KH: Scared of The gather

Posted on Fri Feb 14th, 2025 @ 1:32pm by Green Rider Calarya & Brown Rider G'van

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: Kymos Hold
Timeline: M2 D29

Calarya looked down at the Gather and frowned. She did not want to be there, but as the Weyrleader’s Wingsecond, she had no way out. Why did she have to be so close to the Weyrleader that events like this became impossible to escape?

}:Our mates are looking for us.:{ Leith reminded her as she circled overhead.

Fine. Land. Calarya instructed. She did not want to be at the Gather, but she had no choice, even though she had a sinking feeling that something would go wrong—just as every other Gather she had attended in the past seven Turns had.

Dystath yawned lazily from his position on the fire-heights. He knew his mate would be there soon, and until then, he would enjoy the sunshine on his brown hide.

G'van, on the other hand, was pacing. He knew Calarya really didn’t want to come, and he wouldn’t put it past her to sneak off. But then again, she couldn’t—not with the responsibilities of being Wingsecond. He blew out a breath.

}: Relax.:{ Dystath grumbled. }: They will be here.:{ Leith landed where she found space and nudged her rider as she climbed down, awkward in a tight dress.

“Stop it. I’m going,” Calarya grumbled, securing her light jacket to the strap, adjusting the ropes over her shoulder for comfort, and starting towards where she had seen Dystath and his pacing rider. G'van glared at his brown for being so optimistic. He still worried—until Dystath crooned, and he spun around.

“Cala!” he said in relief. Calarya froze at the croon, her face breaking into a smile at the brown dragon’s affection. She walked closer, rolling her eyes at G’van as she leaned up to scratch Dystath’s eye ridge.

“Hello, Dystath,” she greeted before glancing at his rider, raising an eyebrow at how worried he looked. The brown continued to croon happily, Calarya knowing just the right spot to scratch.

“What?” G'van asked. “Can’t blame me for worrying. I knew you didn’t want to come.”

“Of course I didn’t. I got shot with an arrow last time,” she reminded him, knowing the scars were still evident on her shoulder and leg from that day. She smiled at the brown and stopped scratching, settling down beside them. “You look good,” she commented, trying to lighten the mood she was causing with her worry. Dystath nuzzled her gently. G'van frowned. That was true enough—he remembered it far too well. He had thought he was going to lose her.

“Thank you, and you look beautiful,” he said softly.

“What’s with Dystath?” she wondered. She hadn’t seen the brown this affectionate in a while, but she smiled, enjoying the attention as she glanced down at her dress. It was tight, highlighting her curves, but it did nothing to help her mood or the weight of unease that had been pressing on her for sevendays.

G'van shook his head. “I don’t know. Apparently, he’s enjoying your company,” he said with a small smile. He held his hand out to her. “We don’t have to stay long,” he promised. Calarya hesitated for just a second before taking his hand, letting him pull her close for a moment. She looked up at him and smiled sadly.

“We do,” she sighed softly. She had responsibilities—to A’ren, to the Weyr, even to Pern. She needed to be here. He held her close, knowing how hard this was for her. He hated seeing her like this.

“All right,” G’van whispered. “Just tell me when.” He knew she had obligations, but he also wanted to make sure she was all right. Calarya took a calming breath, keeping his presence close for a moment. How had she fallen for the most easy-going brown rider she had ever met? He was quiet but so sharding strong, keeping her grounded to Pern in ways she would never understand.

“Don’t leave me,” she finally whispered, breaking the moment as she stared up at him. G'van didn’t loosen his hold until she was ready. He nodded with a smile.

“I’m not going anywhere, Cala,” he promised, pressing a kiss to her hair. He would stand by her side, no matter what. Calarya nodded, taking another deep breath, feeling herself relax at his words. She kept a firm hold of his hand as they started down from the fire-heights. She hated the way she felt about Gathers. They were meant to be celebrations, full of laughter and excitement, but for her, they never felt that way. G'van stayed close, letting her grip his hand as tightly as she needed. He hated seeing her like this, but he understood why. He just wished he could do more to put her at ease. At the very least, he could stay by her side.

“So, we have a couple of hours before the Ball. What would you like to do, seeing as we’re dressed to impress?” she asked quietly as she finally reached the street, relieved that her dress hid the sandals she was wearing.

The brown rider considered for a moment. “Hmm. Want to walk the stalls and see what the crafters brought? Maybe we’ll find something we need,” he said with a grin.

“And what exactly do you need, brown rider?” she teased, smirking at his expression.

“Well, honestly, I have what I need right here,” he grinned, hugging her to his side. “But maybe I’ll see about some new straps for Dyst or a nice belt knife.”

“Flirt,” she laughed, feeling the weight on her shoulders ease slightly. His flirting and the warmth of his arm around her were grounding, a comfort against the unease she hadn’t been able to shake for sevendays.

“You think they have that kind of leather here?” she wondered. She had only ever gotten Leith’s straps from Weyr tanners.

He grinned. “Just being honest.” He had Calarya, Dystath, and a beautiful son—what more could he want?

G'van shrugged. “Not sure. Usually, I’m looking for healer supplies,” he admitted. “But it might be fun to look.” Healer supplies reminded her that she needed to get more moon tea. She wasn’t willing to risk another pregnancy, not after the head fever had left her so unwell, leading to a miscarriage. She wasn’t going to put herself through that again.

“We can look at that too. I know you like getting certain things yourself,” she said.

G'van smiled. “I’m sure we’ll find other things as well,” he remarked. There was always something at a Gather they hadn’t realised they needed.

Calarya smiled, nodding as she started walking down the street, eyes scanning the different stalls. There was so much more available outside the Weyr—she had almost forgotten. “I forgot how much more there is outside the Weyr,” she grinned.

G'van chuckled as he walked beside her, happy to see her relaxing. “There’s a lot, and it’s easy to forget when we rarely leave.”

“You don’t have to,” she pointed out softly, glancing at him with a small smile. Just because she had isolated herself in the Weyr didn’t mean he had to as well.

He hugged her close. “No worries,” he assured her. “I’m fine.” He didn’t mind staying at the Weyr, and he still went out when he needed to. She rolled her eyes but jumped at the sudden sound of a child’s scream, whirling around—only to see a little one being tossed into the air and caught again. She let out a breath, shaking her head at her own jumpiness.

“If you’re sure,” she murmured.

G'van laughed as he watched the child’s delighted squeals. “I’m very sure.”

She nodded. “Good. You don’t need me there to go out and do things. That isn’t us.”

He shook his head. “Love, if I need to go out, I will. Most things I can do at the Weyr.” Her attention was drawn to a bolt of fabric in her favourite shade of green. She smiled, running her fingers over the material.

“A beautiful colour for a beautiful woman,” a voice commented.

Calarya rolled her eyes. “Z’ran.”

G'van turned at the familiar voice. “Are you flirting with my mate, bronze rider?” he asked with a smile. “Although, I have to agree—that colour suits you, Cala.”

“Always, G’van, but she turns me down, ignores me, and tells me she has a better-looking brown rider,” Z’ran said with a dramatic sigh. “Not sure I always agree, but you are looking quite handsome today.” He laughed as he clapped the brown rider on the back.

Calarya rolled her eyes again, still not sure how Z’ran was a bronze rider and not a blue with his temperament. “Any of these colours make you think of my own beautiful and patient mate?” he asked, gesturing at the fabrics.

G'van laughed. “Shows my mate has good taste,” he grinned. He knew he had no reason to worry about Z’ran—they had all been friends for so long. He nearly stumbled at the force of the bronze rider’s slap. “Gotta look good for my mate.”

He looked over Calarya’s shoulder, scanning the fabrics. “Hmm… a good colour for Kat?”

“Oh, so patient…” Calarya laughed. She knew Kat and Z’ran were a good fit—they balanced each other out, and somehow, the green rider hadn’t gotten bored of his antics. “This colour,” she assured him, holding up a bolt of rich burgundy fabric. “It has warm tones like her.” Kat would look good in any colour, but she knew Z’ran had asked for their opinion on purpose—he wanted something special.

Kat and Z'ran were certainly a pair, and G'van was happy for them. Life hadn’t always been kind to them. The brown rider nodded. “I think that colour will look lovely on Kat,” he agreed.

Z’ran considered it for a moment before nodding and indicating to the stallholder that he wanted the burgundy fabric. “Thank you,” he said, grinning as he began to haggle over the large amount he wanted. Calarya rolled her eyes, making a mental note to come back later for her own material.

“Come on, before we get caught up,” she grinned, feeling more relaxed now after doing something normal. G'van didn’t argue. It was nice running into Z’ran, but there was still a lot to see before they were expected at the Ball.