Post by Taxx on Dec 25, 2019 2:34:40 GMT -5
Vitra's day had made such a turn; it was so surreal that at one point she'd had to actually pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming it all. She had delighted at the pain of it, the sensation that told her she was very much awake. She'd met Aleni, and T'vir, and their dragons- her brother had been more subdued and disapproving, but she'd begged him not to tell their father and as far as she knew he hadn't. Meeting Aleni had been much more rewarding, despite T'vir's distaste for her excitement, and she'd very much enjoyed meeting the rosy gold who was her sister's lifemate.
Aleni had teased, suggesting she might get gold too, but Vitra had just smiled and shaken her head: she wanted blue. Not like T'vir's, she'd assured, but like Rachel's. Aslith had been so wonderful, and his sense had been the one to liberate her- a blue to be her partner forever, that was what she wanted. More than anything.
The next day had dawned bright and sunny, and her first day of Candidacy began with breakfast and then chores. Dining Hall cleanup? Okay! She'd joined the rest as they gathered dishes and cleared the tables of the scraps that remained... and she'd just started scrubbing one of the tables when she heard the piercing roar and her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't recognition, but a sort of intuition, and her blue eyes lifted to the doorway as a few of the bolder, more curious Candidates edged into the Bowl to see what dragon was raising a fuss.
Stiffer now, as if by acting the part she could escape what she feared was coming, Vitra continued her work, eyes fixed on the table as her heart raced, her mind spinning with the same thought: "No, no, no." It couldn't be him. He wouldn't chase after her, would he? He'd hardly cared about Aleni- had let T'vir go- why would he come after her?
She heard the scuffle of feet as the nosy Candidates scrambled back, and she knew all too well one set of footsteps approaching her. They stopped, and with her fingers still clutching the brush, Vitra lifted her gaze to meet T'vil's scowl. Her eyes burned and there was a lump in her throat as she stared back at him, but the moment only lasted a second; he reached out to yank the brush from her grasp and then his fingers closed around her arm. "Clearly," he growled as he turned and began to tug her along out of the hall, "Clearly you've been given too much freedom. That will change, you can count on that."
Vitra couldn't help the tears that welled up, and her voice came out half-choked. "I want to stay- please." Her gaze found S'bol, and he gazed back with a measure of frustrated helplessness before his eyes flicked away toward the entrance to the Dining Hall where A'zael stood, watching. Vitra stumbled past him, her free hand reaching to clutch her father's wrist. "Dad, please, I want this!"
"You don't know what you want," the rider snapped back, his steps never faltering as they headed toward the steps leading to the Rim, where Dasiryth was crouched. "You're just a child, and the way I remember it-" his head turning back with a heated glare at the Weyrleader- "children didn't get to decide their futures without approval from a parent. I don't care what you do with the other two, but keep away from my daughter, A'zael!"
He wasn't stopping. Wasn't listening, and Vitra couldn't shake loose. "I want to stay!" She repeated, a mix of frantic desperation and a growing realization that she'd been right all along- it had just been a dream, and now it was ending. Her father didn't answer this time, simply dragged her the last few yards to the bronze, caught her under the arms and lifted her onto Dasiryth's back. He was behind her a short minute later, strapping himself in and enfolding her in his arms, her back to his chest, to hold her still. Her eyes were squeezed closed by now, tears spilling regardless, knowing that her chance was gone- her brief taste of Candidacy making it all the worse, her hopes crushed by her father's refusal to understand her. To grasp that she was more than what his ideals said she should be.
And she knew she'd never get the opportunity to come back here.
Dasiryth rose and then sprang skyward; Vitra opened her eyes to get one last look at the Weyr she'd been foolish enough to hope would be her home for Turns to come. She wished things had turned out differently- it would have been nice to stay. Nothing good awaited her back at Benden Hold... darkness and numbing cold surrounded her, and in the black void she spoke three words that she knew would go unheard- she didn't have the courage to say them to her father's face.
I hate you.
Aleni had teased, suggesting she might get gold too, but Vitra had just smiled and shaken her head: she wanted blue. Not like T'vir's, she'd assured, but like Rachel's. Aslith had been so wonderful, and his sense had been the one to liberate her- a blue to be her partner forever, that was what she wanted. More than anything.
The next day had dawned bright and sunny, and her first day of Candidacy began with breakfast and then chores. Dining Hall cleanup? Okay! She'd joined the rest as they gathered dishes and cleared the tables of the scraps that remained... and she'd just started scrubbing one of the tables when she heard the piercing roar and her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't recognition, but a sort of intuition, and her blue eyes lifted to the doorway as a few of the bolder, more curious Candidates edged into the Bowl to see what dragon was raising a fuss.
Stiffer now, as if by acting the part she could escape what she feared was coming, Vitra continued her work, eyes fixed on the table as her heart raced, her mind spinning with the same thought: "No, no, no." It couldn't be him. He wouldn't chase after her, would he? He'd hardly cared about Aleni- had let T'vir go- why would he come after her?
She heard the scuffle of feet as the nosy Candidates scrambled back, and she knew all too well one set of footsteps approaching her. They stopped, and with her fingers still clutching the brush, Vitra lifted her gaze to meet T'vil's scowl. Her eyes burned and there was a lump in her throat as she stared back at him, but the moment only lasted a second; he reached out to yank the brush from her grasp and then his fingers closed around her arm. "Clearly," he growled as he turned and began to tug her along out of the hall, "Clearly you've been given too much freedom. That will change, you can count on that."
Vitra couldn't help the tears that welled up, and her voice came out half-choked. "I want to stay- please." Her gaze found S'bol, and he gazed back with a measure of frustrated helplessness before his eyes flicked away toward the entrance to the Dining Hall where A'zael stood, watching. Vitra stumbled past him, her free hand reaching to clutch her father's wrist. "Dad, please, I want this!"
"You don't know what you want," the rider snapped back, his steps never faltering as they headed toward the steps leading to the Rim, where Dasiryth was crouched. "You're just a child, and the way I remember it-" his head turning back with a heated glare at the Weyrleader- "children didn't get to decide their futures without approval from a parent. I don't care what you do with the other two, but keep away from my daughter, A'zael!"
He wasn't stopping. Wasn't listening, and Vitra couldn't shake loose. "I want to stay!" She repeated, a mix of frantic desperation and a growing realization that she'd been right all along- it had just been a dream, and now it was ending. Her father didn't answer this time, simply dragged her the last few yards to the bronze, caught her under the arms and lifted her onto Dasiryth's back. He was behind her a short minute later, strapping himself in and enfolding her in his arms, her back to his chest, to hold her still. Her eyes were squeezed closed by now, tears spilling regardless, knowing that her chance was gone- her brief taste of Candidacy making it all the worse, her hopes crushed by her father's refusal to understand her. To grasp that she was more than what his ideals said she should be.
And she knew she'd never get the opportunity to come back here.
Dasiryth rose and then sprang skyward; Vitra opened her eyes to get one last look at the Weyr she'd been foolish enough to hope would be her home for Turns to come. She wished things had turned out differently- it would have been nice to stay. Nothing good awaited her back at Benden Hold... darkness and numbing cold surrounded her, and in the black void she spoke three words that she knew would go unheard- she didn't have the courage to say them to her father's face.
I hate you.
