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The young bluerider stood outside on his ledge, applying some oil to the trouble stops on his bondmate’s hide. G’non, sighing heavily as he took a step back to visualize where the straps of his gear sat, peered around Torvarth’s sprawled form to Io, a good friend of his who was stretched out on Viralith, her green, watching him work, offering encouragement and direction for missed or under attended spots, and some degree of distracting conversation. “Have I missed any other spot? I think I’ve just about got him covered.”

The mischievous smile she flashed him was a little worrying. She made a show of sitting up and hmming while looking them over. The long pause she gave had G’non pacing around the entirety of the blue, trying to puzzle over any missed spot. After a few minutes, she chuckled and flopped back upon Viralith. “Looks good! Practically sparkling, G’non. Wonderful work as always.” Io chuckled to herself at the look the bluerider shot her.

“You’ve been very helpful, Io. Thank you.” The man said with a little grin while ruffling his short, curly blond hair, before gathering up the oiling gear. Torvarth relayed his thanks to his rider and Io as well. Before much else could happen a blue fire lizard appeared above them. At first they gathered riders and dragons were going to go about their business but G’non spotted the note tired to one of his legs. He held up his hands and whistled to the blue which fluttered down to grasp onto his forearm. “What’s this then? Who are you looking for, fella?” He gently took the note off and encouraged the blue to perch upon his head or shoulder, just to free up his hands.

There was no writing on the outside, no name to indicate the intended recipient, but upon unfolding the paper, the rider froze. It bore his name! His brows knit low on his forehead as he began to read. Torvarth sat up and turned his head towards his rider. His heart was racing and there were waves of shock and grief just rolling off of him. G’non read and read again. His throat felt tight as he swallowed. His chest burned, apparently having inadvertently been holding his breath. The sharp, deep inhale followed by a shuddering exhale drew Io’s attention. G’non sank to his knees, mouthing the words of the note silently to himself. The realization was immensely painful. Torvarth keened softly, which earned him a concerned nuzzle from Viralith.

Io vaulted down off of her green to close the distance. “G’non? What is it?”

Looking up to her worried face, it took him few moments to find his voice, and , even still, his voice cracked and was soft when he spoke. “I...I have a son. A little boy I never knew, Io...Antara is dead. Gone some five turns...Faranth, I-“ And then he broke. His words trailed into a pained cry. He doubled forward, causing the blue fire lizard to hop off to perch on Torvarth’s tail. Sobs shook his shoulders as G’non curled into himself, colored wax scribbled note crinkling in his hand.

Io dropped to her knees and held onto her shuddering friend, squeezing the hand of his that she managed to coax from digging nails into his own shoulder. She said nothing. Being there for him would be enough. This was the sort of catharsis he was needing. He had been writing, and waiting, and hoping, not knowing what was the deal. Now he did. The love he had been writing was gone. Not only that, he had a son, a boy he hadn’t been there to be a father to, a boy kept in the dark due to Terei’s spiteful distaste of the man who loved his sister. G’non didn’t need words right this moment. He needed to feel what he needed to feel: Devastated.

Torvarth settled against Viralith, letting her support his weight as he felt the wave of His' despair. The blue rumbled a soft, plaintive apology to the frightened fire lizard. It hadn't been his intent to spook him.

Io gently rubbed her nose against the jaw of the little blue flit that perched to lay upon her shoulders. She gasped quietly at the images that flowed into her mind from the helpful little messenger. Absently, she rubbed G'non's back.

G'non, for his part, began to quiet at the visions of the small boy that popped into his head. There were no more full body shaking sobs, more so sniffling, the odd hiccup, less heavy tears, but still he remained bowed low.

"Whoa...G'non, he's the spitting image of you," The greenrider kept her voice low and unobtrusive. Io rewarded the chirp, nuzzle, and sharing. She brought her hand up to give the flit a scratch under his chin. "You did good, little one." Her focus shifted from the messenger to the man next to her when she felt him shift.

The bluerider pushed himself back to sit on his heels. His eyes were reddened, tears slowly streaking down his face. "Io...I need to meet him. I don't know, maybe-maybe bring him here...If that's what he'd like." He inhaled deeply. "Maybe punch Terei in his arrogant face." He bowed his head to avoid her arching brows, looking at the now somewhat crumpled letter in his hand. "Would you come with me to Fort? I could stand to have someone with sense to support me in this...or make sure I don't cross any lines."

Io considered the man next to her as he wiped his face on his shirtsleeve. She sighed with a nod and smiled. "Yeah, okay, G'non. You just get what you need and I'll have a word with our wingleaders. Tomorrow is our free day anyway. It's a bit more time. So, to Fort?"

G'non got to his feet before helping Io rise to her own. "Okay. Yes, Fort. Ah...Do what you need to and meet me back here. Well, fella, I hope you don't mind a bit of an escort going home," He said reaching out to stroke his thumb along the bridge of the blue flit's snout. And, with a shared nod, the two went their separate ways. G'non back into his weyr to kind of clean himself up, gather a couple of things, maybe make an emergency run down to the market. Maybe the boy would like a little gift? He'd see what was available. Io took a bit to find each of their wingleaders, explained that it was sort of a family emergency, that she was asked along as moral support, and that their rest day was tomorrow. She was given the okay but told to not linger beyond the rest day, which was fair. She hadn't intended to, hoping that the trip wouldn't be an especially long, drawn out, painful affair.

After an hour and change, the riders and their dragons met back up on G'non's weyr's ledge and departed, picturing Fort, and then hopping Between to get there. Io had stashed their little messenger in her bag and when they had appeared, she lifted the flap that covered the interior. "Welcome home, buddy. Come on out and show us where you came from, yeah?"

The two riders walked in silence as they followed the helpful little tour guide. It was nerves on Io's part, and a slough of things on G'non's part. Torvarth kept shifting anxiously, seemingly unable to find a comfortable place to sit or stand. Viralith simply waited.

G'non and Io exchanged a series of heavily meaningful looks as they reached the closed door, listening to a bit of what was going on inside. She offered an arm for the flit to land upon to help clear the space. G'non huffed a breath through his nose, shaking out some of the building tension in his shoulders. Straightening himself to his full height, the bluerider quietly pushed open the latch and then swung open the door, standing front and center in the doorway.

"I'm afraid you're incorrect there, Terei. Especially seeing as you never gave me the chance to be," He said as he strode into the room and grabbed the man by his shirt collar, turning to slam him back against the nearest wall. "What business do you have keeping my boy a secret, Terei? Never taking the time to even let me know Antara had passed, Terei. Not. One. Word." He practically spat out the other man's name, such was his fury.

Io paused momentarily at the door before shuffling in a couple of feet, waving to the boy. "Hi there. I believe this belongs to you?" She asked, to partially distract the youngster from the flaring temper going on in the room. "He's really something else. So smart, and such a sweetie! I bet he learned it from you. I'm Io," She introduced herself as she crouched down to his level. "What's your name, and you simply must tell me who your little friend is."

"Had I known that she was pregnant, do you honestly think I wouldn't come back for her or brought her to Ista to live with me? I utterly adored her, Terei! I loved her fiercely! I don't think you can comprehend the pain of not knowing what happened. Why she seemingly went quiet. You had no right to keep what happened secret! None!" He growled. "You never cared for me, I've long accepted that, but to keep a boy from knowing his father? From letting him know the truth, from not learning about his mom? Truly disgusting." He dropped his grip with another shove.

Lowering her hands to return the flit to the youngster, Io smiled. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Tarel. I'm happy to meet you. Harper is a lovely name for him. I can tell it suits him." She nodded and followed the boy's gaze to the two preoccupied menfolk. Giving a sigh and folding one arm across her knees, she rested her chin in her free hand. "That's right. Violence should never be the first thing one jumps to. You aren't wrong there. They sure are being big dummies, huh?" She rose to her feet. "Want a lift? We can give these two a talking to. What do you say?"

"I was searched! I know I could have said no, but after much discussion with Antara, she encouraged me to give it a try. So, with her love, encouragement, and blessing, off to Ista I went. I had no clue that the very first time I stood, I'd impress! One doesn't plan these things, Terei. I wrote all the time. And to find that you've been burning everything I've ever sent? What's the matter with you?!" He snorted at Terei's answer. "Yeah, real good going about that. He wrote to me asking to know about her. He's five turns old, he should know about his mother! Honestly, Terei, you should be singing her stories and praises from the rooftops. I've told Io here everything I've known about Antara. You sure have got a funny way of carrying on her legacy..."

Io scooped up the five turn old and situated him on her hip, wrapping an arm around him to help support him. "We're gonna tell them what for." She assured quietly with a conspiratorial nod. It was when there was a lull in the men's backing and forthing that Io cleared her throat loudly and pointedly. The greenrider bat her lashes when the attention was turned towards her and Tarel. "Don't you fellas think we should maybe take this out of here. Discuss things like actual adults and not moody teenagers. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use a drink, some fresh air. It's kinda starting to smell of big dummy in here and I'm sure Tarel would like his room back to normal. What do you say, Tarel? Have any suggestions?" She offered the boy an encouraging smile and a gentle squeeze. It'd be okay.

"Because part of being in a healthy, loving relationship is encouraging and supporting your partner to grow as a person and in experience. I wouldn't have gone if she told me to stay, and I can assure you we discussed it at length." G'non shook his head. "You're a weyrling for a year or so and then you're put to work. I wrote and wrote and, if I had received anything in return, you can bet I'd have come to visit, maybe even asked to be transferred. A dragon I may have, but the higher ups tend to frown on riders just taking off whenever they feel like it." He huffed an exhale in the lull that followed, before looking to Io who was now holding Tarel upon her hip. He took a step away from Terei, sticking his hands in his pockets as he lowered his gaze, embarrassed and shamed. Talk about a great first impression his son must be making of him.

Io made a bit of a face, somewhere close to a mild cringe before pushing it back to a gentle smile. She'd try let him down gently. "I don't want to ruin dinner, buddy, besides I had a late lunch and simply don't have any room left for bubblypies, though I am certain the ones here in Fort are absolutely delicious! What's good to drink here? Maybe a fruit juice? Tell you what, maybe we can split your favorite! How about you point me to where the dining hall is and we can see what they have, yeah?" And in a whisper, not whisper, "Maybe your dad and Uncle Terei will get the hint and follow us out. Let's lead by example." She winked to the boy on her hip and started walking leisurely out the door.

G'non scratched the back of his neck as he slowly followed suit, trailing after the pair like a scolded hound. Io had a point, a good one. What sort of impression would Tarel make of him, just showing up and then pinning Terei to the wall, arguing with him, all in the boy's own bedroom. He'd have to try to make it up, maybe have a talk with him.

G'non kept his voice low as they followed after Io and Tarel to the kitchens. The vitriol had left his tone. "You thought wrong, Terei. Would a man who supposedly abandoned a woman bother writing letter after letter to her in spite of not receiving responses in return? Did you think I was doing it as a cruel joke? Did you just not bother to open and read anything I had sent? You would have seen the tone of my letters were far from scornful. I wrote of what I was doing and learning, inquiring after her, expressing some concern why she hadn't responded back, wishing her well, letting her know how much I thought of her and missed her, asking her to write back if she had the time to do so..."

"Juice is good," Io said in accord, nodding as she walked. "It's been a while since I've had a good redfruit juice. Excellent choice!" The question that followed immediately after threw her for a loop and drew a deep blush to her cheeks, even pinkening her ears. She laughed before clearing her throat. "Ah, no. No, I'm not your papa's wife. I'm a good friend of his..." She glanced around conspiratorially, half to see how far back the trailing men were following and how intently they were listening in. Far enough, it looked like, and G'non seemed to be talking to Terei in hushed tones so his attention was elsewhere. "Can you keep a secret? I think I can tell you, but I'm not quite ready to share with anyone else just yet, okay? Wanna hear?"