Not such a pleasant welcome after all

Writers: Bree, Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 7th September 2005

Characters: An'dr, Gaiya, Fieayz, Fielton
Description: An'dr takes Gaiya to the Vintner Hall on an errand, where Fieayz is pleased to see them, but Fielton is not.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 7, day 9 of Turn 3

Fielton

Gaiya smiled as she walked up to the waiting rider, flight jacket in hand.
"So, you ready for our quick trip?"

"Sure," replied the young bluerider. "Pluserth here wants to see some snow, I explained it to him, but he wants to see for himself."

"Is it snowing today? Well, it's a good thing I decided to wear my heavy skirt." Gaiya hiked her skirt up a bit, though not high enough to reveal anything, and expertly swung up onto the blue's neck.

"I don't know that there will be snow at the Vintner Hall, but it's more likely than here," he replied as he climbed up and settled himself in his seat."

"That is true." She pulled the straps around herself and buckled in.
Grabbing onto his belt firmly she said, "All right, An'dr. I'm ready!"

On An'dr's asking him, Pluserth spread his wings and lifted off the ground.
He circled slowly around the Weyr, gaining height before preparing to go /between/. "Ready when you are," called out An'dr.

"Let's go!" she called up to him, steeling herself against the cold of /between/.

/Between/ was cold thought An'dr, and that was preparation for the temperature when they appeared at the Vintner Hall. There was a light covering of snow on the ground, and when he looked up, the clouds appeared full of more snow.

}:Is that snow?:{ asked the blue.

**Yes, and more on the way perhaps. But can you take us down please.**

"We're going to land now," said An'dr, as the dragon slowly glided down.

Gaiya slid off the blue's neck when they had landed and smiled when she heard the crunch of snow under her feet. It was not a sound she heard often in her life. She patted the blue as she said, "Thank you for the ride Pluserth. And what do you think of snow?"

}:It's white, and cold!:{ The blue sounded a little puzzled as he put his nose down to the ground, almost as though he was going to taste it.

"He says it's cold," said An'dr. "I'm not sure what he makes of it just yet."

The young woman laughed a bit at that. "I'm sure. I didn't know what to make of it the first time I saw it either." She looked around at the great stone and slate buildings. "So, An'dr, do you think Fieayz is about? Her father is the Hallmaster, isn't he?"

"I think so," said the young man, as he came face to face with a golden flit. "I think that's hers."

True to form, Fieayz wasn't far away from her flit, she rounded the corner to see the blue dragon and his riders in the courtyard. "An'dr?
Gaiya? What brings you here?"

"I forgot U'val's birthday last month. I thought I'd pick him up something special." Gaiya quickly closed the distance and threw her arms around the girl, "And to see you too, of course!"

Fieayz returned the hug quickly. "It's good to see you, and you too An'dr,"
she said breaking out of the hug. "My duty to Pluserth, he's got so big."

The bluerider beamed, "And I graduated too, so did my sister."

"That's wonderful news."

"Fieayz, how can you stand the cold?" Gaiya asked between chattering teeth.
The magic of the snow was fading fast. "Do you think we might move inside?"

"Of course," she held her arm out for Arva, who refused to come. "Silly flit," she muttered. Before turning back to the others. "This way."

"You know, this is my first time at the Vintner Hall." Gaiya said cheerfully as she took the girl by the arm. "The vineyards look rather dead when we flew over them, but I'm sure they look much better in the spring."

"When they start to flower its a wonderful sight," she began, only to be interuppted by the sight of her father, and he did not look happy.

The Hallmaster was standing in the hallway that lead from the classrooms to the main entryway, his arms crossed over his chest. "Fieayz? Would you like to introduce me to your friends?" His voice was cold and entirely unfriendly.

"Papa," she said, not really knowing what else to do other than to introduce them. "This is Gaiya, and Bluerider An'dr from River Bluff.
They've, they've come to buy some wine." She knew it sounded a little lame, but they did have a legitimate reason to be here after all. Papa couldn't punish her for showing them in, it was cold outside after all.

Gaiya was taken back a bit by the anger in the man who faced them. It was not exactly the welcome she would have expected, especially from the Hallmaster, which is what the man's knots suggested. But she put on a brave smile. **Maybe he's just had a bad class or something.** "Pleased to meet you, Hallmaster," she said with a polite bow.

"I welcome all customers to the Hall," Fielton replied, his voice even.
"Unfortunatly, I'm afraid my daughter is late for her sewing lessons, and will need to take her leave now." The look he gave Fieayz made it clear that she had best remember the imaginary sewing lesson quickly--and make her way there. Maybe he couldn't stop weyrfolk from visiting his Hall, but he would _not_ see his daughter speaking to blueriders and weyrbred women. Not when she'd already shown every evidence of learning more than a few bad habits from people like these.

"Papa?" she queried momentarily. But one look at his face made everything very clear. She was to leave, and immediately. "Uh... Yes I had forgotten,"
she muttered looking at the ground. "An'dr, Gaiya, I must go now. It was nice to see you again." She gave them a quick smile, before leaving, heading off in the direction of the rooms she shared with her sister.

Fielton watched her leave before turning back to his visitors. "What sort of wine are you interested in buying?" He almost never got involved with simple sales like this, but he had no intention of letting these two out of his sight until they were airborne and on their way back to the Weyr.

It was obvious the Hallmaster did not know his duty to the Weyr, and knew even less about common curtesy, as much as it was obvious that Fieayz did not have a sewing lesson to go to. Gaiya mustered her strength and said, "I would not want to trouble you, Hallmaster. It seems the Hall is very busy today. An'dr, perhaps we should return to River Bluff. I'm sure Master Vintner Arima's wine is every bit as good as anything we would find here."

"I'm sure you'll find what you need there," Fielton replied, his voice every bit as cooly polite as hers. "Perhaps our simple fare isn't... exotic enough for you."

"No, sir, I believe it is the way it is served that makes the wine a bit more palatable." She turned to the bluerider, inwardly fuming and sure she was about to really scream at the Hallmaster. "Come on, An'dr. We have taken up enough of the Master's time."

"It was nice to meet you Sir," managed the young bluerider politely. With a glance in the direction of the door, he continued, "Pluserth is ready to take us home."

Last updated on the September 7th 2005

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Not such a pleasant welcome after all