Don't Let the Door Hit You

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 9th September 2019

Characters: Tisafelle, Chaysea
Description: Tisafelle is being transferred...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 4 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Cyradis, Jayzine, Aviday

What do you mean I'm being transferred?" Tisafelle stared at the
Headwoman, mouth parted in shock. "You can't do that, I was Searched
for here!"

Company peered down at the flustered girl, his head turning this way
and that as he tried to figure out what was causing such distress.

Chaysea watched the girl's temper tantrum without the hint of a smile
and waited until she quieted down before speaking. "I can, and have,
done that. You have two options, Tisafelle. You may transfer to
Barrier Lake, which will be desperately in need of Candidates, or you
may return home."

"But...but..." For once, Tisafelle was lost for words. Being sent
halfway across Pern to some hole in the wall, barely built Weyrhold?
The thought was just impossible! "But I did what you told me to. I
joined a craft here. And I can't just go home. I've been here for
months! Dfi you know what they'll say about me?"

"You 'joined a craft'," Chaysea said bracketing her words with air
quotes, "to get out of Candidate chores. That's not to mention the
firelizard incident with Aviday."

"I'm a real apprentice."Her face flushed hotly as she put a hand on
Boy to soothe him before the young firelizard became upset. "Aviday
Impressed. She has her _green_, so it all worked out. I don't want to
go to some backwater Weyrhold. It's not even built all the way yet."
Recognizing that her complaints weren't working, she changed tactics.
"I like it here. I'll do better, I promise. Please?"

The Headwoman arched an eyebrow, unmoved by the begging. "You can do
better at Barrier Lake. Just think, with all of those gold dragons
showing up there in the hopes of becoming Senior Weyrwoman, one of
them is bound to lay a gold egg." She said the last two words with
more zeal.

She couldn't help but pick up the stress on the words and looked
sharply and with interest at Chaysea. A gold egg...what she wanted. To
be a goldrider was what she desired more than anything. She'd
certainly be better than that Dessa or even Cyradis! She could rule
Pern in time and she'd be perfect for any gold egg laid. But the
wait...Perhaps the Headwoman at Barrier Lake would be more pleasant,
perhaps an older more pliable woman. And she'd heard that there _were_
decadent hot springs there. She envisioned lounging in such a spring,
a devoted bronzerider massaging her feet while she sipped wine. That
held promise. "Perhaps..."

The corners of Chaysea's mouth twitched from the effort of suppressing
her smile. "And you know the secret to gold eggs, don't you? It's
being close to the gold's rider, and then making sure to get that
special one-on-one time at the egg touching."

It was then that Tisafelle's eyes twitched, then narrowed. "How would
you know, Headwoman? We were told that there wasn't any sort of secret
about Impressing. Were you ever on the Sands?" She huffed. "I'm not
stupid, but I am the best likely Candidate." Still, however, it wasn't
a bad idea to get close to the goldriders and ingratiate herself.
She'd not been able to with Cyradis, she'd have to tug the right
strings. And if she HAD to go to Barrier Lake, she'd make sure that
matters would be seen to her benefit.

Chaysea rolled her eyes. "Well of course they wouldn't just tell you
about it in Candidate lessons, then every girl on Pern would be trying
to sneak onto the Sands for extra time with the eggs. Really,
Tisafelle, you're going to have to be smarter than that if you hope to
Impress." Although the Headwoman really imagined that Tisafelle would
wind up a lower caverns worker with several kids that she had earned
trying to worm her way into bronzeriders' beds.

Tisafelle's chin lifted. She was certain that she was far more
intelligent than the woman before her. One day, she told herself,
she'd come back here riding a gold and rub it in the woman's face.
"When are you going to make me go?"

"As soon as we receive word that there is suitable space. You joining
a craft," Chaysea had a hard time saying that without sarcasm, "comes
at the perfect time since the Weyrhold will be needing all hands on
deck, so to speak."

"Fine." Tisafelle stroked Boy's hide. She didn't have much of a choice
and she knew it. But she was going to make it work to her advantage.

The Dolphin Cove Headwoman was just happy to have a plan that finally
involved getting Tisafelle out of her hair. The girl had been nothing
but drama amongst the other Candidates. Now Tisafelle would be
Jayzine's problem. **Faranth be with you, Jayzine,** Chaysea thought
as she watched the way Tisafelle babied her firelizard. She was sure
that this would not be the last she heard of Tisafelle.

Last updated on the September 11th 2019

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Don't Let the Door Hit You