No More making Excuses

Writers: Emma, Kaysea
Date Posted: 20th February 2008

Characters: Fieayz, Epia
Description: Fieayz and Epia firm their friendship and cover each others backs
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 8, day 3 of Turn 4

"Hey Fieayz, wait up!" Epia picked up her skirts and ran across the courtyard in a most unladylike manner. If Saydra, her fostermother, had seen her, she would have been darning stockings for the remainder of the sevenday.

With her blonde hair escaping the tightly bound braid down her back, she had the appearance of someone holdless, only her the quality of her gown gave away the fact she was a minor holders daughter, destined for more than drudgery.

Fieayz suppressed a grin, if only Hallmaster Daynar could see this, he'd wonder just who he was fostering right now. Not everyone was as demure as his daughter, and at least Epia seemed to have a brain.

"Epia, sure." The other girl stopped and turned, waiting to be caught up.

"Look!" she waved a letter in the air, as she neared Fieayz. "He wrote me! He wrote me!" she did a little dance in the middle of the courtyard, before realising where she was, and quickly stuffed the missive under her top. "Come and see what he said, he's so romantic." she swooned.

The _he_ in question was, Derri, a cotholders son who lived a candlemark away from the Hall. As an apprentice woodcrafter, his prospects weren't good - but Epia was choosing to ignore that fact in favour of his good looks and charm.

"The cotholder?" asked Fieayz, although she really didn't need to from the expression on Epia's face. "The cute one?"

"Yes." Epia hissed in excitement. "He's coming to see me on restday."
she hugged herself tightly as they walked towards a small cul-de-sac which caught what little afternoon sun there was. "He wants to see me Fieayz!"

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Well, for me it is." she nodded considering her words. "But not if Saydra, or more importantly, my father find out." she looked Fieayz in the eye, I might need you to 'assist' me."

"You mean cover for you?" Fieayz put it bluntly. She might need that same service herself sometime, if she wanted to see Kiomo again.

Epia nodded slowly, "I need an excuse if she starts asking where I'm going, and if I could say the two of us are going for a picnic or something, then maybe she wouldn't want to pry further, you know how she trusts and thinks highly of you." Much more so than herself. Saydra had seen through Epia almost as soon as the girl had arrived at the Hall.

"A walk over to the main hold perhaps? Something like that?"

"That sounds like a _great_ idea, and if I say I'm with you, she'll not give me any grief over it. Thanks Fieayz." she smiled happily, kissing the letter, tucking it inside her top, and patting it securely. "So, if we do go over the the main Hold, what do you plan on doing while I'm 'occupied'?" she asked, with a sly smile.

"Finding something to occupy me," Fieayz grinned conspiratorially.
"You've seen the Lord Warder's assistant Kiomo right?"

"Yes..." Epia nodded slowly, "I've seen him, and?"

"We have an 'understanding'," she gestured using her fingers as she said the last word. "He's good company for a candlemark or two."

"Oh?" for a moment Epia looked puzzled, then realisation hit, "Oh! Oh!
You mean you and he..." she found it hard to keep the smile from her face. "Wow, and I always thought the same as Saydra - that you wouldn't step out of line." she laughed softly.

Fieayz laughed. "That's how you can get away with it. Make 'em think you're a good girl and they'll watch you less. Then find the opportunities. You'd be surprised what you can achieve when you put your mind to it."

"That may be so for you, but I think I've passed the point on no return as far as Saydra's trust goes." Epia chuckled softly, "She would no more trust me, than..." she paused, trying to think of a comparison, "...than suspect you!" she finished with a laugh.

"Maybe I should speak to her then?" teased Fieayz. "Might give her the shock of her life."

"Oh shards no! You'd not be able to cover for me then." Epia laughed softly. "You're not serious!" she swatted Fieayz arm. "So - what's he like?" she asked.

"Kiomo? Good looking, even better kisser!"

"Reeeally?" Epia raised an eyebrow, "anything else you'd care to share?" She thought back to the only two occasions she had come in contact with the man, not bad, but not really her type - no, Derri was definitely more what she was looking for, if only her father would see it that way.

"Well he did live at a Weyr for a while, and so did I," was all Fieayz would say, surely Epia could work it out from there.

"You mean, you've..." Epia rocked back, showing a little more surprise than she intended. "Wow..." And Saydra thought _she_ was the one who needed careful watching. "You surprise me, you really do." she said, almost enviously.

"I said you'd be surprised at what you could do if you put your mind to it," Fieayz grinned. "But you don't need to do anything you don't want to." Pregnancy was far more of a risk outside a Weyr, young people there were made aware of other ways than abstinence to avoid pregnancy, ways that Fieayz had taken advantage of.

"I..." she shook her head, "I didn't plan on going quite _that_ far with Derri, just yet." Epia shook her head, "But if you're willing to make a deal, we could always provide a cover story for each other, how does that sound?" she asked, realising the other girl had as much need for her help as she did of Fieayz.

"Sounds good."

"Well I have to get in and get my chores done, but I'll see you before restday and we can make plans then. I'll write to Derri tonight." she hugged herself tightly, "Thank you so much, Fieayz!" she hugged the other girl briefly, before bidding her goodbye.

The hug was a surprise, but at last Fieayz felt like she'd made a real friend as Epia left. This could work out well for the both of them.

Last updated on the February 21st 2008

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No More making Excuses