A/N: I love the Claidi Pairings as they are: Claidi/Argul, Dengwi/Venn,
Winter/Ngarbo. By this story I'm not trying to break anything up, I'm just
playing around with what might have happened.
"Hold it, Claidi. I'm getting out."
Claidi looked Venn over and smiled. "The Hulta," she told him, pointing. "Come on, let's go."
Following Claidi, Venn walked to the blur of people. He took a deep breath. "Still shaky from the Star?" Claidi questioned him.
He nodded. She was beautiful to him, her liveliness and the way she smiled. For the first time since his mother left him, he truly felt happy.
They reached the people. A man who wore his hair in long, tight braids stepped forward.
"Claidi? Is that you?"
Claidi smiled. Oh, how he loved that smile. "Yeah, Blurn. It's me."
Blurn looked incredulously at her. "Who's that?" he asked, jerking his head towards Venn. Claidi's smile vanished.
"That's my friend, Venn."
"Oh? So you dumped Nemian, eh?"
"NEMIAN?"
"Yeah, Nemian. You ran off with him. Here's the book you were writing in." He held up a book just like Claidi's diary. He flipped through the pages. My god, Venn thought, it was in her handwriting! He looked questioningly at her, but she looked bewildered.
"That isn't mine!"
Blurn laughed. "Making excuses? Claidi, I don't understand why you dumped Argul for that okk Nemian. Do you have any sense?"
Badger stepped forward. "Blurn?" he asked. Blurn waved him away.
"Blurn, I don't understand..."
"She understands, all right," snarled Badger.
"I don't think she does." It was Dagger. "Blurn, tell her."
"The day you left," Blurn began, "you left in a balloon. You left your book here. We read it, and you were droning on about how much you preferred Nemian, then you wrote a love-letter to him, and he hired some men to pick you up."
"That's not true." Venn was speaking now. "The men kidnapped Claidi against her will and brought her to where I live."
"Look, pal," said Blurn roughly, "if I were you, I'd be shut my mouth." Venn glared at him, but remained quiet.
Claidi's eyes brimmed with tears. "It's true!" She took out her diary. "If you must, read this..."
"Go away, Claidi. I can't control them. I won't hurt you, but I won't speak for them."
"Can I at least see Argul?" Claidi whispered. Venn looked down. How he wanted to have Argul's place in her affections!
Blurn stared at her. "Argul's...gone," he said.
"What?"
"When he found out the news, he left. You broke his heart, Claidi. I hope you feel a bit of remorse."
"Do you know where he is?"
"Nope. Claidi, you'd better run."
Venn looked at her. They traipsed off towards the Star.
"Hold it, Claidi. I'm getting out."
Claidi looked Venn over and smiled. "The Hulta," she told him, pointing. "Come on, let's go."
Following Claidi, Venn walked to the blur of people. He took a deep breath. "Still shaky from the Star?" Claidi questioned him.
He nodded. She was beautiful to him, her liveliness and the way she smiled. For the first time since his mother left him, he truly felt happy.
They reached the people. A man who wore his hair in long, tight braids stepped forward.
"Claidi? Is that you?"
Claidi smiled. Oh, how he loved that smile. "Yeah, Blurn. It's me."
Blurn looked incredulously at her. "Who's that?" he asked, jerking his head towards Venn. Claidi's smile vanished.
"That's my friend, Venn."
"Oh? So you dumped Nemian, eh?"
"NEMIAN?"
"Yeah, Nemian. You ran off with him. Here's the book you were writing in." He held up a book just like Claidi's diary. He flipped through the pages. My god, Venn thought, it was in her handwriting! He looked questioningly at her, but she looked bewildered.
"That isn't mine!"
Blurn laughed. "Making excuses? Claidi, I don't understand why you dumped Argul for that okk Nemian. Do you have any sense?"
Badger stepped forward. "Blurn?" he asked. Blurn waved him away.
"Blurn, I don't understand..."
"She understands, all right," snarled Badger.
"I don't think she does." It was Dagger. "Blurn, tell her."
"The day you left," Blurn began, "you left in a balloon. You left your book here. We read it, and you were droning on about how much you preferred Nemian, then you wrote a love-letter to him, and he hired some men to pick you up."
"That's not true." Venn was speaking now. "The men kidnapped Claidi against her will and brought her to where I live."
"Look, pal," said Blurn roughly, "if I were you, I'd be shut my mouth." Venn glared at him, but remained quiet.
Claidi's eyes brimmed with tears. "It's true!" She took out her diary. "If you must, read this..."
"Go away, Claidi. I can't control them. I won't hurt you, but I won't speak for them."
"Can I at least see Argul?" Claidi whispered. Venn looked down. How he wanted to have Argul's place in her affections!
Blurn stared at her. "Argul's...gone," he said.
"What?"
"When he found out the news, he left. You broke his heart, Claidi. I hope you feel a bit of remorse."
"Do you know where he is?"
"Nope. Claidi, you'd better run."
Venn looked at her. They traipsed off towards the Star.