Post by lucius on Apr 2, 2010 17:27:04 GMT -6
There was something quite impressive about being seen as valuable. He found that while his reflexes jerked at her touch, he didn't seem to mind her hand being there. She sympathized and understood what it meant to be undervalued and outcast. She reminded him of his apprenticeship before Olisirn scarred him for life. As a child M'tias had never fit in, despite his being born in the Weyr, and the few friends he made were Holdbred and Searched. Those people knew how it was to be an outcast in the Weyr. And to think he could identify with Kaelu in that regard...
She is not as I thought her to be before.
Yeskith did not comment. Even if he did, M'tias would be too distracted. When Kaelu grabbed his hand, he wasn't sure what was happening and that caught his attention for a few moments. But the scrubbing was not rough and her hand didn't leave his. He wished the others weren't there, that he wasn't so tense or nervous. Her closeness was both calming and unnerving. The presence of others only muddied things more. But his fingers closed around her hand, and the smile he gave her was genuine. As he looked back to T'ran, it remained at the corners of his mouth, and for a moment there was neither fear nor animosity.
The calm broke when T'ran acted. M'tias was no white knight; in most occasions he would have averted his eyes and felt some form of pity for the woman receiving the tell-tale glare. But his hand was still with Kaelu's, and his grip tightened as the foreign Weyrleader spoke. His jaw clenched and he found himself unable to speak. Rage. Why this? Yeskith was in the back of his mind and feeding off the anger. For a split second M'tias felt the dark urge that only came rarely. But it passed, T'ran was gone, and M'tias knew that acting on his darker impulses would have their whole Weyr jeopardized.
The room remained tense for a few moments but then M'tias felt something relax. He was still angry, but no longer scared. He concentrated on his breathing for a few seconds before he spoke. "I don't trust him." Even, well-enunciated, and at a decent volume--once more, M'tias surprised himself. "He--I didn't kill any of his dragon riders and certainly didn't insult Gemma or whatever her name was. Neither of us did. He... He didn't have to..." He sighed, then looked down at his feet. "I only hope his rider isn't insufferable. 'Against his good behavior'. Pah."
She is not as I thought her to be before.
Yeskith did not comment. Even if he did, M'tias would be too distracted. When Kaelu grabbed his hand, he wasn't sure what was happening and that caught his attention for a few moments. But the scrubbing was not rough and her hand didn't leave his. He wished the others weren't there, that he wasn't so tense or nervous. Her closeness was both calming and unnerving. The presence of others only muddied things more. But his fingers closed around her hand, and the smile he gave her was genuine. As he looked back to T'ran, it remained at the corners of his mouth, and for a moment there was neither fear nor animosity.
The calm broke when T'ran acted. M'tias was no white knight; in most occasions he would have averted his eyes and felt some form of pity for the woman receiving the tell-tale glare. But his hand was still with Kaelu's, and his grip tightened as the foreign Weyrleader spoke. His jaw clenched and he found himself unable to speak. Rage. Why this? Yeskith was in the back of his mind and feeding off the anger. For a split second M'tias felt the dark urge that only came rarely. But it passed, T'ran was gone, and M'tias knew that acting on his darker impulses would have their whole Weyr jeopardized.
The room remained tense for a few moments but then M'tias felt something relax. He was still angry, but no longer scared. He concentrated on his breathing for a few seconds before he spoke. "I don't trust him." Even, well-enunciated, and at a decent volume--once more, M'tias surprised himself. "He--I didn't kill any of his dragon riders and certainly didn't insult Gemma or whatever her name was. Neither of us did. He... He didn't have to..." He sighed, then looked down at his feet. "I only hope his rider isn't insufferable. 'Against his good behavior'. Pah."
