Post by lex on Nov 24, 2009 5:51:38 GMT -5
Believe it or not, being in a Main Hall was not something Casta was used to, despite growing up in a Weyr. In Benden, if you were female you attempted to stay as far away from the Hall as possible – it was a dangerous place. When the riders were in the Hall and in their cups, getting more and more drunk, you stayed away rather than risking yourself. As a result, Casta was still getting used to being able to have a sit down on one of the benches in the Main Hall, and it still amazed her that she could do so without fear of reprisal.
She was still getting used to the whole Weyr, as well. The layout seemed to generally follow the same logic as Benden, but after a week she was still getting lost. Casta could get from the kitchen to the Hall to the candidate barracks, and she supposed that she should be content with that, but she still planned to go exploring later. She might not Impress, but she was definitely going to stay in this place. If need be, she would stay at the bottom of the pecking order for the rest of her life if it meant never going back to Benden. It was odd, really, that she had never realised how restricting Benden was – how much she had needed to regulate every gesture, every expression – until she had come to Selenitas.
So, seated on the floor with her skirts spread neatly around her (and that was another thing about this place – clean linen every day!), Casta was tackling a basket of mending that she had been given by one of the weyrstaff. It was easy work, since she had been wielding a needle since she was old enough to hold one, and she was able to let her hands do the work while she looked around her. People were coming and going, chattering about what they had been up to, and riders were comparing stories of Threadfall. She loved sitting quietly, listening to what everyone had to say, and watching everyone go about their business. The time to just sit and relax was a luxury Casta had never before been given, and she was enjoying it immensely.
The other thing that drew here to the Hall was the chance to see the firelizards and salamandyrs who flittered through the air like bright jewels. There were more of them at Selenitas, and at Benden the few there were had been kept very firmly trained. Here, they were allowed to fly free for the most part, and Casta loved watching them. For a moment her hands stilled on the teatowel she was mending, as her attention was caught by two firelizards twirling around each other in mid-air. As her attention was distracted, she didn’t see the salamandyr creep into her basket – as she reached a hand in to pick out another piece of cloth, the tiny creature burst out of the basket with impressive force, sending the basket and its’ contents sprawling over the floor. “Shards!" Casta muttered under her breath, getting onto her knees to begin reclaiming every piece of fabric, some of which had been thrown a few yards away from her.
She was still getting used to the whole Weyr, as well. The layout seemed to generally follow the same logic as Benden, but after a week she was still getting lost. Casta could get from the kitchen to the Hall to the candidate barracks, and she supposed that she should be content with that, but she still planned to go exploring later. She might not Impress, but she was definitely going to stay in this place. If need be, she would stay at the bottom of the pecking order for the rest of her life if it meant never going back to Benden. It was odd, really, that she had never realised how restricting Benden was – how much she had needed to regulate every gesture, every expression – until she had come to Selenitas.
So, seated on the floor with her skirts spread neatly around her (and that was another thing about this place – clean linen every day!), Casta was tackling a basket of mending that she had been given by one of the weyrstaff. It was easy work, since she had been wielding a needle since she was old enough to hold one, and she was able to let her hands do the work while she looked around her. People were coming and going, chattering about what they had been up to, and riders were comparing stories of Threadfall. She loved sitting quietly, listening to what everyone had to say, and watching everyone go about their business. The time to just sit and relax was a luxury Casta had never before been given, and she was enjoying it immensely.
The other thing that drew here to the Hall was the chance to see the firelizards and salamandyrs who flittered through the air like bright jewels. There were more of them at Selenitas, and at Benden the few there were had been kept very firmly trained. Here, they were allowed to fly free for the most part, and Casta loved watching them. For a moment her hands stilled on the teatowel she was mending, as her attention was caught by two firelizards twirling around each other in mid-air. As her attention was distracted, she didn’t see the salamandyr creep into her basket – as she reached a hand in to pick out another piece of cloth, the tiny creature burst out of the basket with impressive force, sending the basket and its’ contents sprawling over the floor. “Shards!" Casta muttered under her breath, getting onto her knees to begin reclaiming every piece of fabric, some of which had been thrown a few yards away from her.
