Runners Are Friends Not Food

Writers: Halyonix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 5th May 2026

Characters: Reyela, R'vkal, C'od
Description: R'vkal and Reyela are now Wingmates and it isn't going well
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 11 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: S'kand

Notes:
~*~

If R'vkal was looking forward to being in S'kand's Wing and learning from someone he saw as a mentor, he was less enthused to see a familiar greenrider in that same Wing. Memories of that awkward date sprang immediately to mind as he approached the table with his new Wingmates.

Couldn't back down. No running from it now. "Reyela," R'vkal said in stoic greeting.

She didn't cringe, not like she had when she'd seen that he'd graduated to her Wing. Of all the graduating weyrlings, why did he have to be assigned to _her_ Wing!? "Hi. Welcome to Rapids."

The bluerider beside her glanced between the two. "You two know each other?"

R'vkal shifted awkwardly. "Went on a date once." He didn't state how badly it had gone. It seemed like a rude thing to do so.

"Ooo. How did it go? Tell me everyth-- oof!" The bluerider - C'od - winced as Reyela elbowed him in the ribs.

"None of your business how it went," Reyela told him. It was too bad to revisit, but she didn't want to embarass the bronzerider in the middle of the Dining Cavern. Desperately she tried to remember something, anything, that he'd told her during their date that she could talk about. "But you _should_ ask Ryvan-- sorry, R'vkal, about his daggers some time."

"Daggers or _dagger_?" C'od asked sweetly.

R'vkal blushed, obviously catching the innuendo and disliking it. He had thought that maybe having this conversation in front of someone else would make it less awkward but it wasn't turning out that way. "Daggers," he anwered. "Swords, weapons like that. For guards. Family's always been good at that."

"He's a Smith. From a Hold." The way his broad shoulders were beginning to curve reminded her of the way he'd sat on the beach to sulk after he'd abandoned her mid-swim, and how awkward the ride back to the Weyr had been. Or that his fiance had died. "Have you been back home since you Impressed?"

"Once," he answered. "Indrath liked it. Said it was pretty. Parents were happy to see me. Little brother wouldn't get off Indrath. Said he wanted to come with me back. Had to drag him off my own dragon." As he said it though, he felt like he didn't want to be talking about his family. They felt...far away. Awkward. Was it always going to be this awkward, talking about his past? Or was it just because it was Reyela? "You...been runner riding again?"

She shrugged a shoulder. "Nah. Branith ate a pony a couple months ago and I haven't felt good about going to the stables since."

}:I was hungry!:{ Brandith said indignantly. }:It was tasty.:{

**Yes, but I _like_ runners,** Reyela reminded her plaintively.

It was one thing for the dragons to eat herdbeasts. It was surprising to hear that one had eaten a runner. R'vkal's eyes widened. "Ate a...pony?" he repeated, shocked. "Was she...in..." He made an awkward gesture that could have been interpreted as anything but he was thinking about a mating flight and now it occurred to him that _Indrath_ could be a part of those and the awkwardness just flared and he needed to exit this conversation soon.

Reyela looked confused. "In what?"

R'vkal turned bright red. "H-Heat," he stammered out.

"Heat?" Reyela's confusion deepend. "Like-- you mean like a canine? Like she was rising?"

The bronzerider nodded nervously. C'od giggled.

An indignant flush began to creep up Reyela's cheeks as well. "She's not an animal! And she can eat a pony if she wants to!"

It was obvious that R'vkal disagreed with these statements by the way he opened and closed his mouth a few times in fruitless attempts before he blurted out, "Ponies are for riding, not eating!"

"Dragons can't ride," she snapped. "What else are they supposed to do with one!?"

"Not eat them since folk ride them!" he shot back.

"Go on, then! Go convince _them_ of that!" She waved in the general direction of the cliffs, which would be draped with jewel-toned dragons sunning themselves at this time of day. "I'll wait here. Let me know how that goes for you."

R'vkal bristled. "Conversation's going nowhere with you," he growled. Even as he said it, he knew he had crossed a line and he growled again, frustrated with himself. He got up to leave, gripping his plate of food tightly. "Have a good evening," he said in a tone that made it nowhere near the pleasantry it was supposed to be.

"Ugh." Reyela turned back to her plate without responding. Somehow her appetite had disappeared.

"I don't think he likes you," C'od said cheerfully.

She glared at him. "Oh, shut up and finish your dinner."

Last updated on the May 24th 2026

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Runners Are Friends Not Food