The Broken Hearts Club

Writers: Devin, Suzee
Date Posted: 12th August 2013

Characters: Pierka, Z'ku
Description: Z'ku and Pierka talk about their mutual heartbreak and other things.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 16 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: T'nom, Meledei, N'vanik

Pierka

Z'ku

Z'ku had almost found a seat, but then he spotted Meledei and T'nom
sitting together. Smiling. **Maybe I should go eat in my Weyr.**

As he turned to leave, he saw someone else looking at the couple with
a distinctly unhappy expression. He slid in next to Pierka. "You too,
huh?"

"Is it showing that bad," she asked as she made a little more room for him.

"Yeah." He looked at Pierka, telling himself not to glance them. He
didn't need to lose more of his appetite. "Hoping the bronzerider
would fall in love with you, but then he chose the beautiful goldrider
instead?" It wasn't surprising that she would fancy T'nom.

"Yeah," she repeated in the same tone. "Timing is everything I guess."
She looked up at him. There really wasn't a secret about the way he'd
felt about Meledei. T'nom had even spoken of Z'ku as his competition
on that front. "So, how about you? How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I feel like I wasted all this time wishing for something
I couldn't have."

"I'm sorry Z'ku," she said reaching out her hand to squeeze his. "At
least you aren't pregnant," she smiled thinly.

His eyes went wide. "You're pregnant? By _him_?"

"Yeah, " she sighed. There was no point in trying to hide it.
"N'vanik's sent me to the Queen's wing."

"Shards. Did you tell T'nom? Is he being supportive?" He'd almost
asked if T'nom was taking care of her. Some holdbred ideas were hard
to leave behind.

"Yes," she said. "I told him. He wan'ts to be part of the baby's
life." She didn't think she had to say **but not mine.** "I'm very
sorry you didn't win Z'ku," she half smiled. "For both of us."

"Well, the dragons decided. Meledei is too fickle to make her own
choices. I'm sorry you're suffering for it." He glanced down at his
food, which was getting cold. "Want to go eat somewhere else?"

She looked at her own plate, "Yeah. I think I'd like to go somewhere
else." She smiled at Z'ku.

"How about outside? It can be like a picnic." The food would
definitely be cold if they went all the way to one of their weyrs.

"That sounds just about right," she smiled and picked up her tray. the
last thing she needed was anyone in her weyr at this point. She was so
hurt and confused she didn't know what she was going to do. Add to
that another rider obviously smitten with Meledei and she just didn't
want to go there. But a friend? Now that sounded good.

Z'ku took his tray and found them a shady spot outside. They had a
view of the beach and being away from Meledei and T'nom made him feel
better. He took a few bites. "This is much nicer."

A light breeze ruffled her hair and the day was beautiful. She picked
the perfect redfruit from her plate and bit into it. "Much better,"
she agreed. She crossed her ankles and placed the tray on her knees
balancing it nicely. "It's a very nice day out here."

He nodded, trying to think of a subject that didn't involve the happy
couple. "You were ... a crafter, right?"

"I was yes," she smiled. "Of course it will be a bit difficult to
continue as a dragonrider. Dolphineering takes almost as much
dedication as dragonriding." She turned to look at him with a
grin."Did you craft?"

"No, I was Searched, and I knew I'd Impress." He smiled at his younger
self's confidence. "I came over from Rising Moons when Dolphin Cove
asked for older Candidates."

"Did you Impress the first time you Stood," Pierka asked. She was
finding this conversation quite interesting. That and she was glad to
be talking about something other than T'nom.

"No, I Stood twice before coming here. And then Xemroth found me." The
memory made him smile.

"I was lucky," she said with a soft smile. "Liddith was waiting for me
the first time I Stood on the sands." Her life had changed in that
moment from having no one who cared to having someone who loved her
more fully that she could even comprehend. Her own feelings had opened
up farther than she could describe to anyone who wasn't a dragonrider.

Z'ku ate quietly for a moment. "What made you Stand?" Afterall, she
already had a craft.

"I don't know exactly when it happened but it was sometime after I
came to Dolphin Hall. I became fascinated with dragons and began
walking over from the hall on restdays to watch the weyrlings." She
chuckled at the memory. "One day a blue and his rider spotted me on
the heights and gave me his token." Her eyes were soft as she smiled
at Z'ku. "I had to try."

"The temptation of living so close to the Weyr." He was surprised more
apprentices weren't lured away.

"Exactly," she grinned. Then she realized she hadn't thought about
Meledei and T'nom at all for awhile. "Thank you Z'ku," she said with a
soft smile and reached out for his hand. "Thanks for reminding me of
what was really important."

He took the offered hand and nodded. "Our dragons are more important
than any person could ever be." In a quieter tone, he said, "You know,
if you need someone to be there when you go to the healers and such
... I can go." He wasn't quite sure why he was making the offer. Maybe
because she was in a much worse situation than he was.

That surprised her. "Do you really mean that?"

Z'ku nodded. "T'nom is the father and he's _supposed_ to be there with
you, but he'd probably make you uncomfortable. You shouldn't have to
be _more_ uncomfortable when the healer is doing ... whatever they
need to." A slight blush colored his cheeks. "And anyway, I hope to be
a father someday and it might be good to have some experience."

She looked down and nodded. "Yes, but right now I don't want him
there. It's just too hard." She squeezed Z'ku's fingers slightly. "I
means alot to me that you offered." Then she smiled slighty and nodded
again. "I'd be very happy to have a friend come with me Z'ku. Thanks!"

Funny that he was spending time sleeping with every woman he could,
and yet with Pierka he really _did_ want to be friends. "Just let me
know. Anytime." And maybe, just maybe, a little part of him wanted to
take something away from T'nom, even if it was just taking a pregnant
woman to the healers.

Last updated on the August 17th 2013

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The Broken Hearts Club