Catching Up

Writers: Jen, Emma
Date Posted: 5th August 2005

Characters: Jielta, Fieayz
Description: Jielta and Fieayz catch up with each other.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 7, day 4 of Turn 3
Notes: Mentor Approved by Estelle! -- And by the way, I shouldn't be allowed to think up such bad titles for posts! *sheepish grin* Sorry Emma!

Fieayz was sat reading in the small sitting room she shared with her sister. The afternoon was too cold to go outside for long, and after making sure that Arva had been fed, she came back inside, intending to settle down with her book.

Jielta was already comfortably ensconced in one of the comfortable chairs by the windows, a book of recipes and cooking bits in her lap. She glanced up guiltily when Fieayz appeared in the doorway, thinking for a moment she was about to be scolded for some thing or another. "Oh, Fieayz, it's you," she said, relaxing somewhat. The girl's eyes were still wary though. "Did you want something?"

"Just to sit in peace," said the older girl, swishing her braid over one shoulder.

"Oh... okay. Little chance of getting too much peace though," Jielta murmured. "Not with Badia around. Can you believe the way Father is with her?"

"It is a bit..." Fieayz paused as she tried to think of the words to describe it. "A bit over the top," she settled on. Father remarrying she could almost understand, but to a woman barely older than they were. Back at River Bluff nobody would have said anything, but as they had been told many times since returning, the ways of the weyr were not those of the rest of Pern.

Jielta glanced at the doorway, making sure no one would overhear her comment. "I don't think Badia's all that bad from what I've seen. Have you talked to her at all?"

"Not properly, and you know what meal times can be like." Fielton preferred order, and mealtimes were formal occasions.

"Yes, I do," The younger girl still didn't understand completely why Fieayz loved the weyr so much when they were there. She preferred the more staid and traditional atmosphere here at the Hall. "I think I am going to try and talk to her later - see if there's anything I can help her with." It was fitting, as Fielton's daughter, for her to make such an offer. And maybe she could make a new friend.

"Suit yourself," said Fieayz. That dratted woman was just there all the time, especially when she wanted to talk to her father.

Surprised, Jielta studied her sister's face, trying to read the expression there. "Is there something wrong with me trying to make friends with her?" Her father's current inattention left her more time to do the things she wanted to do. Not that she was going to turn into a little hoyden, Jielta thought, since she was naturally demure, but Fielton's idea of ladylike tended to be sitting, silently, while he arranged her life to suit himself. So, if Badia distracted him enough... But at the same time, she didn't want to get on Fie's bad side either.

"No, not if that's your choice," was the reply.

"Is something else wrong then, Fie?" A lilt of concern appeared in Jielta's voice. "You seem... aggravated?"

"I miss Mama, okay," she said, looking directly at her sister. It wasn't just her mother she missed, R'zan was in her thoughts too. Indeed, if her father knew she had been thinking of him when Arva rose, how tempting it would have been for her to seek him out.... No, she couldn't go down that road.

"Oh," Jielta's voice was small. Her sister had never understood why Jielta hadn't fallen in love with River Bluff. Even their mother's presence hadn't made it any easier on her. Weyrfolk were just so... extreme. "I miss her too. But you know Father would never let her come back, even to visit. Maybe we could visit her, just for a day or two?"

"I thought you never wanted to go back to the Weyr, to any Weyr," Fieayz's eyes narrowed as she studied the younger girl.

"Just to _visit_! Visiting Mama isn't the same as _living_ there. We wouldn't even have to stay overnight if one of your rider friends could take us."

"Like Papa would let that happen! A woman would impress a bronze dragon first! You know how he feels about the Weyr and dragon riders."

The more Jielta thought about it, the more she wanted to talk with her mother about her father's marriage and things that had been going on. "What if we told Father we were going on a picnic or something of the sort? R'zen or whatever his name is can come and get us. Arva could take him the message and the directions to where to pick us up!"

"Emmi would come back here, alone. He'd know."

"I don't think so. She sticks to me like glue. If we went /between/, she'd find me." Her chin set stubbornly. "You know you want to go, Fie."

"I do, but I don't want any trouble."

Jielta sighed and shook her head. "Well, okay then..." She would go, but she didn't have any rider friends she was close enough to that she could ask such a favor.

"Maybe in a little while, when things settle down."

Puzzled by Fieayz's passive answers, Jielta settled back into her chair and looked down at her lap. She would go ahead and see if she could befriend Badia. But it would be just that - friendship. That woman would not, and _could_ not, replace her own mother!

Last updated on the August 16th 2005

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Catching Up