Information Seeking

Writers: Avery, Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 19th July 2017

Characters: L'pin, Timassa, O'pim
Description: L'pin goes to Far Island Weyr to hunt down more information about J'ackt's family.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 19 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: K'yne, Cyradis, Saibra, N'vanik, J'ackt

Timassa

The day after Fall was a weyrling restday. That meant L'pin had the
chance to pursue the mystery of J'ackt's origins. And this was a
particularly good time of the Turn in which to do it - it meant going
to Far Island to find people to talk to, and any chance to get out of
Dolphin Cove's familiar weyrbowl this sevenday was one he relished.

Chaneth was eager to travel to Far Island as well. There would be new
greens to flirt with at that Weyr. The cloak of sadness that had
settled around his rider over the last few days might be lifted by
going elsewhere, at least for a little bit of time.

They came out of /between/ into cloudy skies, and the blue announced
himself to the dragonpair on watch. After landing, L'pin slid down and
waved at the rider waiting there.

The Weyrharper was waiting below as the blue circled overhead. O'pim
shaded his eyes as the dragon came in for a landing, then approached
with a wave of his hand. "You must be L'pin. I got your message just a
few candlemarks ago." The elderly man waited until L'pin dismounted,
then offered his hand in greeting. "O'pim, Weyrharper and rider of
Humirth, that big lug behind me." He gestured over his shoulder with
his thumb to a greying brown dragon that snorted in response.

"Well met, O'pim," L'pin said, shaking his hand. "How fares Humirth today?"

"Cranky as always." O'pim replied with good humor, earning another
snort from the brown. "How does your blue fair today and how can we
help you? Your message said you were interested in some of our
records?"

"Chaneth is well," he said. "Yes, I am. I'm trying to track down
information about the family of a Dolphin Cove rider. I knew he was
from the Emerald Falls region and looking at marriage certificates, I
found out that his mother's name is Ocktima, and she was listed as
from the Weyr here. It seems an awful long way from here to Emerald
Falls."

The expression on O'pin's face was pleasant until L'pin said the name
name he was searching for. O'pim's face immediately paled and he
stilled, staring at L'pin with shock. "Ocktima?" his voice was
uncertain, as if he hadn't heard the other rider correctly. "You said
Ocktima? Are you certain? And a son?"

"Yes. The boy's name was Jenackt, and he used Amitko as an alias for a
bit," the bluerider replied.

"Faranth...I never thought I'd hear her name again." The man's
expression was pained. "Aye, we had an Ocktima here. Knew her from
when she was just a weyrbrat and she was a beauty when she grew up.
She could turn just about any rider's head without trying." O'pim's
gaze grew distant as he drew up his memories. "And a firebrand, that
girl. Saucy and fun loving and so...lively." The Weyrharper then
frowned and shook his head. "Lots of people remember her here, Rider
L'pin." He looked grieved. "The accident that took her Marloth was
tragic."

L'pin's eyes widened at the realization. "I didn't know she was
dragonless. There had been no indication of that in the records. "

O'pin's brow furrowed. "Really. Well, I suppose that she probably
didn't want to talk about it." He rubbed his mouth, then looked at
L'pin, his face drawn. "You say records and you need information. Has
she died then?" He looked down, sighed, and then shook his head.
"Can't say I'm surprised, at least by now, but Timassa will be grieved
to hear it. She always expected her to come back." He cleared his
throat, trying to steady his voice. "Timassa, she'll be Ocktima's
sister and she's has more information than I do. I can call for her if
you like. If anything, she'll be wanting to know about this son you
know of. "

"I thought I'd find out his mother was a local holder girl. I
certainly never expected to go from Emerald Falls out to here. Though
I suppose if she was dragonless, that explains why she went clear
across the continent then. "All the marriage license said was she was
Ocktima, of Far Island Weyr," L'pin said, shaking his head.

"J'ackt didn't have many memories of his mother and I wanted to look
into his origins. I'd like to meet Timassa and know her. I thought the
boy had no one living left."

O'pim blinked at the mention of the marriage license, looking
surprised, but didn't comment on it. **Who knew what the child had
had to do to move on after Marloth,** he reasoned. "I don't think
she's busy today. I'll have Humirth contact her green and ask her to
meet you."

}:Mine wishes to speak to Yours. He says it is very very important
that you come right away. :{

}:She comes:{ Saryolth replied

"You called O'pim," the redhead started and then smiled as she saw the
bluerider. Her hair was tied in a runners tail and she was a halter
top and shorts with a damp towel thrown over her shoulder. "Saryolth
was just having her bath." She reached out a hand to the newcomer.
"I'm Timassa of green Saryolth."

"Timassa, this is L'pin of Dolphin Cove, rider of Chaneth." O'pim
introduced them, then spoke gently. "He has news." He glanced at
L'pin. "It's about Ocktima."

"Timassa, pleased to meet you and I hope your dragon is well," L'pin
said courteously, shaking the offered hand.

"L'pin," she nodded but the smile froze on her face. "And how is my
sister? I haven't heard from her in a very long time."

There was no easy way to say this, the bluerider knew. "I'm afraid I
never met her, as Ocktima has passed away several Turns ago," he said
in his most compassionate voice. "I'm here looking into her family on
behalf of her son."

O'pim offered a supporting arm to Timassa and spoke gently. "At least
we know she finally made it back to a Weyr, Timassa. That's what you
wanted for her. And L'pin says that her son is a dragonrider, too."

Timassa's face lost all color as she sagged into O'pim. Then she sank
into the nearest chair. "You'd think I'd be prepared after all..." She
stopped and looked back at L'pin. "She had a son? How old is he?"

"Nineteen Turns old. He's a bronzerider now," L'pin said. He decided
to skim over O'pim's words and not let the full story on, not yet.

"A bronzerider." O'pim rubbed Timassa's shoulder. "Like your father.
You have something left of her, at least." He offered a gentle smile.

"Mother will be so proud," she nodded. Tears had formed in her eyes,
poor Octima hadn't really had a chance after her loss of both her
dragon and... she did a little mental calculation, **nineteen turns.**
"What's his name?"

"J'ackt. It was Jenackt. And his dragon is Zith." L'pin raised one
hand in caution. "I haven't told him I was coming here to look into
his past. So I would want to go back and tell him about his family
before springing a visit as a surprise."

For one thing, he'd talk to Cyradis and N'vanik first.

"Jenackt? Don't tell me that porcine Jenasom fathered a... wait," she
held up a finger. "Nineteen turns, you say." How many letters had
there been between her and her sister over the turns. Enough that
she'd gotten a very good idea of the kind of man her sister had
married. Many of them still remained in her possession. She wouldn't
say anything yet but there was a possibility. "I have some of her
letters from before she stopped responding."

"I never knew the man," L'pin said. "You were in contact with her for a bit?"

She nodded still trying to adjust to the knowledge that her sister was
gone. Something clicked in her mind and she looked up at the
bluerider. "What color is his hair?" It might tell her something if it
wasn't red like her and her sister.

"He's blonde," L'pin said.

She bent over and put her face in her hands. When she sat back up she
sighed. "Then Jenasom probably wasn't his father. He was very dark.
I'll bet it was K'yne. She met with him at a gather about that time."
She looked up at O'pim with sad eyes. "I'd know if I saw him. Do you
know where K'yne is now?"

O'pim's head and swiveled back and forth between the pair as they
spoke. When addressed, he spoke softly. "She loved K'yne very dearly
at one point. Even I remember that." He exhaled and ran his hand
through his thinning hair. All of this seemed almost too much to be
believed. "Don't get your hopes up, Timassa. We can't assume that she
would have..." he cleared his throat. "...shared a bed with K'yne. We
can't know that, not if she was wed as you say she was." He seemed to
think for a long moment. " But...K'yne left for another Weyr. I'd have
to check and see which one, but considering him...he's wherever
Goldrider Saibra is now."

"Doesn't surprise me," Timassa snorted. "Well," she stood. "I'll want
to come with you of course."

"To Dolphin Cove? I need to talk to a few individuals first. He
wouldn't do well with surprises," L'pin cautioned. "But seeing where
K'yne ended up would be good."

"Alright," she said reluctantly, then noting his knots she had another
question. "How old is Zith anyway? Were you one of his
Weyrlingmasters?" That might explain what had taken this rider all
across Pern tracking down this story.

"Yes, he was from a class that hatched last Turn. The Weyrleader and I
both took a special interest in him," L'pin said.

O'pim stepped back. "I'll see what I can find from the records and
make sure I know where K'yne is. I know Saibra is Weyrwoman at Dragons
Fall, but I can check his transfer orders for you."

"I promise I'll be back with more information for you soon. I won't
forget to update you. Harper's Honor," L'pin said gravely.

Last updated on the July 28th 2017

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Information Seeking