Friendship is More Important

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 11th May 2019

Characters: Urlene, Chaysea
Description: Urlene shares her news with Chaysea and the pair discuss other matters as well.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 26 of Turn 9

Urlene

Their regular tea was going to be a bit more exciting, Urlene thought
with pride, glancing down at the new knots affixed to her shoulders.
She readied the kettle, fixed the cheese plate and bustled about her
quarters. When the knock sounded, she looked up and poured tea into
the waiting cup. She had much to discuss with her friend. "Come in,
Chaysea."

"Sorry I didn't have time to bathe before I came," Chaysea said as she
came into the weyr, smelling like numbweed. "It was numbweed day and
the Candidates did more harm than good."

Urlene's nose wrinkled only slightly. She wad used to the smell, but
had never liked the process of making the salve herself. It had been
the bane of her years as ab apprentice. "Next time, get some of our
apprentices to help. Away least they're a little more reliable." She
scooted just a little away from Chaysea's usual chair, giving her

plenty of space.

"It's a chore the darling Candidates have to learn," she sighed as she
seated herself. "You look different tonight," Chaysea said with a tilt
of her head as she regarded her friend. "I can't place my finger on
what it is though."

There was another difference, but it wouldn't be something that
Chaysea would ever expect, nor would it ever be discussed. Instead,
Urlene's eyes glinted with humor and more than a little satisfaction
instead of her usual reserve. "Hm. There is." She poured herself a
cup of tea and sat back, pleased. "I'm afraid im going to have to
request new quarters, Chaysea."

Chaysea's eyebrow arched even as her eyes zeroed in on Urlene's
shoulder. Ah! There it was! "Are those your knots, my dear, or is
there a Master walking around with a naked shoulder?" The Headwoman
grinned.

Urlene finally gave a wide, triumphant smile. "They're mine! Master
Solmon promoted me yesterday evening after the surgery." Her chin
lifted with pride. "I did it, Chaysea. I finally did it!"

"Congratulations!" Chaysea beamed. "If I had known I would have
brought some celebratory items from the kitchens."

She waved a hand. "Thank you. Don't worry about any of that though.
I wanted to surprise you. " She sipped her tea. "Do you think though
that I could possibly get larger quarters? Maybe with my own small
bathing pool? If there's room, at least."

"Many of the larger quarters with bathing pools were taken up by River
Bluff families who were forced to move. Some have been trickling back
out as they decide where they want to live. I'll check tomorrow and
see what we have available." Chaysea raised her teacup to her lips.

Urlene sighed. "Well, I can understand that. It's not pressing." A
smile hovered around her mouth. "Oh, did you hear the latest rumor?
I'm not usually one for gossip, but I thought you might be interested
in a certain little tidbit that's been going around."

Chaysea perked up. "Gossip?` Let's hear it."

Urlene looked down at her cup, swirled the remaining liquid around and
spoke nonchalantly. "Where you aware that you and I are actually a
couple?" She glanced up, a wry smile on her lips.

Her eyebrows rose. "I wasn't, but if I'd known I most certainly would
have bathed before I came and brought you a gift, _darling_." Chaysea
laughed.

Laughter bubbled up Urlene's throat. "Well, apparently almost everyone
thinks we are since we obviously aren't attracted to men and spend so
much time together. I would have appreciated the bath, but, alas." She
finished her tea. "As a matter of fact, apparently, that's why you
adopted Seayra, so we could raise her together." She chuckled and
shook her head, pouring another cup.

Chaysea nearly snorted up some of her tea in laughter. "I am just
imagining who must be perpetuating these rumors. Granted, we would
certainly be the _best looking_ couple in the Weyr."

Urlene couldn't help but laugh. "Not necessarily. I've seen some
greenrider couples who are _quite_ pretty. They seem not to realize or
remember that you have dated men. You didn't exactly hide it, but I
think it's probably someone who's propositioned one or both of us and
we've turned them down."

Yes, there had been L'pin, but their relationship had been very
modest. There really hadn't been anyone other than him in her time at
the Weyr. Chaysea tended to focus on work, and now on Seayra. "I can't
even count how many propositions I've received, or how horrible the
pick-up lines. I can only imagine how yours is since they're
half-dressed doing it."

"Well, since you're definitely attracted to men, perhaps you should
take someone up on a proposition." Urlene shrugged. "I'm used to. It's
stopped for the most part, except new arrivals." She paused, thinking.
"However, that Lorican, the injured smith that was here last month, he
was actually quite polite and seemed very sweet. I don't think I would
have turned down having a drink with him, if he'd asked. But he didn't
before he hurried off." She shrugged.

The Headwoman lifted her shoulders as well. "There are some nice men
here but... I don't know. None of them have been enough to tempt me,
if that makes any sense."

"It does. But some are rather attractive." She pushed an errant
thought from her mind and continued. "You could just have a wild
affair, you know. Something to satisfy particular needs but nothing
that's permanent. I've given it some thought lately. Perhaps that's
one thing that the weyrfolk are right about."

"Maybe," Chaysea agreed, "it's not as if I hadn't considered it."
Something so casual would never have entered her mind before moving to
Dolphin Cove, but the longer she lived at the Weyr, the more
empowering she found it to be. She could decide what was best for her,
whether a career, a family, or a relationship, and there was no one to
tell her not to do it.

Urlene's brows rose at the comment. "Really? You have?" She leaned
forward. "Now _that_ is interesting. So why don't you?"

"I just haven't found someone yet, I suppose." Chaysea said avoiding
Urlene's eyes and looking into her tea instead.

Urlene leaned back and sighed. "Well, I suppose I can understand
that." She sipped her tea thoughtfully. "But it's not as though we
don't have options, should we choose to explore them."

"That is the refreshing part of the Weyr, isn't it?" Chaysea's rose
from her tea. "The options we have."

Urlene frowned at her cup. "How long have you been here, Chaysea? A
few turns, right? I've been here sixteen. I've been focused on
Crafting true, and I wouldn't change anything I've done to get where I
am now, but it makes me wonder sometimes what I've ignored. Why should
we ignore our needs over some silly morals we were taught in Holds?
I'm not saying go wild and moth flights or that sort of thing, but
perhaps we've clung too hard to what we were taught about what was
proper and right for us as women. I discarded the Crafting rule, of
course, but there are others I clung to. Perhaps it was a mistake."

Chaysea's curiosity was peaked. "Such as?"

"Why shouldn't we share our beds with whomever we please and when we
please? What does it hurt as long as it's discrete?" She exhaled. "No
one."

"I think you're right. That used to matter more to me when I lived at
Amber Hills and when I first came to Dolphin Cove, but... I see the
way some of the weyrbred people live and the way they are free with
their emotions. It must be liberating."

She glanced up at Chaysea, took a sip of her tea. and then spoke
quickly. "I shared my bed last night." Her chin lifted. "I don't
regret it for an instant."

"Oh," Chaysea's eyes lit, "with who?"

Urlene hesitated, then shook her head. "I'd rather be very discrete
about it, if you'll forgive me. But, it was very pleasurable. Very.
More than I imagined it would be. And I admitted something that I've
not told anyone. You're my friend and I trust you, so..." She took a
sip of her tea, cleared her throat and spoke firmly. "I am interested
in men and women. I find them both attractive."

The Headwoman smiled a bit. "Urlene, I'm glad you feel as though you
could tell me and I am glad that you enjoyed yourself last night.
Everyone deserves that."

There was a relaxation in the tension around her shoulders. "Thank
you. But you deserve the same, Chaysea. You should find someone to
enjoy yourself with. Even if it's only for an evening, because you're
right. It's very liberating. I felt...more like a woman after."

"I don't know how to find anyone," Chaysea admitted.

"Who do you find attractive?" She sipped her tea. "Perhaps it's
someone you're only curious about? It doesn't have to be more than one
night."

The Headwoman set her cup of tea aside and rubbed her palms on her
skirt. "I don't know, it's hard. I'm the Headwoman, I have a lot of
friends and acquaintances, and many of them are attractive. I just
wouldn't know how to go about furthering one of those relationships."

"I didn't say anything about a relationship. Just one night if you
like. Find a friend that you enjoy spending time with. You do have a
lot to chose from, you don't have to make promises, Chaysea." She
leaned back in her seat, lips pursed in thought. "Is there no one that
comes to mind?"

"Yes, but she's my closest friend," Chaysea finally murmured, after a
long moment of hesitation. "I wouldn't want to ruin that."

Urlene heard the murmur and her brows shot up in surprise. She had
assumed that Chaysea was only attracted to men. "Me?" She set down her
tea cup and blinked. That was most unexpected. Chaysea was indeed very
lovely, and though she was attracted to women, she'd never actually
been with one. "Oh." She frowned. "Chaysea, I do value you as a
friend. I don't want to ruin it either or make things awkward. If we
were to do...anything, we'd have to agree with each other that we're
not going to make more of it or risk our friendship."

"I agree completely, I would never want to lose you as a friend."
There were so few people in the lower caverns that understood the life
she had come from, but Urlene did.

Urlene considered it for a long moment. "I don't know." She admitted.
"I've never been with a woman. I don't know if it would be awkward or
uncomfortable because we're friends."

"Me either," Chaysea confessed. "This is why I have never said anything."

Urlene nodded in agreement. "I think that I'm not willing to risk our
friendship, Chaysea. Not for anything."

The Headwoman smiled. "Good, now you can stop grilling me over what I
want to do with my love life and we can move on."

That brought a brief, more comfortable laugh from Urlene. "I suppose I
can agree to that."

Last updated on the June 15th 2019

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Friendship is More Important