True Gossip

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 17th September 2009

Characters: Briata, Jh'slaen, F'naren
Description: Jh'slaen and F'naren finally say hello to Briata.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 4, day 16 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentioned: Ishek (not by name)

Briata

"I know you're not one for keeping up with the news," F'naren drawled,
nudging his friend to make the greenrider look up.

"Gossipy greenriders are a stereotype," Jh'slaen grumbled but when he
looked up he had to admit to being surprised. "Oh."

"Yes. The Onyx Peak daughter who married the Garnet Valley Lord Warder.
Apparently the story that she's here to live is true."

"What story?"

F'naren wondered sometimes where Jh'slaen's attention was most the time.
"Come on." He headed over toward the young woman's table. "Let's go
and say hello."

As they approached the table, Briata was gazing solemnly into her
breakfast, a bowl of porridge that smelled more appetizing than it
looked. There were slices of fruit on a plate next to it that looked to
be half eaten, but the porridge had only one or two bites taken from it.

She didn't look up at them until they were almost upon her, their
movements catching the corner of her eye. She offered a small smile
when they stopped beside her table, getting rid of any doubt that they
might pass her by.

"Hello," F'naren said, then realised that he had no idea how he should
address her. He knew her name, but she was the Holder's daughter. And
the Lord Warder's wife, though if she was living at the Weyr that
probably wasn't going to be her chosen form of address.

"You won't remember us," Jh'slaen said, stepping in almost the moment
F'naren's indecision became apparent. "I'm Jh'slaen from Shallow Creek
and this is F'naren from Fallow Field."

The names of the holds were familiar to her and something about the
names rung a bell, but she couldn't _quite_ place it. "I'm sorry,
they're familiar but I am drawing a blank." Briata nodded politely to
both of them. "I'm Briata...but I have the feeling that you already
knew that."

"Yes, we recognised _you_," F'naren said with a grin. "Easier when
you're the Holder's daughter."

Briata nodded slowly. They hadn't said 'Lord Warder's Wife'. Did they
know? Of course they did. Briata chided herself. If they knew of her
before she was married to Ishek, they surely knew who she was afterward.
"I'm sorry I don't remember you - if we met, it must have been quite
some time ago and not for very long."

"You may have met my father," Jh'slaen said. "Cot holder Danten. We
look like him."

"But he's older," F'naren added with a grin.

"Ah yes, I do know him." Not well, but enough to put a face with the
name. Briata's father knew him better than she did. "You are his sons?"

"I'm his son," Jh'slaen said, "And F'naren's either his son or grandson."

The young brownrider just grinned and nodded. It had never been
something that could be hidden because of his likeness to the
neighbouring cot holder and the man's sons, and they had grown up
accepting each other as 'practically' brothers.

"Oh." That made little sense to Briata, but she wasn't going to ask.
It was certainly none of her business. "Well, it's nice to meet both of
you."

"And you. Are you enjoying it here?" F'naren asked.

"It's nice." It would have been nicer if the situation had been
different. Briata didn't have much control over that, though. She did
with the leaving, but Ishek was the one who had broken his vows. "It
takes some getting used to."

"It took us a while," Jh'slaen admitted. "But we were lucky enough to
be Candidates so there we didn't have very much time to call our own."

"Yes, sometimes keeping busy helps." Briata was kept busy. Between the
children in the morning and her sewing duties, all she had were her
evenings to herself.

"Well, we'll let you get on with your meal. It's been a pleasure to
meet you properly, Briata," F'naren said.

"And you both." They did seem nice, and the two dragonriders hadn't
been the only ones curious about her. Briata gave them a small smile and
a polite nod, then watched them walk away together before she turned
back to her food.

Last updated on the September 21st 2009

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True Gossip