Leaving Home

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 1st June 2011

Characters: Jylanya, D'cal
Description: Jylanya escapes her life and flees to the Weyr
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 2, day 16 of Turn 6

Jylanya

She closed her eyes against the sun as she stood on the hill
overlooking the small hold. Kantorik was finally gone and her duty to
him finished. Now she was a widow with little enough to show for all
her hard work. She'd managed the Hold and it's farms and small crafts
quite well for her invalid husband but that hadn't changed a thing
when his son Torkel came to claim what she'd come to think of as hers.
Her red hair was pulled back and piled up under her hat as she bent to
gather herbs. She yanked them and piled them into her basket almost
angrily.

There was no doubt that her brother or her son-in-law, were making
plans for what to do with her next. But this time she vowed she was
not going to be so easily pushed into another sentence of servitude to
an elderly patient. She'd done it for love with her mother, and duty
to her husband. But they didn't have that young girl to coerce this
time.

Still her mind searched like a caged feline for a way out. Then her
eye caught movement and she froze in place as her eyes tracked the
flight of dragons slowly cross the sky over head. Her hand went to the
top of her head to hold her hat in place as she turned to watch them.
"If only," she sighed. Without thinking she snatched the straw hat
from her head and began waving both her arms.

While they had been flying straight for nearly a candlemark, D'cal's
eyes were scanning the ground carefully. There had been reports of
felines in the area, and they had been told to keep an eye out for any
encroaching close to human habitation. His eyes caught sight of a flash
of brown among the green of the hill.

**Turn back around, make a circle,** he instructed Aosorath, his eyes
trained keenly on the spot. **Lower.**

The blue obediently did as he was instructed, turning slowly as he
spiraled down. }:Not a feline.:{

**No, it's not,** D'cal agreed, wanting to get a closer look anyway. It
could be that the woman waving what looked to be a hat was just waving
to a passing rider, but there was still the chance she might be
signaling him for a reason. Had she seen felines in the area, he
wondered as he tried to decide if it was worth checking out.

One of the riders must have seen her and spiraled down and around
toward her. Jylanya backed up unsure of herself as the blue dragon
came closer. He was so very big. Intellectually she knew of course
that blue dragons were small compared to brown, bronze, or gold. But
somehow those harper lessons hadn't prepared her for the massive scale
or the beauty of them.

Her plan wasn't even fully formed but she'd seen her son-in-law take
off in the direction of her brothers hold earlier and she knew she
didn't have any time waste. "Hello" she called.

D'cal heard the voice carried on the wind. It didn't sound particularly
distressed, but at the same time, not exactly a friendly greeting. The
woman wanted his attention. **Put down over there,** D'cal directed his
little blue mentally.

She moved closer to the pair as they landed but not too close. "Hello,
rider," she said. "I think I need your help if you can."

"Of course," the bluerider called down from atop Aosorath's neck. **Do
you see anyone else about?**

}:No,:{ the blue replied. }:This one is alone, I think.:{

Very few were foolish enough to try to ambush a rider with a dragon in
an open space, but there were all kinds of stupid people in the world,
and more than a little hate and mistrust of dragonriders still.
Especially those who rode green or blue. Alone in a new place, D'cal
knew he couldn't be too careful. "How can I help you, ma'am?"

She was taking a final step and for a moment her heart failed her but
she hid her shaking hands against her skirts and took a deep breath.
"Can you take me to the weyr?" She felt she needed a little
explanation but didn't quite know how much to say. "My husband has
passed away. I don't... I can't stay here any longer. If you can wait
a few minutes I'm packed I just need to go and grab the bag." She knew
she sounded a little frantic and it was probably true.

"You're husband died, you say?" D'cal looked around once more. This
was a sticky spot for him to be in! "Won't you be missed? Your family?
Your children?" Last thing they needed was for the Weyr to be accused
of stealing women from their Holds!

She lifted her wide brimmed hat back to her head and closed her eyes
momentarily. This was going to be harder than she thought. Well that
was the point she _hadn't_ really thought. "I have no children," she
said. "Only my husband's family lives here." They were probably
planning to marry her off again or make her a drudge in her own home.
She could read the signs. "I was merely his caretaker in his elder
years. His children are older than I am. Please..." tears welled up
but she held his gaze. "I _have_ to get out of here."

D'cal wondered if he shouldn't refuse. If he shouldn't say that he'd
talk to his superiors and come back for them if they agreed. He had
come from the Weyrs. He knew what Holder's thought when women or girls
went missing. But hearing the tears in her voice, seeing the pain in
her eyes... What else could he do? "You said you back was already
packed?"

"Yes," she said with sudden hope in her eyes. Then before he could say
anything else she took off back down the hill her basket of herbs
forgotten. Jylanya clutched her skirts and lifted them out of the way
as she pelted down the hill. She swung in the back door of the hold
startling a drudge. She stopped "Tell whoever you must that I have
gone to the Weyr. They can find me there if they wish to. "

Laundry flew in all directions as she dug to the bottom of the pile
where she had put her bag. Pulling it out of the heap she turned to
see Flint coming through the door. She pulled his travel crate off the
shelf and stuffed him in. She couldn't just leave him on the farm.

In a matter of moments from her entry she was back out the door with
her bag slung over her shoulder and her feline's crate in one hand.
She ran back the way she'd come lifting her skirts out of the way of
her flying feet. Breathless she arrived back at the top of the hill.

D'cal had been rather shocked the way she just ran off like that. It
looked like the decision had been made for him! Shards, he hoped they
weren't going to get in trouble for this, he thought with a long sigh.
He slipped off Aosorath's neck as he saw her running back up the hill
with her bags. It was unwise to stay any longer than they had to. He
had no idea what to do if someone came charging up the hill after her!

"Here, hand me that," he said meeting her part way and taking her bag.
"No one's going to follow you, are they?"

"No, they won't follow," she said as she handed him her bag. She
really believed that to the bottom of her heart. For the first time
since she could remember, she was going to do something because it was
for her _own_ future. Something that someone else couldn't take away
from her. She was still young enough to make a life of her own. No one
here really cared deeply about her and she was fairly certain her
husband's children would be just as happy to be rid of her.

Her brother she could care less about. He'd basically sold her into
servitude for 17 turns by marrying her off to a man old enough to be
her grandfather.

D'cal lead her to Aosorath's side. "Do you mind if we tie your feline
to the side? I can secure the cage so it doesn't blow around." Some
people panicked at the idea that their precious pet might be hanging off
the side of a belt in mid-air. "It's much safer than trying to keep him
balanced on a neck-ridge."

"Of course, whatever you think best." She had to trust that he knew
his business. "Behave yourself Flint," she said as she handed him the
crate. Of course she had no frame of reference and was just keeping
herself moving forward by willpower alone.

The bluerider set the crate on the ground near his lifemate, and with a
well-practiced flick was able to undo the belt that held on the supply
sack he always took with him on sweeprides. A rider had to be prepared
for all sorts of eventualities when away from the Weyr, including
picking up stray passengers. He pulled out the cargo straps he would
need to tie the crate on, safety straps for a second person, as well as
a wheyrhide jacket. This he held out towards her. "You'll need this
ma'am."

She took the jacket from him and put it on. It was rather big on her
but she fastened it as best she could as he did mysterious things with
straps. Then she pulled her hat off her head realizing it wouldn't
stay on and shoved it inside the jacket. She could reshape it later.
When she put her arms down though her hands disappeared in the long
sleeves and she giggled for the first time in months.

D'cal turned at the sound and looked at how small the jacket made her.
"Sorry, it's the only one I have with me, I'm afraid," he said rather
chagrined. "Now come around the other side and we'll get you up." He
lead the way, mentally asking Aosorath to get as low as he could to the
ground and position his leg so it could be used as a step.

She shook her head still smiling at him. "No, thank you so much for
taking me." She pushed the jacket sleeves up her arms to get them out
of the way while she followed him around. She smiled as the dragon
seemed to offer her a step to help her up. "Thank you for giving me a
ride." she said to the whirling eye that had turned to look at her.
Then she stepped up on the offered foot and began to climb into her
seat.

D'cal instructed her on how to attach the safety straps before, once
satisfied that she was secure, swung up himself in front of her. "You
might want to put your arms around me, ma'am. It's safer, and warmer, I
assure you."

She did as instructed though it made her feel a little forward putting
her arms around a man she didn't really know. Her stomach was doing
flips and she looked back down the hill one last time toward the only
home she'd known for the last 17 turns. "Ok, I think I'm ready."

"Then hold on tight. One, two, three!" And with a spring and a beat of
the little blues wings, they were aloft and climbing higher into the
sky, leaving the Hold behind.

Last updated on the June 13th 2011

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