The Familiar Sofa
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 31st January 2006
Characters: Carmora, Almonteo
Description: Carmora returns from visiting their son without having decided to forgive Almonteo.
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 9, day 19 of Turn 3
"Safe flying, trundle bug," Almonteo said as he gave his daughter one last hug. He wished she could stay, but he knew with the time difference and her having to fly Thread in the morning it was impossible. The Hallmaster picked up his wife's bagage and walked back with his wife a few paces to give Almora and her green some room to launch themselves into the sky.
Carmora stayed just long enough to see Almora take off before spinning on her heel and marching back towards the Weyr. Her daughter had spent a good quarter candlemark trying to talk her out of being cross--and had enlisted her brother's help--but that had just made Carmora _more_ annoyed. The fact that she'd spent the entire trip missing him didn't help... after all, it was _his_ stubbornness that had made him decide to stay behind.
"Did you enjoy your trip love?" he asked as he reached for her hand. After so many turns of marriage, Almonteo knew she was just as angry as them day, and the few days before, she left. But it was not in his nature to hold a grudge, not when he _knew_ she missed him as much as her had missed her.
But it was her stubornness that had kept him at a distance, after all.
She snatched her hand away, but condescended to answer him. "It was lovely.
It's too bad you chose not to visit."
"I'm sure I'll have a chance before the baby is born," Almonteo replied, keeping his tone light and conversational. He could already see that the couch would be his bed _again_ tonight. Not that he had enjoyed sleeping in their rather large bed alone the last seven-day. "How is little Mordra? Had she grown big since last we saw her?"
"Yes, quite a bit." He was rewarded with another slashing look. "Which you'd known. If you'd come. I'm still cross with you, Almonteo, and no number of questions is going to help. You could have spared a day for us. The Hall would hardly have fallen apart."
He resisted getting into a debate with her on that point. It was pointless.
She would never accept his reasons, and he would never be convinced that he had been wrong for having them. "I already know we are both going to be sleeping alone _again_ tonight. I just didn't know you intended to punish me by denying me news of my family as well."
Carmora stopped so suddenly he almost ran into her, staring at him in annoyance. "Don't _do_ that! I'm angry with you, and you're going to make me feel guilty."
"I love my family, Carmora, more than anything. Don't treat me as if I don't care. You know me better than that."
Her jaw clenched. "Can we discuss this in private?" "Fine," her husband replied with a curt nod. "After you."
She fumed in silence the whole way to their weyr, trying to work her way around the fact that _everyone_ seemed to think she was overreacting. Well, her daughter-by-marriage hadn't actually _said_ it in so many words, but all of her children had, with varying degrees of bluntness. Of course, she could have averted most of their arguments if she'd bothered to tell them _why_
she was so upset, but she was hardly about to start confiding her problems in her children.
Carmora had left her family and friends and life behind her when she'd come to the Weyr with Almonteo. No matter how hard she tried, part of her hated it here. It wasn't just that it was a new place... the people and customs and habits of the Weyr were foreign to her. She felt lost more often than not, and putting up a brave front was exhausting.
And all she'd wanted was one day from him...
Amonteo also felt frustrated by her lack of understanding. Didn't she realize they _all_ had left family and friends behind? What kind of example would their Hallmaster be setting for them if he ran off the first chance he had? So many people had been working themselves to the bone trying to restore the Hall. There was _still_ so much that needed to be done. Who should work harder than the _Hallmaster_? How he wished Carmora could have _supported_ his need to stay rather than drove in the fact harder than even _he_ had places he would rather be. Did she even realize how hard it was for him to let her go for an entire _sevenday_ and have no one to come home to? No warm body next to his? No smile to greet him after a tiring day? The solitude was made all the more lonely because he knew it was not only a physical distance that had grown between them, but an emotional as well.
She waited until the door had closed behind them before reaching out to tug the bag from her husband's hand. "I should put my things away," she said quietly, the heat of anger gone from her voice. She just sounded tired. "All right then," he replied as he surrendered the bag over to her resignedly. Feeling the full weight of his turns, Almonteo made his way over to their familiar sofa and sank into the soft cushions.
Last updated on the February 1st 2006