So You Might

Writers: Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th May 2011

Characters: Sh'del, Pierka
Description: Sh'del checks up on the girl that Qorri warned him about
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 11 of Turn 6

Pierka

**Not long now** Sh'del told his large brown, who was paddling about
in the waters, clearly wanting to get out and go to sleep. Overhead,
tiny Trouble flew about, screaming at poor Loranth, telling him where
and where not to swim. The dark brown looked tired, bored and more
than a tad exasperated.

They were on the beach, waiting for the girl that Qorri had told him
about with the memory issues. Glancing at the sun, he was being to
feel that her worries were well founded. The girl was well late. He
had sent another boy off with a message for her to meet him on the
beach to wash Loranth more than a half an candle mark ago.

Pierka hurried toward the beach after she'd gotten the delayed
message. She wasn't happy with the messenger who'd conveniently
forgotten to tell her she needed to come to help washing a dragon.
Then he'd smirked at her when she rushed off. She didn't know why he
felt the need to sabotage her, there were plenty of eggs on the sands.

"Sir," she called as the hurried up. "Sorry I'm late."

"So is this how time is kept with the dolphins? Or is this just you?"
The girl may have been young, but Sh'del wasn't about to let her off
the hook. Not obeying someone in charge could get you killed, on a
dragon in Fall.

"No sir," she said. "it won't happen again sir." She didn't want to
throw the other stupid candidate into the wrath of the weyrling staff.
She'd let him do it all by himself.

Sh'del watched her face for a long moment before asking, "you care to
explain why you were late then?" **You can come ashore now** he sent
to Loranth.

There was no way around it. She wasn't going to jeopardize her own
chances for someone else who clearly had decided to make her life
difficult. "I came as soon as I got the message you wanted to see me,"
she said with serious eyes.

He watched her for a moment more. "I see..." Jerrell had been the
young candidate who had been sent..he'd have some words with the silly
boy later, if he had delayed the message to Pierka. Sh'del wasn't
about to suffer fools, with this Hatching.

Dropping his severe demeanor, he turned to his large brown, who had all
but collapsed on the shore. "This is Loranth, Lor this is Pierka.
Now be nice, she's going to help clean you up."

She moved closer to the big handsome brown "Hello Loranth," she said.
She'd become familiar with washing dragons over the last days since
she arrived and she liked it much better than helping in the kitchen.
She looked quickly around her for the bucket and the sweetsand. "Where
would you like me to start?"

"Oh, anywhere's good." Sh'del did like how she didn't seem to be
afraid of the big dragon. He threw her a brush, adding, "he's a big
softy when it comes to attention."

She found herself quite happy when she was around dragons. She picked
up the brush and sweetsand and began to scrub his flank. He was big
so she couldn't reach up onto his back unless she climbed. She
scrubbed him as best she could for the parts she could reach on her
side.

Watching her out of the corner of his eye, Sh'del slapped Loranth with
his brush. "Come on, you big ouf, roll over so she can get your
back." The half asleep brown grunted and did just that, dislodging
Trouble from her spot by his wing.

The young woman dodged back out of the way when he rolled then came
back in to start on the back now facing her. "Are there any itchy
spots?" she asked.

Sh'del looked wryly at his brown when she said that. "Hmm...how much
time you got? He's complaining that_everything_itches." At that he
shook his head at the lazy brown git.

She smiled a little shyly at the brownrider. "I'm sure I have all the
time necessary for such a handsome brown to look his very best." Her
color rose a little at having said so much. It was certainly a rare
occurrence for her. She was normally silent or answered questions with
very short sentences.

"You'll be here 'til midnight then." Sh'del grinned to let her know
he was teasing.

She looked up startled at first then realized he was teasing and a
small smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. "Does he always
sleep during his bath?"

"No, he's just tired. We agreed to do a sweep for a friend who
twisted her ankle the other day." Plus to all the candidates duties,
and helping with the senior weyrlings. This had been a long day,
but he wasn't going to let it show to this poor girl.

"Well, we'll get him feeling better so he can sleep in comfort," she
said as she finished the washing. "He can rinse now I think."

Sh'del gave Loranth an affectionate slap on the shoulder to let him
know he could go rinse off. Her 'bed' gone, Trouble squawked and flew
over to the young girl, trying to land on her head. "Watch out,"
Sh'del warned, "she's been well named."

Pierka's arm rose over her head. Somehow she was familiar with
firelizards but she was beyond being puzzled by knowledge she had no
memory of acquiring. Her arm interposed itself on the tiny greens
intended landing spot, then brought her down to eye level. "Hello
lovely" she said admiringly.

Sh'del watched her for a moment before asking, "so this memory issue.
Can you tell me about it?"

Pierka projected feelings of welcome and admiration at the tiny flit.
Then she looked back up at the brownrider. "Sure, they did a lot of
tests and stuff. I can remember harper teachings though I don't
remember learning them. I knew how to speak and eat, draw, read, and
write. All that kind of stuff I can do, I just can't bring up any
memories of family or home, or anything back farther than 3 turns
ago." She smiled sadly, "I've given up trying to figure it out. If you
teach me something now... I remember learning it." Her finger rose to
scratch a tiny eyeridge.

Sh'del felt a pang of regret for the girl, but didn't let it show.
"What led to this?" Trouble, in the meantime had plastered herself
all over the girl's forearm.

Her attention was still on the little flit when she shrugged a
shoulder. "I don't know really, I just found myself spending time
watching them. You're so close to Dolphin Hall," she said. "I was
watching one day when a blue and his rider landed nearby and he gave
me the token. Said if I wanted to ride I should give it to the
headwoman. It took me a few days to think about it but I do. I want to
have that relationship that I will never ever forget. If that means
fighting thread, then I'll fight thread for the privilege."

"And so you might, kiddo, so you might."

Last updated on the May 28th 2011

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So You Might