Supplanted (Museh)

[reqqy]

Salenth and S'rei. Their personalities were seemingly so close, but it only seemed to heighten the glaring differences. While the dragonrider vanished again from the masses of Selenitas, avoiding everyone, and especially her, Salenth shadowed the hatching grounds and his gold. The bronze was well-aware that neither he nor His was in the wrong. He couldn't quite remember what had happened - S'rei avoided thinking on it, and that was really the only way to jog Salenth's memory - but he absolutely knew that there was a perfectly good reason they'd been gone.

Once Aslath got over her hormones, she'd see that, too. He could be patient. Yes, Salenth could manage that, when he wished it. The dragon didn't speak with her. That would have been unwise at this point. But he made his presence known in subtle ways. Sometimes not so subtle, too. Silent, then.

The bronze hovered above the Hatching Grounds. He hadn't ventured back on the sands since that first day. That wasn't to say that he wasn't foolishly bold, however. As now. Aiming carefully, he released the carcass of the first herdbeast, the creature sliding down her hide on the side that had no eggs nearby. Even Salenth wasn't that foolish. The second creature clipped her on the snout as she reacted. Winking Between, hopefully before she could see him - that would allow some deniability, at any rate - the bronze settled back into his position across the river. He affected an innocent look. Unfortunately, it actually came off as rather smug.

Well, at least you couldn't say that he didn't try.

Phremath eyed Hers skeptically, her wings trilling a soft buzz in her nervous fluttering. My dam will hurt me, she mewed plaintively. She will, if she knows you're hiding Salenth's. Please make him go away. We talked about this. That meant no. Snorting, the green shifted from foot to foot, her gaze darting outward and back irregularly. Lust had wrapped himself firmly around the interloper's ankle, after initially deciding that the man's toes and calves were his personal enemies. Now they were subdued, and he ruled. As he always ruled. Lust displayed his frill proudly.

The dragonhealer carefully masked her own distress from Phremath. She hadn't wanted anything to do with S'rei if she could help it, then he was gone, and now that he was back she didn't know what to feel or think. Their friendship was still strong for her. Shardit, but it was. She couldn't turn him away. It wasn't as if he was really here, anyway. The man hadn't uttered more than a dozen words since he first showed up three days before. It was like having a silent, living statue. You almost didn't notice he was there.

Unnatural, though, this arrangement, and Kalierre's nerves were fraying.

"Well?"

The man looked up, wincing slightly as Lust's nails dug further into his skin. His eyes asked the question, half-obscured as they were by the hair he'd allowed to grow out past his chin in his absence.

"Aren't you going to say anything? What happened when you went in search of Shmee? Why weren't you here?" Kalierre shook her head. "We all thought you'd...died or something. Now you won't even talk to her. Or see your daughter. Why, Rei?"

He rubbed at his chin for a lingering moment, his gaze elsewhere. Kali thought he wouldn't answer. In truth, when words did come, they left much to be desired. "What explanation should I give? It won't change what happened. Kali...please, just leave it be."

"You're in my weyr -" the woman snapped, suddenly angry. The least he owed was an explanation! But his gaze was weary, and his lips tightened around his silence.

[Administrator]

Aslath was quite busy, fussing with her eggs to make sure that they were in the perfect position-- particularly her golden daughter. She was proud of this egg! It was much healthier than any other queen egg she had seen. Her own shell probably lacked the glow that this one possessed! She grunted, clutching the golden egg in her claws as she nudged another one of the eggs into a perfect 90 degree angle to the ground. She was hungry, but she would last. She had concluded that she would not leave her precious eggs even for a moment. She couldn't leave them alone when people from Benden existed on Pern. She did not want to risk having them steal her precious babes like High Reaches did to her children. No, these ones-- and her precious golden daughter-- would be protected. Stretching out, she kept the golden egg safe her grip, letting herself soak up the heat from the Hatching Ground sands. This place would be her prison for the next few weeks, all for the sake of protecting her children.

As she began to close her eyes, a thud snapped consciousness back into the queen. She growled, looking around, only to have another thing whisk past her head, connecting with her snout. She screeched. Was it Benden!? Looking to the top of the Hatching Ground immediately, she hissed. Nobody was there. Unhappy at seeing not culprit, she instead changed her attention to see what it was that had hit her. Surprised at what it was, she blinked. It was a dead animal. A meal. But who--?

Ah. Who else would it be? She growled, pushing herself up further. But she couldn't resist food! She was a hungry, large creature. Greedily descending on the first dead beast, she still had no thoughts of gratitude toward the bronze who must have delivered it to her. He had hurt her, and His had hurt Shmee. She would hate him until he died, but if he brought her things, she might as well take advantage of him. Eating the food, she forced contact with Shmee. Mine, I think Salenth gave me the food,[/color] she told Hers urgently. Shmee, not knowing the food that Aslath was talking about, froze nonetheless. Miguel was toddling about the hatching weyr, still sleepy-eyed from his nap, and she was burping Shei, who had just finished a feed. A hard scowl came across her small face. Where Salenth was, S'rei must be. She was going to find S'rei.

"Aslath, can you figure out where S'rei is and make sure he doesn't escape?" she asked stiffly. She was going to find him, and... and...

Of course,[/color] came Aslath' cold reply. Broadcasting her command through the Weyr, she announced, If anyone has come into contact with Salenth's, please keep him in one spot and tell me straight away. It is urgent.[/color] Hopefully, that would do it. She returned to her food, tearing the meat off in strips hungrily. Done with Shei, Shmee held the babe tightly to her chest, standing very still as if a sudden movement would frighten S'rei away. She needed to see him-- why on Pern was he hiding?! Didn't he know that he had a daughter who needed a father?! Didn't he know that she needed him!?

She was going to kill him.

[reqqy]

From the sounds, he could tell she was eating, but he was rather disappointed that there wasn't more of a reaction. Aslath. Even Reysalth had been forgotten by the time he came back here, but not the gold. It was strange. She'd hardly aged at all. But he'd been gone so long.

Four turns, S'rei supplied, quietly. Four for us. It hasn't even been one for them. Four months, maybe? Something like that. Salenth shifted. Yes. He remembered, now, that S'rei had an obsession about stars for the longest time. Even so, though, after four turns, he still remembered Aslath, and here she was ignoring him. He'd rather the ranting and raving.

That would be easy enough to engender were he to risk the sands.

Casting a sidelong glance at the Hatching Grounds, Salenth discarded the idea. Yes, a negative reaction was preferable to no reaction, but he'd rather not be murdered today, thank you very much. How thoughtful of you. Salenth snorted. In the absence of the familiar, S'rei and Salenth had turned to each other, making it still more difficult to have a single thought in peace. Grumpy. With all you could choose to complain about... He could just visualize the exasperated headshake.

That was when Aslath made her announcement. Apparently Hers had decided that His wasn't likely to abandon the weyr entirely without Salenth. Understandable enough. A wellspring of dark amusement beat against the sudden silence across their link. What are you - ? Salenth ignored S'rei's question.

ReiMine is with Phremath's, Lady, he commented, careful to keep his tone neutral.

At nearly the same moment, the young green replied, H-he's here. A pause, the silence lengthening considerably. In truth, the dragon was eyeing S'rei, who had arisen upon noticing the reactions of both Salenth and Phremath. He was not at all a slow man, despite what many might have thought. I can't let you leave, she told him firmly, distress shading her eyes. The man merely nodded. Kalierre rose as well, her expression tight. His words were quiet. "Will you bear me, Phremath?"

This threw her off. For a moment. Yes. But not without Mine. The reason remained unstated. Phremath's mode of travel required Kalierre as an anchor. They both seemed to accept that condition, though grudgingly.

Mother. Tell Yours that Salenth's has instructed me to bring him to her. She can stay where she is. Still nervous about talking to her dam, she nevertheless shrugged it off.

A few minutes later, Phremath came to a landing not far from Salenth, though closer to the sands. Both of her passengers dismounted. Standing there for a lingering moment, S'rei ran a hand through his hair, the blonde slowly giving way to the tiny hint of red roots and shots of grey. No one aged in four months as he appeared to have, Kalierre thought to herself, though she didn't speak. If she could find reason for it, she would have already left with Phremath. The healer felt distinctly uncomfortable.

Another few seconds passed. Then the man moved, crossing toward the weyr and the woman that was a stranger to him now. He'd been gone for longer than he'd known her, and yet he'd left when she was pregnant. Shei wasn't even a turn old. It was surpassingly strange.

At first, he'd been overjoyed just to find them alive, but then he'd passed so close. None had recognized him. Not the other riders. Not even Shmee. It stopped the words in his throat immediately, and soon enough he heard what people said, and it seemed clear. Better if S'rei simply remained...gone. If only he'd been strong enough to actually leave before Salenth decided to pull that stunt. Now it would be even more difficult to explain. He found he didn't really want to. Four turns passed like a nightmare, and this was merely the continuation.

S'rei continued to walk.

You might want to warn Yours that Mine is almost upon her, Salenth offered. In truth, he thought it more likely that Rei was the one who needed the warning. His amusement sobered after a moment.

[Administrator]

Rumbling in satisfaction as Salenth answered her question (or, rather, demand), she didn't respond, instead going straight back to Shmee. He is with Phremath's,[/color] she replied somberly. As she spoke, she heard another smaller voice resonate in her mind. She grunted. Even though she was mad with Salenth, Phremath was still young, and sweet. It calmed the queen some. It was cute how the wingless green called her 'Mother' even though she wasn't biologically her daughter... Yet she had watched over the clutch where Fath did not. She was better than Phremath's true mother. She warmly let her mind caress Phremath's. Thank you, little one,[/color] she replied warmly, an obvious difference from her cold treatment of her old mate. It was impossible to be angry with a cute little dragon, even if she was no longer a weyrling. She always liked Phremath, she supposed-- she always got so excited to talk to Aslath. Her bad mood quickly evaporated... but Shmee's was still going strong.

She made a move, as if to leave her weyr and run down to Kalierre's, but Aslath interrupted. Mine, Phremath said to wait. That bronze's is coming to you,[/color] Aslath said hurriedly, recovering from her quick change to a good mood. She had almost forgotten to tell Shmee that bit. Shmee sighed. Normally, it might've been amusing that Aslath refused to call Salenth by his name, but for now, she was half-tempted to do the same to S'rei. Rubbing Shei's back, she bit her lip anxiously. She hadn't seen S'rei since their fight so long ago. The note on the paper, her kidnapping, his disappearance... It hurt to even think about it all. He had loved her, he had said so in the note! But he left her... Gritting her teeth, she kissed the top of Shei's head. It was a sweet red color... just like how S'rei's looked in the sun. She also noted that Shei had that odd baby smell. But it was a reassuring one. It calmed Shmee.

She remained in this position, closing her large blue eyes as she waited for S'rei to arrive. He better hold to his word, she thought bitterly. If he didn't, then she would kill him even more than how she was planning on doing it. Some of her black hair swept Shei's own wispy strands as it tumbled onto her. Shei gurgled, oblivious to what was happening. "Your Daddy is coming," she murmured to Shei. "But you wouldn't know that, would you?" Shei stuck her fingers into her mouth, covering the digits with her endless supply of drool. Shmee rocked herself and the babe, waiting. Waiting.

Once again, Aslath pretended to not hear Salenth, but she did pass the message onto her rider. Mine... the bronze's is almost here,[/color] she said softly. Shmee stiffened, lifting her head and turning it slowly to the entrance. Her back was erect, and her eyes alert.

"Are you there, S'rei?" she asked into the entryway. Her curtain was pulled down, and she gulped. Slowly, she stalked toward the curtain, her heart pounding against Shei's body. Taking a deep breath, she quickly pulled open the current, and in a flash, sent her palm slamming past it, her target, of course, being S'rei's face.

[reqqy]

Kalierre came to lean companionably against Phremath. Mother is nice, the green whispered happily to Hers, with a touch of wonder. The dragonhealer chuckled. "She raised you, love. Mothers are very protective. And you're too sweet not to love." That earned her a playful little shove from Phremath. She's been sad. And angry. That instantly sobered the woman. "Yes," Kali agreed softly. "I imagine so. Some of it is her clutch. It makes queens moody, when they have a clutch on the sands." I thought it was because Salenth wasn't here. Silence, then. But she isn't happier now that he's back. I must have been wrong. Kalierre stared at S'rei's disappearing back thoughtfully. "I don't know. Sometimes, when someone is gone for a long time, it hurts, and that makes the ones they left behind angry."

Phremath was confused. I would be happy if they just came back. That made Kalierre smile. "And that's exactly why everyone loves you, Phremath."

He heard her voice, coming through the curtain that separated them. S'rei had paused there. Why? He wasn't sure. That was the problem, really. Every waking moment had been devoted to planning his return, and when he finally arrived, it was to find that Salenth had missed Aslath's flight, that little Shei was born, and that Shmee no longer recognized him. Well, she probably would have if he'd spoken up, but he'd seen in an instant how much he'd hurt her, and more - that she was moving on. He heard what was said. Some part of him acknowledged that it would be better to let the dead lie; he'd meant to return closer to his departure. Somewhere, he'd miscalculated. It had seemed better to truly disappear. And, right when he was on the brink of accepting that painful truth, the option was torn from him again.

What was he supposed to do? Things couldn't go back to the way they were. They were different people. No. That wasn't quite true. He was the one who had changed the most. The problem stemmed from that. She'd loved the younger man, and she hadn't grown with the one he now was. Even if she could get over what she must have thought was desertion, Shmee might never accept him now. Coward. It always came down to fear, didn't it?

His thoughts weren't allowed to go any further. He hissed sharply as her hand caught him across the cheek, anger flaring behind his eyes for a brief moment. He felt the warm trickle of blood against his skin where one of her nails had opened a gash across a cheekbone far more prominent than it had ever been when she'd known him. S'rei brushed it away, his eyes taking on a cool distance as he met her expression. To strike back at her, to display anger or any other loss of control, was to cede Shmee the victory. It was something he was not yet ready to surrender.

And, in truth, a slap was a better greeting than the first. He couldn't bear the lack of recognition he'd witnessed in the blues that had haunted his nights for turns.

"Shmee."

His gaze drifted downward, coming to rest on the small bundle in the girl's arms. Hair like flame, brighter than his had ever been, would ever be. Something in his face, in the firm set of his jaw, softened. "Shei?" he questioned softly, his fingers running lightly down the babe's cheek. One of her tiny hands grabbed his finger, the babe content in her mother's arms. She did not know, yet, to be frightened of a stranger. An irrational urge to chide Shmee for striking anyone when she held his daughter, to invite someone to retaliate and inadvertently hurt little Shei, swept over him.

In his youth - even when he'd last seen her - he wouldn't have hesitated to voice that concern. Perhaps that was the fault that had started everything else. If he could have been just a bit more patient, Shmee would never have fled him, even in her pregnant insanity. Age did bring some gifts along with the disappointments.

S'rei held his tongue.

[Administrator]

Shmee had no remorse as she saw blood well up on his face. He deserved it. He had left her alone through her pain, and now he was back. He needed to suffer, she thought bitterly. He needed to suffer the consequences. She scowled at him, saying nothing as she absently brushed her hand off on her pants. It stung from the hard slap, and she didn't know if any of his blood lingered in her nails. She looked into his eyes, remembering the grays. For a brief moment, she thought he was as normal as he used to be, even through his hair that was... blond? But his eyes, when they were angry, were so familiar to her that her knees almost buckled. Then, it was gone. He was a stranger again, and her hopes felt dashed. Those hopes were so gone that it physically hurt, and she clutched Shei closer to her. She brought the hand that had slapped S'rei back to her, too. She was finished with him, at least, with her hands. Her own eyes radiated the hurt she felt, and her expression turned stony as she turned from him, walking back into the weyr.

She paused as he spoke. Turning back to face him, she uneasily bounced Shei. Her scowl deepened as he reached out a hand to run a finger down the babe's cheek. "So, you know her name after all," she remarked coldly. "Funny. I expect that you asked somebody else that information. You asked someone else, but you couldn't even ask me." The idea of that hurt. He obviously had spoken to Kalierre, and maybe even Laurie. But why couldn't he ask her?! Maybe he was laughing to himself off in his hiding place, watching as she moped about. Did he do it so to be out of her life for good? Frowning as Shei grabbed his finger, she sighed. Was Shei the only reason he chose to show himself?

"Good thing I have your babe, or else I doubt you would ever have showed yourself to me again," she commented quietly, her voice audibly suppressing the rage she felt toward her old weyrmate. Harshly, she turned back again, breaking Shei's contact with S'rei. The babe moaned in surprise, wriggling a little in Shmee's grasp. Walking toward her couch, she sat on it, seeming to ignore S'rei. But honestly, she was at a loss for what to do. Miguel giggled, and hobbled over to join his fostermother. However, he paused, looking up at S'rei cheerfully. He couldn't remember who S'rei was, but visitors were always exciting! Giggling, he changed direction, heading over to S'rei. "Hi!" he greeted his uncle merrily, his eyes glittering with innocent joy.

"Miguel," Shmee said in exasperation. "Do you want to go play with your toys?"

"Yeah!" he said brightly, grinning. At least, this would free the two of them from distractions. Miguel's toys were in the other room. Changing directions yet again, Miguel wandered off to his own room to play with his toys.

Shmee looked back over at S'rei. "So," she said, laying Shei across her lap. Her fingers went straight to the babe's fiery hair. It made her wonder, sometimes, if her hair was red not only because S'rei's was (or used to be), but because the two of them had almost been burned alive. Shei was still inside her mother when Shmee was thrown onto the pyre. So now, Shei's hair was the color of those very flames. It was a curious coincidence. "Where have you been these last few months?" she asked, her voice harsh and her tone sarcastic. She sighed. "I had thought Benden caught you, at first, you know. But they probably would've killed you with me, so I ran out of ideas. Particularly when Salenth didn't respond to Aslath when she broadcasted a message across Pern for him." Her voice got colder with each word, and her hard gaze returned down to Shei. Her long fingers moved to the babe's stomach, tickling it. "So congratulations for getting me completely confused. I suppose the blond was to earn bonus points when you came to confuse me?" she added with mock humor. She didn't look at him again. She was angry with the man. She carefully didn't say anything about what had happened to her since she last saw him-- nothing about Benden's treatment of her, about the failed execution, about the birth, about the Flight, about the pain and the loneliness... And about the note. It didn't seem like he would care if he knew.

She had kept the note that he had given her when she had run away. It was the only physical memory of their love that she could cling to-- except Shei, of course. But even at Benden, she thought that all the trips between had killed the babe. It was the note that saved her sanity. But now S'rei was back-- had he forgotten their love? He hadn't even tried to find her! She bit her lip, suppressing tears with surprising ease. The pain she felt was dull in her chest. She just wanted answers now-- love, it seemed, was a past thing. If he hadn't even tried to find her... "So why didn't you try looking for me before you looked for Kalierre? Is she more important to you?" she asked, almost lazily, but she was really wanted to know this answer. Did he love her anymore?

Aslath continued to rip into her meat. Even though Salenth had brought it, she was starving. You went against my command and never came back,[/color] she growled to Salenth. And Yours has hurt Mine. Do not expect forgiveness,[/color] she added. Neither S'rei or Salenth deserved forgiveness in her eyes. Whether her anger was mostly due to her being broody or true anger, she meant these words for now.

[reqqy]

He didn't look at her. Couldn't. For awhile, S'rei could just pretend that the whole of his world consisted of just him and Shei. But, in the end, the words that were made to wound found their way to their target. Lauranna had told him, yes, though he hadn't...asked. Laurie. Trust her to be the one to know him on sight. After all, she'd seen the boy of sixteen turns in the man instantly. That was love. That sort of instant recognition. No, he was being unfair. Why should Shmee expect to see him? Surely they would have assumed...Still, Laurie had known. And he strongly suspected that, were Kali to see him before Salenth's return, she would have known too. Kalierre didn't miss much of anything.

Silence greeted her comment.

When she spoke again, his gaze shot up, a spark of anger coming into his gaze. He didn't even know he had a daughter! Most women who survived what Shmee had would not have been able to bear the child to term. Of course he cared for Shei, but it was hardly fair to call that his motivation. A voice whispered at the back of his mind, though. If Shmee didn't have Shei, would he have been able to leave Selenitas earlier? He didn't know. The fact that he could ask the question of himself, though, said much. Again, his gaze shifted to his little girl, but Shmee seemed to have had enough.

S'rei's hand hovered in the empty space for a few precious seconds. An irrational desire to stalk forward and take his daughter from the girl welled up. Four turns of wondering. Shei was truly the only good thing that had come of that entire mess. Instead, his fingers curled in against his palm, as if he could hold the memory of her presence beneath their tips by force of will alone.

It was Miguel's bright-eyed gaze that drew him back into the room with them, the child's cheerful greeting. "Hello." But before he could move, before he could offer another word to the nephew raised as his son, Shmee sent him from the room. This time, when the anger welled up, it remained, simmering beneath the stark line of a clenched jaw. She had no right to deny him Miguel. With Shei, someone might argue Shmee's case, but the Weyrwoman didn't share Miguel's blood. That was something only S'rei could claim. If he wasn't worried that his anger might scare the boy, he might have let it loose just then. Even so, it took a great force of will merely to turn from Shmee in silence.

His silence. Shmee chose not to do him the small mercy of her own.

The muscles in his shoulders tightened as the tone framing her words reached out to batter against him. Four months had passed, just months, by the egg! He wasn't there for Shei's birth, for the...No, he could understand that anger. Shmee always seemed to want a rescuer. He hadn't been there, couldn't be. S'rei would have...no matter. What was past was past, and he wasn't willing to risk getting so completely lost again to attempt what they'd achieved by mistake over four turns ago. Four months ago. Just thinking of it gave him a headache.

"I wasn't trying to confuse you," he growled, his tone rasping low in his throat. A snort escaped him. "I hate blonde, anyway. It was just the most different." His jaw clamped tight on the words that sought to follow, before everything tumbled out of him in a jumbled mess. S'rei wasn't good at these things. The words would take on a life of their own, and a meaning other than what he intended, if he wasn't careful. In the next moment he'd realized he'd already managed that. Most different? She had no context for that but what had already gone on in the conversation. Rather one-sided conversation.

S'rei turned to face her, nonplussed. She'd asked the question so casually, so flippantly. The old Shmee would have railed at him for spending any unnecessary time whatsoever with another woman, yet alone this. Something inside him began to build.

He'd left Astryr, left the woman's offer of comfort and support, for this? For a harpy that had completely forgotten what they had in just four months? Astryr, who had, despite wishing for him to remain, lent her advice and her aid so that he might get back. He was a fool, wasn't he? Of course Shmee was just as petty and shallow as she'd always been! Of course...

Easier to be angry at her. It wasn't as painful as the guilt.

"She came to me," he shot back, eyes flashing, "when I was left to my own devices. And the man you now share this place with, I suppose he's more important. Well, of course he is. He's now. Never could manage something like an actual relationship with someone, could you?" That was cruel, and untrue - though S'rei had no idea what relationship Shmee had with this Ka-Rys, so maybe it was more true than he thought?

Which only served to make him angrier still. Why did he want to hurt her all of a sudden? Maybe it was just a change, for once. The last four turns had been miserable. And, though he would never admit it, Shmee's barbs bled. He was tired of lying down and being trampled all over. He wanted his daughter. He wanted his nephew back. He wanted his life back. Shardit, he wanted Shmee back. But it was becoming increasingly clear that none of these things were his to have anymore. The worst part was it was all completely unavoidable.

"I did everything, everything for you." It could have been a shout. Should have been. Instead, his fury lowered his voice to a soft, dangerous pitch. He took a step forward. Another. Violence seemed written in every muscle. In the end, though, he stopped short of her. The tension flowed from him, leaving S'rei looking nothing but weary, and old.

"It was you who demanded I come here," he stated, quietly. "If your only purpose was to slap me, to wound me, you've succeeded, and I think I'll take my leave." It was enough. Too much. Why hadn't he sought her out? Sharding harpy. Wasn't this answer enough?

S'rei turned, fully intending to get as far away from the mother of his Shei as he possibly could.

Salenth nearly jumped out of his skin when Aslath's voice came to him. He was so used to being ignored...And, truly, part of him was half-immersed in another conversation. The gold's cold fury stunned him. Perhaps it was foolish, but Salenth hadn't even thought that she might truly be mad at him. They'd tried, hadn't they? And now they were back. It seemed...not very nice of her. Not very nice at all. Part of him hoped it was just the hormones, but another part started to stir up in an anger that was not unlike S'rei's own.

We were not in a place where we could hear you, Aslath. Nor could we have come if we did hear your call. A frigid starkness entered his tone. No bronze can disobey the commands of a queen, so long as the command is within his power. You know this.

[Administrator]

Shmee let out a cold chuckle as S'rei commented on his hair color. "Good. Blond makes you look ridiculous," she told him harshly. "But you've done an awfully good job at confusing me. A little more detail would've been nice." Gathering Shei into her arms, she stood slowly, moving the babe over to the bassinet in her room. She didn't bother to excuse herself. S'rei, in her eyes, didn't deserve it. But Shei was always so sleepy after she had been burped, so she was bound to fall asleep soon. She was even yawning already. "Let me go talk with your Daddy," she whispered, planting a gentle kiss on Shei's forehead. As soon as Shei was settled in, Shmee returned back out, leaning on the frame of the entrance to her room. It bothered her how silent he was being. Was he admitting it, then, that he didn't love her? The urge to slap him again grew even stronger again, especially now that Shei was safely in her bassinet. She would be able to put her all into it next time. She smiled nastily, her blue eyes joyless.

"So, Kali. She came to you? Well, if you--" However, she stopped her words abruptly, surprised at what S'rei said. She paled. The man she shared her weyr with? Did he... think... Ka'rys? Nonono, no. She hated Ka'rys. Aslath had been Caught by Ciceroth only a sevenday after giving birth Shei. The healer had told her not to do anything of that sort for at least six sevendays... So she was in extreme pain when she woke up after that dizzying Flight. But she had thought that, in her half-asleep state, that it would be all right, because it was S'rei, and she could count on him to comfort her in her pain. But it wasn't S'rei. A man who she hardly knew had caused her the horrible pain, and he simply left her without any comfort. It had hurt.

Fast as lightening, she shot over to him, and aimed a smack harder than the one before across his face. "Ka'rys does not live with me!" she screeched. How dare he make that assumption!? Did he not trust her?! "I hate him! He didn't care that he hurt me in that stupid Flight!"Her voice rose higher and higher as she screamed, and immediately lost control in it. She started to sob violently. Sinking down, her face fell into his feet, clinging to them as she sobbed. She hated that she was doing this. She didn't want to cry in front of him! He was obviously fine even though he hadn't seen her in months, and she was supposed to make him feel bad for it! But here he was, treating her like dirt when she hadn't done anything wrong.

"I kept your stupid note. I thought it was true, so I kept it!" she continued, sounding choked in her tears. "If I had known it wasn't true, I should've just burned the note in that pyre and let myself rot in it!" She would rather have died now, she thought bitterly. She didn't want to be treated like this by S'rei when she had done nothing wrong...

Yet she continued to sob as he continued to speak, clinging to his feet as her body shook in uncontrollable spasms. Her breathing, too, became uneven and ragged, gasping for air as the sobs wracked her thin body. She found she would be physically unable to respond to his brutal words even if she knew what to say. His words were so hurtful... But he didn't know anything! How was he supposed to yell at her like this?! He had no right! She hadn't cheated, and loved him even till now. The one time she slept with someone, she hadn't wanted to and it hurt her... And he was repaying her in this way? It was enough to make her want to throw herself in the line of Thread, or drop herself between. S'rei could keep that babe if that's the only reason he was here.

No use for Shmee anymore.

"I hate you!" she managed to gasp out, and weakly raised her fists, punching blindly at the man's legs. "I want you to burn!" She tugged on his feet as he turned. She wasn't letting him get away so easily.

Aslath narrowed her eyes as she swallowed another mouthful of meat. What in the name of Pern are you talking about? You would've been able to hear me /anywhere/ on Pern![/color] she growled, flicking her tail as she dug into the beast's belly. The way he spoke to her was chilling. I know that. But I do not understand it when you make no sense.[/color] It was all that bronze's fault. He made no sense, then treated her as though she was stupid. She hissed. Well, he had never sired a queen!

[reqqy]

Her hysterics always moved him in the past. Always. That she possibly didn't know that was a ridiculous notion. Whether or not the stuff about Ka'rys was true, he refused to allow himself to be sucked in. He was not a proud man. Not really. But neither did he desire to debase himself by groveling with a hysterical teenager - a manipulative woman-child. Nevermind that he loved her. If she just sought to pull his strings and make him dance, there was never going to be anything in this relationship anyway. So he clung to the sting of the second slap and clung to the anger that came anytime a man was struck in the face, clung to that and attempted to ignore the mess at his feet.

He had done everything for her. But she was not finished. No, she had the impudence to speak of love and the note he'd written for her, which was when the weariness came to take up residence along the line of his shoulders. Where did she get off, accusing him of lying, of not loving her? What rational man in his right mind would put up with this sharding idiocy if he were not in love?

That was the wound that struck deepest. Either she believed it, truly believed it, or she cared so little for him that she thought to completely take the sanctity of that emotion from him. He couldn't even be angry. It was just a disappointment. A horrible, terrible disappointment. Worse than finding himself - again - in the wrong time, and too late to come to the aid of his family in their time of need. S'rei was so keenly weary he found that he truly could listen to her sobs and feel absolutely nothing. He did not lie. He did not deceive. That was not him. To call it hurt pride would have been a glaring falsehood. If Shmee didn't know him better than that...she wasn't what he thought she was. And if she did know him better than that, but sought to use it against him, he was done with her completely. Child or no.

As if to seal it, her fists pounded against his legs, the hurtful words continuing. These bounced off the wall that now stood between them. He turned. Then - perhaps because he was shaken, or perhaps for another reason entirely - the hands that had clasped about his ankles tripped him up. S'rei fell heavily, one hand darting out to try to catch something to break his fall and closing on thin air.

Pain erupted in his face. Warmth. Blood in his mouth, and blood from his nose. Grunting, he turned his head to the side and spit out bloody bile, a tooth coming with it. The bronzerider cursed beneath his breath. The sharding vixen had gone and broken his nose, adding injury to insult. His first reaction was reflected in the bend of his knee. At the last moment, though, S'rei fought the desire to kick her off him. Turning, though, he glared at her, his body torqued strangely because she still clung to the leg he hadn't managed to free.

His eyes smoldered, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose. It made his voice come out thin. "Berating me and slapping me isn't good enough, eh? What's next? Chain me to the wall and torture me to death? Can't be worse than this." Huffing, he expelled more blood. S'rei noticed his hand was shaking, and stilled it by dint of will. It was more noticeable, in his disarray, the fact that the man had lost weight over the turns he was gone. In truth, he'd neither eaten nor slept well for quite awhile, and while it would be untrue to say that he wasn't able, S'rei was definitely diminished compared to what he had been. And even so little a loss of blood as a broken nose and the dislodged tooth noticeably affected him.

Her tear-stained face tugged at his sensibilities, despite himself. The bronzerider looked away. "If you want something, say it. Otherwise release me. I don't want to be here." True. And untrue. He didn't want to be here like this, to be with her as she stabbed at him with her words. Yet he wanted to comfort her as he always had. It was a close thing, this inner battle, and it would have swung in her favor - if she hadn't been the one behind the words.

Blood dripped down his chin.

It was nothing at all to the hole inside.

Know I would have come if I could. Isn't that enough? That's what any dragon would have done, weyrmate or no. How could she lay blame at his feet when she must know that dragons couldn't fight a command of hers? Even had he wanted to ignore her, he couldn't have! Where we were, you couldn't reach us, and we couldn't reach you. We were in a place where there were two Salenths. Two S'rei's. A different Pern. We were there...so long.

[Administrator]

Shmee gasped as S'rei fell, instinctively moving out of the way so she wouldn't get squashed. She regretted that almost instantly as he landed hard on his face. "Faranth!" she peeped, petrified for a few moments. This was her fault completely, even she couldn't deny that... She had been the one to cling to his leg, the one causing him to trip. But... She scrambled for a way to make him have at least partial blame. He had been the one to move, hadn't he? And yet, he wouldn't have tripped if it hadn't been for her. Reaching out a shaking hand to the man, she recoiled as he got up himself. His face... It was covered in blood, and massive guilt settled on Shmee's shoulders. She winced as he spat out a clump of blood and a... tooth? Did a tooth fall out? She paled, which made her look even more of a mess than she had originally. Her tear-stained face and mussed hair now looked even more ghastly now that included a pale (if slightly blotchy) face. But if that was how she looked, S'rei looked even worse. And it wasn't even just the blood. He... He looked so aged. And different. He seemed so different to her...

However, anger welled up inside her once again as he spoke. "I never meant to hurt you like that!" she choked out. Then, she paused, glowering through her hot tears. His words were driving deep under her skin, paining her to a point where she wanted to scream out at him. Was it truly a bad thing to want to smack him again even though he was already injured? "Why do you keep saying that?" she demanded, angry and hurt. "Want me to throw myself between to make your pain go away!?" She rose slowly, fully prepared to do just that, until she remembered that Aslath was bound to the Hatching Ground. So, instead, she looked down at S'rei, moving over him so that he lay between her feet.

What she wanted? What did she want?

"I wanted to know why you were gone so long! Where were you?!" she demanded, sinking over him in a way so that she was almost straddling him, trapping him here. She wasn't going to lose him again. "You haven't even tried to explain yourself!" she added angrily. Her blue eyes bore into his bleeding face, looking him over. His nose was bent, broken. She never intended that to happen, but if it knocked any sense into him, maybe she didn't need to regret it. Watching the blood drip down his chin, she grimaced. It was gross. Soundlessly, her eyes never leaving him, she lifted the hem of her shirt to wipe his chin so the blood wouldn't drip. Normally, she would've been self-conscious that the stretch marks from her pregnancy on her stomach would have been visible, but she was too angry at him to care. If he didn't love her anymore, then it wouldn't matter. But the dripping blood had to go.

That done, she let the hem drop back down. She could wash the shirt later. She glared at him with as much hatred as she could muster. It was hard, because she couldn't truly hate S'rei. She loved him. She may be hurt, angry, upset, but she still loved him. She just didn't want to admit it.

"You know what? Fine. If you don't want to be here, just go," she told him softly, her eyes beginning to well up again. Feeling awfully pathetic, she wiped an eye with her hand, but that only caused both of them to start dripping anew. His last statement had left a gaping wound in her. He didn't want to be here... Why couldn't she just let him go!?

She hated him. But she didn't. She loved him. "But if you didn't want to be here, why did you come back at all?!" she yelled, burying her face in her hands and starting to sob again. She moved her knees up so that they were at her level so she could rest her elbows on them, and therefore hold her head up in her hands. This was a rather awkward position, considering she was still sitting across S'rei's lap, but she didn't seem to consider this. "Why don't you just go back to wherever you came from since you don't want to be here!?" she demanded through her tears. It stung, it hurt...

I do not understand that. You are just trying to make up an excuse to appease me![/color] Aslath growled. Something in her intelligence seemed to stop quite obviously. She was just unable to accept this explanation. It was probably because of her short-sighted hormonal mindset. Salenth (or Shmee's view of S'rei, more like) had made her so angry that she couldn't see sense. I do not understand! Do not try to hint at things around me. Say them up front or I will stop listening to you. There is only one Pern, and there is only one Salenth. There are no doubles of either of those things. Explain more, and do it right.[/color]

[reqqy]

He was well aware she probably didn’t mean to trip him up. After all, that was the only reason he hadn’t kicked her off him, wasn’t it? Still, no one responded well to injuries to the face. A healer had once explained that the nerve-endings and the recognition of the action corresponded in that instance – or something similar – such that instead of registering pain first, people registered pain and anger simultaneously. S’rei simply wasn’t in the mood to fight it. Shmee was being wholly unfair if she thought she could dish it out and expect him to just accept it. Shells, she’d probably be upset that he hadn’t reacted if he just absorbed everything without a word. Nor was his accusation completely unfounded. The slaps were most certainly purposeful. Faranth forbid that S’rei dare to strike her back! His jaw tightened against the retort he wanted to shoot back at her.

And slackened. What? S’rei blinked, thoroughly confused. He knew he wasn’t repeating himself. The man didn’t have that particular habit. Shmee continued, though, oblivious to his lost expression. Melodramatics built up in her words, the girl making as if to get up and make good on her claim. Apparently she thought better of it, though, coming to stand over him. His face tightened, eyes narrowing. Thus far, this woman had already slapped him twice and broken his nose. It took a great deal of self-control to remain as he was. S’rei half-expected her to try to kick or stomp him. Despite what he’d said earlier, he had no intention of playing punching bag to the Weyrwoman, even if that meant fleeing like some sort of coward. S’rei would not strike her. He’d hit women before, but only while defending someone else, and that someone else was never him.

His unease didn’t pass, but some of the defensiveness did when she descended into a crouch, her words sharp. “You didn’t give me a –“ the sentence petered off as she brought her shirt to his mouth, the concentration in her pale features reminding him of a similar expression. The day Salenth flew Aslath. Yes, he’d told her he wasn’t sure what he felt for her. She’d been unbelievably upset. Even so, she’d taken his bleeding hand and wiped away the blood. S’rei attempted to push the memory from his mind, but it wouldn’t budge, her touch on his face evoking other memories. The woman was practically straddling him. There was nothing whatsoever erotic about the current situation – shards, no! – but the stance was an echo of times that had been. Something tightened in his belly. Blood rushed to the man’s face. Shocked to find himself responding to her, if only a little, the anger came back in a flood. Minx! She’d done this on purpose!

Any thought of an explanation had been pushed aside. He was silent, unable to trust his own voice, his own words. If he spoke, he was sure she would notice, if she hadn’t already. Instead, he simply stared at the bloodstain on her shirt and attempted to shore up his anger. Shardit, but he was not about to be humiliated in that fashion. What had already occurred was bad enough.

Though he’d told her he didn’t want to be here, and it was meant to hurt, S’rei found that he took no pleasure in the obvious pain that crossed her features. At another time, he might have spoken with regret. He might have apologized. Now, though, he was even more desperate to be away from her. The bronzerider had no illusions. He wasn’t likely to jump on her simply because she reminded him of times when they had been intimate. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t notice the small interest that he couldn’t completely hide if they remained here any longer. Add her derision to her anger, and he’d be unable to bear it. Yet, though she said he could go, she still straddled him, and she made no move to leave. He turned his gaze to the nearest wall.

He felt her readjusting. She brushed against him. His eyes flew wide, gaze searching out hers, but she showed absolutely no awareness of what she was doing. S’rei’s body stiffened to prevent further contact, though his breaths wouldn’t quite even out. Then he forgot all about what she was doing. His grays flashed in indignation. “I don’t want to go back! I want to be here, at Selenitas.” The volume behind his voice softened. “I just wanted it to be the way it was. It’s been four turns for me, Shmee, but I thought to be back just after I left. Something went wrong.” He shook his head. It was the beginning of an explanation. He should start from the beginning, and just tell her everything. That may not magically restore them to the way they were, but at least she’d know he didn’t abandon her.

The heat of two separate passions were stirring up in Salenth, mostly through S’rei. Frustration threatened to overwhelm him. If I wanted to appease you, I’d have just made up some silly lie about being held captive by one of those weyrs, he growled back, offended at her implication. And it’s not my fault you can’t seem to understand! There were two Salenths and two S’rei’s! Mine said we had to disguise ourselves, or things could get very messy. He huffed angrily. We followed the stars to get back to you! You wouldn’t…answer me… That last was stated softly, remembered pain coloring it.

[Administrator]

At first, Shmee didn't notice S'rei's panic about his... condition. She thought he wouldn't have been turned on by anything she had said or done. But she glared at him as he stopped speaking. She assumed he had stopped just so it would be easier for her to work the blood off. "Didn't give me a what?" she asked haughtily, her voice low and slightly nasally from where her nose had gotten stuffy from crying. "A chance? You've had plenty of time to give me some sort of explanation during the time you've been insulting me!" She paused, the crying overwhelming her for a brief moment. She wiped her eyes, trying to regain composure after this momentary lapse. When she recovered, she went on. "Maybe you would've even made me regret slapping you, if you deserved it. But you haven't even tried!" She slid her legs back down, settling completely onto his lap-- but she stopped talking then, immediately turning scarlet as she felt what must have stopped his words.

Wiping her eyes, she felt a burst of anger-- and of longing. How dare he get turned on in such a situation as this?! But at the same time, it made her think. Did he want her, then, or was this a typcical man's lust? But she found herself hopelessly wanting to be with him again... Anxiously, she tried to pretend that she didn't feel it, trying to reposition herself so it wasn't touching such a sensitive area. But she couldn't do that without making it obvious that she did feel it. Hopelessly, she dealt with it. "What do you mean four turns for you?" she asked quietly, simultaneously trying to work out what he meant while resisting the urge to do anything physical with him. She didn't completely understand timing it-- Sera had mentioned it a couple of times. However, Shmee didn't remember it well enough to realize S'rei had done that himself. Shaking her head, she resisted the urge to lose control in crying again. "I don't understand!" she whimpered.

But what had made him leave Selenitas in the first place? "Where did you go?" she asked softly, bringing a hand to his cheek. She flinched, pulling away quickly. No, these acts were just because she was... interested. She resisted, trying to adjust her position yet again, accidentally rubbing herself against him. She turned an even deeper shade of red. She was mad at him, there was no reason why she should be enjoying this sensation...

"I don't get why you're doing. I bet you're just making it all up!" she told him hotly, losing the softness she had fallen to just an instant before. Absently trying to fuel her anger with the strong sensations coming from their positions, she continued moving against him, back and forth. "Just tell me what really happened!" she hissed, not truly meaning it. In a way, she knew he wasn't truly lying, but she didn't understand it, and instead wanted a simpler reason. Now, she was just looking to fight, trying to find an outlet for her emotions this way. But the build-up she was starting to make for herself by pressing harder against S'rei was making her want to go in a different direction... No, no, no, she needed to stay angry!

Aslath, too, was suffering from her rider's many emotions. She growled as she looked up at the sky, her eyes glowing a delicate red. If you truly understand it more, just tell me what you did and why you did it![/color] she hissed at him, turning her attention back to the nearly-finished beast. And how do stars help? They are all the same![/color] she growled, but paused at his last statement. I would've answered you. You never called![/color] Her last words still fierce, but they were not so angry. They sounded more surprised than anything else. She would always have answered Salenth...

[reqqy]

She had to know. S'rei tried to beat back the heat that he was certain now colored his cheeks a bright red. Though the Weyrwoman, in her usual stubbornness, refused to acknowledge what they both knew by moving away, and he was left with her in his lap. S'rei had meant to continue, certainly, but his mind was having trouble forming coherent thoughts at the moment. If only Shmee would just move! How to make her understand. Yes, that's what he had to focus on. Think about coordinates and theory and all those mundane things and don't feel. Don't consider how easy it would be to...Shardit! Theory. He'd need to simplify the theory. S'rei's mind managed to plow ahead a few steps before her movement caused his breath to catch. Argh!

He knew an instant later why she'd moved. The hand on his cheek drew his gaze, wide-eyed and somewhat lost. Such a gentle touch. The tone, too, was soft, nothing like the rest of her words. Something inside him unlocked, the sensitive man peering out through S'rei's eyes warily. He wanted to reach out for her, but she'd drawn back so quickly...Although she'd drawn out his vulnerability, the man refused to see that recoil as anything but a nervous reaction, maintaining the optimism. If she was just willing to hear him out things might be okay. His hand hovered for a moment in the air before his chest, before falling back to the earth.

"We went to find you," he replied quietly. "With some of the other dragonriders. Aslath was beside herself, and I almost couldn't pull Salenth away, but Aslath allowed him to go if it was to look for you." He paused, searching her face for a sign to continue.

Whatever he expected, it wasn't the stinging shout, her voice - beloved voice, shard him - raining down abuse once again. S'rei visibly flinched at the onslaught, long lashes dark against the wide eyes. He couldn't quite hide the hurt that swept through him. For a moment he'd thought he'd seen some sort of hope, but she was already calling him a liar, and he hadn't even started. The blood in his ears pounded with every snarled word. The blood between his legs pounded with every angry movement of her hips. His heart pounded with the building pressure, with the crumbling of the openness he'd felt obliged to give her. All of it was beginning to melt together. S'rei's control was wavering.

The final hiss turned a switch in him. Blood rushed through him, a raging torrent, fueling the fury inspired by indignation and hurt. He levered himself up, catching her by the shoulders, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to scare her. To make her shut up. In a move swift, almost violent, he rolled her onto her back, his hands sliding from her shoulders to rest on either side of her head. For a moment, she'd stopped. How long, he couldn't know, but the screaming was over for a few precious seconds, and she was no longer driving him to distraction. Nevermind that he would have to sharding service himself once he got out of here - damn her! - but at least he could maintain that small bit of control.

"I'm telling the sharding truth, woman!" he hissed. And, though he thought the turnabout might release some of the building pressure, he found that his anger only seemed to be fueling it. He was breathing hard, his gray eyes stormy with emotion, face livid and reminiscent of the youth he'd been. His face was close enough that some of his hair brushed her cheeks. With every breath, his body moved slightly, her thigh rubbing him. Shmee's gaze was wide, her breathing just as erratic. Wide, surprised blues. S'rei swallowed. He wasn't going to do this. Another moment, and the bronzerider managed to gather the frayed fragments of his eroding control to him, though the anger had only deepened in his face.

That...that woman! Manipulating him in every sense of the word. Every sense. It was enough to make him want to strike that perfectly pale cheek of hers, though he'd never hit a woman simply out of anger in his life. She didn't want him here. She didn't want an explanation. Shmee simply wanted someone to scream and rail at, and to dominate. He wasn't that stupid. He wasn't going to give in so she could accuse him of rape later, and he wasn't going to bother with these conversations that weren't conversations. S'rei suddenly wanted to just take Shei and go. Maybe he and Salenth would attempt the trip back. Or maybe they'd simply disappear. But he didn't want to be in the same weyr with this woman, yet alone the same room.

It didn't matter that his sharding manhood didn't seem to agree with him.

Waiting for her spill of words to end - and struggling against the wealth of sensation and emotion that was S'rei - Salenth seriously considered uprooting the nearest dozen trees or so. I did call. His words were deceptively quiet as he spoke to his former weyrmate. You weren't there to answer. Just as I wasn't here to answer you. Mine thought the stars could get us here. They're different at different times. Did you know that? They are. Strange, that his frustration no longer translated to her. It manifested in the great clawmarks along the length of the tree, the large shavings of dislodged bark. We were...lost. He struggled for words. Salenth had trouble understanding the entire thing himself. In a before Pern.

Some of the frustration faded. A before Pern. Yes, she should understand that, right?

[Administrator]

Guilt and sorrow passed over Shmee's face as S'rei continued to speak. He had come to look for her? And other riders? Aslath was panicking? She flushed with the horrible thoughts of what must have happened. S'rei had come to look for her and something happened... "Benden got a hold of me," she replied suddenly, her guard rising back up as her voice rose to an angry crack. "They got a hold of me, knocked me unconscious... When I woke up, everything was pitch black. I thought I had died. I couldn't show Aslath where I was, it was suffocating..." Bitter tears rolled down her cheeks. "I hate the dark," she spat, glowering at him as she continued to try and distance herself from the rubbing that her body simply wouldn't stop. "Where were you, basking in the sun on a beach somewhere after one failed attempt at trying to look for me?" This was good-- she needed to stop feeling guilty and keep on blaming S'rei...

However, his fast movement took her by surprise. She squeaked a little as he flipped her onto her back, and her eyes widened as she looked up into his angry face. It hovered so close to her own, and his hot breath breathed down on her as he spoke. Unbelievably, it made her want him even more, even though he was speaking in a way that had her quivering in fear. He was telling the truth, then? Desperately, she tried to deny it in her mind, but it was so hard to. Somehow, she knew that S'rei was right, even if she didn't want him to be. She gulped as he rubbed against her thigh. She growled at him, her teary eyes suddenly turning defiant against the man. What did he plan to do now? Was he trying to use force to make her believe him now? At the same time... she hissed. It was oddly erotic. He was on top of her, rendering her completely helpless to him. It terrified her, but was thrilling. Maybe... Maybe it would be easier to talk to him about where he was after taking care of this distraction...

Unable to control herself, her hands flew to his belt, fiddling with it with rapid speed. Coherent thought was now gone completely as she wrestled them down, just enough to reveal his longing for her. Without hesitation, she raised her own still-clothed hips up to his own, looking at him as if daring him to try to take advantage of her in this position. She was surprised with how much she wanted this from him. It made her angry. It was all his fault. If he hadn't started it, there was no way that she would be trying to do this. Always his fault, always his fault...

Her mouth found his way to his neck, latching onto it and kissing it with peculiar need and violence. She felt hot, and needy. Sharding man. How could she hate him, but need him all at once?!

Aslath was writhing on the sands, both in confusion to her rider's strange, strange feelings, and trying so hard to understand what Salenth was talking about. Before Pern, before Pern... How could you be in a before when you are in a now?![/color] she demanded, letting out a soft bugle. Timing it was a very fuzzy notion to her, and simply didn't seem logical in her simple brain. She tried to understand what he meant by different stars at different times. She wasn't much of a starsmith, but it seemed impossible to differentiate between each star. How could he see if the stars were different in the now-Pern than in the before-Pern? And Faranth, hers' emotions were driving her crazy.

[reqqy]

This time Salenth decided that maybe tearing out trees wasn’t such a bad thing. He did pause to check to make sure nothing would be crushed, but only for a few seconds. The bronze knew well enough to realize that it was the fury of His that was likely driving him to such actions, more than the frustration of trying to get Aslath to understand. That didn’t seem to help with the impulse any, however. His shoulder slammed low along the trunk, and he pushed. We were looking. We jumped to a place of war where there shouldn’t have been one. To escape the flames…We were now, and then we weren’t. I couldn’t get you to hear. I couldn’t get any of them to hear. Distress colored his tone at the remembered panic.

The woman was so pale. For the briefest of moments he felt a flash of remorse. S'rei had never wanted to see her fear in this way. It was normally beneath him to treat her like this, no matter how difficult she got. That remorse vanished, however, in the memory of her verbal onslaught, though he didn't care to pursue this course any longer. The man began to move away from her.

He felt what she was doing too late.

Frozen, surprised, S'rei stared down at her for a few heartbeats. He'd promised himself...A vivid flush took his neck, his cheeks, his body trembling with the effort it took not to hit her, to slap her again and again until she wouldn't so much as think to touch him again. What right did she have? What right? Shmee had made it abundantly clear how much she hated him, and then she turned around and exposed him like this. The man could hardly have felt more humiliated, more enraged if they’d been in a room full of people. He wasn’t good enough for her, she seemed to say in that action, but as a piece of meat he would suffice. That’s what she reduced him to. S’rei’s pride didn’t take the same form as most men, but it was dreadfully wounded in this. He was too outraged to know what to do, to know how to react, and the shame that colored his cheeks paled in comparison to the desire to murder the woman who had somehow managed to deliver this greatest insult.

Before the sea of rage could well over into some form of action, the minx’s lips found his neck, found the racing pulse beneath the skin. It was almost as if she meant to suck the passionate heat – the life – right out of him through that kiss. On impulse, S’rei responded. He didn’t bother to preserve her clothes; they tore as easily as paper in his hands. Later, he would never be sure if it was the turns of abstinence, the chance at an outlet for the built-up emotion, or something else entirely.

He simply remembered thinking that he would show her that what she was asking for, demanding, was ever so much more than she could handle.

***
Sore, a pounding headache ripping through his skull, the man stirred. He was disoriented. And apparently on the cold stone floor. That had never bothered him in his first turns as a dragonrider, but now his body was screaming at the abuse. The light sought to blind him, so he didn’t bother to try to open his lids. The disorientation wasn’t easily solved, either, images flashing through his mind in no particular order. Cold here, on the floor. Very cold.

Why? Why, when she made you so angry?

S’rei didn’t understand right away.