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N'mol had endeavored to spend more time with Kindra where he could. Although they had come out with their feelings for one another at the Gather it still sometimes left him wondering what that meant for them. Friendship-wise much hadn't changed aside from an increase in touching and an added ease between them. The tension stayed, but it was muted now that it was no longer unspoken.

However, what it meant for them tied largely into Suunath and Tyeth. As riders they were at least compatible in rank when the time came, but N'mol knew that Golds Rose as early as a Turn and there was nothing saying that just because Suunath was a little small that her first Flight would be postponed. He and Tyeth had a single-minded determination to win that Flight, but things didn't always work out as he wanted-- though that was rare for N'mol, it seemed. So when Suunath began arching her neck at any Bronze to pass and Tyeth mentioned that she was becoming even more outgoing with her affection than usual, N'mol took notice. It was almost time. Tyeth couldn't tell him exactly when, but it was obvious that Suunath would Rise soon and that Tyeth wasn't leaving her side unless absolutely necessary until that time came. When he could, N'mol spared a glance for Cepheith. Brakiath wasn't due to Rise, obviously, but Trine's junior Gold was a little older than Suunath and was likely around the same stage of development. N'mol went so far as to ask D'lin about it, but his fellow Wingleader insisted nothing had seemed out of the ordinary with Narisa or her Gold. Small favors.

N'mol did not necessarily have to talk to Kindra about it. He knew that she would have to notice it eventually and she knew what it meant and what to do about it (her portion of it anyway). They had said things, though, things that he knew would affect her outlook on Suunath's Flight, and it would be best to settle things between them before that happened. Anyone could win a Flight. N'mol hoped it would be Tyeth who caught her, intended it to be that way, but there would be other Bronzes competing. Even more than she would have had at Benden. There was always the chance that Tyeth, no matter how he tried, would not be the one to catch Suunath.

This time of day Kindra was doing her rounds of Benden's rider as they helped rebuild the Weyr, so N'mol had Tyeth find out where she was and had tracked her down on foot. When Tyeth said he wasn't leaving Suunath's side, N'mol knew he meant it.

"Kindra, how are things here?" he asked. His own shirt was slightly sweatstained from his own work elsewhere in the Weyr as he helped raise huts for the many new members of Trine.

N'mol took the glass with a charming grin. "Thank you." He looked over at the other women as well, determined not to ignore anyone, and greeted the other women as well before he returned his attention to Kindra. "If you're taking a break do you have a minute to speak privately?"

He didn't want to address this in front of strangers. It was a sensitive subject and if Kindra got testy he didn't want anyone witnessing it. Better they return after she had mastered herself again, if his inquiries went poorly.

"I'm sorry to pull you away," he apologized as they walked off, drinks in hand. It wasn't uncomfortable to sit in silence with her, so he let the conversation lapse as they put distance between themselves and the hut. They would be doing enough serious talking with each other soon enough.

He had to approach this carefully, as he had to do with most things with Kindra. Confessing their attachment to one another hadn't changed that at all, though N'mol knew as well as most other people that when it came down to it Kindra did listen to him more than she did most other people.

He glanced over at her face, assessing her to see if she had realized why he was here, but although her pleasant reply had hinted that she knew this wasn't just a pleasant visit to chat.

"Building is heavily underway at this point. The new plans went out to everyone, so I think we'll be involved in building rider weyrs for the next several sevendays. I'm not sure if the Crafters will need us at that point, but I can't imagine the rebuilding is going to take less than a few months to complete." N'mol looked up at the clear sky and then smiled at Kindra. "We're lucky to have clear skies." Weather wise and Threadwise. The last thing they needed was more unwanted distractions hammering down on them.

Kindra's sudden stare into the distance received a contemplative look from N'mol. "You know she's going to Rise soon."

It didn't make sense to beat around the bush. He could be gentle and direct at the same time with her. They were generally open about most things with one another. "And here at Trine you're going to have Bronzeriders from three different Weyrs competing to win Suunath."

He debated asking if she would be all right, but that would be foolish. Of course she wouldn't be. She was Holdborn. There had been a reason she had asked him to help her lose her virginity, after all.

"How long has she been getting proddy?"

N'mol took her snappish replies with a straight face, waiting for her to ease into a slightly less hostile tone. He smiled apologetically when she asked if they could go off alone.

"It would be nice if we could." He didn't need to tell her no or explain why; he figured she already knew that asking was futile. He reached out and took her hand, threading his fingers through hers for added comfort as much as to make sure that if she threw a small fit he would have a better chance of keeping her from pulling away.

He considered the time they had left to them. If it had been a sevenday already N'mol thought it would happen soon, for sure. He was glad there was no reason he would be out of the Weyr. No one involved in their love quadrangle (human or dragon) would be able to get over it if he and Tyeth weren't even present for the Flight.

"She'll Rise when she's ready, and Tyeth and I will be waiting." There wasn't a point in trying to pretend that wasn't going to happen, anymore. She had to know by now that Tyeth was gearing up to make Suunath his mate and that N'mol wouldn't let her be bedded by someone else without a fight. Yet, things happened. They were determined not to lose, but upsets had occurred in the past. N'mol felt a spark of anger at the thought and tried to brush it aside so that he could focus on making sure Kindra was both prepared and not enraged. "We'll be the first in line."

N'mol listened grimly to Kindra's story without interruption, his face tense from practically the first word. Although Kindra had spoken with as little emotion as possible, that was difficult when the experience was traumatic. Her fear had made some sense before, but now N'mol understood why the thought of Flights bothered her so much. There wasn't anything N'mol could say to change what had happened or what was going to happen. All he could do was try to be the one whom she woke to in the morning.

He squeezed her hand and then stopped and hugged her, burying his face against her hair.

"Gold Flights are not Green Flights," he reminded her. Since he didn't know exactly what part of the Flight scared her the most-- the not being in control, the stranger bedding her, the losing herself to her dragon-- N'mol wasn't sure what to address. "We'll do our best, Kindra, I promise. Just know that Suunath has a choice and the likelihood is slim that the rider of whichever Bronze Flies her will be a stranger to you after all of the socializing we've done since we arrived here." His hold tightened on her briefly and then he released her, stepping back and placing his hands on her arms.

"Regardless of what happens with this Flight, Tyeth and I will be there for you. I know you know that this is part of being a Weyrwoman, so I won't try to talk to you about duty or about not being scared. But Flights will be more... manageable the more accepting of them you are. Or at least the calmer you are when they happen." He'd only been in one himself so far-- a Green Flight back at Benden-- but he'd heard things from the older riders that he took to be true.

He ran his hands down her arms, blue eyes sympathetic and kind. "This isn't like what happened to you at home. Not really. Flights are supposed to be a merger of two people and their dragons, not one person forcing themselves on another. You will be just as involved, as in control, as the other person once you and Suunath are in the air. No one here would hurt you like that, Kindra. Not willingly."

If it happened here, he refrained from saying, the Weyr would probably exile the rider, if not assign them a worse fate. Whoever the suitor was, he was lucky his attempt on Kindra had had happened before she had met N'mol. Very lucky.

The smile that spread across his face at her show of spirit was amused, but inwardly N'mol felt relief. There was the Kindra he knew. She couldn't be over her fear so easily, but she was clearly endeavoring to push past it and N'mol would help her find as much confidence as she could gather between now and the time that Suunath Rose.

"No. They wouldn't dare," he agreed.

He held her again and rested his head on top of hers. Before and after the Flight, they were together, regardless of who ended up in her bed. It didn't bother N'mol the way it did Kindra, but mostly because he wasn't considering who the other person might be. Flights happened; weyrmates understood that. Growing up in a weyr meant N'mol knew how life worked and had accepted everything to do with being a rider a long time ago. He wouldn't think about it in any more depth until he saw how the Flight ended up. And then he, and Kindra, would live with the results.

"When Suunath gets in the air, all you'll really notice is her. It's like being inside of your dragon's mind." N'mol tried to find a way to explain it that wouldn't scare her further. "You'll be aware of your own body once she's caught, but it will feel... distant until after everything settles down. It's exhausting, certainly, but... if you accept what's going on it will be a positive experience." His thumb rubbed against her back as he stared off into the distance. "Consciously accepting it will be the most difficult part, especially the first time."