Would You Go Back?

Writers: Heather, Avery
Date Posted: 23rd February 2020

Characters: Riveenata, C'rin
Description: C'rin and Riveenata go egg shopping, and have a deep conversation about moving, after.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 12 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: K'lvin, T'kala

C'rin

"I hear congratulations are in order to a new auntie?" C'rin said as he
walked in to Riveenata's weyr. He had been invited along with her to
look at firelizard eggs, something he was interested in himself, but
that wasn't exactly the entire reason he had agreed. With K'lvin at
Barrier Lake, it had freed up some of Riveenata's schedule, and C'rin
had been more than happy to fill that time.

She beamed at him, thrilled to be talking about the child. "I'm so happy
for my sister. This was her second try and we were so worried it
wouldn't go well."

"What did Veneena decide on for a name?" he asked.

"Venali. I like it. She went for a family feel because she's not sure
who the father is."

"It's a good name," he agreed. "Does she have anyone lining up to be the
father?"

She shook her head, braids swaying. "No. Her relationships have always
been very casual, she flight moths a lot." It was said factually,
non-judgmentally ; she'd done her time as a flight moth as well, before
she Impressed. "She's happy to take some time away from her craft and
raise the child, though."

"I'm happy for her, then." C'rin said, thinking it was nice to be able
to step away and start a family, and Veneena was fortunate to be at the
Weyr where she had that option. The brownrider reached out and tugged on
one of Riveenata's braids. "You ready to go? I've been trying to talk
Dasveth into letting me get a firelizard egg. So far he's been a shrewd
negotiator."

"I'm good and ready," she agreed. "Why doesn't he want one?"

"He says he can do anything a firelizard can do, and better." C'rin
shook his head as he walked out with Riveenata. "Personally, I think
he's just jealous that I might have another friend besides him."

"Tell Dasveth that you can never have too many friends."

C'rin relayed the message. "He wasn't amused," the brownrider chuckled.

"Poor dear. Maybe he'd change his mind if he got one."

She shook her head, braids swaying, and patted her pocket. "I have the
marks, so let's go see Barenziah. Thanks for coming with me even if you
don't want an egg."

"Any time," he said, genuinely meaning that.

When they arrived at the healer's weyr, a pair of people were already
leaving, each with a small bucket of sand held between their hands. The
healer had a head of stunning redhair, which C'rin had noticed before at
a distance.

"Riveenata," Barenziah smile when she turned to see a familiar face.
"You've decided to get an egg, then?" They had talked about it before
while working in the infirmary together.

"I have. I think it'll make me feel better for Veneena to have someone
to watch over her and the baby."

"Are you getting one, too...?" Barenziah trailed off so the brownrider
could fill in his name.

"Oh, C'rin," he said with a smile and a nod of his head. "No, I'm just
here for moral support."

"Well, these are the eggs I have left," she said, directing them over to
the hearth were a bed of sand had been placed.

"These remind me of the clutches I stood for as a Candidate," she said,
a little wistful, her smile softening as she viewed the eggs.

C'rin smiled as he studied Riveenata's profile, noting the way her smile
lit her face.

Barenziah stroked Chiffon's head, the gold crooning and twisting her
head this way and that as she stayed curled by the edge of the bed of
sand, protectively watching over her eggs.

"Hi Chiffon," she said, extending a finger for the gold flit to sniff.
"Mind if I take one of your eggs? I promise it'll be for a good home."

The gold firelizard seemed to sniff Riveenata's finger, and she must
have approved because she let out a tiny croon and swayed her head back
and forth.

"That's more attention and approval than she's given anyone else,"
Barenziah chuckled.

"Well then. Thank you," Riveenata said. Her hand hovered above the eggs.
By Chiffon's forelimbs there was a nice large-sized one with a lustrous
color. "I'd like this one of that's all right."

"Of course," Barenziah said as she collected another small bucket and
began scooping sand into it. Chiffon watched with interest, crooning
questioningly to Barenziah as the human took the egg and put it into the
midst of the bucket of sand. "Yes, dear heart, the egg will be very well
taken care of," she promised the little queen as she handed the bucket
to Riveenata.

Riveenata took the bucket and bowed to Barenziah. "Thank you very much,"
she said.

It was cradled carefully in her arms as she and C'rin headed back to her
weyr. "I figure I should take it home first and not walk around all day
carrying this. But it's too nice of a day to stay inside. Would you like
to go about the tidepools?"

"The tidepool sound great," C'rin agreed, and well, any excuse for a
little more time with Riveenata was one he would gladly take.

"Where I'm thinking of is a bit far away on foot. Want a ride on Savith
with me, or would Dasveth be horribly offended? If it makes him feel
better, he could give me the ride back."

Savith asked, }:You would ride Dasveth?:{

She burst out laughing and turned bright pink at the same time as
images flooded her mind.

"I don't mind taking a ride with you and Savith," C'rin said, not really
caring if that offended Dasveth or not. Sometimes a guy had to do what a
guy had to do.

They reached her weyr and she tucked the bucket in a safe spot. Then she
grabbed straps, towels, and a swimsuit, just in case. "You need anything?"

"No, I'll just go all natural," he winked as he put an arm around her
shoulders and walked with her out to Savith.

--

"This was a great idea," C'rin said, reclined in the tidepool. The
shallower waters in the tidepools were warmed by the sunlight and just
the right temperature to enjoy a casual dip.

"It's a little more relaxing and a nice change of pace," she agreed,
looking out at the scenery. This part of the beach was like its own
mini-environment, with tidepools deep enough to sit in and stretch out,
whether they were full of water at high tide or empty pits at low tide,
and rocks to lie and sun on. It reminded her a lot of the rock
formations and tide pools back at River Bluff. Only, the sand here was
white and the rocks were a greyish color, looked like slate and worn
fairly smooth. Back at River Bluff, the rocks had included shells in it
and been very orange in color. There was a term for it she couldn't
quite remember anymore...

"I'll never get used to the sand being white," she said with a sigh.

"It is different," he agreed, able to clearly picture the way River
Bluff had looked. "But it's beautiful," his eyes studied her as he spoke.

"There's been some advantages to it, the water color here seems
different." She looked back at him to see the way he was looking at her.
"You weren't thinking about the land at all, were you?"

"It's very hard to think about land when a beautiful woman is sitting
across from me, I must admit," he grinned.

She shook her head in amusement. "You're far too kind, you know." But it
was pleasing to be flattered, still somewhat unexpected after being an
ugly wherry-ling adolescent.

"How are things with K'lvin?" he asked. C'rin had been there for her
when the bronzerider had decided he didn't want her, then of course
K'lvin had suddenly changed his mind, and he had seen less of her.

She looked down at her hands as she skimmed them through the water and
created little ripples. "Funny you should ask me that. I wasn't sure if
you'd want to know."

C'rin felt a little niggle of worry in his stomach. "We're friends,"
sometimes more, he wanted to say, "of course I want to know. Well, from
you rather than gossip from T'kala."

"Well, it's part of why I was thinking about missing River Bluff, and
how different it is. He's asked me to come to Barrier Lake, and I told
him we'd have to wait to decide until Veneena's baby was born. I'm still
not sure. I mean...my family is here, my life is here. This is a
different beach, but it's the same ocean and at least it's a real
sea-beach, not a lake shore."

Then she sighed and looked up at him. "But Barrier Lake is going to be
overflying the River Bluff territory, or mot of it. It's not the same
walls of the Weyr we grew up in, but it's the same land. The same heart.
I've heard that those of us who arrived from the Bluff and who have a
Craft will be given priority for transfers. A part of me really wants to
go. Even if it wans't K'lvin asking."

C'rin's brow furrowed slightly. K'lvin was asking her to leave? Drop her
family and friends and move across Pern, for him? "I thought him going
to Barrier Lake was just temporary."

"That's what it was supposed to be, he retired. But it turns out maybe
he's not so retired after all. He was offered the Weyrlingmaster's
position."

The brownrider mulled over the possibility of Riveenata leaving. He
didn't like it. "That's a little unfair of him to ask, isn't it? What
happens if you decide to stay at Dolphin Cove?"

"I know being Weyrlingmaster is a really busy job. But he deserves it,
don't you think? I mean, he was a Wingleader once, before his
heart...and he's a good man. He told me he'd come back to Dolphin Cove,
though, rather than leave me."

"You must be really considering going there then if you told him to
take the position." C'rin said.

"I told him to take it because I think he should take it whether or
not I go. Some people are driven and need purpose in their lives, that's
what I learned when taking classes in mindhealing as an apprentice. He's
one of them. Early retirement struck a profound blow to him. And if he's
got a position and a chance to prove himself again, why not take it? Not
taking it because of me would be sharding stupid," she said firmly.

"As for me going..." She sighed, went quiet for a moment. "Did you
consider going at any point after they announced it opening?"

"No," C'rin said honestly. "I have been doing my best to make Dolphin
Cove my home since River Bluff. I don't want to have to do that all over
again somewhere else." Although, it would be different around Dolphin
Cove if Riveenata left, he thought. They had been there for one another
right after the collapse, and had continued that friendship ever since.

"I miss the area outside the Weyr so much," she confessed. "The
territory we overflew, doing sweeprides there. I think a part of me
would want to go even without K'lvin. But I know my family has been
doing the same thing as you, they won't move. I've never been apart from
them in my life."

"It's a big decision," he agreed. "But you have to do what you think
will make you happy in the long run."

"That means I have to figure out what it would be."

Last updated on the February 18th 2024

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