Too Many Rules For Reading

Writers: Eimi
Date Posted: 29th May 2006

Characters: R'mer
Description: R'mer reads a letter from his brother and it brings back memories of the place he called "home"...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 4 of Turn 3

R'mer settled back against Hanunth's bronze hide and unfolded the letter the runner had brought in earlier that morning. He had been expecting a letter from his sister Imrie, but the writing was too childish, too much like his own labored penmanship. This letter was from his ten-turn-old brother, Laimer. Well, a letter from family was still a happy event. He just had to wonder what was taking Imrie so long with her reply...

The weyrling took a deep breath and slowly began to read aloud, reading out each syllable individually.

"Deeeeer Weyrling R'mer..." So far so good.

"'It's so stran-gee...'" Strangee? "'...to callllll you that.'" Strangee? It's so strangee? But "e" made the "a" sound like 'ay'. "Strayng? Strang..." Strange maybe? Yes, that would make sense! "'It's so strange to call you that'!" R'mer read out triumphantly.

}:I'm glad I don't have to read. It seems so difficult. You are so smart that you can read,:{ his bronze murmured encouragingly.

**Well, I can't really read that well. I think everyone else can read a whole lot better than I can,** his lifemate replied. But at the moment, after figuring out the great puzzle of the first line, he was feeling practically like a genius!

"'Evvvveryyybohdy... Everybody'," he quickly corrected himself, "'was so ex...exxxxx... exci...'" **E rule,** he reminded himself. "Excaiiiited... excited to heaaar that you cooool...coooold.."
**'Ou'... 'Ou'... What words have 'ou'?** Cloud! Cloud had 'ou'! "'Cowld...'" That certainly didn't sound like a word. What was another word.... **Thought!** That was a different 'ou' sound! "'Cahld...'"
**Called?** "'Everybody was excited you called Aimmm... Immmm...
Immmmpresss... Impress a brooo..." **'E' rule again...** "Brohnz."
**Bronze? Impress a bronze?**

}:I think he's talking about me,:{ Hanunth replied excitedly.

**Yes, that's right. R'alt taught me that 'bronze' was a funny word. The 'E Rule' doesn't work for it.**

}:There are too many rules for reading,:{ the bronze sighed.

**That there are. Ok, let's try this.** "'Everybody was excited you called Impress a bronze...'" 'Called' just didn't work there... Could, maybe? **But 'could' doesn't have an 'l' in it...** He'd have to ask R'alt about that one later. "'But we are allllso veeerry sad bec... bec...'" **'Au'?** "'Becows...' Ah, yes, I know this one! Because! '...Because you willl not be cohm... coming hohm... Because you will not be coming home to us!'" R'alt grinned. He could get through that entire sentence! "'But we are also very sad because you will not be coming home to us."

His proud grin faltered a little as the meaning sank in. **No, I guess I won't be going home for a while still, will I...**

}:But isn't the Weyr our home?:{ Hanunth asked, confused by his rider's sudden change in mood.

**Yes. It's home now. At least, its where you and I can be together. I guess where you and I are is home now.** It still didn't erase the memory of his first home... The smell of his mother's cooking. The sound of his sisters' laugh. The sound of the creaking board that would wake him up in the middle of the night when Imrie would sneak out of the girls room and into the main room to sit by what was left of the fire to read. Sometimes he would get up and sit with her and they would talk about what she was reading. Or about what was keeping her awake. Her dreams... her philosophies... Shards, but Imrie seemed to know so much, and think such strange, but pretty thoughts. He missed talking to her.

"'You lefft us in wiiiin... ter... winnnter, and now the sn-ow...'"
**Sn-now? Now... S-now...** Winter... snow? 'Know' had 'ow' but it sounded like 'oh'. It would make sense. "'You left us in winter, and now the snow is all but melllll-ted... melted. Spraing... Spring is coooommmming and sooooooooon...'" **Yes, like 'boot',** "'Soon it will be tim...timeh...'"

}:E rule?:{ Hanunth suggested helpfully.

"Time." **Yeah! How did you know? See you can read!**

}:It's the only rule I know,:{ the little bronze snorted.

"'Soon it will be time to plant.'" Shards, but this was getting tiring "'Ma sayyyyyyz... says we won...won't be heeere for haaaaa...
haaaarrrr... haaarrrvvesssst... Harvest... but we neeeed sohm...
some fffreeee-sh... fresh veeee...veggg...'" Oh shards, this was a long one. "'veeeeegggeeee-table-ssss... veeggeetables... Vegetables!"
**Ok, my head's starting to hurt now...** "'Ma says we won't be here for harvest but we need some fresh vegetables. So she saays - says when spppring comes the giiiiirrrrls and I shald...'" Shell cracks, its that 'ould' again! "'Shald plant a gaaaaarrrrden.'" R'mer's face lit as he finally grasped the concept. "Should! That means's that one up there is 'could'! I got it!"

}:I knew you could do it, R'mer. You're so very smart,:{ Hanunth crooned proudly.

The weyrling rubbed his bronze's hide affectionately. He knew he couldn't get through reading so much without the gentle encouragement. Breathing in a deep breath, he was resolved to tackle a bit more before their next class started.

"Ok... let's see... So... 'So she says when spring comes the girls and I _should_ plant a garden. Of cowrsehh... Of cahrse... Of _course_ this reeeeeaaallly maaaaaahks... mayyyyks... makes Iiiimmmrayeh...
Iiimriiieh... Imrie? Of course this really makes Imrie maaaaaaad. She aalllllways thiiin... thinnnkks... thinks her haaaaaaarp...
haaaarp-er... harper claaaasssseees... classees? Harper classes! Harper classes are so scooooooo... scooooooorrrr....scor-ch-ing....
scor-ching...scor-ching'?"

}:Scorching.:{ "Oh, yeah, thanks! 'She always thinks her harper classes are so scorching immmporrr... immmmmppooooooooort... imporrrrrrrtaaahnt...
important.'" Yeah, having to leave harper classes for later would irritate Imrie. She looked forward to those classes every day. It was her important role in the family, and it certainly was. While Ma and Marelie did the washing, fed the animals, picked the eggs out of the avian pen and did some of the dirtier chores, Imrie would take the twins and sit them down and go over all kinds of amazing things. Reading. Writing. Math. History. Teaching ballads. They were all so mysterious. Marelie would sit with her in the evenings and go over the things she still had to learn. Sometimes, while they were cooking, or cleaning up after the meal, during the bathing time or even just because, they would all sing teaching ballads and fill their tiny cot with music. That's how R'mer had learned them all. His family would sing them every night, and during the day he would sing them out in the fields while he worked. They were as sweet to him as any new song he had heard in the Weyr. Sweeter perhaps because they were familiar, and conjured up good memories. Warm and loving memories...

}:R'mer, we're going to be late,:{ Hanunth mentally nudged him.

He sighed as he carefully refolded the letter and tucked it carefully in his pocket. The rest would just have to wait until later...

Last updated on the May 29th 2006

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Too Many Rules For Reading