An Opportunity Not To Be Missed

Writers: Estelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 25th February 2020

Characters: Brina, Trayger, Pahrkyar, Mistan
Description: Brina dances with ship's captain Trayger at the Turn's End ball
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 1, day 1 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Bryvin

Brina

Trayger

Captain Trayger walked into the dance with his first officer. He
always made certain he was docked at a Major Hold for Turnover and
this turn was no different. His fine clothes were well made of high
grade materials. His profession was quite profitable and he knew that
a time like this was the best time to show it.

He half smiled as they strolled the perimeter of the large hall
checking out the ladies. "A lot of young ones," he said to the man by
his side. "Stay away from those," he chuckled. "They're hunting
husbands."

"And their chaperones are watching like broody dragons," First Mate
Pahrkyar said with a smile.

"Heard it before have you?" Trayger smiled back. Then he stopped
abruptly, transfixed staring at the vision across the room. "Woah," he
said under his breath.

Brina's eyes sparkled with delight as the dance came to an end and she
made her curtsy to her partner, a wealthy minor holder from the south of
Sunstone's territory. Although she suspected he was attempting to charm
her to get into her brother's good graces, she was enjoying herself so
much that she didn't care. The feast had been a great success, and the
young ladies were behaving themselves and reaping the reward of their
hard work preparing for the event alongside the Headwoman and her staff.

She excused herself politely from the holder and made her way through
the crowd to find a drudge with a cool drink. The dance had left her
warm and her cheeks felt flushed, and she was glad for the lighter new
gown she'd ordered in the colors of her new home. She'd thought her days
of dancing like this had been over, and felt almost as giddy as a young
fosterling at her first ball.

Pahrkyar's eyes followed his Captain's gaze to a very lovely woman
he'd never seen before. She was very finely dressed and just finished
a dance so there was color in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes.
"I wonder who's she is," he chuckled.

"Mine if I'm lucky," Trayger said and strode purposefully across the
room toward the Lady, for she certainly was that. Then he saw his
cousin standing nearby and altered his course. "Mistan," he reached
out to clasp forearms with the man. He looked back over his shoulder
at the vision and tilted his head. "Introduce me to the lady?"

"Who? Lady Brina?" He chuckled. "No luck for you there boyo," he said.
"She's Lord Bryvin's sister."

Trayger's hopes had fallen until the last word. "Sister?" At first
he'd though the man was going to say she was Lord Bryvin's and he knew
he couldn't poach those waters. But the word sister changed all that
and changed his ideas about her, or maybe just adjusted his thinking
and his approach. "Please introduce me to the lovely Lady Mistan."

"Alright," he said in a very dubious tone and walked toward where she
stood with some of the other ladies. "Ladies," he smiled. "May I
present my cousin Captain Trayger of the Suns Glory? Captain, this is
Lady Brina, Lady Semina and her daughter Alemia."

"Ladies," Captain Trayger swept and elegant bow. "A great pleasure to
meet you."

"Likewise, Captain." Brina made a curtsey, as did the other ladies, and
greeted the men with a warm smile. "Welcome to Sunstone." She recognized
Mistan as one of the higher-ranking holders Bryvin had introduced her
to. His cousin was equally well dressed, but had a kind of rugged charm
and a confident bearing that suggested he'd achieved his position by
hard work. She could tell that his appeal wasn't lost on the other
ladies she was with. Or, she thought in amusement, it was the well-made
clothes that spoke of prosperity. She'd have to tell her brother he
wasn't the only tempting prize in the Hold this evening...

"Delighted to meet you, Captain Trayger," Lady Semina gushed. "I do hope
you're enjoying the ball. Will you be dancing?" She nudged her daughter.
"I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding willing partners with spaces in
their dance cards."

"I do Lady Semina," he said and held out his hand to Lady Brina. "May
I have this dance my lady," he smiled into her eyes.

They widened a fraction in surprise - she'd been almost sure he'd choose
the young girl - and she felt her heart beat a little faster. Brina told
herself she was being foolish, that she was far too old to feel giddy
because a man had asked her to dance. That didn't mean she couldn't
enjoy it, though. She reached out and took his hand. "Of course. I'd be
honored."

"First Officer Pahrkyar, Ma'am," the man bowed and smiled at Lady
Semina. "May I have the honor of dancing with your daughter?"

Trayger smiled and took the offered hand and clasped her fingers
properly while he led her onto the floor with the other hand behind
his back. "Are you having a lovely Turnover My Lady?" He asked as he
turned to face her and wait for the music to start.

"I am! It's my first Turnover here at Sunstone." Brina heard the harpers
strike up the opening chords, and recognized a slower dance - not so
energetic that she'd be too out of breath to talk. "It's so different to
the balls I attended as a girl. At Amethyst Cliff, half the Turn the
guests would arrive wrapped in furs dusted with snow, and the drudges
would bring brandy to warm them up. Here, the evening is beautifully
warm, so we have all the windows open to catch the sea breeze."

"This hold is very well situated to catch those breezes," he nodded in
reply as he clasped her hand and settled the other at her waist. She
was like a breeze herself so light was she in his arms. "Are you
enjoying Sunstone My Lady?"

"Yes, very much. I'm so glad to be close to my brother again. We hadn't
lived in the same Hold since I was little more than a girl, and left
home to be married. I missed him terribly." She followed the familiar
steps of the dance, pleasantly surprised by her partner's skill. A
seacrafter would need to have nimble feet, she thought as she stepped
lightly into a turn. "And you, Captain? Do you often drop anchor at the
Hold?"

"A couple of times a turn," he nodded. "I like to be here for Turnover
though," he cued her with a gentle push to her hip and pull of his
hand for her to curl under his arm and turn. Her skirts twirled
beautifully and he smiled as she came back into his arms. "It is
sometimes difficult to keep to a set schedule when we're following the
currents to the north and back again. But that is the way of the
Seacrafter. I do wish the new Hall hadn't been destroyed. I'd planned
to make it our home base."

"Yes, I'd heard about that. It was terrible. So much lost - the Weyr,
too." She shivered a little, despite the evening's warmth, thinking how
this land where she'd lived all her life could turn against its people
in an instant. Her own childhood home was now an abandoned ruin after
just such a quake.

She shook off her gloomy thoughts. Tonight was for celebration of the
new Turn. "Perhaps you'll stay here at Sunstone for a while, though?" A
light flush rose to her cheeks. "I've heard the harbor is busy, and
there must be opportunities for trade."

Truly he lost money every moment he spent in port after he'd unloaded
his incoming cargo and taken on a new one. But this opportunity was
not to be missed. He smiled and as the music ended he bowed over her
hand. "I'm sure we can stay a few extra days," he said. Then he tucked
her hand into his elbow as he returned her to the other ladies. "Would
you be available for a ride tomorrow morning m'lady?"

Brina's eyes widened a little, and she wondered for a moment if she
ought to ask for permission - though from who, she wasn't sure, unless
it was her brother. But she wasn't a young girl any more, she was a
respectable widow, and she could entrust the young ladies to Lioran for
a morning. After tonight, she thought, they'd hopefully be too tired for
mischief.

"I'd love to," she said warmly. "That would be a delightful way to start
the new Turn. The stablemaster told me about a route that goes through
the orchards and out along the coast that I've been meaning to try."

"Then I will call on you after breakfast my'lady," he smiled and
turned to the other ladies. "Delightful to meet you all." he said to
the other ladies and collected his cousin. "Any more dancing for you
tonight," he asked as he walked away.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

An Opportunity Not To Be Missed