First Comes Love

Writers: Chelle, Clancey, Paula
Date Posted: 14th July 2013

Characters: Lenala, Solieira, Rhosyn
Description: The three women make a plan.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 28 of Turn 7

Lenala

Preparing to hold her little meeting amongst her women, Rhosyn took a
deep breath. Many women would have been overjoyed by the news. Not this
one. She was likening it to prison. She hated being sick, hated being fat, and
hated having to pee all the time. She also didn't particularly look forward to
having a melon coming out of her later, but she would see this thing through,
then give it to a fostermother.

**I have to tell them so we can get organized and function** She
wasn't really worried. Lenala had finally proven herself
quite capable lately, being forced into full fledged Weyrwoman for
the most part. And Rhosyn had full faith in her Headwoman. She'd be able
to do some things. Just not...well there would be a lot she couldn't do when
the time came. Sighing, she waited for them to arrive.

Lenala came in first, her weyr being next to Rhosyn's. "Hi, Rhosyn.
How are you feeling?" she asked with honest concern.

"Ah better thanks.." She looked almost sheepish. "Though once Solieira
gets here, that's what we're going to talk about." She waited for her
headwoman, pointing her Wingsecond to the water jug she was keeping on
hand these days.

"Shall I pour you a glass?" Lenala asked walking over to the jug.

"Uuhhmm..please do thanks," she replied easily.

Lenala nodded and poured two glasses, giving the second one to Rhosyn.

Solieira rushed into the Weyrwoman's weyr, muttering about baker boys
and lousy-good-for-nothing drudges. "So sorry!! Sorry!" She apologized,
running late. That was SO not like her. But those bloody boys!! They'd
be the death of her in her old age.

"I'm here." She paused a moment to settle herself, focusing on the two
goldriders. "Hello Rhosyn, Lenala." Looking once more in control of
herself, she found a seat.

"Hey," Rhosyn greeted, taking a drink of the water, nodding to Lenala in
thanks. Once everyone was seated, she decided to just come out with it.
"Well first thank you both for your help. The Hatching didn't go as well as
I hoped, but everything turned out alright thanks to everyone coming together."

She took a breath and confirmed what they were probably suspecting. "So,
I'm pregnant."

Lenala just stared at her, wide eyed. She realized straight away what it
meant, what it meant for _her_.

Sol arched her eyebrows, but otherwise showed no signs of surprise, or
shock, or anything unusual. Flights happened and babies often followed.
She had already begun to suspect, anyway, given the Hatching events and
some other oddities in Rhosyn's habits of late. She took special care of
her Weyrwoman, after all.

She did make one leap. "You're keeping him then?"? She smiled at that, thinking
it would be nice to have a young one around to spoil. She had her own grandchildren
but they lived a ways away and she didn't see them very often. The smile broadened.
"Congratulations, Lady."

Rhosyn tapped her fingers on the desk. "Aye, this time," she admitted,
acknowledging that it was not normal behavior for her in the slightest.
"I keep telling the whole Weyr we need good candidates so I guess I better
set an example and do my part." She gave a dismissive gesture, trying to
be light about it but inside she was terrified. Rhosyn was not a mother.

"Anyway...I suspect as the time goes by, I'll be leaning more heavily on
your candidates, Sol, to help with things. And Lenala will of course be
leading the Wing as I'll be grounded though I can do most of my regular
duties as Weyrwoman even so and assist her."

"Of course," Lenala muttered. The she recovered her wits and
manners. "I'm happy for you Rhosyn," she said.

Debating whether or not to let the truth out, Rhosyn decided it might be
better said than unsaid. "To be honest...I'm not too sure about the whole
thing. There's a reason why it's my first. But...I suppose it's for a reason and I
will need someone when I'm older to remind me what I used to look like."
She snorted, knowing full well that the child would probably look like
its father with her luck.

Lenala really had nothing to say to that and just drew lazy circles to
her note-hide. She was thinking though. She and Rhosyn were the same turn,
and she just couldn't imagine herself with a baby. Honestly, she really
couldn't imagine Rhosyn as a mother either. Although she would be better
at it than Lenala. Suppose she just had to make sure that she didn't get
accidentally pregnant.

Sol chuckled dryly. "You are not the first new mother to wonder about
the "whole thing", Rhosyn. It will be fine, though. The good things about being a
dragonrider, and even more about being the Senior Weyrwoman, you'll have more
help than you need or want. You'll see... and you know we have some very
fine foster mothers here when the time is right. I will assign you one of
my younger candidates to be a helper as things go on. I've a younger girl
who is very gentle but very practical at the same time. I'll not have you
scaring her off, though, so just you be nice to her. She'll be your
eyes, hands, feet.. whatever you'd like her to do. She has a fine hand, too.
I often use her to rewrite some of my own hides."

"Aye I know. And all I have to do is birth the child. Then someone else will
do the mothering for me, thank Faranth." She already had a certain person in
mind, actually, but she kept quiet about it. "Well ladies, hopefully I don't
get as big as a Hold." Doing what she did best when she was scared to death,
Rhosyn turned to humor. Even in this day on Pern, women died in childbirth. To
Rhosyn, this pregnancy was a direct risk to her lovely queen. But she had to follow
through. She was too far gone. And there was N'vanik...

"No, you'll be as big as Orlaith and equally cranky," Lenala predicted
gloomily. One could see she was not happy at this turn of events. "Just don't let anything
happen to you, Rhosyn. This Weyr is so not ready for me as Weyrwoman," she wished.

"It'll take more than a baby to take me down." Deep down, though, she was
nervous. And the awful part about it was that she didn't have anyone to tell, to talk
to. She was all alone.

Last updated on the July 17th 2013

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First Comes Love