A Better Start

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 2nd April 2006

Characters: Larken, M'tone
Description: M'tone surprises Larken with a visit, sweetrolls, and a little something about himself
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 11, day 12 of Turn 3

"Pisky! You little imp, sit still would you?" Larken grinned, trying to hold the squirming kitten still in her lap as she attacked his long fur with the comb. Pisky, quite unhappy with this whole situation, meowed and once again tried to slip out of her hands. After all, he had better things to do than sit still! Like explore underneath the couch...

"Uh-uh, little man. You're not going _anywhere_ til you're groomed. You know how Ojisan gets when he finds _your_ hair clumped on the bed, in his clothes..."

"Larken? Are you home?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice, attention diverted from the kitten. Taking the advantage, Pisky shot out of her hands, diving underneath the table. "Oh, great," she mumbled, sparing a brief, annoyed - but fond - glare at the feline before rising from the couch.
After setting the comb aside, she went over to the door and opened it, unable to mask her surprise in seeing him here. "M'tone?"

"Hi," he grinned. "I brought you some sweet rolls." The brownrider proudly raised the small bundle in one hand and in the other he held up a small closed pitcher and two mugs looped around his fingers. "I thought we could have some klah with them."

Larken grinned back, opening the door wider. "How thoughtful of you.
Here, come in." She gestured him inside, her eyes darting around the room to make sure everything was in order - which it was. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing. I just thought you could use a little treat," he smiled.
"Where should I put this?"

"You can put it on the table here," she told him, grabbing the feline's comb and putting it away. A part of her felt slightly awkward for letting him in without having Ojisan home. But she'd been alone with him in _his_ weyr before...

"All right," he said , laying everything down carefully. Popping open the klah he said, "I hope you don't mind my dropping in on you unexpected like this."

She shook her head, turning around to smile at him. "I don't mind. It's nice to have company." She came over to sit down on the couch. "And with you here, I don't have to keep conversation with my feline to pass the time," she grinned, her soft tone slightly teasing.

"You have a feline?" M'tone asked, his eyes sparkling with delight. "I _love_ felines! My family had a couple when I was growing up. Where is he? Or she?"

"His lordship would be underneath the table at the moment," Larken grinned. Slipping off the edge of the cushion, she knelt down and snatched up the young feline before he could escape. "This," she cradled him in her arms, smoothing back his long fur, "is Pisky."

"Hey there, Pisky," M'tone grinned as he reached out o scratch behind the feline's ears. "He's a young one, isn't he."

"Still a kitten," she smiled, then scolded him when he tried to playfully bite one of M'tone's fingers. "But old enough to think he owns the place
- and _us_!"

"Yeah, they never grow out of _that_ phase," he chuckled. "I have a way with felines. And children. You don't have any of _those_ hidden anywhere do you? Under a chair, under the sofa..."

Larken shook her head as she sank back to the sofa again, Pisky still in her arms. Just because there weren't any didn't mean that Ojisan didn't want them... On the contrary, she knew he wanted them. He wanted them very much. "Do you?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Not that I know of," he said as he sank down on the sofa beside her, reaching over to lend his fingers for the little kitten to lick and nip.

She gave him a sharp look, a slight flush coloring her cheeks. What an interesting way to phrase an answer.

M'tone couldn't mistake the look as anything pleased. "Yes? Did I say something wrong?"

Lowering her lashes, she shook her head, suddenly ashamed for letting herself pass judgement like that.

He ducked his head still trying to meet her eyes. "No, really. If I said something to upset you, just tell me."

She couldn't look at him. Embarrassed, she rubbed her purring feline's neck. It seemed as though he'd finally expended enough energy to stay still. At least for a little while. **Shells, Larken... Say
_something_...** The Weyr's customs were so different from what she was used to, but... "Does it bother you? The not knowing?" The question was out before she could consider it, and her cheeks flamed anew.

"No, I don't think so," he said matter of factly. "I think it's better I _don't_ know. After all, if I do have a child somewhere and I don't already know it, it's because the mother doesn't _want_ me to know. In which case, it's best that I don't."

That got her to look up, and she stared at him in shock. "But why wouldn't she want you to know? How is that fair to you?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It happens sometimes. Maybe she isn't _sure_ it's mine. Or maybe she didn't like me. Maybe it's just too much a bother. Who knows. But it's also possible that I _never_ made a woman pregnant."

Shards...this conversation was seeming to get far too personal.
Uncomfortable, Larken looked back down at Pisky and began smoothing her fingers through his soft fur again. The Weyr was different. So very different. The children who were born here...more than half of them must not know at least one of their parents. And they couldn't trace their ancestry...they would never know their bloodline...or where they came from... It was all lost here. All of it. And M'tone... He might have children, or he might not. How could he live like that? How could any man?

Larken glanced up at him again. **It's true... Dragonmen _are_ a breed
apart.** And in more ways than just one.

"I'm getting the feeling that this visit isn't turning out so well as I had imagined," the brownrider said apologetically.

"Well..." she began softly, "it's not over yet, is it?" She gave him a small, hesitant smile.

"No," he nodded, giving her a bit more confident grin. "I guess it's not. Maybe we can start over?"

She reached over the now-sleeping feline and snagged two warm sweetrolls from the bundle, then handed one to him, meeting his eyes with another, soft smile. "Okay."

"Thank you." His fingers lingered, brushing against hers as he took the offered roll. "I think we're off to a much better start this time."

Last updated on the April 12th 2006

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A Better Start