Dismissal
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Jane, AL
Date Posted: 29th December 2009
Characters: Briata, Zharesti
Description: Zharesti finds Briata and queries her about the hatching.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 20 of Turn 5
The shadow crossed over her breakfast and caused Briata to look up from the warm cereal she had chosen for breakfast that morning. Jewel looked up as well, though her attention wasn't drawn away from the meatroll she was eating for that long. The creature was perched upon the edge of the table, delicately nibbling at her own breakfast. Briata put down her spoon and nodded politely to the goldrider. "Good morn, Weyrwoman."
"Briata." Zharesti's slanted eyes narrowed a little as she thought back to the Hatching. There had been people - Candidates - in all directions thanks to her foresight in arranging the biggest turn out in a long time, but she couldn't actually remember the former Lady Warder being among them. "I'm surprised you didn't Impress."
"Really?" Briata motioned for the Weyrwoman to sit across from her. Granted she didn't particularly agree with her policies, but that didn't mean Briata had to be rude. "Why is it so surprising?"
"Everybody I know who can hear many dragons has," Zharesti said simply. If there were others that couldn't they hadn't crossed her path.
"Well, now there is one who hasn't." The Weyrwoman hadn't sat. Briata thought that the conversation wasn't going to be a pleasant one.
"Not yet. You're plenty young enough to Stand for half a decade more of Hatchings." The Weyrwoman's sandy-blonde curls bobbed as she nodded to herself, satisfied with that result. Eventually Briata would Impress - perhaps when they had a gold egg next on the Sands? It wasn't impossible that another could be Hatched at River Bluff. Some Weyrs had more than the three that was regarded as the minimum necessary.
"I'm not Standing." Briata wished the woman would give it up. She wasn't going to Stand. If she had to leave for every single Hatching then that was just what she was going to do. "I refuse. I will not Stand on those sands. If a dragon truly wants me, then she can find me in the audience."
"But she wouldn't be able to find you if you weren't actually _in_ the audience, would she?"
"It's happened before, it will happen again. If it is meant to be, then it will be." Briata motioned again for the Weyrwoman to sit. Might as well since they were holding a conversation. "But those who did impress, a nice bunch. The dragonets are beautiful."
"Of course they are! And you could have one of your own if you stopped shilly-shallying," the older woman said, sitting as invited but reassuring herself that she had been going to, anyway.
"I don't need one of my own." Briata was going to have to try very, very hard not to lose her patience with this woman. She had to be deluded or something. "I have an entire Weyr of dragons. An entire world of dragons."
"Which is not the same as having _one_. Would you say that about men?"
"No." But it wasn't the same, and Zharesti sharding well knew that, Briata thought. "But I don't hear all men either. I can hear the the dragons. They are a part of me. I don't need to have _one_. I don't want _one_. I'm fine with the way things are."
"Well that's a nice change. Not thinking of running away from here, too?" Zharesti asked with vague hope.
"Not at the moment." Briata frowned at the tone of the woman's voice. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Zharesti waved a hand in dismissal. "I don't really mind one way or the other, for the moment. How are you filling in your days?"
"I am an apprentice Weaver now." Would that make it less likely for Zharesti to insist upon her Standing? Probably not. "So I go to class now. I am rather enjoying myself."
"Hmm." There was nothing the Weyrwoman could object to in that. "I hope you settle in well with them, then." And the crafters were usually the responsibility of the senior master in the Weyr so she wouldn't need to worry herself about what the former Lady Warder was getting up to. "And I suppose that I can leave you in their care."
Thank goodness for that! May be the Weyrwoman would forget about her altogether and they could just go about their lives without ever bothering one another - except that Briata was working on that commission. Oh well - at least their interaction would be minimal. Briata smiled. "They take good care of me."
"Just as they should," Zharesti said as she got to her feet and nodded a farewell to the young woman, glad to be able to dismiss her from her mind.
Last updated on the January 8th 2010