Fort Weyr

Fort Weyr - Resident Cavern
This hall is long and wide, with numerous doorways off either side, leading to private residential rooms. The hall has clearly been hewn from the living rock by the Ancient's stonecutting technology, utterly straight and planed smooth.

It is late, there are only a few short moments before curfew left in the day but one lone candidate has decided that as always he will live on the edge. Riohra walks over and knocks on the door of the young weaver Sephany's room. "Sephany it is Rio, I didn't see you at dinner so I brought you some stuff." He bends down to leave the items of a container of fruit juice, and a bowl of fruits and veges as he remembered she doesn't eat a lot of meat. "I will just leave them here if you want them."

Sephany was, indeed, nowhere to be found at dinner. In fact, she was nowhere to be found all day, the young weaver all but vanishing from the Weyr afterbreakfast, leaving her Journeyman and friends alike to wonder at her whereabouts. But she is here now, and the knock at her door prompts the bark of a young but growing canine, and the rustling of movement. "Riohra?" It's hoarse but confused, and a moment later there is the scrape of a bolt and the creek of hinges as Sephany opens her door to peer out at him, still dressed in the loose and flowing attire that marks her as having recently been to Igen. Tired, red-rimmed eyes assess the hunter-turned-candidate and then drop to his offerings. She manages to catch the collar of Fizgig before the pup can have at her food, a sharp "leave it," directed his way. Though young, he's learned to listen to that particular tone of voice, and easily backs off her plate with a wiggling puppy-glance up at her. "Thank you," for the food. "You didn't have to."

Riohra gives her a smile and says gently "I wanted to, friends have to look out for each other." He sees her attire, having and go bag stashed under his bunk on those rare fleeting moments he can hop down to see Kassala at Igen. But instead he will ask "Can I get you anything else? I didn't know if your Thimble had eaten or not so i didn't get any meat for her." he gives her an apologetic smile.

A small nod of her head follows his words on the subject of friends, though Sephany's not meeting his eyes when she does so. She does drop to collect the plate and glass on the floor, lifting them quickly. Fizgig effectively pushed back into her room, she steps out and shuts the door behind her to keep him contained. A shake of her head for the mention of meat, a quick "They're fine," murmured for her firelizard's. "They ate at Igen." A deep breath is taken, ragged on inhale but steady as she exhales. "Why are you really here, Riohra? This isn't the first time I've missed dinner; you've never come to check on me before."

Riohra gives her that same soft smile saying "Oh I check up on you from time to time, just like I would do for young eiram or Leuka. The same way I check up on Kassala when I have the time." He shrugs and says "I just care about my friends is all, I am sorry if I am over stepping a boundary."

Grey eyes, heavy with suspicion, peer intently at the candidate's face as Riohra speaks. Sephany does not appear to believe him. Lips press into a thin line, red-rimmed eyes harden as hackles raise. "If you say so," murmured perhaps a bit more testily than necessary. She balances the plate against her arm that holds the juice, allowing a free hand to pick at the offering, selecting something green and crisp to bite. "Did you… talk to Leuka?" she wonders cautiously, tension wrought through her thin frame as she flicks a glance back toward him.

Riohra shakes his head "I haven't seen him all day, and by the time I did catch up with him he was crawling into bed." he tilts his head and stares at her with that child like wonder the man always seems to have "Why did he need me for something?" It is true Rio can be mischievous, and even secretive but to the fault he is honest.

"Really?" Sephany wonders. Again, not sure she believes him, but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt it seems. More crunching of veggies, though it appears to be out of habit rather than hunger. "No, he… No," she assures him, shaking her head at the notion that Leuka was looking for Rio. "I just… I thought… maybe he spoke with you…" and there it is, the welling up of unshed tears that turn grey eyes glossy and bring the heel of her free hand up to press determinedly against her face, biting her lip to try and force back the emotion that has already been expressed quiet enough, given the state of her appearance. But it's a little too late, at this point. Plate and juice are forgotten, quickly deposited back on the ground as Sephany's face drops into her hands and she gives in to the tears.

Riohra reacts like he always does when a person cries and he doesn't know why…. he tries to comfort them. "Hey..I am sorry" he will step to her and offer her a hug if she will take it. He has no idea what is going on but always best to apologize first. "I can go wake him up and check on him if you want me too?"

Sephany could dearly use a hug, and would likely accept one from just about any warm body ready to provide it. So the offer is accepted, the lithe weaver leaning into the embrace with a press of her head against his chest, arms curled protectively around her stomach rather than moving to reciprocate the gesture. She's thin, surprisingly so, beneath the deceptively fluttering fabrics of desert clothes. Shoulders shake, but she's silent enough as she cries, small muffled sounds the only thing to be heard as she gives up trying to rein it in. It's his offer to go wake the Harper-candidate that brings forth actual words once again, a sharp and desperate "No" and a furious shake of her head. "No, don't. I'm sure he's… fine." A shuddering inhale and then a grumbling confession, "he… I… I told him something this morning and I think… he's not going to want to see me for a long time. So you shouldn't be surprised… if you don't see me at dinner anymore." Or breakfast. Or lunch.

Riohra holds her, that protector in him can't help it as he uses his larger frame to shield her from what ever outside force seems to trouble her. "Hey shhhhh, it is ok. I will make time to visit you then. I will grab some food and meet you here or at your working station no worries." His usually happy face is frowning as he feels how thin she is, he has hugged her plenty of times so if she feels different here he will know. "Whatever it was you told him, I am sure he still wants to see you… I know I do" his voice is kind and soft and full of the friendship he holds for this young woman.

There is a stubborn shake of her head, the tears beginning to slow as frustration takes its place. "No," says Sephany firmly, "He won't. You don't… understand," but her voice trails off, unwilling to go into further detail. "It's alright, Riohra," and she picks her head up, shifting out of his hug before the press of her body can reveal more than she's willing to share right now. "I'll be alright. You needn't worry about coming to visit me. I will be quite busy and then…" a deep breath taken, steadying her resolve as well as chasing away the last of her tears. "I will be moving to Igen. Or, well… visiting, at least. For a few months."

Riohra looks at this young woman he has grown to care about, "Moving away? but..why? did something happen with your journeyman? Is it the cold? because I thought you were getting really good with it and your iceskating." He is really confused, but he will shake his head and ask "when? How long do I have to spend with you, till you leave?"

"Temporarily," adds Sephany hastily, as much to reassure him as herself. "Just temporarily. For a few months, no more." As for why? That makes the weaver rather uncomfortable looking, shifting her weight from leg to leg as grey eyes go dancing down the hall, refusing to settle upon her friend. "No, no. It's nothing to do with my Craft, or the cold," she's quick to state. "I love the winter here… I love to ice skate…" which almost sets her to crying all over again, though she holds it back much better this time around. It's the heartbreaking way he asks his last question that has her caving in and finally explaining herself to him, though she'd resolved not to. "Don't tell anyone… well… Leuka knows," she murmurs as an afterthought. "I'm pregnant, Riohra. It's not Leuka's," but she's not going to be forthcoming with the identity of the father, stubbornly setting her jaw against answering if he should try to ask. "A month," for the length of time remaining. "I've got a month, before I'll be showing more prominently and then… I will be going to my mother in Igen."

There is alot of things Riohra was ready for her to say, plague, she hates the smell of his after shave, Lueka was quitting candidacy and they were running away together…. Pregnancy wasn't even on his radar. He goes through the whole cycle of emotions in about fifteen seconds, until he stops and stares at her and will wrap her gain in a hug, she of course can duck out of it but he is going to try. His voice is barely a whisper as he says "Congratulations!!! Don't worry I won't tell S'van, but wow a baby!" there is only happiness for the weaver, "How can I help? If I got a month I want to help."

"Oh, no, please don't…" for the congratulations bestowed upon her, the word alone making Sephany wince and cringe, nose wrinkled up as she makes an expression of dislike. "It's not… like that." Not a happy celebration. Not a planned occurrence. "It was a mistake. But… I'm working through it." But the hug is taken in stride, stiff shoulders and rigid frame found beneath the arms that encircle her once more, however briefly. "Oh, no… please. Definitely do not tell him," she agrees of her brother, a look of pure horror on her face at the very thought of it. "Swear you won't?" tell S'van. It's most important that she hear him say so, eyes wide and expression pleading. As for how he can help? "Just… I don't know. I don't really… know what I'm doing here Riohra. I guess just… keep being my friend. I could use one that doesn't hate me," she murmurs.

Riohra still looks fit to burst and says "Hey I swear on my love for Kassala, S'van will never hear it from me" he looks down at her and says "And I am not going to hate you, nope but I can help been around enough 'special' cases like this." he glances around and lowers his voice "I was one, so i might be a little bais in being proud of you." shrug but he is still grining happily and says "Ok here is the plan, you got cravings or what ever, you send your thimble to get me. The kitchen staff knows I am a goof ball, and eat strange things."

Mild reassurance comes on the heels of Riohra's swear; Sephany certainly seems to believe him if he's willing to swear on his love for the redheaded weyrling. "Oh… it's not that special," she says rather dryly, looking more perturbed at the word than pleased. "In fact, there's nothing at all special about it. It was a stupid goldflight. Common enough, for a Weyr," points out the weaver. There is no touching of her currently-hidden baby bump, no acknowledgement of the growing life within her, other than to announce the existence of it to her friend. "Thank you… I guess. Though I am perfectly capable of getting my own… foods. No cravings yet," and an unreadable expression passes over her face, one that settles somewhere between discomfort and disbelief. "This is really weird, Riohra. Talking to you about this… I'm not sure I like it," she confesses. "I'm not used to anyone knowing. This morning, only I and the Healer who I visit knew about this. Now you, Leuka and Z'ki all know. It's… a lot to take in," she admits with a heavy sigh. "Can we talk about something else?"

Riohra nods and smiles saying "I am thinking about sewing Eiram into his cot if he gets another day off" hey she asked for a distraction she has gotten one.

That, at least, draws a laugh from the pale blonde. A somewhat hoarse interpretation of her normally quite melodic expression of amusement, voice rough from crying or screaming or perhaps even both. "He does seem to be rather lucky, in that esteem," agrees the weaver of the younger harper-candidate. "Three, in four days, so I've been told."

Riohra nods and grins "I am sure he has a scam going but will have to wait till the morning to see" He is more content to sit here and talk with her but that little brown firelizard will zip in and chitter at him. Rio has no idea till he realizes the time and he will sigh and say "I better get it is almost bed check, I don't want to have to run laps in the snow. Anyway I will see you tomorrow for at least one meal. You try to sleep…" He gives her a quick hug if she is welcoming to it, if not he just waves and grins as he takes off down to the lower caverns.

"Thank you," is murmured softly at the hug, Sephany's arms wrapping ever so briefly and lightly around him before she lets him go and moves backwards against her door. "Good night, Riohra." And as he leaves, she will collect the plate and glass from the floor, turn, and enter her room once again.