A Final Answer

Writers: Chelle, Yvonne
Date Posted: 8th July 2014

Characters: Harki, P'nal
Description: Tying up loose ends.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Rorela, G'nir, D'ale, U'kaiah, Hygalia

Harki avoided P'nal for the next two days - as much as she could, anyway, with a snowy Threadfall in the afternoon of the second day. Shivering, she took the time to wash the crackdust from Cerillith's hide before soaking away the worst of the aches in a bathing pool, then throwing on a chunky sweater to keep the chill away.

And found herself at P'nal's door, knocking, without really deciding to do it. Between her talk with Rorela (and excepting the wicked hangover that had resulted) she'd had some time to think - always a dangerous activity. And now, here she was.

He was sitting inside by the fire, reading. There was a mug of klah on the table beside him. Various animal hides were around the room, both for warmth and texture. P'nal's weyr was quiet though, as Jodeth was curled around his couch in the outer chamber. "Come in." He didn't really know who it was. Maybe J'darin wanted a mug of klah.

"Um. How about that snowstorm today?" Harki stepped inside and closed the door behind herself. "I could barely see for all the snow on my goggles."

Hearing her voice and then seeing her there, he became a little more still. He didn't know what to expect. Had she decided? "Hello Harki." And then he realized here they were, alone, and he wondered just why she was here. "Snow means no Thread so it's always a good thing."

"And yet we still go out anyway, just in case." She rubbed her arms, the nubby texture of the sweater oddly comforting. "Soooo... about this thing you were talking about earlier..."

His dark eyes tracked her and he appreciated her movements. She was nervous, though, so he didn't approach her. He let her do this, at her own pace. Inside, though, he was shaking ever so slightly. **What will she say?** "Yes..."

Rorela was going to flame her, if she found out. "Look. I can't... I don't know what you want from me. What I can offer you, though, is..." She smiled brightly. "Me! No strings, no expectations, and nobody needs to know."

"What do you mean? Sneaking around like a bunch of weyrlings?" He cocked his head, trying to work through what she was saying.

She crossed her arms. "If you want to put it that way."

"Harki, I'm sorry but I'm not that type of person. And honestly, I think you're better than that. You're not something to hide in a closet somewhere." He sounded a bit disappointed. **Is she embarrassed or ashamed of me? Or maybe she doesn't want to deal with all of the complications.** "If this is worth doing, it's worth doing it the right way. No half assing it."

She felt unaccountably stung. "I won't take on responsibility for you giving up your knots. I can't. And a no-strings relationship is all that _I_ can offer."

"Then I suppose it isn't going to work then." He kept his dark eyes on her, watching. "I thank you for thinking about it at least. It took a lot to come here and offer that. I could wish for more but it's your life, Harki, and your choice." And once again, all he had to focus on was Jodeth and the Wing. The story of his life. "And giving up my knots would have been my choice, not yours, because it would have been the right thing to do. Unless I could transfer in a switch-around since U'kaiah's leaving." He didn't know if G'nir would go for that though. And it would depend on who was chosen to be the new Wingleader since D'ale was temporary.

"Right after Hygalia left? G'nir needs you. Wait a few months." She shook her head. **Wait a few months, and do it for another reason.** "The Wings need stability, and we don't have that right now."

"No we don't but maybe that makes it a perfect time to make a move." He had other reasons, but he didn't want to go into it with her. "Start fresh with a new Wingleader and lend whoever it is my experience of this Weyr and its Threadfall patterns."

"Maybe you're right. I don't know." She shrugged, but now there was a glimmer of doubt. U'kaiah's Wing would need a new Wingleader, but what about D'ale? She scuffed the toe of her battered slippers against P'nal's carpet. "Look... I'm sorry I can't... tell you what you want to hear."

"Don't apologize. We don't always get what we want. Anyway, you're just being you which is what attracted me to you in the first place." P'nal looked down at the klah and tried not to bring a sorrowful expression to his face. So many moments wasted.

She didn't know what to say, or whether to nod in agreement, or shrug like it didn't matter, or shake her head in denial. So she stared at the carpet for a little while longer. "I should go. But..." she glanced up and smiled, a little cheekily. "You know where my weyr is. Good night, P'nal."

"Goodnight Harki." As he watched her go, he wondered if it was worth pursuing anyway. Either way, G'nir would have to be his first stop with everything. Finishing the klah, he went back to his reading.

Last updated on the July 14th 2014

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A Final Answer