Small Scene - Silacha and Risas'ta

The corridor was quiet as Silacha headed for Risas’ta’s quarters. The door was open, so Silacha stepped into the doorway. She was about to knock when she saw Risas’ta fiddling with her two earrings – one orange, one green. She held them in one hand, gently running her fingers over them. After pausing for a few moments, Silacha knocked on the doorway, announcing her presence with a metallic clanging sound. Risas’ta turned to her, and Silacha could tell that she was faking a smile.

“Ah, Sila. Come in.”

Silacha stepped into Risas’ta’s quarters. “The rest of the crew is waiting.”

“Good,” Risas’ta said. “I’ll be right over.”

Risas’ta turned her attention back to her earrings, but Silacha wasn’t done yet. She approached Risas’ta, putting a hand on their shoulder to get their attention.

“Yes?”

“Why do you take your earrings off before every mission?” signed Silacha.  

Risas’ta sighed. “It’s…they’re…”

Risas’ta had lowered her head, so Silacha gently lifted it with a hand to the chin before signing to the Dragonoid. “They’re Drakoxian marriage earrings. I know. I was studying Drakoxian culture before the war.”

“Then why ask, if you already know what they are?”

“I didn’t ask what they were. I asked why you take them off.”

Risas’ta sighed again, not meeting Silacha’s gaze. “I don’t want anything to happen to them.”

Silacha accepted this answer, not wanting to press Risas’ta any further. They tapped Risas’ta on the arm, then signing, “I’ll go tell the others you’re on your way.”

“Alright,” Risas’ta murmured. “Thank you.”

Silacha turned to leave Risas’ta’s quarters, stopping at the doorway and turning back to face Risas’ta. She knocked on the doorway.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Risas’ta didn’t answer at first, turning back to their earrings and running their fingers over them caressingly.

“Her name was Laitis,” Risas’ta spoke as Silacha began to turn away again, the dragonoid’s voice swaying like a rickety starship. “Laitis Fordir. We were married for a long time. Practically her whole life. But felaits don’t live as long as dragonoids. It’s just the way it is. I’ll be fine.”

Tears were streaming down Risas’ta’s face, so Silacha left her commander in peace to deal with their emotions, closing the door behind her. She headed for the Silent Hand’s common area, where the rest of the Stoneheart Squadron was waiting for her and Risas’ta – Fuleana, Mabuch, Serolas, Roharth, and Rosgarth. All eyes turned to Silacha as she entered the room.

“Risa needs a moment,” Silacha informed the others. “She’ll be with us soon enough.”