Is It Worth Fighting For?

Writers: Devin, Ames
Date Posted: 8th October 2013

Characters: Z'ku, T'nom
Description: Z'ku gets a few more jabs into T'nom over the Clutching and Meledei Mentioned: Meledei
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 21 of Turn 7

Z'ku

T'nom

Just after drills ended, Z'ku walked up to T'nom. Tugging off his
helmet, he said, "Congratulations. You beat Dragonsfall for smallest
clutch in a Pass." Yes, T'nom was supposed to be his friend and yes,
it wasn't his fault that Taldeth had won instead of Xemroth. But Z'ku
still wanted to rub it in. It felt good to be mean. Better than
feeling rejected and lonely.

T'nom bristled. He'd heard similar comments from others throughout the
day. Some trying to be more positive, some just outright rude. They
were all right. The Clutch was small.

He gritted his teeth and turned to face Z'ku. "Small clutch or not,
Taldeth flew strong that day." He knew it was a lame reply, but what
more could he say in response to the comments that were right. The
Clutch _was_ very small. It was disappointing to say the least.

"And now the whole Weyr wishes Elleth had made a better choice."
Unspoken was the idea that _his_ bronze was that better choice.

He wanted to slug Z'ku. His words had riled up an anger that he,
himself, had felt. It didn't help that things in his relationship with
Meledei hadn't been going the way he had hoped when all this started.
Deep down inside, he almost wished Elleth had chosen someone else,
then he wouldn't be walking the same path he was right now.

"Yeah well, the past can't be changed. So no used crying over things
that have already happened. We make the best of it." He was gritting
his teeth all the while, but so far he'd managed to control the anger
he was feeling inside.

"Hmm, yes. We all have to live with disappointments." Z'ku smirked. A
little voice told him he was being terribly rude, but it still felt
good. Like he could make T'nom feel some of the hurt he'd been
carrying around.

"Disappointments, perhaps," T'nom gritted out, "but we don't have to
subject ourselves to ridicule and snide comments by people we once
considered a friend. So if you'll excuse me," he snarled, "I think I
have better places to be." T'nom turned without waiting for Z'ku to
answer and started walking away.

The right thing to do was apologize because they really had been
friends. But every time Z'ku saw him he felt either hurt or angry or
both. Not that it was really _T'nom's_ fault. It was Meledei's. If
she'd said she'd had feelings for T'nom for a while, and never had
feelings for Z'ku ... If it truly was a matter of romantic attraction
and not the whim of the goldrider, Z'ku might have been able to accept
it with some grace. "Meledei wrote me a letter. She said she was wrong
and she was sorry. Does that mean you aren't getting along?"

He stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. Leave it to Meledei
to manage to share their little tiff with someone in such a round
about way.

He turned back around, trying to be more friendly than hostile, though
it wasn't an easy task.

"We've had our ups and downs, just like anyone does in a relationship.
If you're asking if we broke up, no, but we're working though some
things. I've had alot going on in my life lately, as I'm sure the
whole sharding Weyr knows." Between the goldflight, the small Clutch,
the issues he'd been having with Pierka, and now the fight with
Meledei, life had been like an out of control spiral downward lately.

Z'ku thought for a long moment before he said, "Maybe I'm glad she
didn't pick me." At least he'd found out how fickle she was before
being in a romantic relationship with her.

T'nom frowned, but inwardly he almost wanted to agree with Z'ku. Being
in a relationship with Meledei was harder than he'd expected it to be.
It might just have been how his current circumstances ended up, but it
hadn't been the easy road he'd imagined in the past.

"I've never done _relationships_ before, but I can tell you, they take
a lot more work than I expected," T'nom replied with heavy sigh.

"Maybe it's not relationships. Maybe it's just her." Z'ku had started
to wonder if she'd exaggerated what happened with F'gol.

T"nom totally understood where Z'ku was coming from. He didn't want to
hash out all their details, but he did feel the need to acknowledge
the comment.

"It's possible, but I really don't have anyone else to compare it all
to. So maybe all relationships are just difficult at times," T'nom
replied.

Z'ku shrugged. "If that's what makes you feel better."

T'nom wasn't really sure exactly what Z'ku meant. This whole encounter
had gone far different than things would have in the past. From the
insulting comments, to then trying to almost reach out to him about
how Meledei wasn't easy to have a relationship with.

T'nom shrugged. "Whatever. Good things are worth fighting for, so
regardless of how hard things may be, I'm not about to give up. Not
yet anyway." He started to turn to leave, not really sure what else to
talk to the fellow bronzerider about.

**And sometimes you learn you were fighting for something that wasn't
worth having.** Z'ku wondered if maybe he should thank T'nom for
helping him learn the truth.

Last updated on the November 2nd 2013

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Is It Worth Fighting For?