Between Old Friends

Writers: Len, Suzee
Date Posted: 7th November 2011

Characters: Arippa, Halah
Description: Arippa confides in Halah what happened to her with the Healer
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 4, day 2 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Zathris, Faldrimme,

Arippa

Only one more room to clean, Halah mused to herself, as she walked
down the steps. Only one more room, and then get all the washing in
and then go help out in the kitchens. A drudge's work was never done.
She rubbed her forehead, exhausted.

She was almost to the bottom of the stairs when she heard a noise. "Yes?"

Arippa's eyes were filling with tears and she hugged herself as she
walked toward her room. She just wanted to hide and cry. It wasn't
that she didn't understand what had happened and why but it was
nonetheless an invasion of her person she'd never dreamed would happen
like that.

Involuntarily she sniffed to suck back the tears. She looked over at
the drudge, "Sorry, it's nothing." She got to her door and began to
push it open when she had to cover her face to hide the silent sobs.

But of course. Halah stiffened when her old friend said that and
turned her back to her. Since their harper classes had ended, the
girls' lives had taken a different turn. Arippa was a Lady in the
making, Halah was nothing but a drudge. The plump girl turned to
leave her old friend to it when she head the sobs.

"Arippa? What's wrong?" She moved to the tall girl's side, watching
her with concern in her eyes.

She tried to control herself as she finally got the door open. "I'm
just being silly." She dodged into the rooms she shared with her twin
and thankfully Faldrimme wasn't there.

"No you're not." She was never the crying type before, so if
something had reduced her to this state, then it must be bad.
Forgetting her anger with her, Halah, put an arm around her shoulders.
"If it helps, you can tell me, I'll keep quiet about it."

She wasn't quite sure she actually wanted to say what had just
happened to her. If she put it in words to another person she'd
probably sound like some sort of baby. But then again she also knew
Halah and once the other girl got a hold of something she wouldn't give
up until she got the truth out of you.

"It's just..." she couldn't spit it out.

"Just what? Come on Arippa, we used to be best friends. Why can't
you tell me?" She peered up into the dark girl's face and sighed.

"I had to go for a physical to check and make sure I'm capable of
having children before we can think about an alliance, it was all
very embarrassing because he had to... well touch stuff." It poured
out of her in a continuous stream

"Oh...shards!" Halah put her arms around the other girl and hugged
her tight. "That's horrible! Why would they have to do things like
that, you're not a broodmare!"

"I just wish I hadn't had to go alone." She hadn't realized it would
be quite so difficult for her. If only her stepmother had been
available to be there if only to hold her hand.

"I can't imagine any man touching me...there." With or without her
mum around, Halah couldn't fathom how terrible that would be. She
shuddered and squeezed Arippa's shoulders. "It's funny but being a
drudge, I just figured you and your sister get the best of everything.
It never occurred to me that you have to do things like that, and you
get no say in your husband."

Arippa shook her head and wiped her tears. She resolved to let this go
and move on. It was over and done and there would be more than that
needed when she bore children for her new Lord, whoever he might be.

"Well from what my aunt says," she began. My Uncle Zathris thinks
maybe I should have a say." At least she didn't have to worry about
being tethered to a man she could never like or was old enough to be
her father.

In a low voice, Halah muttered, "I don't want a husband. I don't want
children." She glanced at her friend.

Arippa's eyes opened wide. "But Halah you must, as we all must. The
plague decimated all the holds around here and we have to repopulate.
There are never enough craftsmen when you need them. Perhaps you can
be the one to attract one to stay here and live at Amber Hills. My
grandfather married three times and had almost 20 children. Because we
needed them all."

This had been ingrained in her with her mother's milk and everyone had
always said how lucky they all were that she and Faldrimme were twins.
Two babies in one pregnancy was very desirable. The fact that she
_was_ a twin heightened her chances.

The smaller girl eyed her strangely. "Yeah but I don't want to.
What's such a big deal about all this re population anyways? If we
need people so badly when why don't we bring in some Northerners?
They have plenty of people. And how is it so important that the lives
of us girls end up being all about babies? It's_so_boring!"

"Do me a favor and don't ever let the headwoman or Lord Zathris hear
you say that." She didn't really much care what her friend really
wanted to do with her life. But saying that kind of thing where it
could be overheard could get her in trouble.

"I know that I want to." She smiled thinking of having her own babies
in the future. Her family was huge thanks to her grandfather and she
loved the feeling of family all around her.

Halah just shook her head and sighed. She would go from the womb to
the grave without ever having had a say in her own life. It was so
unjust. "I wish I had been born in one of the Weyrs," she muttered
under her breath.

Arippa looked at her friend and thought about what she'd been told
about life in the weyrs. "Really?" She was sincerely puzzled by the
other girls statement.

"Yes, really." She nodded her head. "The girls there have freedoms
we could only dream of, they get to be harpers...and dragonriders
even!"

"Have you presented yourself when a search rider has shown up? You
know Lord Zathris wouldn't stand in your way if one of them said you
could go." Arippa herself though she revered dragonmen as she ought
to, didn't particularly want to join them.

"You don't think? Every other man refuses to let girls go, why should
he be any different?"

"Well I know how they're supposed to act but Uncle Zathris is
different. He might even let Faldrimme craft!"

"Of course, she's his niece." Like any of the girls of Blood had to
live the same lives as the girls of no rank.

"True, but I don't really think he'd tell ya 'no' if you were
searched." Arippa was just a little puzzled that the girl didn't quite
get how her uncle was trying to change things for everyone at the
Hold, not just his family.

Halah smiled and reached out to rub the other girl's arm. "Enough
about me, I came in here because of you. So, you okay now?" As
concerned as she was for Arippa, she was also aware that she had a
mountain of work yet to finish before her day was over.

"I will be," she said. Arippa felt a sudden shiver run up her spine as
if she could see her own future. There would be a time when she
wouldn't be able to just chat easily with a friend who she'd known all
her life. She smiled at Halah. "Thanks for checking on me."

Last updated on the December 5th 2011

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Between Old Friends