The Way We Were

Posted on Sun Dec 25th, 2022 @ 6:31pm by Gold Rider Lana

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: RCW
Timeline: M1 D2

Turns End was always Halia‘s favourite time of the turn. It was fun, refreshing and she got to give the Weyr something that she had been working on all year. She loved working on new music and her guitar had never had quite so much practice as it had, had, in the last couple of seven days. She stared across the cavern and watched everyone dancing, chatting and having fun.

It made her a little sad that her and her Brown Rider were not quite as close as they had been sure they were sleeping in the same bed, in the same Weyr and all the other things that mates did but it would still be nice just to put the last turn behind them and move on from Lunars real parents.

S'lei was mentally exhausted. He felt like his world had been turned upside down and then Luna had up and disappeared again along with her child. Or his child or he really didn't know. He wished he could just make it all disappear. A certain Harper was the only one he had eyes for.

Which is exactly why for Turns End he had put on his best and went looking for his mate. He owed her a lot and he knew how much she loved Turns End. He finally spotted her and made his way through the crowd. "Good evening, beautiful."

The Harper turned around at the familiar voice and smiled at the brown rider. He was ridiculously handsome and it always took her breath away when he turned up and said that she was beautiful but she was under no illusions after the last couple of months of drama that things were perfect. “Hello yourself. Finally got off watch I see.” She was wearing the dark coloured dress which suited her just fine with her blonde hair and deep brown eyes.

The brown rider flashed a smile. She was beautiful inside and out to him. How had he let someone get in the middle of it? She was his everything. "Yeah finally," he smiled. "I had to see my best girl."

Halia raised an eyebrow at his statement. “Oh we have different levels of relationships hmm?” She laughed, running a hand down his arm as she bridged the gap between them. The dining cavern was busy with people celebrating the delayed turns end, but it was a nice environment for them to talk. “Can we talk and get it all off our chests?” She asked.

S'lei pulled a face. Yeah he deserved that. He had nearly ruined their relationship. He nodded, giving her a smile. Shards, he loved this Harper. "Yeah we should, " he agreed.

Halia had not meant it quite the way his face had said it had come across. Halia nodded and pushed herself through the crowds using her guitar to a nook in the wall that allowed them a momentary moment of privacy. She sighed and ran a hair through one of her curls. “Look this turn has been… hard. I … I cannot go through this repeatedly.” She said seeing the faint scratch along his face that had been done by Luna revealing the babe to him.

S'lei realized too late that he had taken Halia's words wrong. Shards, since when was he that negative? He followed Halia through the growing crowd. What she said next made sense. "I agree. It wasn't fair to anyone. I am done playing her games. I tried to make things right but it never was. And I nearly lost you because of it."

“Yes because you tried to hide it all and then hide me and I was labelled a whore,” That had been the worst part in the middle of the cavern and out of no where by someone she had no idea who they were. The riders and weyrfolk had not battered an eyebrow at the exchange knowing better but it had still hurt to see someone with that much venom towards her. “And worst home wrecker when one that is not how the weyr works and two we are meant to be a team. Me and you.”

The brown rider sighed. "Not my brightest idea. I was confused and handled things all wrong." He blinked in shock. "You are not a whore. Whoever said that had no idea what they were talking about." How had he messed up so badly. "I wish I could change things so that I didn't hurt you."

“Luna’s sister said that to me in this very room.” The woman said with a sigh. She had not ever really mentioned it as she assumed the gossip would get that news to him but obviously not. “You handled things very wrong but I want to help. I am here to help. It took two turns to get you over her and in a sevenday everything shifted back..”

S'lei couldn't believe it. That woman only seemed to cause trouble at every turn. He sighed softly and reached up to brush his fingers against her cheek. "I am so sorry, Halia. I messed this up from the beginning. I let that woman get in my head and I never should have. I thank you for not running."

The Harper closed her eyes at the brush of his fingers against her cheek, his fingers were calloused against her smooth cheek. He was so loving when he got out of his own head. “You messed up but I’m not a child. I did consider running but your sister said I am a better person than that and I am. I wanna be with you all of you despite all the damage I wanna help you heal.”

He had messed up. Tanly had yelled at him a few times about it and he had deserved every word. S'lei chuckled softly, looking into Halia's eyes. "Leave it to my baby sister. I swear she has a better head on her shoulders then K'vin and I together." He gently slipped his arms around her waist. "And I want you here always. Thank you for being the bigger person then I had been."

Halia nodded wrapping her arms around his neck as she lay the guitar down. Someone had to be the bigger person and try and salvage what they could from it all. “She is a child and I’m very much not.“ she said simply.

S'lei laughed and held her close after she made sure her guitar was safe. "Oh you most definitely are not a child," he assured her, nuzzling her neck.

“No I am not. I am not scared of big emotions nor of what happens in relationships. It’s been a long time you need to heal.” She said firmly closing her eyes at him nuzzling her neck.

The brown rider smiled a bit. "How did I get lucky enough to find such an understanding and loving woman?" He asked softly.

The Harper could have said something snarky but held her tongue as she enjoyed his touch after such a long time when they had been treating each other cold. “By going through a lot of women who weren’t.” She murmured softly.

He groaned softly against her neck. "That is definitely a true statement." S'lei had had his fair share of partners. Luna had been the most complicated though and had nearly cost him everything.

Halla did mean to upset the man. She was just speaking the truth as a Harper and the woman who loved him. She could not deny his past if they were going to have a future together.“Of course, this is a true statement. I do not lie to you. My Harper values wouldn’t allow it.”

A smile tweaked the corner of S'lei's mouth. "One of the things I love about you," he whispered. "You'll always tell me how it is even if I don't want to hear it." He was definitely grateful to have met Halia.

“Someone has to.” She replied with a shake of her head as she spotted Tanly watching them across the cavern. She turned to the Brown Rider and smiled. “I love you but I am not going to always put up with Luna turning up to ruin things.” She said shortly as she caressed the scar on his face from the girl's attack.

S'lei laughed. That was true enough. He did need put in his place from time to time. Tanly had tried but he hadn't listened. "I know. We're done. I am not letting her back into my life. She lost that right a while ago I just didn't see it til it nearly cost me you." He closed his eyes at her gentle touch on the scar. Sharding Luna.

The woman lent up and kissed the scar but softly and enough that she hoped it calmed the storm she could see in his eyes at the conversation mentioning the young girl. It was strange to think of her as a girl as in likelihood they were not all that different in age but it was hard to see someone who acted like that as anything other than a girl. “How you ever fell for someone like that I do not know.” She said finally. It was hard to believe that the brown rider fell for someone so disturbed or that it had gone on for so long.

The brown rider still couldn't believe how wherryheaded he had been. He still wasn't sure why he had even fallen for Luna. S'lei closed his eyes at Halia's soft lips against his skin. He shook his head. "I do not know either, " he admitted softly. Maybe he had just felt bad for her. He honestly didn't know.

The woman stayed quiet for a long moment, moving to play with the hair at the back of his neck as she thought about what she was going to say next to stop the situation being awkward. “I am just relieved that Weyrleaders will not let her back in the Weyr.” She finally decided.

S'lei was so glad that Halia hadn't left him. She had every reason to and he couldn't have blamed her. He also couldn't imagine life without her. "As am I. I couldn't handle that again,"he agreed, enjoying the touch of her fingers in his hair.

“We do not need toxic riders after everything.” She said simply. She knew the dragon picked the rider but sometimes some people were just not suited for the life.

The brown rider couldn't argue there. They had all had enough of that. "You are very right," he agreed softly.

She knew she was verbally biting at him but it had to be said and discussed properly. Time was slipping away and neither of them was getting any closure around the subject as it just left them both resentful around it all. “Why I am a Harper.” She said smugly.

S'lei hated that he had messed up so badly. He was glad Halia would tell him the truth but she never should have had to tell him this one. "And a very good one at that."S'lei hated that he had messed up so badly. He was glad Halia would tell him the truth but she never should have had to tell him this one. "And a very good one at that."