You Win

Writers: Ames, Devin
Date Posted: 30th June 2013

Characters: T'nom, Z'ku
Description: Z'ku congratulates T'nom on winning the gold flight
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 13 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Meledei

T'nom

Z'ku

Thinking about it made him want to throw up, but his father had taught
him to be honorable. If another man beat you fair and square, then you
should acknowledge it. After drills, Z'ku walked up to T'nom with his
hand out. "Congratulations."

T'nom looked up and then smiled. Taking Z'ku's hand he replied,
"Thanks. I was surprised by it all, to be honest." He'd never expected
Taldeth to win Elleth's Flight, but it was a thrill to say the least.
He'd heard quite a few congratulations that morning from fellow
riders. It wasn't a secret who had won. T'nom was pleased. **So this
is what it feels like to win a gold flight and have the Weyr recognize
you.** It felt good. Before he'd just been another bronzerider. Now he
was the bronzerider whose dragon had captured the young golden queen.

"Yes, well. I guess life has a way of surprising us. You won the
Flight, you probably won the girl. I won't try to get in your way."
Z'ku was reconsidering his own life. Why keep holding out for
something he couldn't have?

"I didn't expect it, at all," T'nom replied. "To be honest, I had all
but given up. I'd taken your advice and sought out the company of many
other women around the Weyr. I learned alot that way. As for Meledei,
well, I don't know yet. I mean, we talked about it some, what it would
mean, but I'm not sure yet where things will go." He felt badly. He
liked Z'ku very much and hoped this wouldn't ruin the friendship they
had started to develop.

He arched an eyebrow. "Did she give you the 'I'm not ready' line?"
That had kept Z'ku going for a turn, hoping for a sign that Meledei
was finally interested.

"No," T'nom stated slowly, "but she did make her _expectations_ of
things _very_ clear. If I want to pursue anything with her, then it's
hands off of everyone else." He wasn't sure why Meledei hadn't chosen
Z'ku. He was older, had been a rider longer, and was clearly
interested. **Why me and not him?** He found himself wondering as they
talked.

"Is that really surprising? She might be weyrbred but she's always had
holdbred notions of relationships. F'gol broke her heart when he
cheated on her." Z'ku studied his fellow bronzerider. "You're
holdbred, too. You make it sound like it's an odd request." Odd for a
weyr, yes, but not odd for Meledei.

"It's not odd," T'nom countered, "I was just surprised to find the
idea so prevalent, that's all." He paused and leaned into Z'ku, "And
after taking your advice I was just starting to enjoy some of the more
Weyr ideas on things. So now I have to try and reign that back in if
things are going to work out."

"You'd better. If you really love her then you won't sleep around." If
T'nom was Meledei's choice, then so be it.

"You can trust me Z'ku, I wouldn't do anything to hurt her, and if I
did, I know I would have to answer to you," **And some other people
too,** he added to himself.

"You certainly would." Z'ku couldn't imagine throwing away a
relationship with Meledei like that. **But maybe I never really had a
chance. Maybe she was just being nice when she said there could be
more someday.**

"I hope we can still be friends Z'ku," T'nom said. They hadn't reached
a strong friendship yet, but T'nom had felt as though it was something
that was improving. He would hate to see all that get washed away
because of this, but he understood if Z'ku needed space as well.

It would be easy to lie, to keep up appearances. One wasn't supposed
to be disagreeable with peers, if one could help it. That's what his
father and uncles had taught him. **But this is the weyr, and things
are different here. You can't forget that.** Z'ku could at least be
civil. They still had to fly 'Fall together. "We'll see." Right now,
he didn't want to see T'nom or Meledei any more than he had to.

"I understand," T'nom replied, and he did. It could just as easily
have been him standing in Z'ku's place wishing for a different
outcome.

"Then I'll wish you good day." He didn't know what else to say and
talking to T'nom just made him dwell on things. If only good manners
hadn't been so ingrained in him.

Last updated on the July 3rd 2013

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