Family

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 6th February 2007

Characters: F'lin, Everlyin
Description: F'lin musters up his courage to say goodbye to his mother before she leaves to go back to Topaz Sea Hold
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 15 of Turn 4

The day after the Hatching was a lazy one, but the day after their routine began. The former Weyrlings had to attend a class in the morning and a class in the afternoon, bathe and oil their dragonets, and then feed them. And feed them again. They were constantly hungry and the Weyrlingstaff expected them to eat five times that day, which meant that Felarin - now F'lin - was heartily sick of the smell of beast blood and the sticky feel of it on his skin and beneath his fingernails. Seneth was a joy, but a confusing one. It was hard to share headspace, and even harder to reconcile himself to the love he felt for the little dragon. Being told about the bond and actually experiencing it for himself were two very different things.

It was evening before F'lin found himself with a little free time.
Seneth looked up at him with sleepy, whirling eyes. }:I do not want you to go,:{ he said wistfully.

"I know. I'll be right back," F'lin said, scratching his eyeridges.
Tabanirth and his aunt and uncle's dragons had taught him where dragons liked to be touched. "I won't be long."

}:You don't want to go,:{ Seneth said.

F'lin frowned. "Sure I do."

}:No, you do not! You should stay with me. I want you to stay with me,:{ the little bronze repeated.

It was a little uncomfortable for someone to be able to so accurately read his emotions... but something he'd have to get used to. That he WOULD get used to. The weyrling smiled at his lifemate. "You're right, I don't really want to go. But I have to. Sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do."

}:Why?:{ "I dunno." F'lin shrugged. "You just... have to."

After a moment, Seneth said: }:I do not understand,:{ The weyrling smiled and scratched down the bronze dragon's little neck. It was amazing how small he was... today, F'lin was longer than his dragon. By the next week, Seneth would be longer than he was! "I know. Sometimes I don't either. But sometimes you need to do things that you dislike or don't want to do so that you can make someone happy."

}:But it also makes you unhappy, so why bother?:{ Seneth pointed out.

F'lin shrugged again. "Because that's what makes you a good man. Or dragon."

}:I am a good dragon. I am the best of dragons,:{ Seneth said proudly. He rested his chin on his forelegs and sighed gustily. }:You may go. But you must hurry back to me!:{ "I promise I will," F'lin said, and was surprised that he meant it.
**Although why I would be surprised at wanting to keep a promise to my dragon... _my_ dragon!** He grinned and leapt off the rock he'd been sitting on, although his pace slowed once he left the summer sunshine and entered the Weyr. Belatedly he realized that he now had a dragon who could bespeak other dragons and ask them questions -
like whether or not his mother had left River Bluff yet. He halfways hoped that she had, and was torn as to whether or not he wanted her to answer the door when he knocked.

She did. "Felarin?" Everlyin said. Her eyes were red and she looked a little pale, but she managed a small smile when she saw him. "I didn't expect to see you again before I left!"

"Hi, mother," F'lin said. She opened the door wider, and to his surprise, swept him into a hug.

After a moment, Everlyin cleared her throat and F'lin belatedly realized that she'd been crying. "I'm so, so proud of you."

And she surprised him again. "Really?" "Of course I am, idiot-child!" she snapped, then stepped out of his arms and ushered him into her guest weyr. "I am proud of you for coming here and doing what you believed in, and for Impressing the best looking dragon out of Tabanirth's Clutch!"

F'lin stood awkwardly in the doorway. This was _not_ what he had expected - guilt, perhaps, and anger. Her words made him swell with pride, but his own sense of tact made him try to squash it. "I-
wasn't sure you would be."

Everlyin looked down at her feet, then back up at her son. "Come in and close the door, Felarin. There's a draft. I have a pot of klah here - would you like some?"

"Yes, please," he said, and did as told. A comfortable chair beckoned as Everlyin fussed around the pot and wiped out a mug from yesterday with the hem of an underskirt. She'd always been the practical sort, F'lin mused as he watched her. It was odd, and lonely, to think that he'd never live with her again. Before he'd Impressed there had always been the option of going back...

After a moment Everlyin pressed a tepid cup of klah into his hands and settled down across from him. "So, tell me all about him!"

"Who?" "Your _dragon_." Everlyin grinned and tucked a greying strand of hair back behind her ear. "I didn't catch his name. Or yours, for that matter..." F'lin watched as her smile faded and wanted to give her a hug.
Instead he sipped at his klah. "Seneth. He's- I can't even describe what he's like. He's- it's like- falling in love, I guess. Except that he can hear my thoughts and- I don't know. I'm all off balance right now."

She nodded. "It'll take a few weeks until you feel normal again.
That's what my siblings said."

"I wish they were able to come..."

"Me too. They'll be so proud to have another dragonrider in the family," Everlyin said fiercely. Maybe if she said it enough, she'd learn to believe it too. **Be proud,** she whispered to herself.
**He's your son, and he's happy. Be proud. Don't be afraid. Mother will take care of him.** It was an effort, but she mustered up a smile. "So would your father."

It was F'lin's turn to sober. He looked down at his mug, his expression unreadable. "He'll know," he said softly.

Everlyin hesitated, not understanding. "What have you changed your name to?"

"F'lin. But don't call me that. It'd be weird."

"We'll see. F'lin sounds rather dashing for a bronzerider!"

"I guess. It's just weird to have your life turned upside down all in one day. I think I'd like it if I could just be Felarin to someone, still."

Everlyin had to swallow around the lump in her throat. "You'll always be Felarin to me."

The new bronzerider smiled; maybe coming here hadn't been such a bad idea after all. Family was family, and Everlyin would always be his mother, and would love and forgive him - no matter what he did. And one day, he'd pay her back.

Last updated on the February 9th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Family