I Can't (1/2)

Writers: Dana, Shelly
Date Posted: 4th September 2006

Characters: Ar'lis, Syntara
Description: Ar'lis confronts Syntara about her behavior.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 18 of Turn 3

Syntara pulled her fur-lined jacket around her a little tighter as she
walked along the Heights. Her extra duties were over for the night but she
felt like spending a few moments alone before heading back to her weyr.
The greenrider crossed her arms and peered into the darkness, trying to
forget the chill in the air around her.

Damn, it was late. What did the sharding woman _do_ to get stuck with
these late night shifts? Ar'lis slid off Zylarth and quietly approached
her and her green. "Syntara."

"Ar'lis." Her tone was all but emotionless. She pulled her hood up and
attempted to brush past him.

"Don't," he murmured, reaching out to grab her arm--lightly though, so
he wouldn't hurt her. He _would not_ be brushed aside like this. Too
many women had been doing that to him lately, and he was _not_ going to
take it from her this time.

"Don't _what_, Ar'lis?" Syntara was already entirely frustrated with
him. What right did he have to tell her what to do? Where had he been
lately? Syntara knew very well where he had been - with someone else.

"Don't sharding brush me off, Syntara," he replied quietly, a hint of a
slight growl in his voice. "Just don't."

"Why not? I learned it from you!" She said hotly.

He stared at her, his frustration beginning to mount. Shardit--he
hadn't _wanted_ to get sharding angry at her tonight! But she kept
talking in the same damned circles. "What are you sharding talking about?"

"Nothing." She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "Is there something
you wanted to say or were you just planning on saying hello?" Obviously
there was something on his mind and Syntara was fairly sure she wasn't
going to like any of it, but they might as well get it over with.

Ar'lis looked at her. Just looked at her. He let the silence envelope
them, dragging it out as he studied her--the way she held herself, the
expression on her face, and her eyes. Shards, her eyes. When had they
gotten like _that_? "What happened, Syntara?" he finally asked quietly,
gesturing around. "Why are you on night duty with Faylith?"

"I... got into a fight." **Shards, the whole weyr knows. How is it
possible he doesn't?**

"A fight." He kept his face a neutral mask. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I was drunk and wanted another rider's man. One thing
lead to another and... we fought. Do we really have to go and rehash
everything like this?"

"You don't have to 'rehash' anything, Syntara." He folded his arms over
his chest and sighed. Shards, he wished he would've known about his
sooner. "When do you get off duty?"

It was the first time Sytnara had ever wished she had _more_ time to
spend on the heights. "I'm already off." **He's going to want to _talk_
about this, isn't he?**

}: Maybe you should talk about it. He should know and maybe it would
help you to tell him. :{ Faylith reasoned.

**Good.** "Why don't you come back to my weyr for a little bit." He
watched her face carefully, unsure how she would react to his invitation.

"I'd rather not." She said harshly with arms crossed across her stomach
and a flinty look in her eyes. "I have other things to be getting to."

He stared right back at her. "Like getting yourself rip-roaring drunk
and bedding half the men in this sharding _Weyr_?" he snarled, fed up
with her whole attitude. What had he _done_ to deserve the cold
shoulder? Sharding woman...couldn't she see he was trying to help her?

"What gives you the right to talk to me like that?!" She demanded
fiercely, yelling. "You have no idea what's going on in my life!"

She was right--he _didn't_ know. And he knew that that was partly his
fault. He'd been spending so much time with Gaiya... Keeping a tight
leash on his temper--yelling wouldn't help things--he took a slight step
closer to her. "Then come back with me, Syntara."

The greenrider turned a little pale and her voice weakened, but didn't
lose its edge entirely. "No, Ar'lis. I'm not going back with you." She
stated firmly. "I can't."

"Why not?" he asked quietly, tone matching hers.

"Ar'lis - I" She paused, looking confused with her brow drawn and eyes
heavily shutting. "I just-" She reopened them. "Don't think I can..."

Taking another step closer, he carefully reached out, brushing the backs
of his fingers against her hand. "Come on, sweetheart," his voice was
soft, gently coaxing. Seeing her like this...shards, it worried him.
"I don't think you should be alone tonight." They didn't have to do
anything--she didn't even have to talk to him if she didn't want to...if
she came back with him. He wouldn't force her to do anything. But she
shouldn't be alone.

She took a steadying breath and her eyes closed and opened in the same
fashion as before. Syntara tried to take a step backward, showing great
effort with the motion. She knew that she should say something - should
explain everything - but she couldn't think straight. Her vision started
to cloud and her knees began to give way. She tried to grasp Ar'lis's
wrist for support, but the everything went black anyway as she sank to the
floor.

Last updated on the September 9th 2006

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

I Can't (1/2)