Close Encounters

Writers: Chelle
Date Posted: 18th January 2016

Characters: Rhosyn, R'gelen
Description: The two of them finally meet.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 10 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: G'nir, Saibra
Notes: Follows Testing the Waters

This was it. She had put on a nice dress. Since it was Dragonsfall, the
dress had a lot more fabric than most of hers. Rhosyn had also managed a
cloak of a color to complement it. Sighing, she pulled on her plait once
more before before she headed into the room. It was empty just then. The
fireplace was lit and crackling nicely against the chill even though the
heat was coming from below as well. The Weyrwoman found a chair and sat down
in it. She wished she had brought something to hold. It was too late now and
she purposefully set her hands in her lap. Now she would wait.

R'gelen had been told a few days before that today would be the day he was
going to meet his Aunt. The young bronzerider had had a moment of panic
before he tamped it down, causing Iroth to give him a strange look. The
young dragon was actually not worried about the whole thing, though he was
curious. Any sort of queenrider, relation or not, was cause to interest
him-even at this point in his development. So the weyrling had tried to get
a good pair of trousers and a tunic with embroidery that wasn't frayed. He
had grown just a bit more so new clothes were a necessity. His rider
training had also caused muscle development to start.

Realizing it was time and he couldn't put it off any longer, he took a brush
through his short curls, despairing at the way they just fell everywhere.
Giving up on the lost cause, the young rider pulled his boots on and got his
dragon to give him a ride. The short walk inside the entrance to the Lower
Caverns was a boon since it was quite cold outside. He hurried in and then
made it to where they were supposed to meet. He paused outside the door, all
of his fears running through this mind. He remembered everything his mother
had told him. He remembered what G'nir and Saibra had said.

}:She wants to meet you, remember?:{
**I know, but what if I disappoint her? Or what if meeting her disappoints
mother and father?** He still hadn't gone to see his parents yet and he knew
this would be a sore point if they ever found out. Then again, this was his
life now. He was a rider, not a holder. He was his own, now, not theirs. If
he wanted to know, he could know.

Making the decision and realizing he hadn't come all that way for nothing,
he opened the door and stepped inside. His eyes adjusted to the light and to
his surprise, he saw a woman in the chair. She was small-smaller than he
was. His brown eyes searched and met her hazel ones, but she was quiet as he
looked at her. He supposed he could see the family resemblance-more so to
his mother than to him. There was also a definite difference in her-the way
she held herself and the way she watched him with open curiosity. He didn't
recognize it to know it for what it was. When he was ready, he came inside
further and stopped again in front of her.

She got up from the chair and looked up to him, giving him the once-over as
well. "I am your mother's sister, Rhosyn. I'm Weyrwoman at River Bluff Weyr
and my queen is Orlaith." She gestured for him to sit and she sat down after
he did. "I saw your Impression-very well done. They tell me your Iroth is
strong."

Like most riders, it was easy for him to talk about his dragon. "He is
strong and big and he knows more than me sometimes." Realizing he was
blurting all of that out in a rush, R'gelen went quiet for a moment. "I'm
R'gelen-our duty to your queen. Just a weyrling here." He was quiet again,
squirming just slightly. He had made up so many questions to ask and now she
was here and he forgot them. She didn't look like a whore. Then again he
didn't really know what one was supposed to look like. He felt really
awkward.

"Listen, I'm sorry I never really came to visit. My father died, you see,
and were sort of split up. I didn't see my siblings really. I haven't seen
my mother in turns and turns. And I didn't know about you until the
Hatching." The goldrider frowned, hoping he believed her. She really did
wish she had more close ties to family sometimes. Those had been very
different days though. "You've done really well for yourself though."

**So she didn't know about us. That's why she didn't come. Well and maybe Ma
wouldn't have let her.** Still that made him a little better. She hadn't
forgotten him. Rhosyn hadn't known about him just like he hadn't known about
her. "Well I couldn't visit you either because I didn't know about you till
I went to the Hall. And I didn't have a dragon then or anything. Sorry."
Part of him wondered what type of relationship she was going to offer, if
any. Surely the fact that she wanted to meet him at all was a sign of
something.

"Oh? So they never told you about me?" She remembered Syngel's words at the
Hatching and found herself confused all over again. Still, she didn't ask
why. It was the past and she was trying to see if there would be a future.
This was boy was here and now. Rhosyn fiddled with her cloak. "Well
basically I went to Vista Point and Impressed there. I stayed until I came
to River Bluff a few turns ago and became Weyrwoman. Been there ever since."

He saw the marks of work on her hands. She made riding straps. She washed
and oiled her dragon. Rhosyn probably did some other things he had to do all
the time too. He started to imagine what her queen was like.

}:She is very beautiful:{ Iroth assured him, sending him an image. He could
see where Orlaith was perched with some other bronzes much older than he. He
didn't dare to disturb her though he still watched.

Unable to argue with that, R'gelen focused again on the conversation at
hand. "I guess I thought...." G'nir had told him not to say such things.
"Maybe I had a different idea of you, but you seem nice." He shifted his
body in the chair, becoming slightly more at ease.

"Oh I know there are plenty of stories about me floating around. Probably
only half of them are true." She laughed, a very loud sound. Rhosyn shook
her head and then offered him other news. "I do have a daughter at River
Bluff so you have a cousin. I suppose you could visit me if you wanted."

A cousin? He had lots of those already, what was one more? "Oh sure. Maybe
sometimes. I have to practice my betweens so that will help. River Bluff is
by the ocean right? Do you have seafood and swimming and stuff?" He was
becoming a bit excited at that prospect.

Despite herself, Rhosyn became caught up in his young exuberance. "We do and
waterball. I'm one of the team captains. I could teach you. Or maybe not.
They have a team here and if I give you my tricks you could beat me."

"Oh...well maybe not that then. But swimming?" His eyes were round and he
felt Iroth's approval at the idea of going to see what River Bluff was
about. Besides, she was his Aunt. She wouldn't really ever hurt him right?
Especially if she was a goldrider.

"Aye we can swim." She leaned back in the chair, judging the time they had
before he had to report for curfew. "So tell me about everything you've
learned here."

And then R'gelen began to slowly tell her stories about people he'd met and
things he had learned and things he hadn't learned. It was going to take
some time, of course. But at least they were talking.

Last updated on the January 20th 2016

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Close Encounters