Finding a Cure

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 13th April 2010

Characters: Aileyan, U'kaiah
Description: Aileyan and U'kaiah meet on a sleepless night
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 24 of Turn 5

Aileyan watched her sleeping son tenderly. Ravyan was curled up with his
favourite toy. She didn't dare to touch him, so not to disturb his
sleep. She sighed. She wanted someone to curl up too. She wandered
around in her Weyr. There was the battered flute from her biological father, she
still couldn't play it. Kjarliheth was sleeping on her ledge and Timor, her
firelizard, slept too. She wasn't feeling a tad bit sleepy. She gazed
the sky from the ledge for a moment, but the sky was overcast and
stars hidden. She picked up a book, only to toss it away minute later.
She was too restless to read. 'she couldn't call on her friends at this
time of night. Whole Pern seemed to sleep, excpect her. The loneliness
pressed herself like suffocating blanket. Perhaps if she took a little walk around the
empty corridors. Ravyan would be fine. She opened and closed the door softly.
Soon she discovered that the miles of empty corridors were even more
depressing.

U'kaiah also was restless. Most nights he was worn out by the end of
the evening, either from drills or from other activities. Nights like
this he usually went down to the places were people gathered socially and
found someone who might be willing to help him work off some of his energy.
But even though he had walked through those areas, he couldn't stomach
the idea of a stranger drunkenly, or lustily, reaching out for him like a
prize. Not tonight. And so he had wondered back to his own Weyr again, alone
with his thoughts, and his gitar. He played a half-hearted tune, noticing
for the first time how the sound seemed to echo ever so slightly through the
cavernous room. It made it feel even more empty.

Aileyan heart the tune drifting along the corridor. It drew her like
grass drew Thread and she followed the music. She saw light shine
beneath the door. Another sleepless one. And she knew where she was, her
lips curled up with the irony of it. After moment of hesitation, she knocked
the door.

The music stopped on a rather disjointed chord as U'kaiah wasn't sure if
he had just heard the sound at his door or not. His brow knit in
confusion. "Yes? Who is it?"

Aileyan opened the door enough to get her head inside. "I followed the
music. I hope I'm not disturbing?" Perhaps he wanted to be alone.

She was about the last person he had expected to see at his door at that
time of the evening. They usually only met right after drills and
before she went to pick up her son. Though her visit was unexpected, it
certainly wasn't unwelcome. Hers was not a strangers face. Setting his
gitar aside he rose to his feet. "Not at all. Come in. I was just...wasting
time."

"Couldn't sleep? Me either," Aileyan asked and entered the weyr.

"Must have been something in the stew tonight." He walked over to his
cupboard. "Would you like that glass of wine now? I hate drinking
alone, but I will."

"Maybe a small glass, although wine tends to disturb my sleeping even
more," Aileyan said. She went to sit on his couch, curling up her legs
beneath her.

"Really? It tends to help me." He pulled out two glasses and proceed
to fill one to the top and the other slightly over half-way. "So what's
keeping you awake?"

"I don't know," Aileyan said and took the glass.

U'kaiah looked at her thoughtfully as he lifted his glass to his lips
and took a sip. "You're too young to have trouble sleeping."

"Why's that? What my age has to do with it?" she asked.

He could see she might be offended by that statement. Sitting down next
to her he corrected himself. "Perhaps what I should have said is that
you shouldn't have trouble sleeping at your age. You should have no cares in
the world. Of course, things were different when I was your age."

"Don't let my innocent face fool you. I feel like middle-aged," Aileyan
said.

"It didn't fool me," he assured her. "You've never really acted your
age. Did you think I only noticed you when I started sleeping with
you?"

Aileyan just shrugged her shoulders.

"You're not the first." It was no secret that he liked women. But
there was more to him than that. "I notice all my riders. I wouldn't
be a good Wingleader if I didn't."

"And I was doing my best to stay in the background," Aileyan sighed, but
her lips curved upwards.

"You're very good at it," he smiled back, giving her another long look
as he took another drink from his glass. "I like your smile. You
should show
it more."

"And get noticed?" she said with shocked tone, showing her wry sense of
humour.

U'kaiah leaned slightly closer, his eyes laughing though his tone was
deathly serious. "It's too late, greenrider. You've already been
noticed."

"Maybe I just should hide under a blankett," she had hard time keeping
the laughter out of her voice.

"Under a blanket is the first place I'd want to look for you." He ran
his thumb along her smiling lips. This was the Aileyan he liked seeing,
the one that could make him forget the cares of the day and just enjoy
the moment. It was a feeling that had been missing in his life too much
of late.

Aileyan had to admit that he was a good cure for whatever was bothering
her.

Last updated on the April 20th 2010

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