Would It Be Wrong?

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 31st January 2006

Characters: Larken, M'tone
Description: Brownrider M'tone helps Larken, and he gets her to promise him a little something...
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 3

Larken

After a rather long moment, Larken finally managed to get the door to the weyr behind her shut without dropping the big basket of laundry. And shards was it heavy! She'd never procrastinate laundry gathering towards the end of the sevenday ever again.

She let out a puff of breath before shaking her hair back from her face.
After she was done with this errand, she'd be done with her wifely chores for the day - and just in time for Ojisan to come home to a nice, clean weyr. A slight smile curved her lips. She was getting used to call their appartments "weyrs" now. It was starting to roll off the tongue much easier.

As she rounded the corner, a familiar voice called her name. "Larken, wait. Let me carry that."

She paused, her eyes widening as she turned her head - and found herself staring up into M'tone's tanned face. She cleared her throat. "Good afternoon."

"Why, good afternoon," he said with a dramatic bow. "Now hand me that basket before you hurt your back."

Flushing, she handed it to him. She didn't know if she should be embarrassed because of the way she had greeted him, or because of the way he had greeted her. Shards...men and women were so casual with each other here! "Thank you, M'tone." She gave him a small, shy smile.

He flopped his own shirt on top of her basket and lifted it easily into his arms. "I take it we are both going the same way anyway," he winked.
"But shards, girl, how much clothes do you have to wear in a sevenday?"

"Oh, those aren't all mine. At least half of them are Ojisan's..."

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Your husbands," he said, almost as if he had forgotten. "How long have you been married?"

"Five Turns."

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Shards, you look too young to be married so long! How old is he, then?"

Larken hesitated. "He's...older than me."

"Well, I'll buy that," he chuckled. "I didn't think they married the boys young too out in the 'real world'. How much older?"

Again, she hesitated. "He's...fifty-seven Turns."

"Shards," he breathed. "I mean," he quickly added, "I know some girls like older men. Why, he's just hitting his _prime_..."

She flushed, her eyes flashing a little. A part of her screamed to defend Ojisan, and so she did. "He's been my father's friend for Turns.
I've known him all my life." Larken firmly stepped down on her own, buried reservations. She refused to give voice to them. Or show them.

"Ah, an arranged thing, was it?" he asked. It was the obvious way that a young beauty would end up with an old man out there. "Parents chose for you?"

Larken looked away. "And I agreed to it."

"And I'm not saying that's a bad thing at all," M'tone clarified. After all, there were some parings in the Weyr with older people, both on the male and female side. "But... Wouldn't you have had more in common with someone your own age?"

Shards, this was getting uncomfortable. How could she fend off his questions? As her mind scrambled for a way to divert his attention to something - anything - else, she replied softly, "Maybe."

"So then, why did you agree? Were you in love with him? I know it happens sometimes. I pretty young woman and a dashing older man..."

"These questions are a bit pointed, wouldn't you say?" The sharp words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She quickly looked away, her dark hair falling around her face to hide the angry, embarrassed flush in her cheeks.

"Shards, Larken, I'm sorry," he said, trying to peek under her hair to see her face. "I was raised in the Weyr and we can talk about everything with whoever we like. I guess I don't know your social rules. Did I offend you?"

She shied away from his questions. "Maybe...maybe we should talk about something else now." Shards, shards, _shards_... She had never been very subtle - as she was certainly showing now!

"Sure. Ok." They walked along in silence for a few moments before M'tone finally said, "So how long have you known your friend, Anacia?"

Here was a subject she felt safe with. "A couple Turns. Her husband is a friend of Ojisan's, you see. But recently...we've been getting to know each other a little bit better." She paused. "Maybe it's because we're both in the same boat here in the Weyr."

"You're both beautiful women who are being attacked by a rude a clumsy brownrider?" He gave her a smile to let her know he was just teasing.

Larken smiled shyly back at him. "I don't think you're very clumsy..."

"You might not say that if you saw me dance. Speaking of which..." He looked at her a moment, considering his words carefully. "You know those Eggs on the sands will hatch pretty soon."

She nodded, her blue eyes brightening. "I've never been to a Hatching before." And she sure was excited!

"Well, after the Hatching there is feasting and dancing." He looked at her face carefully to gauge her reaction. "Would it be wrong or rude of me to ask for a dance?"

Her eyes lowered demurely and she shook her head. "No." Her tone was soft, shy. "It wouldn't."

M'tone smiled. "Well, I won't ask you for a dance if you don't want me to. Do you _want_ me to ask you for a dance, Larken?"

She hesitated. There wasn't any harm in dancing with him. She'd danced with a few dragonriders during the Harper Hall welcome, after all. And Ojisan did encourage her to dance when he couldn't... Her eyes flickered to his. "Yes."

He held her eyes a moment, grinning at his success. "I'll be sure to ask you then."

Last updated on the February 1st 2006

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Would It Be Wrong?