Retaliation

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 29th July 2008

Characters: Traelyn, B'ram
Description: Once again B'ram challenges Traelyn's and U'kaiah's relationship, and she lashes out in retaliation
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 9 of Turn 4

B'ram

Traelyn glared fiercely at him as soon as he opened the door. "You're
wrong about me."

B'ram's head cocked to the side. This was not how they usually made up
after a fight. "I am, huh?"

"Yes," she growled, shoving her way inside. She didn't feel like arguing
with him in the sharding hallway.

He reached out and pulled her close to him. "And just how am I wrong
about you?"

She stiffened in his arms, not at all willing to be held. Bracing her
hands against his chest, she lifted her chin defiantly. "He is _not_
convenient. He's _not_ just another bronzerider lay, B'ram. He sharding
never was, and never will be."

The brownrider rolled his eyes, not making any move to release her.
"Fine, he's not just another lay."

The expression on his face made her temper flare. "I'm serious!"

So she wanted to make it difficult? He could play along. Leaning in so
close that their breaths mingled, he whispered, "So what if he's not just
another bronzerider? What good is that?"

"What good is _that_?"

"Yeah," he nodded slowly, keeping his lips close to hers. "What good does
it do either of you. Are you really going to go on for the rest of your
life seeing him just on the restday? You see me twice as much as you see
him. You always come back to me. So what does it matter if he's more
than just another bronzerider. In the end, it will be the same as all the
others."

Her fingers clenched in his tunic. "That's not true. He's _more_ than
that."

B'ram leaned in, grazing his lips along her ear. "If he were really so
much more, then why isn't he here?"

Snarling, she shoved away from him. "We knew from the start this would be
a long-distance relationship."

"Oh and just how long do you think that will last, Trae?" he snapped back.
If she just wanted to fight, he would be happy to oblige her. "Have you
actually even _thought_ about it? Is this going to be the way you spend
the rest of your life? Flitting between his Weyr and yours and screwing
me in the meantime? Do you honestly think one or both of you won't grow
tired of living that way? It won't take more than a turn or two when one
of you will realize there are people a little closer to home you might
rather spend your restdays with."

Something stabbed at Traelyn's heart as she stared at him--and it took her
a moment to realize that it was fear. "He loves me." She hated the way
her voice had that shaky, uncertain lilt. She knew he heard it, knew that
he'd pounce on her weakness. It was always this sharding way with them.
Tilting her chin up, she tried to get her walls back up, her defiant mask
in place. "He does."

Shards, she tried so hard to convince herself. It was almost pitiable.
"And what about you? Do you love him?"

"If I didn't, we wouldn't be having this sharding discussion."

The fact that she couldn't say it directly didn't escape him. She
probably couldn't even say it out loud to the bronzerider either. That
was somewhat comforting. "It makes you wonder, then, doesn't it. If you
love him but spend your sevendays with me, who is he spending his
sevendays with?"

She pressed herself against the back of his sofa, nails biting into her
palms. Usually she chose to ignore the unspoken fact that U'kaiah had
other women in his life, just like she had other men. But the thought of
him _loving_ another woman, having the same relationship with her as
Traelyn did with B'ram.....shards. Shaking her head, she whispered, "It
sharding doesn't matter."

"You're right," B'ram sneered, taking a step closer to her. "It doesn't
matter. Bronzeriders always screw goldriders to get into their Flight
beds. It doesn't mean anything."

The expression on her face was stark. "You ass," she snarled, wanting
desperately to escape his weyr, but unable to look away from his face.

"You and I are no different, Trae," he said, stepping in close enough to
wrap his hands around her hips. "Neither of us like to share."

Furious with him, and with herself for allowing him to trap her--to scare
her--she grasped his wrists, nails scratching his skin. She glared up
into his eyes, face so very close to her own. She wanted to punish him,
hurt him and sharding scare him the way he'd scared her...but she couldn't
think of one thing to snap back to him. Her mind was still whirling with
what he'd said and, confused, she bared her teeth, nails digging deeper.

The brownrider's jaw tightened as the pain shot through his arm, but his
eyes were locked on hers in a battle of wills, his fingers digging
painfully into skin and bone. He could be just as stubborn and possessive
as she was.

Damn him to the Red Star! A whimpering growl escaped her clenched teeth
and her hips twisted, shoving into his, trying to throw off his grip as
her mouth descended on his neck. Her breathing was ragged, breath hot as
she bit him, shuddering sensually in his hold. He deserved this, she
thought. For scaring her, he deserved this.

B'ram growled as he released her hips and pushed her away. She had
cheated, a desperate act of a desperate woman. Reaching up to hold the
painful spot in on his neck his burning eyes locked on hers. "That's your
answer for everything, isn't it. All you know how to do is screw your way
through life and hope the men are too dumb and too hot for you to notice."

"You're one to talk! Isn't this what you were expected when I came in
here?" she asked angrily, voice breathy as she folded her arms over her
chest. "Isn't this what you _wanted_?"

"I didn't expect another fight!" And if she was going to scratch and
bite, he wanted to be a bit more into it so it wouldn't hurt so sharding
much.

Fury burned in her dark eyes. "Well, don't expect _anything_ from now on,
B'ram. I'm sick of all of this! And you know what, I know you won't
stop. You'll never stop! This is sharding over, you hear me? I've made
my choice." It was incredible how easily the words tumbled out of her
mouth, spurred on by her hurt and anger. She knew his weakness like he
knew hers, and just like he did, she didn't hesitate to exploit it. "And
it's him."

A hint of true fear flashed in his eyes for just a moment. No. He hadn't
pushed her that far. This was another part of the game. "You're
bluffing."

A pale brow rose mockingly even as a lump formed in the back of her
throat--why, she didn't know. Or didn't want to acknowledge. Without
another word she turned on her heel and stalked out of his weyr, the door
slamming behind her.

Burning cold fear gripped his chest at the finality of the sound as it
echoed through his weyr. She was gone, and she had taken all the air with
her. His chest tightened and he couldn't breathe. He could feel that
rising panic he had felt before, and for a second his legs felt numb, as
if they couldn't decide if they wanted to collapse out from under him or
run after her. She was gone! It couldn't be! It _couldn't_ be, he
reassured himself, taking a long, deliberate, painful breath. B'ram
pushed down that emptiness that had been his friend for so long. It was
almost strange to him now, and it was harder than before. Reaching out,
he willed his fingers not to tremble as he curled them over the back of
his sofa. **She's bluffing. She's only bluffing. This is just another
twisted game of hers. She'll be back. She'll be back. She'll see I'm
right, and then she'll be back...** She would be back. She had to come
back. Because if she didn't.... **No. She'll be back. She'll be
back...**

Last updated on the July 29th 2008

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Retaliation