A Fickle Business

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 20th September 2008

Characters: Zelle, K'hetah
Description: K'hetah and Zelle talk about the upcoming changes at the Weyr.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 21 of Turn 4

"Still hide whole?" K'hetah said by way of greeting when Zelle passed the table. He didn't feel the need to apologise for anything he had said at their picnic meal the day before - in fact, if anybody should apologise it should be her, surely, since she had abandoned him when she and Rillith had left. But Threadfall had a way of ending squabbles. Or erasing them, as if they'd never been. What was the point in clinging to petty things when they had just been in a battle for their lives and the defence of Pern?

Somehow surviving Threadfall always felt like he had been given a fresh start. It was possible Zelle didn't feel the same way, but if she didn't there wasn't a thing he could do about it except what he already was - Saying hello, talking to her as if her upset had never been.

"Thus far." Zelle murmured. For a moment, it looked like she was going to walk past, but she stopped, then turned back to K'hetah. "Can we talk?"

"Mmm. Sure. Just not about -" he leaned forward and whispered in her direction "- open flights."

Zelle snorted and took a seat at his side. "No. That's not really what I want to talk about."

He straightened up and sighed. "It's what everybody else seems to want to talk about. Especially the bronzeriders - all rather miffed, it appears - and the brownriders, amused at our expense - and the blueriders, relieved they're not likely to ever be involved with such a thing - and the greenriders ... Well, greenriders always seem to want to talk about _something_," he said with a smile for his friend.

"I know very well what is being said." Zelle waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. She knew what was being said - even more, she knew how the development was affecting J'darin. "But that's not the subject I have in mind." The greenrider took a deep breath, then let it out, "I'm sorry, K'hetah."

"What for?" he asked in surprise.

"For the way I acted." Zelle looked down, not able to meet his eyes, "For acting like a child." She went silent for a moment, then slowly looked up once more. "I have feelings for you K'hetah, you know that, but obviously it's not something you want. I'll do my best to be happy with having you just as a friend."

"Aww, Zelle. No need to apologise for how you feel. And we can be the very best of friends if that's any consolation. But let's talk about something else. Let's put marks on the Weyrleadership. Local or outsider?"

To be honest, Zelle wasn't sure the conversation should be let go so quickly. She sighed. K'hetah didn't get it. She loved him - fiercely. But Zelle also knew that he'd been hurt so badly, he may never return the sentiment. No, it was best to move on. At least he still wanted to be friends. "To be honest, I don't know. You've been here longer than I have, and you're in a leadership position which gives you more exposure. What are the other bronzeriders like here?"

He shrugged. "Much the same as they are anywhere, though perhaps there are fewer of them. But that's what having a wager is about. You guess one thing, I guess another, and we put marks on which of our guesses are right."

"I'd rather not." He was far too cheerful and to be honest, Zelle wasn't in the mood to be cheerful. "You can wager all you want, I'm not joining."

"You can't make things right for J'darin, you know. Not just by wishing - or by being loyal."

"I know." Zelle's hands played at one another and she sighed heavily. "But I'm going to do what I can to help him through this. He's taking it pretty hard."

K'hetah rather thought the other man _would_. "It's a fickle business, Weyrleadership."

"That doesn't make it any easier, knowing that." Zelle stated dryly. "I do have a thought, though I'm not sure how he'll take the suggestion."

"Which is -?" He was happier with Zelle organising another bronzerider's life than having her hovering, hoping to organise his.

"Well, there is a need for a Weyrlingmaster." She stated slowly, hands lacing and unlacing together, then moving to tap at the table. "By the time the eggs hatch, he should be up and about."

"Hmm." K'hetah couldn't help but smile. "Is there a gold under all that green hide Rillith wears? Or does organising people - and the Weyr - just come naturally to you?"

Zelle leveled her gaze at K'hetah. "I only want to help. I care about him and I don't like seeing him hurting like this. I just thought ... maybe it would help."

"Maybe it will, Zelle. And I hope he appreciates that you're trying to help." If the other bronzerider didn't appreciate that K'hetah was more than willing to give the man a hint ... or more.

The greenrider's lips turned downward. "Well it would be the first time that someone appreciated me standing by him." She winced as the words came out unbidden and she looked away.

K'hetah grinned. "If you mean me, I do appreciate it. Always have."

It was always a joke with him. He always tried to make light of it even when she was trying to be serious. Didn't he see that sometimes that just made her feel like he was brushing her off. "Yeah. Sure." She stood, sighing softly. She needed to move on, get over him. It was obvious she was wasting her time. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bound to," he agreed. "Have a good evening Zelle."

Last updated on the September 22nd 2008

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A Fickle Business