The Moonflower

Writers: Jane
Date Posted: 21st July 2014

Characters: Lihona, Lineal, Mehan
Description: Lihona and her father visit the riverboat Moonflower.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 8, day 4 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentor Approved; Mentioned: Menore, Nalin, Rahona

Lihona skipped to keep up with her father's long-legged stride.

Her hand was held firmly in his large one because every now and then when she
was _much_ younger she had wandered away to do more interesting things. Not that
visiting the seahold wasn't interesting but sometimes her father stopped to talk
to people and they would talk for a long, long time and she would get distracted
by something interesting. She didn't _intend_ to make everybody search for her –
and really, they wouldn't have if she had been a _boy_ - but now her father made
sure he kept a hold of her and she didn't mind that much. It was nice to be out
doing things with him without having to share him with everybody else on the
Sungazer.

"Are we going to see the ships?" She could see the tall masts from where the
Sungazer was docked in the canal basin.

Lineal smiled down at his daughter, remembering being the same age and having
the same interest in the ships that were able to go further afield than just up
and down the Nettleweed. He didn't think Lihona's interest would drive her away
to an apprenticeship with the seacrafters but if that was ever what she wanted
it would be possible to get to the Northern Continent where an apprenticeship
would be permissible for her.

"Yes, we are. I have to talk to a captain of one and if you're behaving
yourself he might show you around the ship." The ship was one of those that
crossed between the continents and the captain was somebody he had known during
his time as a seacrafter. He didn't think the man would mind Lihona – even if
she managed to find some mischief to get into.

"Look!" Lihona stopped dead and pulled her father to a halt. "It's the Moonflower."

"It is." He knew his daughter was just excited to catch up with some of the crew
she knew from the other riverboat but his own better understanding of the
riverboat schedule told him the Moonflower should have left at first light. He
looked down at his daughter. "Would you like to visit with them for a few
moments?" The landing stage was out so they weren't about to cast off and head
back through the canals to the Nettleweed River.

"Yes please!" They were one day with the Moonflower at each end of route which
made her familiar with the crew – and possibly she could remember when the
Moonflower crew had spent a few months onboard the Sungazer while their boat had
been undergoing an overhaul.

Lihona's hand was freed from her father's as she stepped up onto the landing
stage and she headed onboard and up toward the common room. Lineal had no doubts
that the Moonflower's crew would welcome her, nor that she would cause much
problem about the other riverboat. While she was never exactly on her best
behaviour she did understand that she represented the Sungazer and her family
when they paid such visits.

His own footsteps took him up to the pilothouse where, as he expected, he found
the captain, Mehan, who was also the husband of the Moonflower's owner and
headwoman, Menore.

Lineal nodded an acknowledgement of the older man. "Am I interrupting, Mehan?
Lihona and I were just passing and she noticed the Moonflower was still here.
Anything we can help with?"

Mehan waved the younger man in to the room. "Not interrupting – there's nothing
to interrupt. We've a party of passengers – a large party – that have been
delayed but are apparently landed at the port now."

Lineal nodded. The Moonflower could make up the time even on the upstream leg of
the round trip and it would be foolish to miss an undoubtedly lucrative
passenger service for the sake of a few hours delay. "Didn't want to leave them
for us, I take it?"

"The ship had cleared the heads. Didn't seem worthwhile organizing something
with you."

Lineal knew despite the close relationship between the two riverboats the
arrangement wouldn't have been a simple hand-over of the business from one to
the other; the Sungazer would have had to pay a commission to the other
riverboat. Family and friendship were important to the riverboat folk but they
never lost sight of the balance sheet in either marks or favours owed.

"I hear your boy might apprentice as a technician," Mehan added, obviously
having followed his own thoughts.

"Nalin. Yes, he's talking of it."

"Do you think he'll come back to the riverboats when he's done with crafting?"

Lineal remembered how long it had been before he had returned, and then only
because his father was dying and he was his father's heir. Even then he wouldn't
have returned if Rahona hadn't been willing to marry him and move herself and
the children out of the Weyr and into a completely new life.

"He might take a while but I think he will. As I did. As many of us do."

"Hmm. We've a lad who also wants to apprentice but I'm sure he'll be back as
soon as he can be. His father's our engineer. Same age as your boy. If you think
there's any advantage in them apprenticing together let me know your plans for
Nalin and we'll see if they fit with our boy's."

"I will," Lineal promised, thinking that the chance to have another riverboat
lad for company when he went to the Technician Hall might be the impetus Nalin –
and his mother – needed to make the decision about going.

Mehan's eyes flicked to the wide windows in the pilothouse and he got to his
feet. "This looks like our party now. Thanks for checking on us, Lineal, and I
will expect to hear your plans for Nalin in due course."

"Let's catch up at Emerald Falls. We can discuss it in person then, over a meal.
I'll bring Nalin, too."

"Sounds like a plan." Both men left the pilothouse, Mehan sketching a salute in
farewell as he took the stairs down to the main deck while Lineal made for the
common room to retrieve Lihona.

The meeting hadn't taken more than a few minutes out of their plans for the day
and might just produce some useful results.

Last updated on the July 29th 2014

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Moonflower