ГКар и НаТот (janetcarter)

Иллюстрация к этому фику Tumbleweed (1597 words) by janetcarter
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Babylon 5
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: G'Kar & Na'Toth
Characters: G'Kar (Babylon 5), Na'Toth (Babylon 5)
Additional Tags: Worldbuilding, Reunions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Summary:

G'Kar visits Na'Toth after Lyta's departure.

(Restricted) Tumbleweed Anonymous Summary: G'Kar visits Na'Toth after Lyta's departure. Notes: For Merfilly. (See the end of the work for notes.) Work Text: It had been far too long since he had last stepped foot оn the fertile, crimson soil of Narn. Such soil had been ashen and dry his last visit, and it was a relief to see the resilience of Narn wildlife after Centauri occupation. If he listened closely, he thought he could even hear a jurra crowing from the twisted branches above. In days past, he had оnly had the Centauri to fear. Now, he needed to look in every direction for those who would kiss the ground at his feet. He had established a certain normalcy during his time with Lyta Alexander to which he had perhaps become too accustomed. She had been a breath of fresh air as someone who spoke her mind rather than praising him blindly. Na’Toth was the same, however, the same could not be said for his followers. Word of his arrival would no doubt spread, though he hoped he would have time with his old attache before the winds betrayed him and lured the crowds to her door. Na’Toth’s home in Moxtoke was оne of luxury; perhaps more than he would think necessary, though he could not fault her after all she had endured. At the very least, the gates and security measures allowed them both to avoid his acolytes, and likely afford her some peace of mind. Although he оnly wanted to escape the effects of his book, at least her role in its narrative allowed her some compensation for what the Centauri had done. He barely had to speak through the intercom for the gates to swing open. оnce up the steps, a Narn he did not recognize opened the door. His eyes widened before G’Kar cut in. “No, please,” G’Kar begged. “None of that. I am here to see Na’Toth. Surely she informed you of my arrival?” When the servant regained his composure he replied, “Yes, she did. This way.” “What is your name?” G’Kar asked as the servant led him through the tall, mudbrick halls. “D’Lorn.” His response was so quiet G’Kar almost missed it. Frowning, he did not bother to correct his volume. “G’Kar!” He turned and saw Na’Toth, red earthen tones draped over her form. She was standing in the center of a spacious kitchen and beaming, arms outstretched. “Na’Toth!” He hugged her tightly before yielding, remembering how frail she had been their last encounter. However, she hugged him back so tightly he thought he might snap in two. At least her strength had returned, even if something was missing from her gaze. “You look well.” “As do you. Travelling around the universe must do wonders for оne’s health.” “Quite the opposite! Stuck in a spaceship with processed food and no sunlight makes оne long for anything else.” “You should consider coming home, now that…” She cleared her throat as something tugged at his heartstrings. “So you won’t be alone.” “I have thought of it,” he said, glancing to D’Lorn who was preparing a meal over at the opposite counter. “But I do not think home is quite ready for me yet… And there is still so much to see, I have hardly filled half a book.” “Knowing your writing habits, I highly doubt that.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You’ve written enough to fill ten books, I’d guess. Most of the pages simply ended up in the trash. You know, if I were you, I’d publish everything I could before your fans grow tired.” “Oh? And who would I be if I sacrificed authenticity?” “Someone with far more wealth, but… that never really was your concern, was it?” “No. It was not.” Several plates clinked as D’Lorn cooked. “I should get back to work,” Na’Toth finally said. “Come.” He furrowed his brow. What work could she need to do at this point? But his question was answered when he walked into her studio, an open room of pillars covered in carvings and bricks waiting to be chiseled. “I did not know you practiced Da’Quana.” A stool scraped against the floor as she sat down. “I needed something to keep me busy after growing accustomed to the havoc of being your aide.” Although their time together had been short-lived, his final years оn Babylon 5 had been difficult without her by his side. It had been especially difficult not knowing her fate. He walked through the room as though at a museum studying artifacts. оne brick demonstrated the Tenz Festival, bonfires seeming to glow despite the flat coloration. Another showcased the Jeksel Mountains, the main peak now broken from Centauri bombings. The last he caught sight of depicted something familiar: the inside of a prison cell. “Well?” she asked. She motioned to the second untouched brick beside her own, holding out a tool with her other hand. “I’m afraid I am not very skilled in these arts,” he admitted, staring at the tool curiously. Hand him a pen and he could write for hours, but… this was no pen. “Humor me...” She chiseled away at an in-progress creation, оne just beginning to take form. “And tell me about your travels.” “Oh, where to begin…” He pulled up a chair beside her, not quite knowing what to do with the tool, so he watched her technique. Her skill was impressive, with a precision he should have guessed given the nature of her quips. All he could do was dig at the block with little progress or vision. “There’s far more to the universe than I ever would have imagined. My heart still races from the time Lyta and I were chased by gigantic creatures in the middle of the Relshian desert. And there was a time we were trapped in a storm with hail larger than these bricks,” he said, looking down to the empty block in front of him. He would have to stay far longer to get anywhere with it. “We also came across a living planet! Not living in the sense of you or I, but alive nonetheless.” “Sounds like you’ve had quite the adventure.” “I оnly wish you had come along. My offer to visit the Birnoz homeworld still stands.” “And lose time I could be making art? Da’Quana requires more supplies than a book and pen. Besides, you weren’t alone. You didn’t need me.” “Need was of no concern. I wanted you to come along, whether I was alone or not.” “And now that you are?” The red sun fell beyond the desert city’s horizon, as it did оn Mars when he left Lyta behind. Na’Toth’s hand against his arm brought him back to the present. “I’m sorry, G’Kar. That was… insensitive, even for me.” “No, you оnly speak the truth.” “Then believe me when I say you did all that you could.” She could have been talking about anything - Lyta and her decision to fight; Londo’s sudden isolation; and maybe even it was in regards to herself and her imprisonment, though he was now realizing how optimistic such an implication would be. “And yet there is always more to do,” he replied. “How have rebuilding efforts been? It has been hard to catch news signals from so far away.” “Better than expected, though it certainly could be better. Are you sure you can’t stay longer? Your guidance could, I don’t know… inspire people to keep going.” “My presence is still a distraction,” he explained. “If our people are to absorb the lessons I strive to teach, I cannot be a part of the picture.” “But what if you just…” Na’Toth flattened a tool against the table. “Really, G’Kar, don’t make me say it.” “What?” “As strange as it is, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed working with you, and saving your hide from whatever trouble you’d gotten yourself into any given week. I don’t miss the parade of human women I’d have to escort from your quarters every day, but--” “Na’Toth…” “I just wish you’d call more often, or visit every оnce in a while… It gets lonely here, too.” He nodded slowly. The occasional call hadn’t been enough for either of them, evidently, though coming home had been a risk at the height of his following. And he had not realized until now, after observing the quiet fears embedded in her art, why she had refused his offers of adventure. It seemed as though she had created a fortress against the outside world, unwittingly imprisoning herself оnce again. “I see...” “I understand why you ran away,” she began, red eyes looking up from the brick and making his heart race. “But don’t forget that you’re Narn, too.” “I left so that I would not forget,” he explained, knowing that she remained to remember. “But you’re right. Perhaps,” he continued, glancing at her. “There is more for me here than I have let myself remember.” As the glimmer in her eyes returned for a flicker, he felt himself smile for the first time since the loneliness of Lyta’s departure first took hold. D’Lorn approached to tell them lunch was ready - breen. Although it had equivalents all over the universe, there was something comforting about eating оn Narn plates, in a Narn home, оn Narn itself. On their way to the kitchen, the call of the jurra prompted him to look out a passing window. Among the grass and firebugs, He noticed the roots of the ben’zah tree, proudly standing оn the Narn soil from which it grew. A second jurra answered the song of the first, and perched оn the branch beside it. It truly was good to be home. Notes: Several details such Na'Toth's affinity for Da'Quana, her fame from the Book of G'Kar, and her home's location in Moxtoke come from the short story "True Seeker" by Fiona Avery. Additionally, G'Kar's reference to a living planet comes from the JMS short story "Genius Loci."