Not Where I Thought I Would Be

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 7th January 2010

Characters: B'lamick, Briata
Description: Briata gets the notification of her divorce and B'lamick tries to cheer her.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 22 of Turn 5

Briata

B'lamick opened the door to Briata's quarters upon her invitation. He saw her sitting at her table, letter in hand, and she had an expression on her face he couldn't quite figure out. "Is everything okay?"

Briata looked up. She leaned against the back of the chair, her shoulders slumped. When her face was visible, B'lamick could see darkness under her eyes and her cheeks were flushed - she'd been crying. She lifted the piece of paper for him to take. Paper was scarce, even among the harpers. She supposed they only wanted the best for the Lord Warder.

"So it came through?" It wasn't really a question, he could see that it had as he looked over the document. It was about time as far as he was concerned, but now he knew that she must be upset and so he kept his mouth shut.

"Yes." Briata had waited for it for a while. She had even wondered why it had taken so long. She knew it was the right thing to do, but that didn't make it easy. "I never thought my life would be this way."

"Life is like that sometimes." B'lamick said as he pulled the other chair next to her and sat down. He hadn't been expecting to walk into this sort of emotional baggage, but he wasn't about to just leave her alone either.

"I had my whole life planned out." Briata shook her head and avoided looking at the bronzerider. He probably thought her foolish. "I always thought I'd be married, have lots of children. I never thought I'd lose a marriage."

B'lamick passed back the letter, but took her free hand in his and gave it a squeeze. "I don't think anyone plans for marriage to last just a little while, Briata."

His hand was warm and she was glad for his touch, glad for his friendship. Briata managed a small smile, but there was little joy in it. "I could have crafted before. My father even offered to send me North just so I could. All I ever wanted was a family. That was going to be my craft."

"You can still have a family Briata." B'lamick assured her. "You can have a family here at the Weyr and craft too."

"I can't have both." Briata wouldn't let her craft take her away from her children. "And maybe. I don't know. For now...I'll just work on my weaving, I guess. It wasn't where I saw myself but..." But she didn't have her husband anymore. She was cut off from the man she had tried to love, the man who had simply wanted a wife and refused to even touch her the way a man should _want_ to touch his wife.

B'lamick didn't understand. She was still young, not even twenty turns yet. If she was a rider, then maybe he could understand her rush for a child, one never knew if there would be a next turn to which to make plans for. "You've got time Briata. Craft for a while. You can always stop when it comes time for that family of yours if you don't want to do both."

Briata nodded slowly. "It's just not where I thought I would be. I thought I'd be a wife, striving to make my husband happy."

He didn't think that sounded like much of a life, but she was hold bred, and not craft bred like he had been. "Well maybe you need to find someone who strives to make _you_ happy?"

"I thought he would." The words were half whispered and Briata sighed. "We were friends. At least, I thought we were friends. I thought we would make each other happy - that was how we took our vows. Evidently his words didn't hold any weight."

B'lamick didn't know this Ishek, but he didn't think much of him. How could someone promise to take care of her and then cast her aside... and so quickly too. They couldn't have been together for more than a few months. Briata was sweet and kind and beautiful and she had a sense of humor. She was the perfect girl, any man would be lucky to have her.

He wanted to tell her everything that was in his mind, but he didn't. He'd been able to ignore the feelings that had floated around his head from time to time when he was with her, she had been married after all, and he was no poacher. Now though, with the divorce final, she was free and the possibility was there. It wasn't though, not really. She wasn't in any emotional shape to see him as anything other than a friend, and he wouldn't press. He was used to having his feelings go un-reciprocated.

"Well now you're here." He broke the contact of their hands, he needed to stop thinking of things he shouldn't think of. He didn't want Latarth to talk about things he shouldn't. "Now you don't ever have to think of him again, you can start over."

"Yes." The thing was, she didn't want to have to start over. She wasn't going back, Briata wasn't stupid, but she wished things had worked out differently. If only...but that's not how they worked out and she was simply going to have to get over it. "Thanks B'lamick. You're a good friend."

The words stung, but not much. He _was_ her friend, and would be no matter what else he might feel about her. "I am, and this friend thinks you shouldn't be in your quarters just now. How about we go down and see if any harpers are playing? Something to keep your mind off things for a bit?" He stood up and offered his hand to her.

Yes, that was exactly what she needed. Briata took B'lamick's hand and stood. "Sounds like just what the healer ordered. You must dance with me though."

"Of course, all evening if you want me to." Because he was a glutton for punishment.

"I may very well hold you to that promise, sir." Small laughter escaped. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Last updated on the January 7th 2010

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Not Where I Thought I Would Be