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Post by ryanne on Feb 21, 2009 23:22:27 GMT -5
Liassa surveyed the Dining Hall from her seat rather speculatively. She'd already received her food and it was somehow uninteresting now that she thought about it. It was actually one of her first times out of the kitchens in a while. With the sickness running rampant, she figured it was best to take herself out of her retreat. The kitchens had been a wonderful distraction since her miscarriage and removing herself from it had been hard. She was used to the warmth and the movement of the bustling kitchens. She was used to her mother yelling at her to be useful. She was used to the easy banter of the drudges. She was used to hearing Tiaeth echoing in her mind, telling her to focus or asking her random questions.
Since the loss of her unborn child, Liassa had changed a lot of things about her life. She'd almost completely cut herself off from her clutchsiblings. She just wasn't ready to deal with any of it. Now, she was feeling just a tad bit better. Tiaeth had actually helped a lot. The young sleepy dragon blossomed into an almost mothering presence when she had slipped into herself. She had bullied, pushed, questioned, and forced Liassa into a better state of mind every time she felt like she was going to fall apart. Now the dragon was an active participant in just about any activity and didn't sleep half as much as she used to. Liassa was beginning to wonder if she had imagined the mopey sleepy weyrling turns that the dragon had gone through.
But now all of that was rather far from her mind. Instead, she was thinking about how much she had isolated herself. Swithin must think she'd gone out of her mind. She'd barely been able to get the words out when she told him that they're child was gone. Everyone she was close to was now so far out of her life. She had retreated into the kitchens with the drudges so much that sometimes she forgot that she was a dragonrider like everyone else. Now that isolation was getting to her.
Tiaeth was a social dragon and she had plenty of friends among the other dragons, but Liassa hadn't been ready. Now she supposed she had to be. It had been long enough. She needed to get back out there again. She was a dragonrider and she needed to act like such. For some reason, the first step was eating dinner in the Dining Hall instead of in the kitchens. The poison was just an excuse for her doing it... Okay, maybe it was forcing her to do it. Either way, this was her first step. Maybe she'd even socialize.
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Feb 21, 2009 23:34:56 GMT -5
Farryl was feeling happier this evening than she had in recent days. Her worries about the spreading poison and her friends' health still lingered in her mind, but somehow she couldn't help feeling cheerful anyway. The reason for this was currently clinging to her left shoulder, while Tille rode on her right. Hobbs' personality was like a sun in dark days. He reminded her of what T'ke's Garaeth must be like on a smaller scale. Nothing seemed to make him upset and both Tille and Peppeth adored him utterly.
The Dining Hall was fairly quiet when she arrived, but she did see one person that she had never seen before. It wasn't that she hadn't met her, there were plenty of older riders she had never been introduced too, but she was certain she had not even seen her in passing. For Farryl, who was in such a good mood already, it seemed the perfect excuse to say hello. She collected her dinner and approached the stranger with a welcoming smile.
"Hello," she said politely. "Do you mind if I join you?"
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Post by ryanne on Feb 22, 2009 10:54:43 GMT -5
She let her eyes drift as she thoroughly neglected the food on her plate. Everything seemed just the same as when she left. The Dining Hall was a bit emptier than usual, but the sicknesses were scaring a lot of people. She had a friend who was sick, but prospects looked good on her recovery for the moment. Food poisoning was not something to take lightly, but she had no where else to eat but from the kitchens. Unlike other riders, she wasn't fond of leaving the weyr to find food elsewhere. She supposed she had the skills to gather her own more fresh food, but that would take time that she didn't wish to spend out and about on her own. She may have isolated herself from the rest of the weyr, but it was the constant surrounding of drudges had kept her sane. Never letting her alone with her thoughts.
I helped with that as well, her cheerful dragon stuck in. The green was contently curled up on her favorite rock. Thankfully, she'd never outgrown it. She was still a petite dragon, despite the time that had lapsed.
Yes, love, you definitely did,[/b] Liassa replied, moving some of her food around with her fork. She knew she needed to eat, but her appetite simply wasn't there yet.
A small voice drew her from her silent musings though. She was a bit shocked by the interruption. Looking up, she saw a young girl whose knots identified her as a green weyrling. "Of course not, sit down," she managed to say, a bit shocked. It wasn't too long ago that her knots would have told the same story. Of course, through most of that time rumors flamed back and forth about the roundness of her stomach. She never truly had a normal weyrlinghood. A small flame of envy ignited, but Liassa quickly quieted it.
"I'm Liassa of the green Tiaeth. You are?" she asked, her voice light and polite. Socialization was nothing to shun.[/size]
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Feb 22, 2009 13:01:22 GMT -5
"Thanks!" Farryl sat opposite Liassa and took a bite of food. Eating with someone else dismissed the threat of poison from her mind. She couldn't starve herself until they found the source and at least her companion could go for help if the worst happened. Tille seemed to realize that all Farryl and the other would do was talk. Bored almost at once, she took off to see what fun she could have with Peppeth instead. Hobbs stayed, purring loudly into Farryl's neck.
"Farryl of green Peppeth," Farryl answered after swallowing a bite of dinner. "I haven't seen you around much," she added with curiosity. "How long have you been here?"
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Post by ryanne on Feb 22, 2009 13:27:59 GMT -5
Liassa silently evaluated the girl who just sat down across from her. She was pretty youg girl. She was obviously well learned in the world though. A scar across her forehead kept her from looking truly young and there was something in her eyes that made Liassa want to up her age a little. She smiled, though, not wanting to seem like she was staring rudely at her new dining partner. "Well met Farryl," she replied almost formally. She was simply not used to this game. Everyone in the kitchens she'd know for turns. The new introductions was something she'd left behind her. Almost a full turn out of the game had left somewhat of an effect on her manners.
"I'm weyrbred. Selenitas born and raised," she admitted, "I just have kept to kitchens for a while." She didn't expand upon that. She didn't think that a young weyrling would be the best to unload her problems upon. She caught herself on that line of thought. This girl couldn't be much younger than herself. She rarely felt like her own 17 turns anymore. "I know you're not Selenitasbred," she evaluated. She knew all the girls around her age that were born and raised in the weyr. "Holdbred?" she asked, guessing that was the girl's origin. She didn't have the wiry hardness from weyrs. It was more of a calm strength that holdgirls seemed to acquire after they've been through a bit of a hard time. She was willing to put money on her guess.
She had half a mind to inquire about the scar, but she knew better. If this was a Benden girl or a northern girl in general, sometimes the stories were way too personal. Liassa learned long ago that questions about injuries were best left alone.
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Feb 22, 2009 15:20:25 GMT -5
Farryl nodded at Liassa's explanation while she munch on her dinner. She certainly had the look of being weyrbred and Farryl rarely went into the kitchen itself except for chores. She took at little time to assess her new acquaintance. She seemed nice enough, though her eyes had a distance look as if she were thinking of other things. She also didn't seem much older than Farryl herself.
She smiled knowingly at Liassa's question and shook her head. "Not exactly. I was raised by traders," she explained. "Always moving from Hold to Hold." She looked a little wistful at the memories. It had been an exciting life at times, living Holdless, but often boring. Maybe some day she should track down Paukor and the old caravan and see how they were doing. Wouldn't they be surprised to see her dragonback!
Bringing herself back to the present, she made an inquirer of her companion. "What's it like growing up here?"
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Post by ryanne on Feb 22, 2009 20:53:56 GMT -5
Trader life, now that had to be interesting. Liassa had always been a bit of a romantic. Adventure was appealing, though recently mundanuity seemed to be a fair exchange. She wasn't up for too much excitement. Impression had been good for her. Tiaeth provided all the adventure she needed. "That had to have been interesting. I suppose you got to travel a lot." Liassa had never been out of the weyr and the neighboring holds. Sometimes she wished that she could just take Tiaeth and fly away, travel around and get to know everything about the lands of Pern. Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. She would never do something so irrational.
"Growing up here?" she repeated, "Well, I suppose it's like growing up anywhere else. You're a weyrbrat so you get in trouble, you get underfoot, and you love it. You spend half your time shirking your chores and the other half of the time trying to get dragonriders let you near their dragons. My mother's the headwoman so I'm used to it all. She kept me rather close so I had to do all my chores, but after that, I ran with the rest of the 'brats. I must admit, though, it was an advantage to have grown up in the weyr when I Impressed. At least I knew how to take care of my dragon. No lessons could prepare you for a baby dragon. I'd seen my friends go through Impression and I'd seen how often they had to awaken to feed their dragons. I'd seen it all. Of course, Impression itself nothing prespares you for."
Cue the glossy look that all riders seem to get when they think of the mindbonding that had happened during the hatching. But Liassa shook it off quickly. "How is your little one?"
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Feb 24, 2009 20:36:57 GMT -5
Farryl chuckled. "Yeah, I've traveled a fair bit," she admitted ruefully. Most of it probably hadn't been as exciting as Liassa was imagining, but it had been a good life. She took a sip of klah while Liassa explained what life was like for weyrbrats. It sounded like a lot of fun and Farryl thought wistfully of what it must have been like to have friends your own age. Only recently, with her fellow weyrlings and especially Saeo and Raylin, had she even know others her age for a significant period of time.
"No, it doesn't." Farryl smiled at the memory. Peppeth had been so tiny and adorable when she hatched. Even now Farryl could hardly believe that the little darling had chosen her, and the first of the clutch too! "Peppeth is such a dear and she's always so happy, even now." A slight frown crossed her face. "She's still so small though, I hope I'm feeding her enough." Peppeth stuffed herself every morning, but it didn't seem to help. Farryl shrugged and returned the question. "What about yours?"
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Post by ryanne on Feb 24, 2009 22:09:19 GMT -5
Her easy admittal of her travels made Liassa question a bit further. She always wanted to know how life was outside of the weyr. Selenitas Hold and the other closer holds weren't a great measure for life outside of Selenitas. They were way too close and way too, well, Southern. All of the refugees from Benden weren't too open with their experiences and she wasn't one to pry. Farryl was a traveller who didn't seem to be harboring bad feelings about telling her stories. Maybe she'd give her a better idea of life outside Selenitas. "So where all did you go? Is every place a lot like this?" Liassa winced at her naiive words, "I sound like a tiny weyrbrat tugging on the newcomer's skirts asking for stories." She grinned ruefully, a little embarrassed.
A very different smile appeared as the weyrling chattered about her dragon. She remembered how excited she'd been when she first Impressed. Tiaeth had been a shining little green bundle of sleeping love. That little hatchling could sleep anywhere and she did. That was still true today, well, at least the first part. She stayed awake a lot more now. And she decided that swimming was preferable to sleeping. That way she got sun and water at the same time. "I'm sure she'll grow," Liassa reassured the girl, "Tiaeth was a tiny thing and she still is rather tiny, but that's greens for ya. She'll mature just fine." She was worried for a time about Tiaeth, but those worries were overrode by the ones about her dragon's mind when she realized that she was pregnant. Part of her still wished that her dragon's size was the main concern of her mind at that time. Another part of her felt guilty for the first wish.
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Feb 25, 2009 17:16:59 GMT -5
Farryl chuckled at such an eager audience. She hadn't really had the opportunity to talk about it much, but she couldn't help it after she saw Liassa's reaction. "Oh, not like this," she waved a hand at the Weyr in general. "At least, now where else in the South has dozens of dragons in residence." She took a moment to remember. "But I've been to all the Holds around here. Blossom, Southern, Hyphen," she counted them off on her fingers. "even Lightower." She shook here head. "Now there's an odd bunch, I can tell you that."
Farryl smiled at Liassa's assurances. Somehow she felt better hearing it from another greenrider. If Tiaeth had grow well, than Peppeth would probably be just fine. "Thanks," she said gratefully.
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Post by ryanne on Feb 25, 2009 19:26:11 GMT -5
So she had stayed Southern. That was good. That explained why she didn't seem very shy. A lot of the Northern girls would definitely have hesitated before talking to someone above them in rank, even if it was just barely. Liassa had learned that a female greenrider was still trash in the North. Only having a dragon gave them any measure of control and even that measure was still very small. The few rescued from Benden were a bit jumpy and untrusting, or at least that was her experience with them. A Southern girl would have no issue with her and would be far more likely to plop down and have a conversation.
"It is amazing being around all the dragons now, isn't it?" she commented briefly, remembering her turns growing up, vying for the chance to help bathe the magnificent beasts. She couldn't imagine growing up without them. It had to be utterly overwhelming to come to the weyr after not really being around dragons. "How's Lightower odd?" Liassa questioned almost offhandedly. She was interested in what was different, not what was the same. She'd been to Blossom Hold for a Gather. It was nothing too different, but she'd never been to Lightower. They weren't very fond of throwing Gathers, or at least not any that they were inviting the dragonriders to.
"Where are you in your training?" she asked curiously. Her training had been interesting despite all of the controversy surrounding her. With the isolation persisting around her, she had nothing better to do in the beginning of her pregnancy besides to throw herself into the learning. With Tiaeth, they had learned to excel in agility and speed due to her slim form and practice. Swimming, somehow, seemed to help the little green dragon in the skies. It would be interesting to see if the tiny Peppeth would turn out the same way. The smaller, the faster. "Is she more feeble than the other dragons?" Liassa knew that when Tiaeth had begun to swim regularly, her body began to fill out a bit more. Maybe that could help the hatchling gain a bit more weight to reassure her rider. If nothing else, it would help the muscle.
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Rowana
Hive Mind
Handler Roivao Rider G'tor Rider Merridan Rider T'ke Rider N'rik Handler Porita Rider Farryl Rider Kyr'n[/color
Posts: 1,550
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Post by Rowana on Mar 1, 2009 14:33:50 GMT -5
"It sure is," Farryl agreed blissfully. It was like nothing she had ever dreamed would happen. Dragons were such wondrous creatures, it was hard to believe one had chosen to spend the rest of her days with the wandering girl. In many ways it was completely overwhelming, when Farryl was used to most being on her own. But Liassa was asking another question, so she returned her attention to the conversation at hand. "Lightower? Oh, they're just kinda," Farryl searched for the right word. "Stuffy, you know? They keep to themselves and don't like strangers. Whenever we went there, we never stayed long."
Farryl chuckled warmly at the inquiry about Peppeth's health, realizing as she did that she was probably worrying for nothing. "I should say not! She's en endless bubble of energy. Sometimes I have a hard time getting her to sit still long enough so I can get some rest. As for classes," she had to think about that for a moment. "We did leather making recently. That was pretty interesting." Farryl enjoyed working with her hands and learning new skills. At least skills like that. Intellectual learning was still a chore and probably always would be
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