Logs:He Could Try
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| RL Date: 9 October, 2015 |
| Who: E'dre, Eden, Eryn, Elayne, Reeden, Yurise |
| Involves: Fort Weyr |
| Type: Vignette |
| What: E'dre takes his children to stay with an old friend |
| Where: Reeden's Cot, Igen Hold |
| When: Day 13, Month 13, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Ebeny/Mentions, A'ryk/Mentions, Astivan/Mentions |
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| Day One "It isn't the beach dad," Elayne said as she folded her arms in front of her and pouted her lips as she surveyed the expanse of desert in front of her. The twins seemed less interested in complaining and more excited to explore as they ran around the small cot's yard, laughing at the newness of their venture with "just daddy". E'dre shrugged his shoulders in response to his eldest's complaint. "It isn't," he agrees as he watches Eden and Eryn with an indulgent smile. "But it's the closest thing to my family I can share with you girls." He looked to where Wroth lounged in the distance, his rugged hide a beacon amongst the sand dunes. "I've got something put together for lunch," Reeden's voice announced him as the taller man stepped up alongside E'dre and Elayne. He scratched briefly at his grizzled cheek as he watched the two younger girls. "They've got a lot of energy between the two of them, don't they?" "They certainly do," E'dre replied with a small chuckle. "Go and collect your sisters Elayne," he told his daughter as he turned to follow Reeden inside the small cot. Reeden tossed an arm about the brownrider's shoulder as they moved through the doorway. "You'll stay and rest for a few days," he reasoned as he steered E'dre towards the table set for dinner. "And you'll find some perspective on your issues. You'll see. The desert can heal." E'dre slid into the nearest chair and grabbed the already poured glass of wine as he listened to his daughters enter the cot behind them, their excited laughter and chatter enough to ease the burdens of his heart. "It is," he replied to Reeden after a sip of wine, "as is time spent with the ones you love." Day Two Elayne loved to ride one of Reeden's stocky and sturdy desert runners, her joy in spending time with her favorite dun mare overpowering her desire to spend time with her father. E'dre lounged in a chair, a large-brim hat on his head to shield his face from the heat of the sun as he watched the eight turn-old circle the arena under Reeden's instruction. Yurise, Reeden's partner and the resident beastcrafter of the area, had Eden and Eryn back at the cothold to play with their current litter of puppies. There was a simpleness to the life Reeden had built for himself here that E'dre couldn't help but envy. The strain of his and Ebeny's relationship was unbearable. He had created it by throwing a fit about N'rov. He shouldn't have thrown a fit about that, and yet -- how could he not? Had he not fallen in love with Ebeny during a flight? He knew that side of her was what scared her most but it was what had drawn him out of his apathy. She had drawn him to move to Fort for a fresh start. They each had their own lives. Ebeny had C'sel - "Even C'sel..." - had his children, had her own life. He had respected that for many turns. E'dre had built his own life too, with A'ryk. And then Ebeny had Elayne. It had changed everything. It had changed nothing. He had always struggled with wanting more of Ebeny. And then he had made the selfish decision to ask her to be his. He had destroyed two families in the pursuit of Ebeny. At what cost? And now it looked as if he'd destroy a third. « So you're unable to keep the ones you love » Wroth's gravelly voice interjected as the brown lazily drifted overhead on the ample updrafts the heat of the desert provided him. « You should be used to it by now. She's going to leave you and then you'll find someone else. You have more important things to worry about. » Maybe this is what is more important, E'dre argued with his dragon as he looked at Elayne and Reeden discussing something in the corral. Maybe there's more to life than what's expected of me as Acting Weyrleader. And wasn't that the argument constantly at his feet back at Fort? How should he encourage his riders to find a new path with the Holders? Most assumed he hated the Holders and wanted to keep the boundaries firm between them. None really understood why. He tipped his hat back from his face and swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. Hadn't Astivan's antics proven anything to them? It was best to keep a boundary. « We aren't runners or herdbeasts to do tasks for other men because they need our muscle » Wroth's voice agreed as he angled up and against the sun, catching the sunlight against the membrane of his wings. « We should be respected. We shouldn't have to earn it. » Day Three "You can all come back anytime you like," Reeden promised as Elayne hugged him and fought back her tears. He patted the girl's shoulder awkwardly and looked at E'dre with a bemused smile. "I hadn't thought of children before," he told his friend, "but your three may have me rethinking it." E'dre held Eden and Eryn's hands as the girls stood patiently at his side. Wroth was already settled with their belongings and pushed at E'dre's mind for him to hurry up. "Tell Yurise thank you for letting us stay. I'm sorry we didn't get to say goodbye ourselves before he had to go." "I will," Reeden promised as he followed E'dre to Wroth's side. The girl's were settled on the brown's neckridges and strapped in relatively quickly. Too soon E'dre was on the ground again and embracing his friend. "Try and fix what's broken, Aleudr-," Reeden caught himself and laughed, "I've been calling you E'dre for turns and now I slip?" He shook his head and tugged on E'dre's earlobe. "Fix what you have, E'dre. Both as Weyrleader and as a husband. Don't let your pride ruin everything." "I'll try," E'dre replied as his parting words. Three quick strides up had him positioning himself behind his girls. Wroth's muscles bunched beneath their legs and then the whoosh of the brown's wings and the momentum of his lift set the reality of returning to them all. It was hard - harder than he wanted it to be - to take the girl's back to Ebeny's family. Harder still to return to Fort. He had a job to do, and apologies to make, and then - perhaps - he could fix the things he had broken. He could try. |
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