Sudden Ambition

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 6th June 2015

Characters: Solis, Solai, Z'kai, Soliha, Zakis
Description: Solis' daughter's sudden ambitions spark a family squabble.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 13, day 14 of Turn 7

Solis' family tradition to meet up on the second sevenday of every month
had been established Turns ago, as the children had gotten older and begun
to apprentice out to the Crafts, where their parents couldn't see them as
often. It was an especially beloved tradition now that none of them lived
in the same place, the slow drifting apart of the family in geographical
terms complete, though their fierce familial attachment to each other had
never wavered.

They were meeting in a small and currently unused lesson room of the
Technicians Hall at Jade Harbor Hold, having been conveyed there by Z'kai
and Lakiath. There was food spread out across the table, abundant and
eclectic since everyone had brought a basket from their home location. Now
they sat, catching up on the recent changes in their lives. Most of it
was small talk, funny stories about how projects had gone wrong or
information on how their lives had changed for the better.

And then his oldest daughter opened her mouth and kicked over a nest of
tunnelsnakes with her words.

"I'm thinking about taking a Hold appointment," Solai blurted out during a
lull in the conversation.

The Master Crafter looked at his daughter, mingled surprise and concern in
his widening brown eyes. "A Hold appointment?" he repeated slowly.

She nodded. "I like being at the Hall and free to take classes and invent,
don't get me wrong. But I'd like the chance to actually do some hands-on
practice with different systems."

Solis could understand that desire. His own journeyman Turns had been
filled by traveling from Hold to Hold, working with different types of
generation technologies. But it had been different for him. He was easily
accepted as just another Crafter. The idea of his daughter - his
beautiful, smart, determined daughter - assigned to a Hold, when they
treated women Crafters like aberrations against the natural order at best,
put every one of his protective instincts up.

The Technician knew that arguing with her would just trigger her temper.
So he tried to keep his immediate negative response to the thought out of
his tone. Instead he tried to project just casual curiosity. "Which Hold
would you pick? There aren't many who would take women."

"Are you crazy?" Z'kai broke in before his sister could answer. Unlike his
father's tone, his was openly accusatory. "Crafting at a Hold? What's
wrong with one of the Weyrs? You've been - "

"It's kind of limiting to have to pick between - " she started.

"Enough," Solis snapped in his best angry parent tone. Both of his
squabbling children looked up at him. Zakis, who had been quiet so far,
was looking at the table instead of any of the family.

"Z'kai, let Solai answer my question before you object," Solis continued.

Her reply was promptly delivered. "The top two candidates are Amber Hills
and Emerald Falls. Amber Hills already has a lady Technician assigned
there, so we've evidence that they'll take them. And Zakis is at Emerald
Falls already and says their Lord is very welcoming."

It was clearly a well-thought-out response, which meant she'd been
thinking about this for some time, Solis realized. That was interesting.
He wondered what had put the idea into her head.

"Just because they allow female crafters doesn't mean it's a good idea for
you to go," Z'kai said as soon as she was done. "A Hold says they'll allow
female crafters, but that doesn't mean it'll actually welcome their
presence, or treat them well. _I_ think it's a horrible idea for you to go
to either."

Solai narrowed her eyes at her brother's words. "It's my decision, not
yours. What you want doesn't really matter," she snapped out.

Zakis spoke up for the first time since Solai had brought up the subject.
"There's a lot of similarities in the power sources and the electrical
design of most of the Weyrs. A Hold is an entirely different work
experience."

"You're just saying that because you want her to come work with you,"
Z'kai accused.

Zakis shook his head. "Can you imagine Solai agreeing to follow any of us
anywhere? She's too bloody-minded for that."

Soliha had always been the level-headed peacemaker of the family, and now
she cleared her throat quietly. "I'm with Zakis. Her choice of Hold might
be…slightly influenced by being aware of a supportive presence," she
temporized. "But the decision to seek a contract must have been hers
alone."

"It was," Solai confirmed. "Whether or not the Hall offers me one is on
the Hallmaster. Not on any of you. And whether or not I take it is my
decision alone."

Standing up to what must have felt like the whole family's disapproval
wasn't easy, but Solai had never taken the easy path. She pressed her lips
together till they were a tight thin line, the gesture that the whole
family recognized as implacable defiance. She would fight them on this
subject any way she had to.

"We just worry for you," Soliha said, before either of her brothers could
say something that would spark Solai further. "Women like us going to the
Holds… They're not a welcoming place for us anymore. And if you're doing
it, you're braver than I am. Or than our brothers are. They don't have to
worry the same way."

Zakis nodded, looking at his brother. "I did tell her how lovely the Falls
is, but then again I haven't had any trouble. I should have thought more
about the Harpers experience before I talked it up."

"And I shouldn't have been so hard on you either. It's just…I've seen
Holders be nasty before. Blueriders aren't exactly popular," Z'kai
reminded them all. Soliha flushed slightly; she'd forgotten. "I don't want
you to face what I have."

Solis felt proud of all his children at that moment. They'd worked out
their squabble without too much intervention on his end, something that
reminded him that as much as he still thought of them as his young
children, they were their own adults now. They could make up their minds
as to their own future.

"You'll have to let us know what the Hallmaster says," Solis said. "We'll
have to throw you a party before you leave."

"Assuming I get accepted," Solai pointed out.

"Of that, no one has doubts," Soliha said with a laugh, which the rest of
them joined in on.

Last updated on the July 8th 2015

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Sudden Ambition