Little Lost Puppy

Writers: Chelle, Paula
Date Posted: 8th April 2015

Characters: Alfginna, Rhosyn
Description: Alfginna arrives to the Weyr and meets Rhosyn
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 12, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Solieira

So, this was Weyr. Alfginna walked slowly, carrying her bags. From the river boat's end hold, she had gotten a ride with tithe wagons. She had sat next to an old, chatty driver. The gnarled man hadn't minded her silence, giving her an earful of stories and rumours from the Weyr. She looked around with dazed awe. She had seen dragon before, sweepriders, search riders, dragonriders attending Gathers at Garnet Valley Hold. But never this close and this many at the same time. Alfginna had no idea where she should be going and who to talk with about lodgings. She expected there would be Headwoman somewhere. The problem was that the Weyr was huge.

She came upon a gold dragon, sunning herself. Vilarth or Orlaith, she guessed, but had no way to say which one. "My duty to you, queen dragon," she dropped into a perfect court-curtsy. She was pretty sure it was good manners to greet golds such way. They were the Lady Holders of the dragon-kind. She used the opportunity to examine the gold dragon up close. How many times you were in touching range of a gold? When dragonriders visited the holds, their dragons stayed at the heights. She was amazing, magnificent. Something of her regal bearing made Alfginna to remember her mother. She looked around like that, like she owned everything she saw. Alfginna's hand reached out, almost on its own. She didn't quite touch her though, her hand hovering uncertainly in the air. Were you allowed to touch them without permission? She could bite off her arm...shells, she could swallow her whole without noticing. "I bet they all scurry to do exactly as you bid them," she murmured.

Orlaith heard the female and she paid attention to her while drowsily soaking up the sun. Used to people admiring her, she didn't move much, even when Alfginna got up close. It was a good thing she didn't touch, though, since Orlaith wasn't one of those dragons. People needed permission to touch a queen, much less the senior queen. When she saw the hand come out, she gave a small snort but was hoping it was enough to deter the stranger.

}:Someone is trying to touch me.:{ she let her rider know with a hint of irritation as if her entire nap had been ruined.

**Someone you know?** Rhosyn was confused and got up from where she'd been sitting. Orlaith didn't mind when certain people gave her a scratch from time to time so this had to be someone else. Trying to see from where she was on the stairs to her weyr, she didn't recognize the woman standing near her dragon.

}:No. She acts as if she's never seen a dragon. There was a proper lowering:{ admitting that much meant the queen had been somewhat mollified by that act of respect. As it was, though, she was about ready to give up her place and find another perch where no one could bother her rest.

Curious, the Weyrwoman made her way down as she watched the woman look at Orlaith. She remembered the first time she'd come to a Weyr as a girl from a hold and knew what that was like. Knowing her dragon, though, she decided to head the situation off and walked up. "Greetings!"

Alfginna made a startled little cry and dropped down her hand, flinching guiltily. "Ex-excuse me, I'm sorry, uhh, greetings," she blurted out, feeling like a little girl caught stealing bubblies. She gave the woman a wide eyed look.

Rhosyn was used to that look. When the Weyrwoman came upon someone who wasn't used to meeting such people, it usually elicited some sort of awe. It was nice. Although, she didn't really look like a Weyrwoman in her usual costume of a sundress and sandals. The hair was what gave it away. "Welcome to River Bluff..." she fished for a name, hoping the girl would help her out.

"A-alfginna, from Iron Lake," Alfginna stuttered. She noted the Weyrwoman's lack of (what she considered proper) clothing. Judging by the way sweat was trickling down her own back, it was actually more suited to this climate than Alfginna's woolen dress, which was meant for Iron Lake's cold mountain climate.

"Ah...are you visiting then?" That was curious. She didn't remember any sort of letter detailing a holder coming to visit. Solieira would have made arrangements and introductions. "You must be quite warm. Perhaps you'd like to come inside?" Rhosyn herself was always hot so she understood the woman was probably close to passing out in all that.

"Thank you. I'm-I'm just passing by, looking for transportation and work from one of the halls or holds," Alfginna explained, words stumbling out her mouth in a rush. She knew she would never adapt to Weyrlife. It was too radically different from hers.

"Did you have one in mind? The nearest here would be either Jade Harbor, Sunstone, or the seacrafthall." Curious, Rhosyn picked up on the fact that she didn't need to offer a permanent home for the woman. The Weyr wasn't for everyone and she understood that. Besides, if she took in every single holder woman that came her way she'd never be able to feed them all. "I'm Rhosyn by the way."

"Weyrwoman," Alfginna dropped into a quick curtsy. "No-no. I'll be asking around. As long as it's not Garnet Valley, I don't care where I'll be," she answered her question.

"Ah...why are you leaving home if you don't mind me asking...and...where is your husband?" As a rule, holder girls did not travel alone. That was a huge no-no. Rhosyn understood why, of course. She hadn't traveled alone when she'd been younger either.

"Because I'm just useless there, under foot of my sister. I don't have a husband," Alfginna's voice was quiet and it had a certain quiet desperation in it.

"Then....do you have a chaperone?" Because traveling alone....it was dangerous and it would also effectively ruin her reputation. Rhosyn was beginning to get concerned.

"Chaperone? No, I don't have one." Frankly, Alfginna hadn't even thought of it. That just proved how much her mother had done the thinking and deciding for her.

Sighing, the Weyrwoman could tell this was going to become a problem. "Let's go see the Headwoman and perhaps we can find you a place to stay for now and get you fed and cleaned until you figure things out. She may know someone that can help you. Solieira knows a lot of people." Rhosyn was quietly hoping she also had a solution.

"Thank you, Weyrwoman. You've been most generous," Alfginna said shyly and trotted after her like a good little puppy.

Last updated on the May 5th 2015

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Little Lost Puppy