled into fists so tightly that the ones that had been scarred pulled painfully. "And it's all pushed aside because oh, she was just misremembering from her flight? Which she panicked about because she was an idiot because she didn't pick someone like a sensible woman first?"

"That's about the long and short of it," D'kere said collapsing onto their couch. "Even though everyone was told not to talk about it... You know as well as I do that nothing stays secret in a Weyr. By morning I am sure there will be conflicting rumors going around the Weyr about what happened." He laid his head back and closed his eyes, the muscle in his jaw twitching. "I sat here last night wondering what you might be thinking, what you had heard... If you would believe what they said."

She sat on the couch next to him and touched her good hand to his jaw, fingers very cool against the muscle she saw moving. "Riveth was told by Chioneth we weren't allowed to come back to this weyr, that we had to sleep somewhere else. I went to T'leri's weyr. She asked Kenirath if you were injured. I was afraid you'd been hurt, that's what I thought."

His eyes parted, his hand reaching up for hers. "I just worried... We hadn't even really recovered yet, from our fight, and everything."

She felt his warmer, broader hand cover hers. "You thought I wouldn't defend you?"

"I just thought you might have your doubts," he said.

"Even if I'd heard rumors, I would have shaken my head and said, 'not my D'kere', just like I told the Weyrleaders," she said. "I know who you are and that you're not violent. We may have fought over other things, but not over something like that."

D'kere curled one arm around her waist, hugging her to his side. "You know, we talked one time about what it might be like to leave Dragonsfall..."

Talwynn leaned into him, shifting her weight so they could cuddle better. "We've done it while fishing, I know."

"Maybe that's an idea we can revisit now," he said.

"You don't want to be here anymore? But it's always been your home."

"Yes, no, maybe? I don't know. I should probably wait a couple of sevendays and see how I feel. Right now my emotions are just... raw."

"I can understand that," she said. Snorting, she admitted, "It's not like my temper isn't up either, I mean...you can hear me."

D'kere's lips finally showed the hint of a smile. "Yeah, I hear you, practically growling."

"It's because I love you." She leaned in and kissed him. "What can I do to take your mind off this?"

Having her so solidly on his side was more than he could have hoped for. "I could think of some things," he admitted, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Do you want to do them here, in our weyr? Or do you want to bundle up and get out of Dragonsfall for a bit?"

"Let's get out of Dragonsfall," he said. "Maybe to a beach somewhere. I love you in a swimsuit... or nothing at all."

"The secluded tide pond area near Dolphin Cove? It'll be dark there now, but the moons will be near full, and the waves are beautiful in the moonlight. Or we could go further west out towards Far Island, find somewhere there."

"Dolphin Cove," he said, finally rising up from the couch. "I'll grab our towels."

"We'll have a good time in the water, far from here, and forget all about it," Talwynn promised. And she'd have Riveth check with her brother, and _him_ check with her father, and maybe if they didn't want to come back to Dragonsfall tonight they wouldn't have to.

Last updated on the February 19th 2021

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Facing the Fallout