The Request [R'nd & Valerian]

This was it.

Today was the day she was going to follow Indivara’s advice and ask one of her recommended blueriders to assist in her little issue of being a virgin. Rhaedalyn didn’t really see the fault in still hanging onto her virginity despite being twenty-three since she was still unwed and wanted to be pure for her husband but things had changed. Her life had taken a drastic turn when a dragon swooped in and spirited her away to a land she hadn’t known existed with people living in hiding to protect their dragons and repopulate the species. It had been confusing and even upsetting for a while but she had learned to adapt because what else could she really do? There wasn’t a chance of going back and even if her parents had found her the perfect match, Rhaedalyn wondered if they would still marry her off or if her betrothed would still want her after such an adventure.

While having sex with someone she didn’t love seemed so wrong to her mind that had been trained by Holders, Rhaedalyn could also see B’jin’s concern in the matter. Flights could be rough and a virgin wasn’t going to enjoy herself with that added trauma of it being her first time with a man. Still, she didn’t like having to ask someone to help her out. Maybe there were better options. She could have set up dates with men and during a nice dinner and drink tried to seduce him to bed. That would have been funny to anyone watching since Rhaedalyn didn’t think she had it in her to sway her hips in such an inviting way like she had seen some of the female greenriders and older women doing.

After being rejected by R’nya and realising she was far too scared to ask anyone else, the idea of lingering about flight losers came to her. Of course that defeated the purpose and Indivara was kind enough to tell her she was an idiot for considering that and gave her the list of kind men to meet outside of flights. Yuhannam had been tracked down earlier in the day she had decided was perfect for a life-changing event but they were both so shy and found the subject awkward despite the man being a bluerider that was getting used to chasing after tail. Rhaedalyn had quickly apologised and thanked him for his time but didn’t expect Yuhannam to answer or to worry about it. He was sweet but it hadn’t gone well at all and she couldn’t ask such a nice man to help like that.

She had two other names to consider though neither seemed like they would be too successful either. Still, she had to try! Muffin was given a huge hug before she let him go to fly above her head and she set out. While her wardrobe wasn’t exactly enticing, Rhaedalyn had carefully chosen a dress that dipped a bit lower in the neck to hint at what would be considered cleavage if she had larger breasts. Her hair had been partially pinned back so it was out of her face but still fell freely down her back as Rhaedalyn believed thanks to gossip that men loved to play with long hair. Indivara, however, said she had too much hair so there had been quite a bit of time spent on different hairstyles before compromising between wearing it down and up in a full runner’s tail by going with only half pulled up.

Thinking she had a better chance with R’nd given his wonderful reputation, she sought out the bluerider and was ridiculously thankful when she saw him leaving the kitchens alone with a snack of some sort in hand. Approaching him in the Square wasn’t exactly the prime location of choice since anyone could walk by and hear but Rhaedalyn was pretty sure everyone already knew her cause through one means or another. “R’nd!” She called out to nab his attention before skipping over to him.

R’nd had a little habit of sneaking into the kitchens to mooch food off of the workers of the day. He didn’t always make it in time for the three daily meals due to sleeping or being otherwise occupied by a flight but thanks to his friendliness, charm, and having slept with a large portion of the staff, he got away with getting something anytime he peeked in. Usually he was nice and just went for some fruit but sometimes a bubbly pie or cinnamon rolls were in order. Today was one of the days that needed the extra bit of sugar and he had two buns in hand. He had an addiction to sweet things but thankfully he was active enough that it countered any potential weight gain and he continued to eat sweets without guilt.

That was how he was going to eat the current ones as well given his tasks for the day were done with and he really didn’t have plans for the evening either. The idea of lounging under a tree or relaxing in the Square with Ayyonth while eating the cinnamon buns sounded pretty perfect to the bluerider that took a deep inhale of the cinnamon and smiled. Sometimes the simple things were the best but before he could give himself a sample, R’nd heard his name being called and looked up and around to see Rhaedalyn flagging him down and coming over.

The gold Candidate was a sweet little thing. R’nd remembered flirting with her shortly after her arrival to the weyr. She was shy and didn’t seem to trust anyone but he continued being nice to her all the same, like he did with everyone new to Katila. Not everyone held the same view as him so R’nd liked to make sure his positive outlook was brighter than those with the negative thoughts about the Stolen and always chatted with or smiled at the Candidates. Of course his fellow residents had somewhere along the way decided to call him the Candi Man which was somewhat flattering but Amorandii had a way of picking up nicknames which she proved by calling him Uncle with some of his other nicknames floating around. Thankfully she hadn’t heard some of the more dirty-worded ones so he didn’t have to explain, beg her not to say it again, and dodge B’jin’s glares of death!

But Rhaedalyn was a sweetheart once she opened up a bit more. She was extremely shy and took on a cute blush when talking to him but she was still able to carry a conversation. Unfortunately while it seemed like she liked his flirting, she never gave in. It was always frustrating when he found someone he couldn’t get into bed but Rhaedalyn was a dreamer and seemed to have it in her head that she shouldn’t be with anyone except her beloved prince. It was endearing and the only reason he didn’t see her denials as a challenge to try and get her into bed.

Since then, he greeted her when he saw her but most of his contact with her had been through B’jin since his lover liked to drag his collection of blueriders to class to assist. R’nd had taken to the task rather well thanks to Ayyonth’s insistence they help out in their own classes in their weyrling days. Having her greet and approach him now led R’nd to believe it was class-related since Rhaedalyn usually blushed and didn’t stick around long otherwise. “Hello, my lady! You’re looking especially beautiful today. What are you up to today?”

At merely the greeting, Rhaedalyn felt her cheeks burning up. R’nd was such a smooth talker! She definitely agreed with everyone she spoke to that he was charming and suave and while he wasn’t her true dream man, he definitely ranked high by possessing a great deal of wonderful qualities. B’jin was a lucky man! And, she supposed she hoped, she would be a lucky woman soon. From what the gossip said, even one night in R’nd’s bed was one of the best experiences imaginable. He gave all of his attention to his lover and made them feel special and one of a kind. No one knew why he didn’t attach to anyone before B’jin though. Everyone simply knew you weren’t supposed to fall for R’nd because it would end in heartbreak.

If any man was perfect for a virgin’s one night stand, it was R’nd.

“Thank you, R’nd,” she bit her lower lip, wondering exactly how she was supposed to approach the subject now that she had him in front of her. Honesty was always the best policy, right? She knew it was but it seemed so hard to do right then! “Well, I guess I’m dressed up for… you.” She couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes as she confessed that and Rhaedalyn looked down at his feet. The hem of his pants caught her focus instead. They were well stitched pants and Rhaedalyn wondered who it was that made them. She knew she hadn’t since she typically stayed with women’s clothing and she would definitely remember if she had R’nd’s measurements. No doubt quite a few residents would like to know those digits in order to shower him in gifts for his birthday. When was his birthday? Wouldn’t such a popular playboy have a large party and celebrate it openly? Odd.

Oh! He had said something, hadn’t he? Her wandering mind made her miss the words but the questioning gaze on her when she looked up at R’nd made it clear he wasn’t sure exactly why she was dressed up for him. “I was hoping you could help me with a slight problem I have,” a deep breath was taken and Rhaedalyn counted to five before blurting it out, “I’m one of those special cases Weyrlingmaster B’jin was talking about in class not too long ago and I’m… I’m looking… for assistance.”

“For me?” R’nd was used to gestures like this where women put a little more effort into their appearance when they were meeting up with him or heard he might be stopping by a certain location though that seemed to have died down in recent months. Rhaedalyn had never been one of those girls, though. She was always well-put together and seemed like the sort that could fall in love with anyone for a variety of reasons but he doubted that would happen now after he had hit on her turns ago. So her confession baffled the bluerider and for several heartbeats he didn’t think he’d ever know the answer but finally Rhaedalyn snapped out of her fantasy or tuned out a dragon that may have been bespeaking her since she had that slightly distracted air to her.

A slight problem? He’d definitely give it a shot at helping her! “Of course; what’s the… what?” Her explanation only served to baffle R’nd further. What had B’jin said recently? Was he at the class in question? R’nd didn’t attend every single class since the greenrider was more than capable of teaching on his own and some lessons were rather boring and didn’t need extra hands, though he did show up to a number of classes all the same. So what would Rhaedalyn need assistance in that required him as per B’jin’s order? Was she asking him as an assistant, as a male, or as a bluerider?

Oh.

Several pieces slid into place and R’nd realised she was asking him for assistance as a male bluerider. B’jin had a strong opinion on the topic of virgins Impressing and R’nd had to agree. A flight was not a good time to be introduced to sex and even the veterans of that activity could still come away sore. It didn’t really surprise him that the sweet girl before him had been saving herself for her true love and considering those in charge had declared she had a higher chance of Impressing a gold, it was understandable as to why Rhaedalyn would let go of that virtue of hers.

Still, he didn’t feel comfortable doing it and that was probably the biggest shock of the day possibly even the turn.

“I don’t think I can help you, Rhaedalyn,” R’nd frowned, his tone sincere as he looked her over. She was attractive and he definitely wasn’t repulsed at the idea of her in bed with him but it didn’t seem right now. Everyone believed he was mated to B’jin and he was oddly okay with that since it didn’t really hurt anyone. There were his flings with I’shan but the guilt afterwards was confusing and stole sleep. He didn’t think he could put a sweet girl through any guilt of her own if she thought she might be getting between them. Then again, she did approach him with the idea so it probably didn’t bother her at all. “I don’t think B’jin meant his… mate,” R’nd still stumbled over the word when he had to say it aloud but he felt he was improving, “when he said to find someone. But you’re a beautiful, sweet, and clever woman. I know you’ll find someone eager to be with you.” It was a tad weird to turn down someone before he had slept with them but there he was, doing it anyway.

He almost kissed her cheek in farewell but stopped, feeling like that would be more like a slap to the face after the rejection he gave her and settled instead for slinking off quietly when she nodded her understanding. Her pout was going to haunt him for some time!

He said no. He said no? Rhaedalyn wasn’t quite sure she heard R’nd properly at first. She knew his reputation, or what it was before he fell in love with B’jin, and so she hadn’t thought there would be a rejection. Maybe she should have though considering what she had just told herself. R’nd was in love with B’jin and it was foolish to think he would sleep around outside of a flight – and even flights seemed to only centre around that particular greenrider as well. Again, it was sweet and romantic and she loved that they were in love but it wasn’t helping her any right then!

A pout was all she could do before the energy to nod in understanding of his rejection followed. Indivara was wrong. She wasn’t pretty or desirable! Not even the Candi Man wanted her. Maybe it was her hair? Indivara had warned her that she had too much of it. She should have pulled it all back instead of half up. What a fool she was! On shaky legs, Rhaedalyn made her way over to a bench that was starting to blur into the wall thanks to tears pooling. She couldn’t cry! It wasn’t very ladylike to cry after being denied for asking for sex without any sort of courtship or a wedding. Tears wouldn’t win her a man into her bed either. Men liked women to be seen and not heard and meek but they didn’t need wet pillows!

A two minute allowance was given to compose herself before Rhaedalyn got to her feet again. She had one more man she could try and if that failed as well, then she’d just have to try getting V’zire drunk and see where a hug got her.

She found Valerian at the Crafting Hall after asking a couple of people if they’d seen him that day. If she had taken any longer in composing herself she actually would have missed him since they crossed paths at the doorway, the weyrling with an ink pot in hand. There was a rumour that he liked to write though not many knew what the preferred subject matter was. Maybe he would show her sometime! It was hard to even guess what it would be given how little he emoted or gave away. Valerian was mysterious and no doubt his written works were the same.

“Hi, Valerian!” Rhaedalyn smiled, doing her best to move on from R’nd’s rejection to the hope of Valerian. At his blank stare, however, that hope started to fade fast. “I’m Rhaedalyn. We had Candidate classes together and you help Weyrlingmaster B’jin teach some of my latest classes.” This was embarrassing! She had seen how he treated people he couldn’t remember or didn’t like but Rhaedalyn had never considered herself amongst them. True, they hardly spoke but could he really forget someone so easily? This day was turning into such a disaster!

“I’ll get right to the point of me tracking you down,” she was still embarrassed over having to ask the question but hope had fled and now Rhaedalyn figured she might as well finish the quest and get the final strike against her. “B’jin said virgins can’t Stand and I was told you were building a good reputation in bed and I should ask you for help.” Could a person die from a serious case of blushing?

Valerian’s only goal for the remainder of the day was to mark the tests B’jin threw at him and possibly dabble in some journal entries though nothing of note had really happened lately. The weyr was oddly quiet despite all of the drama of late like with finding the culprit who did D’ren harm and the usual green flights that he had thankfully not been dragged into that day. Veeth was going to kill him from exhaustion one day, he could sense it already. If nothing else, he’d likely go grey early and while he wasn’t nearly as vain as the likes of R’nd, Valerian did have to stop and pause to consider if death was worse than going grey.

Lost in his thoughts, Valerian barely saw the woman bounce in front of him, coming to an abrupt stop to avoid smacking into her. He blinked, waiting for her to move or apologize but she greeted him instead. He was supposed to know her, wasn’t he? His look of uncaring who she was must have been easy to read even for the bubbly girl as she introduced herself and quickly continued to babble her reason for hunting him down. It was all surreal but it all paled in comparison to her request that took a moment to sink in and register. “What?” He clearly needed more sleep after all because surely he was hearing things and the woman hadn’t just asked him to sleep with her solely because B’jin said so. What exactly was B’jin spreading around about him, or rather, who was spreading info about him that B’jin picked up and now passed along?

Valerian rarely sought out someone when he was in need, especially since Veeth took an interest in chasing every single green which left his rider with someone in bed with him win or lose but he wasn’t one to necessarily turn someone down either. Erisi had been the first to find out how easy-going – or easy, as some would say – he was and went with the flow of the mood and interests when his friend asked if he wanted to make out. That quickly escalated and now their friendship had a new level to it that was extremely physical but still laidback and natural. No one else had really approached him, only grabbing him during flight lust and sometimes encouraging him to stay a little longer when minds cleared but like what Rhaedalyn just did? Valerian could only think of Talian and that didn’t entirely count given the way their friendship had evolved as well.

“Okay?” Was he cautiously answering that he would help her by finding someone to sleep with or cautiously agreeing to sleep with her to help her out of the ban from Standing? Valerian wasn’t sure and quickly changed his tune, “no?” Could he help her directly? Valerian supposed she was pretty and any male could be worked up enough to be useful in the bedroom but his experience with women was lacking. There was the one time in the North and twice with some female followers that nabbed him when he lost a flight but he really had no idea what he had been doing in any of those cases for differing reasons.

He should probably figure out an answer soon though since it looked like she was about to cry.

Rhaedalyn beamed at what she took for a positive answer. It was still a horrible experience to ask someone to sleep with her in such a way and it felt weird being happy that someone finally agreed but she couldn’t help it! There was a chance she could Stand again because of Valerian! Oh, oh no. Did she just hear a refusal? He couldn’t turn her down, he just said yes! Could he do that? Wasn’t that rude to agree to help a woman and then change his mind seconds later? Valerian was her last hope out of the men that Indivara had said would be good for her and with him denying her, what could she do?

Her lower lip started to tremble and teeth sank into it to help keep the sobbing held back. It worked, but tears were starting to form regardless as Rhaedalyn regarded Valerian, silently imploring him to reconsider again. It looked like he might! Either that or he was about to run away. That would be truly horrible! She had to think of something to say to convince the blue weyrling and help him see her cause. He didn’t understand, that was all! “Please! I don’t want to be kept away from the Hatching when there could be a dragonet in there waiting for me. I promise I won’t be any trouble! I… I don’t have anyone else to ask.”

How big of an ass would he be if he turned down a crying girl begging him? Valerian wasn’t one to care about opinions and how he was viewed but he was fairly certain that B’jin’s comments would start to grate if nothing else. The greenrider had a way of making an impact with him and Valerian respected their friendship and the most of B’jin’s opinions. He had to agree, didn’t he? It wasn’t that he was turned off by the idea of sleeping with the girl he couldn’t remember the name of three minutes ago since he supposed she was adorable in her own way but the whole situation was beginning to reach new levels of odd that Valerian didn’t think he could shrug his way through and go with.

Still, that was exactly what he did, shrugging before it became awkward and it carried over to wherever they ended up. “I guess,” it wasn’t really a definitive yes or a no but it was the best Rhaedalyn was getting and given how desperate she was, no doubt he was about to be dragged off to parts unknown of the weyr in order to fulfill this girl’s current fantasy. That could be counted as another layer of odd – Valerian hadn’t ever thought he was actually fantasy material and to star in someone’s dreams made him feel like he himself was dreaming. Erisi was going to die laughing when word got to him and that was assuming this entire conversation wasn’t a set up by his usually bored friend and Erisi wasn’t hiding behind an object laughing his scrawny ass off.

R’nd had headed back to his hut after the confrontation with Rhaedalyn. He felt terrible for turning her down, breaking the girl’s heart and trampling on her hope. He was the obvious go-to for such situations, especially since he used to hit on her but still, he said no and nearly ran for the hills. Why? The guilt of sleeping with I’shan without B’jin knowing liked to sneak up on him and adding someone else to the mix didn’t seem like a wise idea but the guilt of not helping the sweet girl was hitting him harder than what he expected would happen if he had found a bed with her in tow.

This was something B’jin wanted tended to and it was part of a class requirement as well as something that would help out the weyr. In fact, his lover more or less offered him to the class the day they talked about flights and virginity. So why had R’nd turned down the only person to ask – and likely the only one left in the class that had been a virgin the entire time, though he would have placed marks on the quiet kid Seijin as well – him for assistance in what could be considered B’jin-issued homework? Perhaps it was fear over what B’jin would say when he found out how involved with the class R’nd could be that stayed his tongue and helping hand but had feet moving quickly in the opposite direction. Now that he had done that, however, he felt horrible for upsetting Rhaedalyn and not helping with something B’jin likely expected of him.

It didn’t take long after arguing with himself for R’nd to make his way back to the Square atop Ayyonth, circling low in hopes of seeing the girl walking somewhere. He had no idea how or why luck was on his side but he saw the curly haired tailor at the Crafting Hall talking to someone and R’nd had Ayyonth drop to the ground. A double-take was given when he realized that person was Valerian but it didn’t seem likely the young bluerider would be asked the same question he had been so he continued the approach, figuring Valerian would head out when he arrived.

Naturally the brat didn’t but R’nd changed his theory when he heard the hesitated answer given to Rhaedalyn and felt the obvious tension between them. So the poor dear was still trying to find someone that would bed her and she had landed at Valerian’s feet. This wouldn’t do at all! Now that he had his mind set on helping Rhaedalyn and playing the perfect Weyrlingmaster Assistant, R’nd didn’t believe anyone else could fulfill the required role as well as he could. He wasn’t exactly insulting Valerian, he was sure the younger man was very skilled in his own way, but it wouldn’t be the same.

A half of a thought was spared to shooing Valerian away to keep the encounter more personal and private but he already knew what was going on anyway so R’nd didn’t bother as he did an elaborate bow and dropped to one knee. “Rhaedalyn, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said no and while you deserve better and can deny me in return, will you do me the honours of accepting my invitation to visit my hut tonight?”

Valerian was agreeing after all? Rhaedalyn was beside herself with relief! The actual act was sure to give her anxiety again but for the time being, the woman was thrilled someone wanted to help her and didn’t seem too repulsed by her. She was about to thank the Harper when R’nd slid up beside them and even though she still blushed horribly before him and worried about what she should say after their last interaction, the bluerider seemed far more at ease and dropped to a knee. She blinked down at him, not quite comprehending what he was doing or saying but when it connected, Rhaedalyn gasped and her hands fluttered up to cover her mouth. R’nd was now agreeing as well?

She had gone from no one wanting her to two men agreeing to sleep with her in less time than it took to think that realization! What was she going to do now! Hazel eyes darted between the two men, one standing with ink pot in hand and a borderline bored expression in place and the other still kneeling and looking at her expectantly. It seemed like the choice was obvious but Valerian had answered in the positive before R’nd had so she should technically go with him first. But R’nd was so sweet! It was such a romantic gesture the way he asked for forgiveness and sought her company. More men needed to be like him or her precious V’zire. They were dreams come to life!

“I,” she started, hesitating as hands lowered back to her sides. Why did she have to make this choice now? “Valerian…”

“…was just leaving,” the blue weyrling supplied for the girl Valerian swore was three seconds away from swooning into R’nd’s arms. It was a pretty disgusting display, really. Did he act like that with B’jin? Actually, that would be hilarious. The greenrider would be mortified before laughing. At least, Valerian hoped that was how it played it out. It’d give B’jin some of his respect points back anyway. Then again, from what he knew about R’nd through gossip and his own interactions with the bluerider, he was likely playing up the romance solely because of his target. It was clear Rhaedalyn was into all that lovey-dovey fantasies and R’nd was definitely the sort to pick up on that in seconds and use it to his advantage in his seduction. Good on him.

Shrugging when the bluerider looked his way, Valerian excused himself without another word to return to his evening’s plans. R’nd saved him from a weepy clingy girl but at what cost? What would B’jin think about R’nd’s brave act of taking on the burden of deflowering a perky woman? Vex suddenly appeared before him, chiding him for taking so long. His two firelizards were often close by though Quill did go off on his own more than Vex since he liked to linger around classrooms as if he wanted to learn with the students as well. Vex had been sent home earlier when his grumpy blue seemed extra cranky and Valerian deemed it naptime, which Veeth was already partaking in. He was thankful all three of his blues got along well and Vex had easily gone to the gentle dragon. It was on the condition Valerian would return quickly though and Rhaedalyn, while only a minor distraction, seemed to be enough of one for Vex to complain.

Valerian petted him when the flitter landed on his shoulder and his thoughts went back to the apparently perfect couple of B’jin and R’nd. B’jin had pushed R’nd out of his life for a sevenday – or close to it – because of the firelizards but he had managed to overcome that so-called screw up of R’nd’s so Valerian didn’t see sleeping with a girl for a class assignment as anything to sweat over. Their fans would be relieved. Rhaedalyn was probably the leader of the fan club as she seemed the sort to live in daydreams and cheer for love and being together forever in eternal bliss. She was an odd creature but so was R’nd. No doubt he convinced himself B’jin would appreciate his willingness to help in any way – assuming B’jin was ever told.

With a shake of his head, Valerian continued the trek home.

R’nd did indeed read a person and come up with the best way to seduce them though this time it was only partly thought out while the rest was done on the fly. He had no idea how badly he had hurt the girl or if she was mad at him but he figured going over the top with an apology and asking for her to be with him would help soothe any ripples he caused. For a moment it looked like he was too slow or didn’t work hard enough at the approach as she stumbled over words and still regarded Valerian. When the weyrling’s name was said, R’nd almost thought she was picking him instead but then he realized she couldn’t decide. Thankfully, Valerian did it for her as he shrugged and strolled away.

Still on his knee, R’nd reached out a hand which Rhaedalyn slowly extended her own hand to meet. He smiled up at her, pleased that she took his hand even though he knew how skittish she could be when she was flustered. Apparently he had thoroughly won her over. Standing once more, R’nd continued to hold Rhaedalyn’s hand as he tried not to compare all the ways it felt different to when he had his fingers entwined with B’jin’s. Obviously it was just because she was petite and feminine.

“Would you like me to come by and escort you to my hut tonight?” He didn’t know if she would want to find her own way or be picked up whether by foot or dragon so it had to be asked. It was hard to say which would be the more embarrassing way for her since it was a slightly odd scenario they were playing out but R’nd was willing to work with all the unexpected bumps and he knew he’d do well with them. How many virgins had he mingled with over the turns? How many odd hook-ups had he stumbled into for whatever reason? He wasn’t even worried about anyone seeing the display he put on for the Candidate and how they would view it and turn it into gossip later on. They all believed he was mated to B’jin but it was simple enough to say he was simply being himself and chatting up a pretty girl. No one needed to know what they were talking about and they wouldn’t either unless they followed Rhaedalyn to his hut and eavesdropped.

Since it was Katila, that was entirely likely to happen.

Rhaedalyn was fairly certain she was either dreaming or about to be when she passed out and hit her head on the ground. She had been asking men to sleep with her and not only had one finally agreed but he was one of the hotter guys around – but he was also taken by her instructor. The day went from odd to surreal in a matter of heartbeats but she wasn’t about to let that get her down! Her lack of ability to talk right then might be her downfall but not the insanity!

Shaking her head no, Rhaedalyn tried to explain she’d be okay walking to R’nd’s on her own. She didn’t know where his hut was down to the exact door but knew the general area and could ask V’zire for directions later. She needed a bit more time to prepare and the walk over would help bolster her confidence. If R’nd showed up at her door, the fellow Candidates might not see that as too out of the ordinary since he did appear quite a bit at the barracks but if they left together it would stir up gossip and she didn’t want to go into a night with R’nd thinking about what everyone was whispering. “I’ll be fine on my own.”

She hoped she would be fine! By that point, she might be but right then it wasn’t as certain as Rhaedalyn wiggled her hand, trying to reclaim it before R’nd released it for her. She blushed and looked down at her feet, slightly embarrassed for breaking the contact before she clearly was supposed to. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to! Well, R’nd still wasn’t the man she was destined for so on a level, she did mind – but she had to go and prepare! “I’ll see you tonight, R’nd,” her voice was softer than usual as Rhaedalyn chanced a glance up at the bluerider and quickly turned on her heels to zip back to the barracks in what she hoped wasn’t a run but more a bouncing, quickly-moving skip.