RCW: Home is Safe

Posted on Sun Apr 27th, 2025 @ 7:56pm by Green Rider Calarya & Brown Rider G'van

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: River Cove Weyr
Timeline: M2 D29

Calarya sighed as she slid down from Leith and slowly sat down on the stone couch, just existing for a moment in her own space as she waited for the brown dragon to land. The Weyrleaders had sent her back, but she had not explained to G’van what had happened, and he had not asked, which she was thankful for. She looked up as the man appeared, and she leaned out to touch his hand. “I am sorry that I made you come back, but I am thankful you escorted me home,”

Dystath waited for his mate to land before landing on the ledge himself. G'van took a few extra moments to get the straps off his brown to give Calarya some time. He didn't know what happened but it hadn't been good. He finally walked in and gave her a gentle smile as she touched his hand. “It's okay. I didn't mind being your escort,” he said, sitting beside her. “But is everything okay?”

Leith snuggled down despite her straps around Calarya and crooned a little to her rider before she quietened down. She shook her head. “I thought I was strong enough to not let it get to me, despite you warning me that it might get to me. I took it out on the Weyrleader.” She sighed, knowing she was going to have to work hard to repair that relationship.

Dystath crooned to his mate as he snuggled against her. G'van listened to Calarya talk, inwardly cringing. “Shards,” he said softly. “I wondered why things looked a bit awkward when I got there.”

“I have been … I have been unkind to him since my flight.” She admitted the guilt evident on her face as she let go of his hand and set them on her lap. “I took out my feelings around the gather on him. I offered to step away from being wingsecond,”

G'van stared at Calarya in disbelief, trying to not overreact to those words. He knew Calarya and A'ren were friends so he didn't doubt the Weyrleader would forgive her. “You were going to step down?”

“If that is what the Weyrleader wanted.” Calarya said quietly not sure why he did not accept her resignation as his wingsecond but he had not. “I was more than willing to work my way back up the ranks as punishment for my behaviour and letting the Weyr down but he told me off.”

Now that sounded like A'ren. G'van was surprised though that Calarya seemed so shocked that A'ren hadn't accepted her resignation. “Cala, you haven't let the Weyr down. A'ren sees that. You are a great wingsecond.”

“But I am not at the gather. I am meant to be there for diplomacy but the mere thought makes me want to be ill. Kymos has so many bad memories for me since that gather .” she said, scrubbing her face. She had tried her best but she had not been able to shake the feeling off.

G'van sighed softly. He could see where she was coming from but he also could see why the Hold terrified her. “No you are not. But unlike many of the others who are there today you had been targeted at the last Gather. No one is going to hold that against you. A’ren sees it too.”

The woman nodded. She still hated the thought of leaving the Weyrleaders and other members of the Weyr leadership to tackle things without her. She hated the mere thought of letting anyone down. “He does.” She sighed softly. It was the most frustrating part of her life.

He reached over and gently laid his hand over hers. “Hey,” he said gently. “You were there. Maybe not as long as others but you pushed through your fears and were able to be there for a little bit.” G’van didn't want her to be too hard on herself. She had been through a lot.

“I just thought I was better than this.” She sighed softly looking at the man unsure as he reached over and gathered her small hand with his own much larger one. She held her stand so high that when she was no longer able to maintain or others did not come it all came crashing down as a personal failure.

“Hey,” G'van soothed. “Do not blame yourself. You had to return to a spot that you nearly died at. You handled it much better then I would have.” he didn't want her worrying about it. He hadn't seen F'cone or anyone else from that wing but he was sure they were having trouble too.

Calarya nodded, turning her fingers over to weave through his and sighed softly. “You are right.” She decided. The man was so right and she loved him even more for it because he was not throwing it in her face.

He gave her a smile before leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Besides, now I get the spend the evening with you,” he teased. “Just the two of us.”

“You were spending the evening with me anyway? But what would you like to do with this unplanned evening?” She wondered smiling at how he had turned the night into something more positive.

“Yes but I still had to share you,” he pointed out. “Now I don't have to.” He considered her words. “Well i say we go find some food and wine and then spend the evening enjoying being together.”

Calarya stood up, slipping out of her heels and nodded. It sounded like a much better idea than her punishing herself. “I’ll get Leith out of her straps and put some sandals on and we can go seek that out together.” She declared looking more alive and relaxed at the change of plans.

“Sounds good,” G'van smiled as Dystath crooned from the ledge. G'van tugged his shirt collar a bit looser since they weren't trying to impressnow. .

The dragons were happy because they were the basics of the Weyr in Calarya’s opinion as she started the familiar process of removing straps. Calarya sometimes wished she was like Leith and didn’t remember much long term. “All ready.” She finally declared joining him awkwardly getting her sandals on.

Dystath yawned and crooned at Calarya. G’van smiled as Calarya returned. “Me too,” he said, holding his arm out for her.

Calarya quickly took the offered arm and let him lead her wherever he wanted. She was starting to feel less on edge knowing she did not have to go back to Kymos for a long time for a gather and that the people close to her understood her hesitation.