Seeds of Doubt

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 30th August 2010

Characters: J'nev, Aileyan
Description: J'nev takes pleasure in informing Aileyan of the latest gossip
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 5 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentions: U'kaiah, G'nir

"G'nir, Weyrleader. Who would have seen that coming, eh?" J'nev said
lightheartedly as he fell into step with the greenrider.

"I don't know," Aileyan replied. "On other hand, he's a bronzerider and
they all had equal changes, with new Queen and all."

"What, you don't think U'kaiah should have been Weyrleader?" he asked
with a mischievous grin.

The petite greenrider just shrugged. "I haven't given it any thought."

"Well he certainly seemed to think he deserved it. Why else would he
have taken losing so badly?" J'nev's smile held the littlest hint of a
sneer. He had been in the Flight too, but he had known there was no
chance he would win. It had given him great satisfaction to know
U'kaiah hadn't either.

"Don't the all wingleaders want it? They had to be ambitious to reach
their position," Aileyan asked and remarked.

J'nev leaned a little closer. "But even former Weyrleaders managed not
to rough up their bed partners afterwards."

"What?" Aileyan looked puzzled. She had not heard anything about that
and wasn't quite sure what he implied at.

"You didn't hear?" he asked, genuinely surprised. He reveled in the
fact that he would be the one who got to tell her what the swirl of
rumors had been about that morning. "After the Flight, the woman in the
circle he spent his dragonlust with, they had to call a healer to attend
her."

"Oh? I hadn't heard it," Aileyan said. Frankly, she wasn't terribly
surprised, or shocked. She had lived in Weyr for five turns now, and she
had seen...things. She knew U'kaiah had a violent side, he had spent
time
demoted to Weyrlingwing because of it.

"Well, I figured you would have _known_, considering you know his habits
so well," he said innocently.

"We are not that close," Aileyan said. Truth was, she hadn't seen
U'kaiah outside the wing duties since the Queen flight.

"But everyone knows you _have_ been. I mean, you must know what he's
like. You know," he whispered closer to her ear, "in the furs."

"Yes, I know what his like, with me. Skilled and gentle," Aileyan
replied with quiet dignity.

Even know was she defending him? "But you certainly don't seem
surprised that your 'gentle' lover could turn on a woman and send her to
the healers."

"I've lived the Weyr long enough. Do you really think that such things
don't happen in holds too?" Shards, she had grown up in Emerald Falls
hold, she had seen and heard lot of things. In some matters she was
ruthlessly realistic. "Besides, I've left a mark or two to my partners,"
she was curious to see if she could shock the young bronzerider.

He wasn't surprised at all. J'nev already knew she only played at being
a proper young lady still in the Hold. "A mark doesn't send someone to
the infirmary, does it. But maybe that's why you prefer him. Maybe you
like it a little rough sometimes. Some women do, I'm told."

Aileyan didn't bother to answer him. What she liked was none of his
business.

Silence. He must have hit a nerve. "Well, in any case, I'm sure you'll
be happy to know that you'll have him all to yourself for a while, at
least. Women will think twice now that he's shown his true colors. In
my opinion, in many people's opinion, even Flight isn't excuse enough
for hurting a woman like that. They should take his knots away, if not
transfer him away from Dragonsfall for that kind of behavior. It's
barbaric."

"As barbaric as those holders whose wives are constantly ´tripping in
stairs´ or banging they eyes to ´closet doors´", she said with
sarcastic tone.

"Exactly," J'nev agreed, pretending he had not noticed the sarcasm in
her voice. "Behavior like his doesn't belong in a Weyr. Don't you
agree?"

Ailayan had to agree, otherwise she would accepting violence against
woman, and she couldn't do that. "I do. Behaviour like that doesn't
belong to anywhere."

That brought a triumphant smile to the bronzerider's lips. "Perhaps you
should think twice before being seen in the Wingleader's company,
Aileyan. Some might perceive it as you condoning his actions. And by
your own admission, he stepped way out of line."

"I certainly have some thinking to do," Aileyan said. She felt
disappointed.

"Indeed," he said, deciding not to push it further. J'nev had
accomplished all he had hoped for one afternoon.

Last updated on the September 22nd 2010

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Seeds of Doubt