An Education

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 28th January 2014

Characters: Rorela, Harki, Aaravon
Description: Harki decides that Paetri needs a little encouragement when it comes to sex
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 19 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Paetri, G'nir

"The absolute dirtiest book you can find," Harki told Rorela. "She can't
even say the word 'sex'."

The two greenriders had forsaken Dragonsfall's cold grey skies for the
warmth of Jade Harbour and its market. If you wanted it, it could be found
at Jade Harbour. The market was busy that day and they found themselves
elbow to elbow with traders, sailors, merchants and even other dragonmen.
The air was noisy with merchants' calling out their wares -- "Fresh fish!"
"Spiderclaws-- smoked or fresh! Smoked spiderclaws!" "Ribbons and yarn!
Ribbons and yarn!"

Rorela's eyes widened. "You're kidding me. And she impressed a green?" She
flicked her blonde hair back from her brow and shook her head. "A book,
huh?" She looked around at the stalls, and then back at Harki, with a grin.
"She a project of yours then?"

"Wellll... I wouldn't say _that_." Harki stopped to look over a set of
leather wrist bracelets displayed by a hopeful merchant before moving on. "A
project implies that it's work, and let's face it-- finding illicet
pornography is more fun than work."

Rorela tilted her head back and laughed, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"This is true." She glanced over at the bracelets, gave a shrug and moved on
to the next stall. "But you didn't say why you're trying to help her. It's
not like you're a weyrlingmaster assistant or anything." She glanced down at
the table in front of her and paused over a small silver ring. If she had
any weakness, it was for silver jewelry. Mentally, she thought of her marks,
calculated the cost, and sighed, moving away from it with regret. "If she's
such a prude, the most you'll get out of her is shock."

"Maybe I feel sorry for her. And maybe it's because Cerillith is utterly
infatuated with her green." Harki paused as they passed a trio of young
journeymen, who paused their own conversation to leer at the two
greenriders. "Camilth thinks Cerillith is the greatest dragon to ever take
wing, and Cerillith soaks it up like a sponge."

Rorela paused as well, blew the trio a kiss and with a flaunting flip of her
short hair, wrapped an arm around Harki's waist with a wink, then promptly
ignored them. "So, her green has a serious case of hero worship. You need to
educate the poor thing. After all, we all know that Upinth is the greatest
dragon to ever take wing. And she'll tell
you so. " She chuckled at Harki's eyeroll, but let it fade away with
thought. "But you know...she could end up in our Wing, so maybe you're
helping us all out. The last thing we need is an uncertain rider.
Shards...why aren't the weyrling staff dealing with it?"

"I don't know. They probably are. But you know how it is with some of those
holder kids..." Harki shrugged. "Her mother told her that sex was horrible
and painful."

Rorela winced and shuddered. "Poor girl, well...she'll learn soon enough,
especially with your help." She searched through the market until her eyes
lit upon a smaller alcove of a tent and grinned, gesturing. The little tent
was half-hidden away amongst the others and at the end of a long row of
traders selling volumes of hides and books, mostly looking as though they
had been...well loved. "Well, well...is that what you're looking for?"

"Looks promising!" Harki led the way down the lane and entered the tiny
tent. The light was dim and the canvas tent smelled faintly of mildew and
paper. Two tables lined either side of the tent, each piled high with
roughly printed books with onion-thin pages. An older man with an enormous
grey beard and thick, ink-stained hands sat at the
back. He looked up from the pile of paper in front of him and grinned at the
greenriders, revealing a gap in his smile where a front tooth should be.
"Dragonladies, welcome! I have many fine books-- are you looking for
romance? Adventure stories? Stories about bloody deeds and criminal minds?
Whatever you are looking for, Aarovan the Bookseller will have it."

"What about something that will curl a young lady's toes?" Harki asked.

Aarovan cocked a bushy grey eyebrow. "How curly do you want them?"

"Like curly little seashells." The greenrider tapped her finger against her
lip. "Got anything with pictures?"

The bookseller rose from his seat, put a finger to his lips, and beckoned
the two women toward him. "If you weren't from the Weyr, I wouldn't have a
thing for you. The guards are quite concerned with decency these days. But
Aarovan the Bookseller has something to please everyone... even
greenriders." He bent and retrieved a wooden box with
a lock from beneath the tablecloth, pulled a key on a grubby string from
beneath his tunic, and unlocked the box. It contained a pile of paperback
books much the same as the ones on display-- but these covers were explicit
rather than lurid.

Rorela watched with interest, silently recalculating her marks. Some of
those books were interesting enough for HER to want...Perhaps...Her eyes
sparkled with mischief, perhaps they could be slipped to a certain
weyrleader right before a meeting. She glanced at Harki, her grin wide,
obvious as to where her own thoughts were.

Her eyes flicked back down to the one of the book covers. Well...the woman
there was certainly flexible and the man...if a dragon man came at her with
_that_ during a flight, she wouldn't walk right for a week, which of course,
she wouldn't complain about until after said flight was over. She nudged
Harki with an elbow. "Are you just getting one?"

"That depends on our friend Aarvon charges for something like this," Harki
said. "Aarovan?"

"Well now..." Aarvon rubbed his hands together, sensing a sale. "I can give
a discount for multiple books purchased. But for one? Three marks."

Harki choked. "What!? Friend, that's too much... let's say a half mark and
shake on it."

"Would you rob Aarvon the Bookseller?" He shook his head, his grey beard
swinging. "These are dangerous commodities I sell. Two marks a book, and
that's the price for buying more than one."

"A mark and a thirty-second," Harki shot back, "And not a fraction more. I
keep you free of Thread, friend."

"A mark and two thirds," Aarvon said.

"A mark each if we each get one," Harki said.

Aarovan sighed. "You rob me. But all right. A mark per book, and don't go
flashing it around the harbour or the guards will be at me. But tell your
friends, all right?"

"A mark's still too much," Harki grumbled. "You in, Rorela?"

Rorela hid her smile as the two bantered and bartered; the byplay was to be
expected of any trader, but Rorela had often wondered if Harki was actually
a trader herself underneath her riding leathers. Her eyes flicked back and
forth to each as they spoke, her brow and facial expression revealing her
amusement. She had to admit to herself that she was far less patient and
would have probably spent far more than a mark on the books that were
offered, just so that she could be on her way with the prizes.

As Harki brought her into it, Rorela rubbed her cheek in
thought."Hmm...Throw in two leather bookmarks and you'll have a deal."

Aarovan shook his head. "I do not sell leather bookmarks. But I will give
you each a fine printed one, and you must promise to tell your friends to
come see me."

Rorela gave a little pout. "Oh, very well." She glanced at Harki and nodded.
"I'm in. You just have to tell me all about the reaction later. You have to
promise." She eyed the book she had chosen, a mischievous glint already
gleaming in her own eye. Poor G'nir would never know what hit him.

"Oh, I promise." Harki grinned and picked up a rather promising, slim
volume. "Paetri's education is about to get interesting!"

Last updated on the January 28th 2014

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An Education