We're Never Alone

Writers: Ames, Suzee
Date Posted: 26th July 2011

Characters: K'ale, Cardella
Description: K'ale comforts Cardella in the infirmary after Rama is lost /between/
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 15 of Turn 6

K'ale

Cardella

He paced... up and down. He couldn't even stay still long enough to
form a coherent thought. Love flowed back and forth along their bond
but even Imalkyth's unconditional love couldn't take away the sting of
her loss.

Finally, he sat with his head in his hands and just wept. **Faranth
Rama!** his heart didn't know where to turn.

A rumble came from Imalkyth **Awenth's morns too much.** "What," he
asked dragging himself back from his own grief for a moment. **Awenth
asks you to come help hers.**

"I'm in no condition..." He stopped and took a deep breath. Shaking
his head he realized he couldn't lose another friend and got to his
feet. "Alright," he ground out. "I'm coming."

He jumped on his lifemate's back and they floated toward the
infirmary. He asked his way even though he got several strange stares.
Finally he stood looking down on one of his best friends. Rama's
roommate for their first few months in training. He sat in the chair
next to her bed and took hold of her hand.

They'd given her something to get her to calm down after the initial
incident. She'd not even been able to breathe or see straight for the
anguish she'd felt crushing her heart. The drink, whatever it was, had
allowed her to drift into a fitful rest, full of memories and thoughts
of Rama. When she'd awoken, alone in her space of the infirmary,
sorrow and darkness seemed to overtake her. Even Awenth, who'd been
trying to croon love to her lifemate couldn't penetrate some of the
darkness that seemed to have wrapped itself around Cardella's heart
and mind. She'd laid there, sobbing until one of the healers heard her
and hurried over with another dose of whatever they'd given her.

When she awoke again sometime later, she felt something pressing
against her hand. When she tried to move it, it wouldn't budge.
Blinking she opening her eyes to see what was wrong. That was when her
eyes met K'ale's for a moment. Her face showed her anguish as she drew
a shuddering breath. No words would come to her. A tear slipped from
her eye and rolled down her cheek.

He sat for what seemed like several candlemarks before she even
stirred. He'd even slipped into a doze himself with his forehead on
the bed with her hand. When she finally moved he woke with a start
and looked back into the eyes that glittered with tears.

His own fogged and he blinked back his own tears that threatened to
spill. "Cardella," was all he could manage and even then his voice
broke. He heard the crooning from both of their lifemates but his
heart was like a lump of blackstone in his chest and there seemed to
be another in his throat stifling his ability to talk.

She let out a gasping sob as the memories and thoughts came back to
her. Tears flowed freely now, yet she clung to K'ale's hand as if it
was the only thing keeping her from losing all control. She sensed
Awenth in the back of her mind, but nothing the dragon tried seemed to
reach through to the distraught rider. "She can't be gone," she
managed before the sobs seemed to overtake her.

"I know, I know." He hadn't told Cardella or G'wen just how close he
and Rama had become. They'd skated very close to the edge of what they
were allowed on a couple of occasions. It was harder for him right now
that his friend could possibly know. But right now wasn't about him it
was about Cardella. He patted her hand while she cried.

When she finally managed to calm down for a few moments she whispered,
"Why did this have to happen?" Her eyes were red from crying and she
could barely keep herself from shattering into a million pieces. "I'm
not strong like she was," she whispered, her eyes showing just how
deep this tragedy had struck her.

He'd heard his dad on several occasions deal with grieving riders. He
just shook his head. "There is no reason why. No way to tell why." He
gently squeezed her fingers. "It's not about strength Cardella. I
don't know... did she lose focus at the last second?"

The contact helped her, allowed her to remember that she, did, in fact
have people around her who cared about her.

"I don't know," she mumbled quietly, wishing she did know what had
happened to her friend. "I just wish she wasn't gone."

He knew he wasn't giving as much comfort as he should and felt guilty
about that. Cardella was as much his friend as Rama had been. "I
know." he said finally;. "Me either." His voice broke on the last word
as the grief washed over him again. "I'm sorry Cardella. Wish..." He
covered his eyes with one hand and squeezed hers with the other.

She sniffled and turned to him. "I know there was something between
you two," she whispered quietly. Rama at least had talked about K'ale
and how much she'd liked him. It had always been one of the many
reasons she had never considered him for herself. Rama had had her eye
on the brownrider since shortly after their Impression. She swallowed
with difficulty. "She's not coming back. I don't want to be alone,"
she whispered on a half-sob. She didn't need him to do anything, but
she needed to know she wasn't alone.

He nodded acknowledging her statement. He dropped the hand from his
eyes and gave her a shaky smile of thanks. "Neither do I," he said.
Then he got on the edge of her bed and lay on top of her covers with
his arm over his head still holding her hand. "We're never alone," he
whispered and he felt for Imalkyth through their link. Love and
support flowed back to him from the big brown. He dropped a light kiss
on her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

We're Never Alone