Bloodlines and Stuff

Writers: Estelle, Yvonne
Date Posted: 31st October 2021

Characters: Gienah, R'hil, Ashela
Description: Gineah gives R'hil a dare at the Hatching Feast
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 9 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Ki'ben

Ashela

Gienah changed quickly out of her Candidate's robe, folded it up and
placed it under the rest of her clothes with a sigh. Next time, she
hoped, and it wouldn't be too long either. Then, deciding there was no
use in moping, she dressed in her only skirt and a green blouse her Da
had got for her and headed in the direction of the feast.

She found her Da first and felt comforted by the warmth of his hug and
the fact that he knew not to say anything at all, not even to mention
the remaining eggs. Instead, they talked about other things - his work,
her classes - and sampled some of the snacks on offer.

"Oh, you just reminded me!" she said suddenly, when her father mentioned
the stables and it sparked a memory of chores she'd done there. "I was
going to meet Rushil - R'hil, I mean. He's from a hold, and he was going
to introduce me to his family. His dragon is Dath."

"Yes, of course. Off you go and congratulate your friends." Her father
smiled.

"I'll be back! Save me a bubbly pie, if you see any." She stood on
tiptoe to kiss his cheek, then started to make her way through the
crowded cavern in search of her fellow candidate. It was a while before
she spotted him, standing on his own by one of the food tables.

"R'hil!" She squeezed past a group of drudges and waved. "Hi! Where's
your brothers?"

R'hil managed a smile when he saw her. "Uh... not sure. I don't think
they... came." He shrugged like it didn't bother him.

"Oh." She froze for a moment, mouth half-open, remembering how excited
she'd been to see her Da again after her first Hatching. Poor R'hil!
"Maybe they couldn't get away from the hold? And in a few months you can
fly out to see them yourself."

He shrugged noncommittally. More likely his mother had decided that it
was too dangerous to come to the Weyr. Her moods were like quicksilver.
"Did your Da come?"

"Yes! He's a herder here, so it's no trouble for him. You could come and
meet him later, if you want," Gienah offered. She decided to change the
subject, since it seemed unkind to talk about family when his wasn't
here. "Hey, since you Impressed, has anyone important come to
congratulate you? Like the Weyrwoman, or Goldrider Ashela?"

"Naw. But I wasn't expecting that. I'm not like Kaibren-- I mean,
Ki'ben. Nobody special."

"Aww, you're not nobody! I mean, Dath chose you. That's pretty special.
I expect they just haven't got to you yet." Gienah turned and surveyed
the room. "Look, there's the goldrider." Her expression turned suddenly
mischievous. "I dare you to go and speak to her. She's got to want to
congratulate you. You're from her clutch, after all."

R'hil glared at her, then sighed in resignation. As if he could turn
down a dare-- especially if a girl had made the dare. "Fine." He rolled
his eyes and turned toward Ashela.

The goldrider was unbelievably pretty, wearing a red dress that would
have made his Auntie slap his Ma for staring at too hard. His Auntie
would slap him for staring, too. His Auntie liked to slap. R'hil felt
unaccountably nervous as he stepped up next to her and cleared his
throat. "Um. Hi."

Ashela turned away from the group of high-ranking holders she'd been
listening to. Now that the conversation had turned from complimenting
her clutch to crops and trade deals, she'd been ready to leave them, but
she still looked at the nondescript teenager as if she couldn't quite
believe he'd dared to address her. Perhaps he had a message from one of
the bronzeriders? "Yes?"

R'hil glanced at Genieah to make sure she was still watching. "I--
Impressed Dath. From Aglayath's clutch?"

"Oh." The goldrider's flat tone on that single syllable made it clear
that she couldn't have been less interested. However, the holders were
watching, so she had to at least make a show of being gracious. "Well
done, you." She paused. "And you are...?"

"Rushil-- R'hil." He grinned, a wild, reckless feeling coming over him.
Taking a risk felt better than moping over his missing family. He held
out a hand. "Wanna dance with me?"

For a moment, Ashela was too astonished by the audacity of the request
to answer, and before she could, one of the holders she'd been chatting
to stepped in, grinning widely.

"Good on you, lad!" He clapped R'hil on the shoulder. "Surely you
wouldn't say no to a brave young man at his Hatching Feast, Lady Ashela."

"Ah - " With all their eyes on her, Ashela hesitated. She had
bronzeriders to dance with! She could have cheerfully fed that fatuous
holder bumpkin to Aglayath. Nevertheless, she hid her annoyance behind
her most dazzling smile and gracefully took R'hil's hand. "Of course,
I'd be honored."

R'hil froze as she touched him. He hadn't seriously expected her to say
yes and now he was faced with a problem-- he couldn't dance. Except now
he couldn't back out either. He glanced at Gineah, then managed a smile
full of bravado as he led the goldrider onto the dance floor.

One hand on her waist, one hand holding hers. She was way too pretty up
close. And soft. Her hand was soft, the curve of her waist soft, the way
her hair fell-- R'hil took a moment to gather himself before doing his
best to mimic the people around him.

Ashela had noticed a few heads turning as she joined the dancers and
quickly decided that if she acted as though nothing was amiss, people
might think the boy was someone important, like a Lord Holder's heir.
Besides, charming a new weyrling had possibilities which could be
amusing. She rested a hand lightly on his shoulder and edged just a
fraction closer.

"It was so sweet of you to ask me to dance," she said, her voice just
low enough that only he could hear it over the music. "You can't imagine
how much polite conversation I have to make at a Hatching. I'd been
simply _longing_ to get onto the dance floor."

"Oh. Uh. You're welcome?" She smelled like... flowers or something,
R'hil realized. He stumbled a bit as his brain tried to catch up with
his feet. "Uh. What were you talking about, anyway?"

She laughed. "Do you know, I haven't the faintest idea. Something about
the weather and the market price of tubers. Holder business. Nothing for
dragonriders like you and I to concern ourselves with."

"Uh. Right." He nodded like he knew what he was talking about, glancing
again at where he'd last seen Gineah. "I.. come from a holding. But I
think my brother is... my Ma says my brother is somebody. Bloodlines and
stuff."

"Is that so?" That put a spark of real interest into Ashela's smooth
manner. A weyrling with Blood relations? She must find out more. "How
fascinating! Are your family here tonight?"

R'hil shook his head. "I thought they would be."

"Oh, what a shame. A Hatching is such a lovely event," Ashela said,
deftly sidestepping before his foot could come down on hers. Really, his
Blood family ought to have taught him how to dance! "And I'm sure they
would have wanted to meet Dith."

"Dath," R'hil said. "I mean, I guess... my Ma might be disappointed he's
not a bronze dragon."

"Oh, surely not. Every dragon is valuable to the Weyr, no matter the
color. She'll understand that." That was the kind of platitude that
always got spouted by people who didn't know better. As if she'd ever
exchange her Aglayath for a mere green! "Brownriders can rise very high,
you know, to positions of great trust. I just know you'll go far."

R'hil went a bit red. "Uh. Thanks."

"You're very welcome." Ashela managed to steer them out of the way of
another couple and then, as the music reached its end, dropped into a
graceful curtsey. "It was _such_ a pleasure to meet you, R'hil. I'm
certain you'll do my Aglayath's hatchling proud."

"I'll-- do my best," he said, bowing back as best he could. The weyrling
suddenly felt like the entire Weyr was watching as Ashela walked away
and left him standing at the edge of the dance floor like a dumb
herdbeast. He nervously ran his hands through his hair and turned to
look for Gineah.

She was right behind him, her eyes as round as the two moons. "You
danced with her! I can't believe you actually danced with her!" Gienah
was seriously impressed. Never in a thousand Turns would she have dared
ask a bronzerider to dance, still less one with the reputation of
Ashela, rider of Aglayath. "What did you say to each other?"

"Um. Uh... she asked... who my family was?" R'hil shook his head to try
to clear his head. The scent of her perfume lingered in the air and was
very distracting.

Gienah tilted her head to one side and studied his face. "Is that it?
She didn't say anything else? Cause you kind of look like a sun-dazed
watchwher." Her brow creased. The goldrider had an atrocious reputation,
but she was very glamorous, in that daring and expensive-looking scarlet
gown that clung to her curves like a tunnelsnake's skin. "Wait. Did she
give you some wine?"

Wine? "No. I just... asked her to dance because... I thought it would be
funny?" He turned to Gineah as a wide, somewhat star-struck smile broke
across his face. "Except she said _yes_. And I don't even know how to
dance!"

Gienah's mouth twitched, and she tried to look severe before bursting
into giggles. "I could tell! You're completely crazy, Rush - R'hil." She
thought for a moment. "It's not that hard, dancing. Want to learn a few
steps?"

"Yes. Shells, yes." R'hi wiped his hands on his pant legs. "That was
_terrifying_."

"All right. And then next Hatching, you can go ahead and ask the
Weyrwoman to be your dance partner." She winked and took his hand,
pulling him to the edge of the dance floor where the harpers had already
struck up a new tune. "Okay, you had your hands in the right place, but
you need to move your feet in the opposite way to mine, so we don't
tread on each other's toes. First, right foot forward, then the left..."

Last updated on the February 6th 2022

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