Many Lessons to Learn (Shmee)

[kysseh]

It had taken the better part of half a candlemark to get herself dressed with only one good arm, and Savitri's face was a few shades paler than normal from the effort. Undaunted by this, the new weyrling settled her clothes neatly into place with her right hand. As she carefully slipped her left arm into the sling, she moved closer to investigate Hepaticath, whose belly was stretched slightly after a full meal. The gold had fought her only briefly when the injured young woman had put her foot down about how much was enough, and after a good oiling, the newly-hatched dragon was content, lounging comfortably with a white speck of a salamandyr curled up on her snout. Shadow had taken quick possession of this new shiny thing, to Savitri and Hepaticath's great amusement.

The young healer cleaned up her half of the room, mindful of her roommate who probably would not appreciate her mess, regardless of any state of injury. She kept her eyes on the little gold as much as she could, still disbelieving that the calm little hatchling had chosen her. After some time to mull over it, it had come to her how little she knew about dragonriding... and about queenriding, for that matter. Even now, injured and still a bit on the weak side from blood loss, it dawned on her that she was going to need some serious instruction. She tied her hair back in as neat a bun as she could manage with one hand, pursing her lips thoughtfully. Scrolls would not be sufficient in this instance. She needed real advice.

Satisfied with the cleanliness of her part of the room, she went over to Hepaticath, kneeling carefully to scratch the lounging weyrling's eyeridges. She knew what she needed to do. "Hep? Can you ask the senior queen if I can speak to the weyrwoman? I have a lot of questions," she said, smiling as one whirling blue-green eye focused up at her.

The hatchling acquiesced immediately and sent out a calm, polite broadcast toward Aslath's mental presence. //Mine wishes to know if she can speak to Yours. She has many questions and very few answers. She wants to learn.// the little hatchling said with the appropriate amount of dignity, earning herself an extra several scritches for her good manners.

Regardless of the response, Savitri awkwardly stood to leave the weyrling barracks with a promise to Hepaticath to be back very soon. The weyrling would relay the response, and even if it was in the negative, she figured she could use the opportunity for a walk anyway. She headed toward the stairs for the river, keeping her mind lightly touching on Hepaticath's so that she would be aware of the dragon's every need, though she worried little. The gold had no qualms about informing Savitri in exact detail what needed to be done for her, and the healer would know exactly if and when her dragon was wanting.

[Administrator]

Shmee was... sleeping. She was doing that quite a bit, lately. Whenever Shei slept, Shmee slept. Having a babe tired her out a lot, so every moment she could spare was dedicated to sleeping. It was a lot easier with S'rei living with her, though. He was able to help her where it was only herself before. But now, she found herself sleeping, snuggled in her furs, and Shei in her little bassinet within feet of her. She was in a deep slumber that only Shei would be able to break-- except, perhaps, if Aslath mentally prodded her enough. As Shmee unconsciously sank into the furs so deep that her dark head was covered, Aslath felt a voice in her mind that was unfamiliar, yet she knew instantly who it was. She crooned. It was her queen-daughter, the one who she had protected for all those weeks. It was because of this alone that she did not turn down the hatchling's request. For most people, she would tell them that Hers was too busy catching up on, unarguably, much-needed sleep. But since it was Hepaticath...

Of course,[/color] she replied peacefully. She may come right now.[/color] Now, how to wake Hers up... Turning her attention to Shmee, she gently said, Mine, Hepaticath's would like to speak to you. About queenriding things,[/color] the queen told her rider cheerfully, but forcefully. The sleepy woman groaned under her furs. It was so warm and she did not want to get out! The gold got firmer. Mine, if Hepaticath's comes and you are not out of bed, then you will have wasted her time.[/color]

Groaning again, Shmee slowly sat up, her black hair flying in all directions. Looking over at Shei, she watched as the flame-headed babe continued to sleep her deep slumber. She smiled a little. Shei was so cute when she slept, and it looked like she would remain that way for a little longer. This would give her time to talk with Savitri, and maybe get a couple minutes left of sleep before she woke up. Assuming Savitri didn't have too much to say, of course. She felt slightly bad. She wanted to have a close relationship with all of her queenriders, but she had been neglectful of that since Shei was born. And she hadn't really spoke with Savitri one-on-one yet, which was something she tried to do with every queenrider she'd got.

Pushing herself out of bed, she pondered getting dressed, but never acted on it. Still in her nightclothes (which messily consisted of a short-sleeved tunic and loose pants), she toddled out to the couch, flopping on it sleepily. She hoped that Savitri could find the place all right-- after all, it was the only one that had Aslath parked on the weyrledge!

[kysseh]

Curled comfortably on her couch, the little queen let out a very quiet croon as her clutchmother gave a gentle response to Hers' query. She shuffled her wings a bit and then settled down again, delighted to be able to get Hers when she so desperately needed. //Thank you very much. Mine is feeling a little overwhelmed.// Hepaticath replied politely to the senior queen, honestly and a touch of amusement in her tone. She turned her attention to Hers, who was halfway down the steps to reach the dragonrider weyrs. //She says that you may visit Hers, Mine. Right now, if you can.//

Savitri could not resist a light chuckle as she stopped for a moment to rest, despite the pressure that little bit of entertainment put on her stitches. She had to stop every few dozen steps, taking just a moment to not breathe too deeply. She was grateful that the weyrwoman could take the time to help her, for she knew she needed it. Despite Hepaticath's reassurances and her confidence in being able to handle most anything, Savitri wanted to know exactly what she was getting into. Already, the attention she was receiving was unnerving.

She finally managed to get herself to the proper weyrledge, which was physically more difficult than it should have been, due to her injuries. Finding it had not been a challenge, as Aslath's shining gold form was like a beacon. It had only been walking there that had put an abundant amount of stress on her body. She nodded politely to the senior queen as she stepped onto the weyrledge, stepping up to the curtain that marked the entrance to the weyr. There was nothing for it but to ask now.

"Weyrwoman?" she called, her voice quiet but unwavering. "May I come in? It's Savitri." Really, she did not know who else it would be who would so boldly approaching the weyrwoman's weyr, but she did want to be courteous, at the very least. She would not be so forward as to just enter without permission.

[Administrator]

Aslath huffed lightly in response to Hepaticath. It is quite all right. Being a queenrider means lots of new responsibilities. Mine remembers,[/color] she reassured the younger gold. Fortunately, Shmee would be able to help Savitri destress. After all, the girl was still a weyrling. There shouldn't be anything much to worry about yet. Her bonded had been forced into that, yes, but Savitri could enjoy weyrlinghood. Just so long as she had proper lessons from Shmee, this youngling had nothing to be anxious about. Figuring that she should say something else encouraging to Hepaticath, Aslath added, There is nothing to be overwhelmed about. Yours will survive quite easily. You chose her for a reason, and I know that you would not have chosen her if she was incapable of doing so,[/color] the senior queen told Hepaticath sagely, flicking her tail lazily.

Shmee had closed her eyes as she waited for Savitri to arrive. She was utterly exhausted, and was almost irritated with the girl for choosing now to come, but she couldn't be. For one, she truly owed it to Savitri to speak to her, and now couldn't exactly be called bad timing on a normal occasion. Most riders were up and about at this hour. Not allowing herself to sink too deeply into sleep, Shmee let herself slumber very lightly, resting her dark head on the arm of the couch. Maybe she could have S'rei take care of Shei a bit later so that she could sleep.

However, Savitri's voice managed to pull the woman out of her doze. Lifting her head and pulling her feet under her, she yawned. "Yes, come in!" she called, forcing herself to sit up. Running a hand through her black hair, she mussed it, but didn't care to fix it at the moment. As it was, she already looked like she had just woken up. Smiling over at the entrance, she stood slowly, stretching. "I'll boil some water to make some klah. Sorry, I just woke up from a nap. Shei's been keeping me busy." Smiling sleepily, she toddled over to the fireplace, setting a pot over it. Picking up the pitcher of water she poured it in.

"So, what did you come to see me for?" she asked cheerfully, her voice still low from sleep. Pausing her words long enough to strike a flame onto the wood, she smiled, pleased, as she watched the flame slowly creep up the wood. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to meet with you sooner-- I've been... busy." With Shei, with S'rei, and with sleeping... but she left out those excuses. Savitri didn't need to know that much! Bustling over to a cupboard, she pulled out a wooden box full of klah bark.

"Would you like a bubbly pie?" she asked in a rushed manner, bending over to a box full of ice that refrigerated cold things. "The cooks gave me some after the Hatching Feast-- Weyrwomen get first dibs on the leftovers." She grinned over at Savitri. Pausing for a moment, she quickly added, "Oh, and just sit down on the couch. It's more comfortable than other seating in this weyr." She chuckled. She hoped Savitri was feeling more at home here-- she wanted all of the queenriders to feel at home in her weyr.

[kysseh]

Hepaticath was both amused and comforted by the senior queen's reassurances, though more amused than anything. She had no doubts that Hers could handle it appropriately, but Savitri had been appropriately discomfited by her sudden rise in social standing. True, the young woman liked to be listened to, but the fawning was getting old quickly. //I told her that very thing, but she does not believe me... yet. She will soon. I think she is still somewhat surprised at the change. She seems surprised whenever anyone knows who she is without having met her before.// Hepaticath replied just as calmly, twitching a bit to get comfortable on her couch. Yes, Savitri would understand soon.

Savitri heard the greeting and pushed aside the curtain to step into the weyr, slightly surprised at the weyrwoman's less than tidy appearance. She had not interrupted her and her weyrmate... had she? No, the weyrwoman's words confirmed that it was her daughter keeping her on her toes, though Savitri did feel sorry for waking her. "I am sorry for waking you from your nap. I was going to set a time to come see you, but... I've learned that scheduling anything is impossible when you have a weyrling with an empty cave for a stomach," she said, her tone becoming a little wry with humor. "And I know how busy you must be."

What had she come to see the weyrwoman for? Or, better yet, what hadn't she come for? It was an important distinction, and she took a brief second to process before replying, giving the weyrwoman a slightly rueful smile. "Actually, I was just looking for a bit of guidance on what to do... and what to expect. It's rather strange to go somewhere and have everyone greet you by name even if you've never met. Hepaticath seems perfectly at ease with all of it, but I'm not." The offer of food was surprising, and Savitri shook her head slightly, gifting the weyrwoman with a polite smile. "No thank you. I'm not really hungry." Truth be told, Savitri ate very little as a general rule, even if she looked to have a few extra pounds on her frame. Even with bathing and oiling and feeding Hepaticath, her appetite had not increased. She was very used to hard work.

The offer for the couch was graciously accepted, and she nodded her head at the weyrwoman before moving over to the couch and taking a seat at one side of it, careful to not jostle her stitches. She did pull a few, which made her wrinkle her nose in a bit of a grimace, but other than that, the pain was quite bearable. "Thank you. It was a bit of a long trip," she said with a hint of self-recrimination in her tone. If she was not injured, the walk would have been a pleasant bit of exercise. As it was, it had been something of a trial. She suddenly remembered the other occupants of the weyr and was quick to inquire. "We aren't going to wake your daughter if we talk, are we?" Poor thing. The last thing an infant needed was a nap disturbed. As much as Savitri wanted and needed some guidance, a child's rest took far more precedence.

[Administrator]

Aslath rumbled, amused just as much as Hepaticath. I'm afraid that is one thing that Yours will simply have to get used to. Being a queenrider is something that will always make her stand out. Hopefully, she'll understand more by the time she's done talking to Shmee,[/color] she added cheerfully. People were always coming to queenriders with problems, or to try and wheedle their way into favoritism. Annoying, yes, but it happened. It was just another part of queenrider life. Fortunately, the dragons wouldn't have to deal with that part. Dragons treated them all the same, except that they always listened to queens, and Aslath could rid herself of any other dragon at any time. There was no worry to be polite, because she was the authority in this world. There was nobody to impress because nobody questioned her words.

Shmee yawned, pulling out a pie for herself. The cream on it had been carefully preserved, but it still wasn't as neat as the cooks had made it be the other night. Probably wouldn't be as fresh-tasting, either, she thought sadly. No matter. She was eating more now, however, than she had before S'rei had started living with her. She had been unnaturally thin for the longest time, but now she was beginning to gain some meat back onto her bones. "It's really no problem," Shmee replied with a small laugh, waving a hand. Well, it kinda was for her, but she could just have S'rei watch the babe later so she could sleep. "I've been meaning to talk to you since the Hatching, actually, but I've just been so busy with things... Flitters are getting sick everywhere, and S'rei moved back in, and then with Shei..." She sighed, and ran a hand through her dark hair. "It's just very hectic. It's so much easier having a full family again, though," she added firmly. She smiled.

Chuckling as Savitri voiced her concerns, she merely nodded. It was so odd, how different this girl was from Paryal. The previous weyrling queenrider had been extraordinarily self-confident, and took the attention from others in stride. It was almost as though Paryal had loved being in the spotlight-- no. Love was a bad word. Paryal expected attention to be on her. Did Savitri not realize it was the price they had to pay to be Weyrwomen? "I'll still get you some klah, then," Shmee added cheerfully, plopping the pie on a ceramic plate and grabbing a fork. Glancing back at the water, she shrugged. It wasn't boiling yet.

So she returned to sit beside Savitri on the couch. She had forgotten about Savitri's mauling, or else she would have asked, but Shmee was a forgetful person. "Don't worry, you can always fly down on Hepaticath once she learns to fly!" she told the girl cheerfully, beginning to dig into her pie. Plopping some cream onto her fork, she took a moment to savor the sweet taste on her tongue before taking some of the pie next. "Just let me know if you want some!" she winked. She found she was waking up rather quickly. Leaning back onto the couch, she rubbed her eye with a free hand.

Chuckling at the girl's next question, she shook her head. "Nope, we're safe. That's the thing about babes. Once they get into a deep sleep, they stay asleep. You could be doing something noisy and they'd keep on sleeping. Until they got hungry or something, of course," she added thoughtfully. She didn't know how long she had been napping, so she didn't know how much longer she had till the babe woke up. She assumed for a while, though. It didn't seem that long ago that she laid down to sleep. Taking another berry-filled bite, she rolled it around it her mouth a bit to warm it up before chewing and swallowing.

"Anyway, about everyone coming to you..." She grinned. "This is something you'll simply need to get used to, I'm afraid. Think about it: Three golden dragons in the entire Weyr, and you're one of them. Of course people are going to know who you are! But here's the thing: It's duty now. People are going to come to you with questions and expect answers, so you'll have to deal with it as best as you can. Well, you have a bit of leeway since you're a weyrling, but duty is going to set in awfully fast." The smile faded slightly. "I had only had Aslath for a few months before I started doing Senior Weyrwoman duties. Sera was incompetent." She sighed, and took the pause to have another bite of pie. "All I can say about this is just... try to get used to it. It's never going to let up in your life." She chuckled a little again. The responsibilities of being a queenrider haunted you for life.

[kysseh]

I hope so. She was not expecting to be important, but I knew it was her I wanted. She is very smart, and she is very sensible. Hepaticath said confidently, knowing Hers would be just fine. Savitri was far more capable than she often gave herself credit for. She had not slapped any of the annoying people who came to fuss, so that already proved that she was smart enough to ignore it. She did get very annoyed with the bronzerider at the Hatching Feast, though. She came back and was saying that an old bronzerider and his pets had bothered her. Not intentionally, but I still do not like that he was near her. the weyrling added, concerned for Hers' sake. Stupid old dragonriders.... if Hepaticath had been there, they would not have bothered Savitri!

Savitri nodded in understanding, giving a faintly rueful smile. "I can imagine it has been chaotic. I've been much busier, and I don't have half as much to worry about," she admitted readily. She tried to not grimace as the weyrwoman seated herself on the other side of the couch, as the motion had jostled her stitched wounds just a bit. Shmee's cheery comment in response to her dislike of the long walk was surprising, and the healer arched an eyebrow. Had the weyrwoman forgotten or just not known? The sling and the bulky nature of her torso should have been dead giveaways, but if the woman was still half-asleep, perhaps she just was missing those clues. Whatever the case, Savitri just flicked a slight smile. "I don't mind the exercise, usually. Just rough on the stitches."

Her nod at the repeated offer of food was very slight. "Just klah is fine, thank you." Shmee's reassurance that the infant would not be waking up soon made her feel much less guilty about intruding on the weyrwoman's time. Frankly, she had quite a few questions to put forward about the whole queenriding issue, and Shmee had just brought one up. "What sort of duties exactly, do I need to start thinking about, besides mediating.... issues? Will I be able to continue working in the infirmary at all?" She fervently hoped that she would be able to continue working toward her journeyman knots. The infirmary needed every available hand that it could get, and to lose even one would hurt.

So, she was going to have to get used to people coming up to her, then, to talk and to seek favors. Some people she would not mind. Liassa and M'ritz, As'lin and his adorable little Stillith... "They aren't all bad when they come up to introduce themselves. One of the weyrling blueriders and his dragon have been very kind and haven't asked anything of me. I don't mind them coming up to me. I just... wasn't expecting everyone to know me, not even with Hepaticath being so newly hatched. I hadn't realized how... well, special she was. Not special like she is to me.... but to everyone else."

[Administrator]

Aslath let out a long, amused snort. She did not expect to be so important?! Did she not realize how great, special, and rare queen eggs are?![/color] she demanded incredulously. Well, Hepaticath at the very least would realize this one day when she had a queen egg in her own claws. Even if her rider didn't seem to understand the impressiveness of it all. But the little gold's next words proved to be even more amusing. Rumbling, she shook her large golden head. She is being plagued by bronzeriders already?[/color] she asked, unable to hide her dragon-laighter. Child, that is how it will be for the rest of her life. She might as well get used to this, too. Queenriders gain more than a rank when we Impress them. They gain a whole new lifestyle. Being known and having bronzeriders doting on them for every waking moment is just something she needs to get used to.[/color] Poor Hepaticath, too young to even enjoy it. Aslath's eyes whirled cheerfully.

Shmee merely chuckled. "Weyrling days are busy," she acknowledged, taking another bite of her pie. "The first few weeks are the worst. You do basically nothing but feed, bathe, and oil your dragon, and in the few moments you're not, you've either got class or are sleeping." She wrinkled her nose. Oh, how she remembered those days! She was grateful now that Aslath hunted for herself, and bathings and oilings weren't as frequent. Actually, she thought curiously, she should probably do that for Aslath soon. She felt rather guilty about it. She had oiled her only once since the queen had come back off the Sands, and it was a rather hurried oiling. She made a note to do that later. Focusing her attention back on Savitri, she frowned a minute, taking in the sling for the first time as Savitri winced. Why hadn't she noticed this before? How did the girl get hurt in the first place?

Realization dawned on her as she remembered the mauling. "Ohhh, are you all right?" she asked anxiously, looking her over more intently now, half-expecting there to be more things about the girl that Shmee had forgotten about. She looked at the girl sympathetically. "Bad enough for stitches, hm?" she replied understandingly. "I suppose people do have to get mauled at Hatchings. It's a pity you were one of them. It's much more worth it when it's someone annoying who gets mauled." She winked, hoping Savitri appreciated the joke. It would be quite unfortunate to have a weyrwoman without a sense of humor.

Glancing over at the kettle of boiling water quickly as Savitri agreement to a drink reminded her of it, she stared at the water for a moment. Little bubbles were floating to the surface, but not many. They could wait a bit longer. Back to Savitri. "More duties? Oh, they never end for a weyrwoman!" she chuckled. "Mediating issues is only one. Another is going to meetings with the holds regularly to keep them informed about our happenings, and keeping track of tithing trains, updating records, making sure everyone gets paid, keeping the wings organized..." She ticked all of the possibilities off on her fingers, one by one. Surely enough to overwhelm someone, but Shmee felt not mercy when it came to that. She had had it so much worse when she was a weyrling. "Then there's making sure the Wingleaders are on top of their games, keeping track of transfers of both riders and crafters, and..." She paused. "Being willing to support people who need it." She smiled.

"Of course, that's only the tip of the iceberg. I'm sure I'm forgetting things," she laughed. She smiled sadly at Savitri's inquiry. "Sadly, you probably won't be able to get journeyman knots," she responded. "If it was an Interval, you might be able to, but Threadfall and the Wars are keeping things too hectic. You can certainly volunteer your time in the Infirmary if you can, but getting journeyman's knots would require far too much time away from your duties as a junior weyrwoman." She patted Savitri gently on the knee. "There are more healers out there that we can send a transfer for. But there's only three goldriders in this Weyr, and all of them are needed for their own duties." And her life belonged to Hepaticath now. It may be sad to let go of her old life, but having a queen changed lives completely.

Looking back over to the kettle, Shmee hopped up. The water seemed to be ready. Nodding her head to show she was still listening, she took a potholder and lifted the kettle and brought it to the table. Grabbing a couple cups, she mixed the klah bark in with the water, letting it steep. Slyly looking back up at Savitri, she rolled her eyes. Her reaction was very much similar to Aslath's. Did Savitri not expect to be known?

"Let me put it this way," she replied cheerfully. "Queen eggs are very rare, and girls will fight tooth and nail to be the one to get that queen. Girl cry if they don't get it, or, in the case of Aslath's Hatching, they could kill themselves over it." Shmee spoke that with relative indifference, carefully keeping the bark dipped in each cup. "Whoever Impresses the queen gets to help lead the Weyr. They are a mere couple ranks before me. Everyone wants it, but only one person gets it. You were the one who crushed the dreams of so many candidates out there. You're the one who joins me at the top." She chuckled, clearly getting a kick out of her little speech. "Of course she's special. You had something the other girls didn't, something that could prove beneficial to us one day. Hepaticath sensed it. You both are special." Looking back up from the klah, she smiled.

"This is why everyone wants to know you. They all know your name because of this. And you know what? It won't stop. So you might as well just get used to it." She shrugged, then carefully spooned out the bark with a spoon, dumping it into a waste bin. Picking up both cups, she brought them back over, settling them on the klah table, with one in front of her and the other in front of Savitri. "It may be annoying, yes, but just consider it a duty of a weyrwoman." She laughed again, and lifted the hot klah to her lips, slowly letting it warm her face before letting the littlest bit into her mouth. It was cute how surprised Savitri seemed to be about this. Did she expect to be treated normally after Impressing a queen dragon?

[kysseh]

Hepaticath took a moment to consider Aslath's question and the incredulous tone to the senior queen's voice. Finally, she hit upon what she thought was the most reasonable answer. She knows, but she doesn't /realize/. the little gold clarified. Yes, that seemed about right. Savitri had known how special and prized and rare the queen eggs were, but the girl had not fully entered into the realization that she was now on par with the rarity and prized nature of her dragon. She viewed Hepaticath as her only love and the duties as a job. She did not see herself as... important in everyone else's eyes. Yet. Some of the bronzeriders are irritating, but some of them are not so bad. She will understand soon. She is beginning to understand already. Hepaticath added, a bit gleeful as she sensed the cogs of Hers' mind beginning to click into place.

Oh, Savitri was most definitely beginning to recognize that her life was not going to be anywhere nearly like that of her fellow weyrlings'. No longer was she just a young woman and a dragonrider; she was a weyrwoman. The thought of it almost made her laugh aloud at the sheer incredulity of it, but the young woman only allowed herself the twitch of her mouth to indicate her shock and amusement as reality sunk in. This was the last thing in the world she could have expected, very last in a long list of impossibilities. But Hepaticath's amusement let her know that she not imagining things, and very soon, she was going to have a list of duties plopped onto her hopefully-capable shoulders. Her resolve steeled. She would do this properly, even if it meant having to endure the fawning irritations.

She barely recognized the weyrwoman's comments on weyrlinghood, mostly since she was well familiar already with how much work it took to take care of her darling Hepaticath. She was grateful the queen was not nearly as bossy or demanding as she could have been. Insistent, yes, but not arrogant. Perhaps that was why Hepaticath had chosen her, though Savitri still could not nail down a reason. It was possible she was not meant to understand, in which case she would not bother much more thought with it. There were more pressing matters, and at Shmee's anxious queries as to her health, she gave a nod and a brief smile, quick to reassure. "I'm all right. I know how to tend my own wounds, so it'll make recovery quicker. I don't have to bother the other infirmary staff," she said with the confidence born of much practice. She could manage her own bandaging and treatment now. Shmee's light statement about the more irksome candidates being preferable to herself in being mauled made the young woman twitch a reluctant smile. "I would rather have had it be that stupid, arrogant girl from the candidate lesson, but I can't argue much with the eventual turnout," she admitted. "Perhaps a dragon will keep her mouth from running her into trouble." Perhaps, but she doubted it. Felines did not change their markings, and people did not change their temperaments, simple as that.

The list of duties made Savitri's eyebrows rise, and the girl's smile turned almost wicked. Oh, lovely! There would be no end of things to do, would there? "I won't ever be bored," she said dryly, now feeling a bit more confident in her new and entirely unexpected role. The thought of giving up healing rankled at her, but she knew that with Thread falling and Hepaticath not able to learn to fly for awhile yet, she would be getting plenty of time to heal. "Well, between the wars and Threadfall, I'm sure my healing skills won't go completely to waste. In the meantime, I'll have plenty to keep myself busy with." Perhaps the weyrwoman did not know that Savitri found an interminable list of tasks to be a personal challenge and not a death sentence. Busybody that she was, she liked being occupied. On the matter of the Infirmary, though, she did have an idea to run by Kalierre, but that was a thought to be given consideration much later.

The weyrling watched as Shmee hopped up to fetch the klah. Her first instinct had been to get up and assist, but the dull ache of her torso reminded her that perhaps just sitting this one time would not be too terribly rude. Savitri was not stupid enough to miss the roll of Shmee's eyes, and she strongly suspected that it was for the same reason that Hepaticath had just prodded her mind to relay the senior queen's amusement at the whole situation. She gave a faint smile of self-recrimination at the thought, nodding in polite thanks as Shmee set the cup before her. "It was naive of me to think that I'd be the same as any other weyrling. It just seemed... odd for people to suddenly be so respectful," she said, picking up the cup of klah with her good hand and blowing lightly at the surface to cool it. Burns to the tongue were incredibly painful, and she would rathe be able to taste her food. "Honestly, though, I don't know why nearly every girl on the sands was so desperate for Hepaticath to go to them. Most of them would likely have fainted under the list of duties you just gave," she added mildly, and if she looked slightly amused, could she really be blamed? The thought of that arrogant little Celeyn trying to garner the respect of the weyr was laughable, at best.

"I did send correspondence to my parents about the Hatching," she said along a different vein, her green eyes dancing in amusement. "You can imagine their absolute shock. I could barely discern the message for all their scribbles." Her father had been delighted, and her mother had thrown an absolute fit that she would not be settling down with a nice young man. The very thought made her snort softly, and she took a sip of klah to cover that. "I think Mother would have an emotional breakdown if she knew all the details of weyrlife and dragonriding. She was none too pleased hearing about Hepaticath as it was." Much as that hurt her, to know her mother's support would not be with her, Savitri had been on her own far long enough to know that she would be fine. She was starting to form her own life here, at the weyr, and the family from back home was, though loved, a thing she could not affect much from this distance.

"What do you suggest I do now in between lessons, chores, and taking care of Hepaticath?" she asked, returning to the general area of their previous discussion. "I suppose I should get to know some of the leaders in the weyr since I'll be seeing them a lot, correct? The wingleaders, the weyrleader, the junior weyrwoman?" Actually, she should have said the other junior weyrwoman, but she was reluctant to put herself on the same level as the other woman for the time being. When Hepaticath was fully grown, they would be closer to each other in rank. For now, though, she was simply a special brand of weyrling, as it appeared. "It's a bit... of a shock, to think about a sudden elevation in rank. Before the Hatching I was just an apprentice... and a candidate. Now... it's strange." That was a mild understatement of her turmoil of emotions. Oh, she welcomed the work, but that did not mean she was still reeling from her sudden elevation in status. Shards, but this would take some getting used to.

[Administrator]

Once again, Aslath was rumbling. Her daughter was quite cute, she decided. Liking her already, she huffed in derision of not just Savitri, but of humans in general. All humans are like that,[/color] she explained. For some reason, they make things so much more complicated all the time. How they /know/ something but not /realize/ it is completely beyond me. For me, if you tell me something, I get it right away. There is no 'sinking in' involved.[/color] If all humans were like her, she thought, there would be far fewer fights in the world. It was the thinking about things that caused conflict. Sure, she had been affected by a fight once, but part of it was because she had been broody. In most situations, she was calm and peaceful. If there was little thinking about everything and if people understood things straight away, there would be less chaos in trying to figure things out.

Bronzes shouldn't be worried about yet,[/color] she told Hepaticath kindly. They give you a headache when you are older, but you are young now. You are innocent. Do not let them bother you. If they try to make you want them, I will deal with them,[/color] she told the younger gold with a grunt. It made her angry if the bronzes or their riders would mess with her daughter and Hers at such a tender age. She would certainly speak to them if they tried to annoy her. They were the draconic equivalent of a pedophile, in her eyes.

Shmee smiled a little. It would help, certainly, to have a queenrider with knowledge of healing arts. "Just, if you ever need hel with yourself, don't ever hesitate to ask," she replied lightly. "I don't want any of my girls sacrificing their health because they thought they could handle it. Or anyone, for that matter," she added thoughtfully. "Anyway," she went on, "if you get scored, for instance, I will expect you to get some help with that!" She laughed.

She was greatly amused by Savitri. "Snotty girls do deserve maulings more than girls like us, but I guess Hepaticath makes up for it?" she asked with a wink. She sighed. "Girls sometimes calm down, but still are mostly themselves. So if she was snotty as a candidate, she probably will remain snotty to some degree. But that's life, I guess. There's always snot and there's always good. But we live with it. We have to, as Weyrwomen." Basically, it was Weyrwoman Snots vs. Normal Snots. It all came down to who has the most power in the end, though. But they had to take the manner of which they handled thing into consideration. You could be sunshiney with a grumpy, self-absorbed woman. Fight fire with fire.

She chuckled. "Nope, never bored," she remarked cheerily. She paused. She should get back into full swing soon, she thought with a sigh. She'd been trying to only putter around lightly lately due to her injuries after returning from Benden, maternity leave, and the refusal of most holds to meet with the Weyr. But she would have to fix all this soon, she thought grimly. The holds needed to be called in, to discuss what to do with the tithes and their allegiance. She also had to schedule her wing drill, too... She wrinkled her nose. She had been doing the lighter duties, but the heavier ones like that... she sighed. She needed to get planning.

Nodding in approval at Savitri's willingness to continue her skill when needed she found herself unable to suppress another yawn. Covering it quickly with her hand, she stretched a little more before flopping back deeper into the couch. "It's nice to have healing knowledge in whatever you do," she agreed. "Even an apprentice's knowledge can be helpful. So that's wise. I just can't over-emphasize the point that you can't stress yourself. When you get stressed, it agitates your queen, which agitates the dragons, which agitates basically the whole Weyr. In my opinion, I don't think you should work in the infirmary till the end of weyrlinghood-- so long as Hepaticath isn't flying." She smiled a little. "It's just hard to balance lessons, chores, and a baby dragon. It's also going to be worse for you, because you'll need extra lessons with me and shadowing me through duties to make sure you know how to do everything." She took a sip of her klah, flinching at how hot it was. She pressed her scalded tongue to the roof of her mouth. "I just burned my tongue," she explained in amusement.

She simply shrugged off Savitri's mild statement. Unconsciously, she knew she was echoing Aslath's own feelings on the subject, but it felt like her own thought as she said it. "We don't always realize things even if we do know their significance," she replied easily. "It's weird, isn't it? It's like a delayed reaction." She giggled a little. She paused, and the smile faded a little. "People like the prestige that comes with Impressing a gold. Every girl wants it, even if they keep telling themselves that they won't Impress her. In my case, the queen was basically not allowed to pick anyone else besides Seresta. We all knew that she would get the queen, so we weren't allowed to touch. But sometimes, late at night, a few of us girls would sneak onto the sands while Fath slept, and touched Aslath's egg, because of that secret little desire to maybe Impress her. In our dreams." She laughed a little. "For some girls, they don't like the idea of not being in charge. If it was something they were raised doing, they're not going to want to suddenly fall under the reign of someone else and not have any power. But that's how it often happens." She shrugged. "Even the most egotistical girl can Impress a green-- and love it."

Shmee, however, was glad that her new charge actually had a head on her shoulders. She would be good at handling whatever Shmee had her do. Experience in another career was extraordinarily helpful in this situation, because it was just a shift from one work to the other, unlike for some. Even Shmee, when she first Impressed, had balked at the amount of duties given to her, because she had been pampered in her childhood. Then again, she did have to take care of the duties of the Senior Weyrwoman, too... But no matter. It was a sudden change, regardless of what kind of duties it was. But Savitri should be well-adjusted. Shmee had utmost faith in her.

Her smile faded slightly at the mention of her parents' reactions. Reaching out a hand, she rubbed Savitri's own. "Aren't they even the littlest bit proud?" she asked gently. "It's hard for holdfolk to understand how things work in a Weyr. They're extremely conservative compared to us. But your mom also needs to remember that her daughter is among the most important people on Pern now." She smiled a little. She hadn't talked to her own parents-- or brothers, or baby sister-- in the longest time. They didn't know yet about Shei... so maybe S'rei would accompany her sometime. It would be good to see the family again. "Well, we're your family now!" she added brightly. "We're always around for each other, supporting each other..." Her voice trailed off, leaving her with just a simple smile before daring to attempt the klah. Blowing on it first, she slowly put it to her lips and tested it with her tongue. It wasn't as bad now, and she sipped more.

She nodded. "Meeting everyone is an excellent plan, though it's not necessarily too urgent now. While yes, it is going to be a sudden elevation in rank, you're not going to be expected to participate in much just yet. You're still a weyrling, after all, and that means you're outranked by just about everyone for now." She winked. "People are still going to respect you though..." She frowned, then exclaimed, "Oh! This brings me to an excellent first topic for a queenrider to know-- this is something you're going to need to learn."

Setting her klah down on the klah table, she adjusted her position on the couch, sitting cross-legged on the cushions where she faced Savitri. "Rule number one for queenriders: Control your queen. Paryal had problems with this when it came to me, so I'm making this an urgent lesson," she added in a nervous laugh. "Even though Hepaticath is still a baby, she still has influence. But queens have an instinct for being bossy, and trying to command dragons to do her bidding. I admit, even Aslath has problems with that at times, and queens always, always will have problems with that. Hepaticath will, as well. So don't let her, especially at such a tender age, think it's okay at all to boss the other dragons around, whether they're weyrlings or full-grown dragons. So just keep an eye on that-- they can get messy if it's not controlled." She laughed a little. That could get very bad in that case.

[kysseh]

Mine is very smart. She will be fine once she figures it out for herself. Hepaticath said calmly, having the utmost faith in Hers. Yes, Savitri was a smart and sensible girl, and the gold would not have picked her otherwise. But this was apparently a big change for her, and all things considered, Cath thought her bonded was doing rather well. She had not lost her temper or bossed anyone around yet, and Cath thought she was being appropriately sensible.

Aslath seemed upset that the bronzes and riders took it upon themselves to get to know the little queen, but it did not bother Cath much. The bronzes are very nice. I like all of them that I have met so far. Mine just does not like Theirs, mostly. She had a good name for the difficult ones, but I can not remember. she added a bit ruefully, wishing she could remember what that term had been. It had been funny too, and she knew that the senior queen would have been amused too. But... well, it would come to her. She just had to wait for it to come back, and in the meantime, she had to make sure that Hers was not overly stressed by this... lesson.

Savitri managed a smile at the thought of tending to her own Threadscores. Well, if it was accessible and minor in nature, she would just do it herself. Other than that, help would be necessary. She was skilled, but she could not tend to a wound on her back or shoulder where it was impossible to see. At Shmee's comments concerning Hepaticath, she nodded in agreement. Yes, Hepaticath more than made up for any mauling, and she touched on her dragon's mind just to make sure the little gold was all right. Hepaticath seemed confused by the need for reassurance but eagerly told Hers that she was having a pleasant conversation with the senior queen, which brought a mild smile to Savitri's face.

At the weyrwoman's yawn, Savitri was startled from her thoughts and watched the woman slouch again, wondering if she should offer to come back another time, when the woman was not half-asleep. But, she continued to talk, and Savitri had to acknowledge that the woman had a point. "I haven't been in the Infirmary much at all. Cath has taken up most of my time," she admitted readily. "I just told Kalierre to call me if she was ever desperate for help. What sort of lessons will I have with you?" The change in topic might have been quick, but the young woman was curious on that point. She knew weyrling lessons would be fairly comprehensive, but perhaps there were some finer points that the weyrwoman wanted to discuss with her. Understandably so, since Hepaticath was one of only three queens in the weyr, though that thought still gave Savitri a brief second of pause.

"Try eating some of the pie. It eases the burn quicker," she advised the weyrwoman, remembering giving a similar statement to many, many younger siblings. Shardit, but she almost missed herding that stampede of wild beasts around. They had been entertaining. Frustrating and frightening, when they got into dangerous things, but they had never, ever been boring or short on affection. "I think Impressing a gold is like any position in power, then. People want the position, just not the responsibilities. They want to be noticed. Really, they could have the prestige, if I could give it. It's strange to walk into the room and have everyone know you by name when you haven't met a single one of them."

Shmee's gesture of... affection? comfort?... was surprising, and Savitri was unsure if she liked it or not. In either case, she reached for her klah when her hand was free and blew on it lightly before taking a small sip. Ahhh... no burns required, there. It slid down quite pleasantly, and the healer took a moment to enjoy it, despite the lingering ache through her torso. "My father was very happy for me. My mother wants me to return to the hold, Join with one of the young men, and start producing babies. I thanked my father and informed my mother that I wouldn't do that, no matter how much she cried," the young woman said simply, and really, it was as simple as that. Shmee did have a point, though. Holdfolk were incredibly more conservative about things, and Savitri had noticed that about herself when it came to the topic of Flights and Flying, etc. "My mother doesn't care much about what sort of dragon I Impressed. She's fretting more about the fact that I did Impress and will be joining into the weyr's style of living. She never was very sensible in that way."

At Shmee's sudden and abrupt turn of the conversation into a lesson, Savitri was surprised that that particular lesson even had to be on the agenda. She set her klah down on the table and angled her body lightly to face toward the weyrwoman, mindful to not pull on the ever-sensitive stitches. "I just assumed that I was supposed to control her. She is important, but even as a weyrling, she can't be in charge." It made her wonder why Shmee had to put so much emphasis on this. Hepaticath was strong-willed and had tried a few times, but Savitri had immediately quashed that idea, however well-intentioned the little gold was. It just did not bode well for future interactions, and Hepaticath need not be encouraged to boss. "She isn't very bossy, most of the time, but she does try to order the weyrlings to get to lessons on time. We argue, and she never does. She is persistent, though," she admitted a tad reluctantly, wishing Hepaticath did not feel to stick her shining nose into every situation that needed 'fixing'.

[Administrator]

Just do not let them try to make you biased towards any one of them while you're young,[/color] Aslath warned Hepaticath. She wasn't upset with bronzes, but she was protective of her daughter. It was far too early to have bronzes try to ensnare her. Just like human girls did, bronzes sometimes liked the idea of power, and she wouldn't put it past them sometimes to try and make a young queen be biased towards any or one bronze. She was not going to let her daughter be forced into that on her watch. She bristled. I'm not saying you shouldn't be around bronzes. But if it looks like they're just trying to get onto your good side, and trying to take advantage of a weyrling's naivety, they will have me to contend with.[/color] She rumbled with dark amusement. If Hepaticath thought she was kidding, she would be proved wrong if any of these sorts of cases were discovered happening to her daughter.

But she would have to to let Hepaticath go completely free someday. Perhaps even soon. But for now? Hepaticath was still her hatchling. Innocent. Needing protection. Well, maybe she was being too protective... She grumbled. She couldn't help it. It was her first queen-daughter. Savitri, she supposed, was going to have to be the only thing that could truly aid Hepaticath with this. A dragon could only mature by herself and by her rider. But Aslath could still teach her those ropes, right? This was a reassuring thought. Yet the last sentence had Aslath snorting with laughter all over again. A name for them?[/color] she asked with obvious signs of amusement. I do hope it is a name that is appropriate for young ears![/color]

Shmee nodded sympathetically. It was unfortunate that the infirmary would have to lose another one of their hands, but at least she knew healing at all. But it made sense-- if Kalierre was desperate for help, and if Savitri was keeping up in her lessons, she might let her help her until things were controllable. But onto other things. "Oh, just things that you won't learn from a typical weyrling class," she shrugged. "Queens have a ton of things all of their own. There's... Learning Weyr administration, and in-depth learning about the politics of the place, and how to sort out disputes fairly. Of course, then there's dragon related things." She laughed. There were so many parts of queens that were so different from normal, that she was slightly surprised that Savitri didn't expect private lessons. "Well, in addition to what I'm teaching you now, you've also got to learn about Flights and how they're so different from green Flights, the reproductive cycle for dragons, the use of a flamethrower in the air, the basic laws of what you should and should not do when Hepaticath is heavy with egg, what you need to do whenever a different gold is due to Rise... And that sort of thing." She yawned again, covering it frantically with her hand. Shells, she needed to control her bodily functions! If she kept this up, Savitri would think she was lazy, and that was not what she was going for!

But she did chuckle. She didn't need an excuse to eat more pie! Cutting another piece with her fork, she made sure to get some of the cream on it, bringing it to her mouth and running her tongue over the cream. Now this was good. Certainly good for her poor scalded tongue! Though her tongue did sting a bit still, the pie was distracting. She savored her bite, chewing slowly and thoughtfully before swallowing, and then saying, "Are you sure you don't want some pie?" She winked. It would make her look a lot less piggier, she thought, though she was cheerful. She didn't really think she was acting like a pig. Still, she wanted to share.

She sighed. "I agree with you there. So common with would-be queenriders. With Seresta, she just liked the fact of ordering people around and getting her way. She never once thought about how others might be affected, which is so important for queenriders." She shook her head. "Even with seemingly routine things, like tithes. It isn't about yourself. You have to think to yourself, Are they able to afford to give us this much? Are we able to lighten up on them just this once? That sort of thing. You have to think about everything with these duties. It isn't just telling people what to do." And that had been Seresta's major flaw.

I saw that in her, you know,[/color] Aslath pointed out.

You remember her, then?

She tried to force herself upon me. Of course I remember.[/color]

Shmee smiled lopsidedly at Savitri. "It's strange to suddenly be known, yes, but it'll die down. Everyone's excited because it's new news. But soon it'll be old news, and people will just see you as they see me and Kaegan. And in new situations? You'll be used to it. It's a part of life now." She shrugged, and took another sip of her klah. It seemed to be getting better with each sip. Her tongue was only warmed mildly now instead of full-out burned.

She nodded with a thin-lipped look. The dance Savitri's mother seemed to be dancing was one that was so common with holders. It was always unfortunate if ties were severed with parents over an Impression, but it worked for the better for the rider, who usually always was happier with weyrlife. Shmee, of course, still loved the idea of her family with S'rei, and was grateful that she had the chance for it. But there was no pressure to keep making babies-- it was her own choice. A choice she relished. "I hope she stays in touch with you," she told the girl earnestly. "Even if she doesn't agree with this lifestyle."

She grunted, her thoughts turning dark. "But when I say control her-- I mean to make sure that she understands that she isn't the boss of the whole Weyr-- including Aslath." She sighed. "Look, I'm really trying to not make myself sound all-powerful... But Aslath is the senior queen, and Hepaticath needs to know that she isn't the senior queen." She paused, unsure if she should tell the girl about Paryal. It was good that Hepaticath didn't seem bossy, but she felt the need to justify why she was probably sounding high-and-mighty.

"It... We've had... a problem. With this sort of thing. About... a little over a turn ago." She paused, not wanting to talk about it for a moment, but she felt she had to explain it. She didn't want to look like an unreasonable fool. "Our... I'm sure you heard of Paryal, of gold Aezanth. She was the gold weyrling pair that Impressed a couple turns ago. Well, I was pregnant with my first child. And things had been stressful, so I hadn't given Paryal the necessary lessons. And..." She bit her lip, chewing it nervously. "I had gone to give her the first lesson, but she had decided that since I hadn't talked to her, then she was her own independent person-- free of Aslath. She didn't view me as her Weyrwoman, and had become superior. But she also hadn't learned that being a Weyrwoman, you had to feel. So in addition to not accepting me as a Weyrwoman, she felt no sympathy at all as I had a miscarriage in her room." A shadow crossed over her face. "She told me that it was normal to have a miscarriage. She told me that I'll get over it. I was excited for that babe. I was four months along." Her fists clenched. "Then she continued to taunt me, even then! She said I bleated like a sheep." Her jaws clenched along with her fist, and she stopped. There was a moment of silence as she tried to find the next words. "She had rejected me as her Senior Weyrwoman and then rejected me as a human. Having a queen went to her head in a dangerous way. If I had died, she wouldn't have blinked and eye. She thought herself superior." Angrily, she chopped another piece of her pie violently. The crust sprayed at both of them.

Shmee flushed. "Sorry," she murmured, dusting herself off, then lightly doing the same to Savitri. Thinking of the high-headed, late junior weyrwoman made her angry. "I just... don't want that to happen to you and Hepaticath." She loosened her jaw. "Weyrwomen who are at conflict over power can be dangerous-- both to individuals as well as the whole Weyr."[/size]

[kysseh]

Hepaticath rumbled softly with amusement, glad that her queenmother was amused. It was appropriate, but it was funny too. I can not remember... Cath said mournfully, wishing she could remember. She tried to search her mind for it but came up empty and just let it go. If she remembered, she would tell Aslath at some later time, providing it stayed on her mind long enough. I am sure the bronzes do not wish to make you angry. They are not being mean or too flattering or anything of that sort. They are all very polite. The goldweyrling's tone was thoughtful, and she let herself ponder for a moment, wondering why her dam was so stirred up. The bronzes would not try to do anything inappropriate or immature... oh! Mine called Theirs immature knot-grabbing... somethings. Oh, why could she not remember?!

"I'm sure I don't. Thank you," Savitri said politely as the weyrwoman offered her the pie. She really was not hungry and rarely ate if she was not hungry. She had a few extra pounds on her frame as it was, though much of it was muscle, and she needed no more. "It sounds like I'll have plenty to learn, then. Are there any scrolls in the archives that you recommend? I do a lot of reading in my free time, so it wouldn't be any hardship to add to it." She made a mental note to swing by the archives anyway. She wanted to do some research on the holds' relationship with the weyr so she got a better idea of what she was dealing with. Her home hold was not keen on the weyr, and it made her wonder why.

She almost felt sorry for the girls who pined after queens. The poor things would not handle the responsibilities if slapped into the position, and she firmed her resolve to be a wise and considerate weyrwoman. She prized sensibility, and the last thing she wanted was for the attention to go to her head. "It sounds like a lot more is done behind the scenes than I thought. I don't mind not being treated like anything special. I'll be too busy to want people to notice me much," she commented quietly, taking yet another sip of her klah. At Shmee's comment about her mother, she flicked a brief smile. "We'll keep in contact, and I'll visit home every now and then once Cath is grown, if I have the time to spare." 'If' was the big key word in that statement. Free time like this was rare.

Shmee's explanation about Hepaticath needing to stay under control was surprising at first, and Savitri wondered why Shmee would be so impressing something so logical on her. She had no problem with being second to Shmee and Aslath, and Hepaticath seemed to have no problem either. She was about to respond when Shmee began to explain about the previous junior weyrwoman in her position, and she was absolutely disgusted by the description of Paryal and Aezanth. It was ridiculous, really, that Paryal had been allowed to gain such arrogance unchecked, and even if Shmee had not brought her to heel, someone else should have. The weyrleader, perhaps? She was silent, even when she was dusted with pie crust, and even then, she simply worked to brush herself off, aided by Shmee and her good intentions.

"Regardless of the fact that miscarriages happen sometimes, her insensitivity is shocking. I am sorry to hear that that happened to you," Savitri said, and the tightness around her mouth displayed her anger at the long-dead girl. "She would've become much more dangerous had she lived. As cruel as it sounds, I'm glad she did not survive. You don't have to worry about Cath or I trying to take over the weyr." Her tone became more grim now at the mere thought of it. "Cath would not think of upsetting Aslath, and I have no desire to rule this weyr. You and Aslath are older and more experienced; you're in charge. Simple as that." There was no rancor, envy, or any sort of flattery to Savitri's tone. The girl was plain-spoken, blunt almost to a fault. She had no intentions of getting above Shmee... not unless there was some real danger afoot, which she doubted.

Her left shoulder was becoming stiff, so she tentatively rolled it to ease the ache, distracted from the dark thoughts of a conflict for power. Really, she was not about to fight Shmee on much at all, if on anything. She was smart enough to pick her battles, even if it rankled on occasion to have to keep her mouth shut. The only time she could imagine losing her temper was when friends... or family... or safety was involved. Granted, that could cover a large portion of situations, but she trusted that she would be sensible enough to be reasonable when the situation arose.

[Administrator]

Aslath huffed, but it was an amused huff. Just as long as she is not teaching you naughty things, she can call the bronzes whatever she desires,[/color] she told the younger gold. This was a smart little one. She seemed to know that it was all right to make fun of different bronzes. That was a good thing to do-- she didn't want Hepaticath to think the bronzes were better than her. It was fun to humble them every so often. Deciding to give Hepaticath some of her wisdom, she said, My dear, when you become proddy, you will find everything a bronze does makes you angry. Sure, outside of that time, they are tolerable, but when you become... oh, what's the word? Hormonal? Yes, hormonal. When you become hormonal, even their being polite is enough to make you scream at them.[/color] She rumbled cheerily, not at all perturbed by that thought. It would be a while yet before she would be in that state again, so why worry about it now? You should ask her what it was,[/color] she encouraged playfully.

Sighing dramatically, Shmee took another bite of her pie. The girl could suit herself, she supposed. Though who in their right mind could reject pie?! Dismissing it, she nodded eagerly as Savitri talked of scrolls. "Of course-- I can drag some out of the Records so you can read up a bit. They won't substitute for lessons, of course, but they still will be very helpful to look at before," she told the girl. "Have you been there yet? If you haven't, it's really dusty, so you might want to watch yourself the first time in there. And if a scroll looks like it's crumbling in your fingers, don't touch it. Part of our job is copying over old records." She laughed. "It's so impossible to read sometimes..." Realizing she was straying from the topic at hand, she tried to steer herself back on track. "Well, the queen ones should be more recent, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble about that," she amended, pretending that she had never gotten off the subject in the first place. She was good, what could she say?

Nodding curtly at Savitri's reaction to Paryal, she let there be a brief silence before continuing, in a slower voice. "Horrible as it sounds, I agree. Yes, I neglected to teach her. But it shouldn't give her a right to treat me like scum." Her jaw clenched all over again, the unfairness of Paryal's behavior coming back to haunt her. So what if miscarriages were common? Everyone and their mother knew that she was so excited to have that babe. Then 'Paryal... ugh. That girl, even in death, left a bitter taste in Shmee's mouth.

So it was a relief that Savitri would be-- and already seemed to be-- completely different. She smiled weakly. "That, at least, is a reassurance," she commented earnestly. "I like it when good Weyrwomen are in the Weyr-- not bad ones." She wrinkled her nose, and patted Savitri's knee absent-mindedly. She hated how superior she sounded as she had described herself, but she wanted to take no chances. It wasn't as though she didn't trust Savitri, but after seeing what her flaw had ended with the first time? It was carefulness, and she was relieved that she wasn't being fought on it.

"So, do you have any other questions?" she asked, firmly keeping her mouth shut over a yawn. All it did was stretch her cheeks a bit, but she was fairly certain that Savitri hadn't noticed. She would keep Savitri here until the two ran out of things to talk about! "What are you studying in lessons right now?" she asked determinedly.[/size]