Fort Weyr

It's been…a rough night, for Rynn at least. The first gold flight at Fort since Impression has taken its toll on the brownrider. After a dazed and confused stop at Xanadu that she hardly remembers, Rynn spent the rest of the night wrapped around Mazzolyth and clutching her aching abdomen for dear life. She's never felt such an overwhelming pain, something so deep in the core of her soul that she almost admitted herself in to the Infirmary. Fortunately enough her sturdy brown of a lifemate has been there for her all night long while she writhed in pain and cried her eyes out. She's not even a hundred percent sure why she's feels this way, but the empty bed all night long is a tell-tale sign. Rukbat's ascent into the sky is a welcomed one, the sunbeams through the left open windows hitting her skin make her feel somewhat human again. Her skin tone is dulled, bloodshot eyes with bags under them from a night with no sleep and lots of tears. The big brown is starting to worry about his Rynn, nuzzling her gently with his chocolate snout.

To say Br'enn has had an easy night would be a flat-out lie. Granted, he slept most of it, but waking up in a ground weyr was jarring. Waking up next to Inri and not Rynn was even more so, in spite of knowing the why of it. And dealing with the very strange situation that cropped up in the ground weyr was just…boggling. Damn rabbits. But foremost on the bronzerider's mind has been getting back to Rynn, and so after convincing a rather smug Tovihasuth to part from his first catch for just a moment to drop him off, he comes striding in, trunks still damp from the rain clinging to his hips and legs and his shirt just off and bunched in his hand. It's actually warmer not having it on. The sight of Rynn curled up as she is sends a jolt of worry through him, and he crosses over to her immediately, tossing his shirt aside and moving past Mazzolyth with a pat to the big brown jaw before kneeling down to her. "Rynn, darlin'…hey. What's goin' on? Y'look all worn out." His first thought? That she's sick. Only after the words leave his mouth does he realize he might be a factor himself, because of Tovihasuth, and that manifests in a shot of worry through blue eyes as he sits down beside her.

Rynn sniffles, the back of her hand wiping beneath her nose even though there's nothing there but redness. She blink-blinks, pulling a heavy head up towards the shadowy figure that fills first the window, then the open door. Mazzolyth is not taking so keenly to his entrance, and definitely not the moving past with jaw patting as Br'enn heads towards his Rynn. There is a loud protective grumble, and he juts his big wedged head in to Br'enn's chest, actually pushing him away from Rynn as he goes to kneel down to her. "Mazz!" she eases with somewhat of a scold, patting his side knowing that he's only trying to protect her after being there for her through the worst. Rynn attempts to gather herself, shaking her head and waving it all off with an outstretched hand. "Nothing. M'fine." She sits up a little straighter, the hazel sparkle in her eyes dimmed as they settle on her shirtless gent. "That sucked…" is about all she can say with a choked back sob as it's clear he realizes exactly why she's so wrecked.

"Easy, you," Br'enn grumbles as Mazzolyth nearly knocks him aside, but it isn't with anger that he says it; he knows how protective the big brown is of his rider. Once things seem to be settled on that count, he moves in close again, studying Rynn carefully. "Y're not foolin' me, Rynn. Y'haven't slept, if I'm any judge." Reaching out as she utters that sob, Br'enn's face takes on a pained expression, and he gathers her close against his chest - not crushing in the least, but firm and enveloping. "I know, love, I know," he says, his voice rasping with emotion of his own. "I wasn't expectin' Tov to win. Wasn't thrilled to be wakin' up with someone not you. I toldja a flight wouldn't change my feelin's for ya, eh?" He leans back, framing her face with both hands and looking intently into her eyes. "Still true. I love you." A thumb strokes her cheek. "Y'believe me?" And will she forgive Tov for pulling him away from her during all of this?

Rynn gulps before a sigh, knowing all too well that she won't be able to slide this one past Br'enn. "Umm…not feeling good?" This comes out as a bit of a question, probably because it's mostly truth but definitely elusive still. She stays cuddled up in the nook of her brown's forelegs, petting him all the while. "But you're right, I haven't slept." She's about to half pull away from his reach, but her somewhat lifeless body cannot retract fast enough before she's pulled in to a tight squeeze. She hates the thoughts that rush through her head, like how she's happy it was at least raining outside to somewhat cleanse the night's occurrences from his skin. Still, she shudders at the thought of someone else being in his arms and of the moments they shared in the throes of flight passion - an experience they will never share. She can't seem to wipe the frown from her face and while her head rests against his chest it takes everything she has to not bawl her eyes out right then and there. She knows it was uncontrollable, she knows it wasn't planned or malicious - it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. "You did," she says plainly about flights and feelings. "I just didn't think it'd happen… like that. So soon and unexpected. I thought maybe there'd be some leeway, some losses…anything besides first timer’s luck." Not that she ever doubted Tov's ability; she just wishes it wasn’t so. Those baby blues always take her breath away, and despite her own gaze being dulled, the genuine intent in his eyes and words do bring a little sparkle to the surface for a fleeting moment. "I believe you. N'clearly I love you too…maybe more than I even knew. I just…didn't expect it to be like this." Mazz's snout nuzzles her shoulder in comfort, huffing at Br'enn when he does so.

Br'enn certainly doesn't try to get in the way of Mazzolyth's attentions to his rider, but he doesn't move one inch away from Rynn either, the hand on the opposite side of the brown sifting through her hair. "I didn't think so, either. Ah, Rynn…" He shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. Feeling somewhat helpless, he does the only other thing he can think of to possibly help in the moment and kisses her, willing with all his might that he might be able to strengthen and ease her just by the press of his lips. Perhaps he understands a little of what bothers C'rus so much now. "I don't remember anythin'," he informs her quietly, once he ends it. "Nothin'; 's all a blur until wakin' up." His eyes bright with an unexpected sheen of moisture, he sets his forehead against hers, watching her face. "This could happen again, love. To either of us. We gonna be okay?" Faranth knows it may take a long time to get used to such things.

Rynn isn't quite sure how to handle Br'enn's courageous move. Part of her wants to tear away, ripping her lips from his with the certainty they've spent the night on someone else. The other part of her wants to succumb to the sweetness of his smooch that she's been swept away by in the past. It winds up being somewhere in between; she attempts to pull away, squinting with a nose crinkle and smoosh of her own lips, but it isn't more than a second before weakened will gives in and she kisses back. Mazz will allow this to happen, even if with a bit of a grumble. A deep breath is taken, lashes slowly fluttering open if only to silently wish that they could've stayed in that moment forever. "I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse…" The idea of him having no recollection is somewhat appeasing, but then again the uncertainty of what exactly he did while gone all night is unsettling as well. Her eyes search the micro-expressions of Br'enn's while their foreheads are pressed together. She shrugs with a forced smirk and concludes, "Guess we'll hafta be… we're riders now. This stuff happens all the time and there's no sense in being all worked up about it…" Verbatim from 'the talk' "… Do you think it'll get easier?" Rynn sure hopes so. Her hand finally reaches for him as she snuggles in to the barrel shape of his broad chest when arms are wrapped around her so.

Br'enn can sense Rynn's initial hesitation when he kisses her, and it wrenches badly at his heart. He’s reluctant to relinquish the attempt until suddenly, mercifully, she does kiss him back. Breathing deep after they stop, he listens, frowning slightly at the forced smirk and the lesson quotation and then sighing at her question. He does, however relax a fraction when she snuggles into him, and he takes the hand that reaches out in his, bringing it to his lips and placing a kiss against her palm. "Shells, I hope it does," he breathes. "Rynn…it really is all them. The dragons. What happens after…" He places her hand over his heart, flat against the shallow, defined dip between pectorals as he covers it over with his own. "There's none of this to it," he says, emphasizing his words with a slight press against her hand. "This…feelin', 's what makes it diff'rent." His lips touch her forehead, lingering. "I need you, Rynn," he whispers. "Flights be damned; nothin'll ever be this. Us. Please." He doesn't really know what the 'please' is for - a plea for forgiveness, even if he couldn't control what happened? A plea to stay with him? A plea to understand? Maybe…it's simply a plea for her to re-affirm what they are, and that things will be alright. Perhaps all of the above.

Rynn nods while biting her lower lip "Me too…" she says softly and trailing in reference to their hopes. "I know it's them…and now I know kinda what C'rus felt like when he talked about Kera and flights." It's all very very clear to her now - not that she ever doubted her friend, but it's different when you walk a mile in their boots. Her palm lies flat on his chest, feeling the thu-thump of his heart beating through his ribcage. His confession of there being no heart in the afterburn of a flight brings two large, salty tears to the corners of her hazel eyes. They release for both joy and sadness, tearing down her cheeks like a wild runner cross an open field. Her eyes close when he kisses her forehead, and there are not a lot of words she can really speak at the moment, partially from being truly exhausted and partially for being speechless at his sweetness. Br'enn doesn't open up a whole lot, but when he does it's amazing. "I need you…and want this…us…" she says in hushed whispers between their closeness. "I know you couldn't control it… I mean I don't know know, seeing as how Mazz and I hightailed it outta here when things started feeling hinky around here, but I know and it's ok…we'll be ok. I'll be ok." There's an aspect of her own convincing of herself in those words, but for now she'll leave it at that, holding Br'enn tightly before she slips away into sweet and much overdue slumber in his arms.