Promise Me

Writers: Ames, AL
Date Posted: 3rd April 2011

Characters: Meledei, T'nom
Description: Meledei tries to encourage her friend Tanom even though he's not Impressed.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 6

T'nom

"Looks like you've been getting more neighbors." Meledei commented as she
jogged to come up beside Tanom. For once, her hair wasn't pulled back into
a tail, but allowed to fall straight down, teasing her middle back. She
grinned up at her former candidate mate, pushing back a strand of hair and
tucking it behind her ear. "Looking forward to seeing the eggs when they
are lain?"

"Aye, I guess," Tanom replied, looking towards his friend of many turns.
"You're looking rather lovely today, Meledei." She was one of the few people
Tanom had really opened up to in his time at the Weyr. Something about her
had made her approachable from the time he'd met her and they had developed
a rather close friendship in the meantime. He couldn't help but notice the
way the sunlight glinted off her hair and how bright and cheerful her eyes
seemed. There were times he wished he could be as happy and open as she had
been, but alas, that was just not who he was, at least not with anyone but
her.

"I've missed you, little lass," he remarked. "Tis the truth it's not the
same down here without you."

Meledei shook her head. Despite the fact there were only a couple of turns
between them, Tanom still called her 'little lass'. "Thanks, though I still
say you need to get your eyes checked." She settled into a comfortable pace
beside him. "I think you're going to impress this time around." She stated
with confidence.

He chuckled softly. "I _like_ calling you that, though you _used_ to fit
that description better before. Perhaps I should find a new nickname for
you." He listened to her next words and felt his smile falter. "I don't know
Meledei. I've stood the sands so many times now, it just doesn't seem like
they made the right choice when they asked me here. I'm thinking of leaving
after this hatching." He knew she wasn't going to like hearing that, but he
was beginning to feel like he wouldn't be useful here anymore.

"You're going to Impress." Meledei insisted and skipped ahead so she could
stop right in front of him, jabbing a finger into his chest. "Mark my
words! You will Impress! Don't argue with a goldrider, candidate!" She
tried to sound severe, but it was difficult when it wasn't sincere. "Don't
you dare leave after this hatching. If you won't Impress _this_ time,
you'll Impress from Elleth's clutch. I demand that you stay for Elleth's
clutch!"

He sighed but smiled at her. "Alright. I'll stay until Elleth clutches, even
if it's just because I want to be here for you. I _want_ to Impress, but you
know how hard it can be to believe it will happen after so many attempts.
But," he reached out and tousled her hair with a smile. "If you say I'm
going to Impress, I'll just have to believe you, won't I?"

"I know." Meledei tried to duck his touch, but he managed to get her
anyway. "Yes. I'm a goldrider. I know. You have to believe me because I
know everything!" Meledei threw her hands wide and grinned. "I'll...have
you whipped if you don't believe me. Or something."

He snorted, "You wouldn't, and you know it. You're far to kind-hearted to
ever think of doing harm to someone else." He walked easily beside her,
glancing down, "So what's the new Weyrwoman like? Are things any better than
they have been?" He'd known she hadn't been all that happy with the former
Weyrwoman. What little he'd seen personally of the new Weyrwoman she was
active and out and about. People seemed to be talking highly of her, at
least for now.

"You don't know me as well as you _think_ you know me." Meledei threw a
punch at Tanom's arm, but it was a halfhearted attempt. She didn't really
want to hurt him. "Oh, yes, they are. Much better. I mean, they were
better when she came in the first place because someone was _finally_
training me like I was supposed to be. But now with her as the Weyrwoman, I
feel like things are getting _done_." And it was such a relief!

"Ouch," he feigned being hurt, rubbing the spot she'd just hit, though he
was grinning. "I'm glad things seem to be better. I know someday you'll be
one of the best goldriders in all of Pern, and having a good teacher is
vital to that!" He frowned a moment, paused and turned to look at her. "I
know you believe I'll Impress, but, Meledei, what will I do if I _don't_?"
He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "I've spent the last four turns
thinking that my future was here with a dragon, but what if somehow, it's
not? Shards, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be bugging you with this. I'm sure
you've got much more important things to do than listen to me."

"Nonsense, we're friends. Friends bug each other." Meledei shook her head
and drew a little closer, as if her presence might help soothe his worries.
"Then you stay here, take up a craft or look into other positions in the
Weyr. You've got friends here, and the Weyr can give you good life, even if
you aren't a dragonrider."

"I don't know," he grumbled, thinking back on the conversation he'd had with
that less than pleasant bluerider. "I don't want to feel like a failure. And
someone not Impressing would seem that way. At least I think it would." He
finally lowered the hand that had been rubbing almost self-consciously
against his neck. He honestly didn't know what else to say. That was the
root of his problem, right there, feeling like a failure. He looked towards
her, and noticed how close she was, how beautiful her eyes seemed to shine
in the light. Tanom had to shake his head. He couldn't think such things.
They'd been friends for far too long now and he'd seen how hurt she'd been
after F'gol. He couldn't, wouldn't do anything to hurt her, no matter how
much she seemed to shine like her dragon when the sun glinted from that
golden hide.

"You wouldn't be a failure." Meledei insisted, though she could certainly
see why people felt like that. "Plenty of people have come here hoping to
Impress, Searched, but never did. And yet they go on do be great Healers
and Harpers and all sorts of things." The goldrider threw her hands up in
the air, the possibilities endless! "Lack of Impressing isn't failing. It
just means you were meant to do something else. Something just as great."
The girl sighed, wishing Tanom wouldn't have such tunnel vision. He could
do a lot of good. He was a hard worker, honest, solid. There were so many
possibilities, but all he could see was the option. "You just have to open
your mind."

"Easy for you to say, little lass," he said looking to her, "you won't ever
have to know that you stood the sands and didn't meet your lifemate. Elleth
chose you, rightly so, of course, but imagine how it might have been had it
never happened." He shrugged his shoulders. "At least I've had alot of time
to perfect my woodworking skills these turns, but I'm not sure how useful my
craft would really be here. I might _have_ to seek my fortunes somewhere
else."

"But I _have_ known it." Meledei turned and stepped up to look up into
Tanom's gaze, finger pressing against his chest. "Do you realise how often
I stood on those sands only to leave without a lifemate? Far more than you,
that's for sure. Every time hoping that I would Impress, hoping that one
would choose me. But none did." She stepped away and shook her head. "I
know Elleth did choose me, and shards, I never would want any other
dragon...but I know what it's like to be rejected." In more ways than one.

He sighed and placing his hands on her shoulders he looked into her eyes. "I
know you understand. I never meant to suggest otherwise. Mel, I'm _happy_
Elleth chose you. She couldn't have picked a better soul on all of Pern to
be her lifemate. I can only hope that before my time is up, one will chose
me." He sighed slightly, "But if one doesn't and I pass beyond the age of
standing, I hope you'll support me in whatever decision I make. I'll have to
find a path for myself if that happens, and well, I just don't know if that
path will keep me here or take me somewhere else."

"Of course I'll support you, though I do hope the choice you make is to
remain here." Tanom had been one of those steady friends, throughout
candidacy, throughout weyrlinghood...through the whole mess with F'gol.
She'd hate it if he went away. "But will you promise me that you'll keep
trying? At least til you're past the age? Please?" he still had a couple
of more turns. Who knew what would happen then?

"I don't know," he said quietly, looking away from her piercing gaze. "I
wasn't planning to, but," he looked to her again. "I'll do it for you if
nothing else." She was one of his few friends, as making close friends
wasn't an easy task for him. It was almost as though he couldn't deny her
what she asked and truth be told, he knew he would always wonder if he left
_too_ soon. "It's a promise then. I'll stay, at least until I can't try any
more."

"Good." Meledei brightened. Two more turns. At least four more clutches,
right? Hopefully. She wasn't sure how many there would be, but at least
this one and Elleth's. Maybe she could convince him to stay longer than
that if he didn't Impress. "Now, come on. Let's go get something to eat."

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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