Slip of the Tongue (3)

Writers: AL, Elyriel
Date Posted: 25th March 2009

Characters: Zelle, T'marek
Description: Zelle drags T'marek back to her weyr for some socializing.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 10 of Turn 5

Sighing heavily, the brownrider looked down at the wine in his glass and wondered if it was really worth it. This probing into his past. Friendship. He'd been alone with no one but Iriketh for a very long time. He preferred it that way, didn't he? "Yes. One sister. She was young." T'marek's jaw tightened at the mention of his sister. His one true regret was never having gone back for her. He regretted severing his ties with her. Even if she had been very young when he'd left.

"But you haven't seen in her in some time." That much Zelle had gotten in an earlier conversation. "Did you say she crafted?"

Draining his glass, T'marek set it down on the table and looked longingly toward the door. Freedom was only a few steps away. "No, I haven't seen her in some time. Not since the day I left. And yes, she's a healer." Taking a deep breath, he let it out loudly and turned to look at her, features a neutral mask but something akin to pain in his gaze. "Do you mind if we change the subject. Perhaps we can talk about you instead."

"Sure, if you want, though I'm not very interesting." Zelle shrugged and played idly with her glass. "What do you want to know?"

Shaking his head, the brownrider shrugged. "I don't know. Whatever you feel like telling me." Unlike her he wasn't going to grill her about his past.

Zelle started to say something, then stopped and looked down at her glass. She broke her silence a moment later. "I only had one sibling - a brother."

"We have something in common then. I only had a sister." Why he volunteered that information, he wasn't sure, but he'd already told her about "You sometimes remind me of her." His mouth clamped shut immediately.

That brought about a laugh. "That's funny, you don't remind me of L'den at all." The laugh died and Zelle sighed softly. "He died four months ago - Threadfall. It was the catalyst the drove me to transfer here."

Dark brown eyes settled on the greenrider, compassion flaring to life in them. "I'm sorry to hear that. I know how difficult losing someone you care about can be." Except in his case losing his sister had been his fault. She was still alive, he just never had the nerve to actually contact her. Which was for the best, he was certain. She'd forgotten about him by now.

"It's still weird not having him around." Zelle admitted as she continued to turn the glass around and around. "L'den and I were very close, the last of my family alive. Now it's just me."

"You have your lifemate." Iriketh had become T'marek's replacement for all that he'd lost. Until meeting Zelle he had never thought of himself as the type to have friends. He still wasn't so sure he needed any.

"Oh yes, and I wouldn't give her up, even to bring L'den back." Zelle shook her head. Her lifemate came before all others, even her own family. "But my lifemate will agree with me when I say I also need other people. Friends, if not family, though friends can become family."

A sound very much like a grunt made it's way past the brownrider's lips. "People disappoint, dragons don't." He said tersely. "I prefer Iriketh's company, personally."

"I know." Zelle gave T'marek a half grin. "And yeah, people aren't perfect. Dragons are, but people aren't. I still love people though - even you."

"Hmph." T'marek huffed. "Why me I have no idea. If you didn't ride a dragon I'd say you were touched in the head." Then the barest hint of a smile curved his lips. "You really do remind me of Ania. Or at least what I've always imagined she'd grow up to be like. She was a precocious child."

"Ah, so I'm precocious, am I?" Zelle giggled, but she caught the mention of the name. Ania, was it? Zelle could tell there was more than T'marek let on. He really loved his sister and it hurt him not to have seen her for so long. Maybe Zelle would look for her. She was a healer, from the North, and her name was Ania. Surely the Hall would have records. "I'll take that as a compliment coming from you."

Realizing he'd again revealed too much, he merely nodded. Wiping his hands on his pants, he stood and took a few steps toward the doorway before turning around. "I'll be going now." T'marek said. He needed to get out of here, get away from the memories this conversation had drudged up.

"Awww." Zelle wished T'marek wouldn't run away. She couldn't quite fathom why he always did, why he avoided people. Something must have driven him to be that way, but he'd never tell her what. "Well, you're welcome back any time. I mean that."

With a short nod, he started for the exit again. Remembering his manners, he turned once more. "Thank you for the wine." Not waiting for a reply he was out of her weyr and on Iriketh's back as fast as he could be without running. Solitude. Just he and his lifemate. That's all he needed. Anything else and life got too complicated.

Last updated on the March 25th 2009

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Slip of the Tongue (3)