Jenna and L'nan just can't seem to get past Jenna's wounded pride.

jenna - Wednesday, June 12, 2002, 7:37 AM
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Your location's current time: 11:32 on day 16, month 8, Turn 40, of the Tenth Pass. It is a summer morning.

Hot Springs
The first thing which draws your eye when entering this vast subterranean cavern is the sheer height of it - a massive bubble hollowed out of rock by the pressures of volcanic gases at some time when Fort's volcano still spurted flame. The eye is drawn up and up into the darkness of the ceiling, where occasional flecks of mica reflect the light and catch the eye, flickering like solitary fireflies. Towards the northern end of the cavern, the ceiling disappears and the sky can be seen where the volcano eventually released built up pressure so long ago - now it forms an entrance to the hot springs for dragon and rider, dropping down through the open ceiling to the rocky lake shore or to various ledges high in the walls - from which the more daredevil riders have been known to dive on occasion.

Down at ground level, the warm lake laps the shore gently, never completely still. Steam rises from the surface and ripples stir from the movement of the hot water seeping in from hidden springs. The lakeshore closest to the Weyr entrance is smooth and gently sloping, a safe place to bathe and talk, but further out there are various rocky coves that can be reached by swimming or by dragon. At night, glows set in the walls reflect their glimmer onto the water; by day, the light from the ceiling gives the lake ever changing shades of blue and gold, deepening to soft opal at dusk and dawn, casting shadows that seem to harbor small crevices.
A wide corridor leads off to the southeast, curving back to the Inner Caverns.
Contents:
L'nan
Alirath(#909JOaelps)

Jenna is just coming in, looking a trifle dusty and grimy. There's even oil stains on her clothes and she has a towel over one arm. Niyath is nowhere in sight, likely sunning somewhere, given the oil on Jenna's trous.

L'nan is soaking in a somewhat odd manner. He's face down on Alirath's tail, near where tail attaches to rump. His arms and legs are hanging down on either side, and his head is turned away from the hot springs' entrance from the weyr. Alirath is likewise just soaking, but gently keeping any other swimmers/soakers away. Lu, while not asleep, doesn't seem to be much into moving.

Jenna grimaces faintly, spotting the blue. She casts a glance behind her at the door, and then looks up at the sky, gauging the time. Finally, clothes are dropped in a pile, and she wades into the largest pool, offering a salute and a quietly voiced, "Good morning."

Alirath watches Jenna somberly, his eyes whirling only a soft blue. Thus it's understandable when L'nan's voice floats over, even though he doesn't turn his head. "Mornin', Jenna." An arm moves, and it can be assumed he's saluting vaguely. "Get some sleep?" It's asked politely, but in a detached voice. After the question, he turns his head to watch her warily. He's got bags under his eyes, which are a little red-rimmed.

Jenna's expression shifts from guarded to rather openly dismayed as she sees his face. "Fardles, Lu - You look awful." A pause and she flushes slightly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, fine," L'nan replies, waving an arm vaguely. "You? Y'get your hides'n stuff done?" It's without a trace of rancor.

Jenna nods slightly. She says quietly, "You don't look fine." A pause and she says, "Lu, about what I said last night. I was upset, and angry. And no, I haven't made up my mind. I thought, from all the rumors and you avoiding me, that *you* had."

L'nan watches Jenna closely. "Well," he says in a faintly humorous tone. "I'm a bit tired an' worn out, tell th'truth." He hesitates, humor gone to be replaced with a hesitant, unsure voice. "I went t'Telgar. T'see Kassi. I was mad, too. But when I got there I just..." And he stops there, pushing himself over to fall into the water, just as he's reaching a hand up to swipe at his eyes.

Jenna blinks, jaw tightening. "I saw Alirath go between. I figured that's where you were. Well, I hope she gave you what you wanted." Her tone is quiet, and though he words may be a trifle taut, the manner in which they're said is fairly quiet.

L'nan surfaces in time to see that jaw tightening. "She did," he agrees, just as quietly. "She let me yell and cry and stomp around. She waited while I got Alirath to relax. She listened while I complained an' whined an' asked questions. An' then she didn't try t'tell me what t'think, or how t'act." He paddles his way closer to Jenna. "I don't know how t'do either when it comes t'us sometimes."

Jenna looks down at her hands. "I'm sorry I upset you. And Alirath. I just... Well, no, there's no excuse for it. I'm sorry."

L'nan finally reaches a place he can stand, and he pushes through the water to stand right in front of Jenna. "Don't be," he whispers. "There /is/ an excuse for't, an' Alirath's not upset with you, you know that. He...he's hurt some because he thinks Niyath is upset with him, but..." He trails off, hesitantly. "Somethin' that crosses my mind is that if it's this tough now...I mean, when'd it all get so hard?"

Jenna shakes her head. "Niyath isn't upset with him. She's upset with you, but its hard for them to tell the differences sometimes." She sighs softly, "Well, before, I wasn't a candidate. I didn't have to worry about other people seeing how casually I talked to you, or how easily we fit together. When did it get hard? When P'ter asked me to stand and I said yes."

L'nan nods slowly. "I agree that's kinda when, but.. but a little bit of problems with that situation is normal, I'd think. S'just.. they haven't stopped. Th'problems, I mean." One hand pats at the water, making ripples as he watches them. Quietly, he adds, "I think it's the authority thing that gets in th'way. For both of us."

Jenna nods a bit. "But I can't stop saluting you - before, you always outranked me, but it wasn't an issue. Now, it is. I don't care that you have to punish me, or correct me, or whatever. When you have, I've deserved it. But I can't treat you any differently while I'm a weyrling. Not when I'm in public. And you haven't wanted to /be/ in private with me, so..."

"But you /do/ act differently when it's me that hasta punish you," Lu says quickly. "I mean, I grant that I'm probably more overprotective of you than of some've the others, but... I really try not t'be, openly." He sighs, shaking his head. "I mean, I feel like when I've hadta punish you, you're mad at _me_, personally, instead've at the situation, or.. or whatever." The hand pushes under water, stopping at wave-making. "I know. An' I'm sorry for that. I..sopmetimes I felt like maybe it'd be easier for you if I just..left you alone."

Jenna shakes her head. "No, no I don't. I truely don't. It's just that you embarass me. Like at the gather. You didn't have to dress me down in front of N'ren. Or that thing with grinding klah when I was a candidate - you could have at least listened to my side of things, but you didn't." Obviously the klah thing still stings, if she can remember it well enough more than a turn and a half later. "I'm not a child, and I don't like being treated like one. And at the gather you embarassed me and shamed me like was a five turn old."

L'nan swallows. "I know I shoulda taken you in private t'.. t'talk t'you, at the Gather. That was my mistake - like y'said, everyone makes'm." He looks obviously confused at the mention of the klah incident, and squints in memory. "Y'know, I punished a lot've Candidates for things less'n that. It hasn't got t'do with hearing your side. It's got to do with doing your chores, followin' directions, or else bringin' it up responsibly t'your Coordinators." He catches himself, and drops out of lecture mode. "Point is, I couldn't sit and have it out with you back then - that's not how it goes with Candidates."

Jenna nods. "And I understand that, in public. As The Weyrsecond. But then you never came to me later. Just Lu, to talk to me, just Jenna. That's why I was upset. And that's why I left the gather. I'd created enough of a scene already."

"You didn't," L'nan mumbles. "An' I did try to see you, at first. But..there's still the 'favoritism' an' stuff. It was really tough t'balance between lettin' you know I still cared, an' lettin' everyone know I treated you th'same." He sighs as Alirath whuffs at something, coming alive in the water. "I've gotta go t'drills. We'll... we'll talk later?"

Jenna nods. "Yeah." Her voice is quiet. "Just have Alirath call Niyath if you can't find me."

L'nan reaches out a hand as if to touch her shoulder, but stops just short. "I will," he says firmly. "I will." Then he turns and paddles out to Alirath, who obligingly sinks to let him mount, then creates a shower as he lifts out of the water.