Promise You Anything for Another Shot

Writers: Halyonix, Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th June 2025

Characters: Oselle, Hesbia
Description: Hesbia asks Oselle if she can get a job
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 11 of Turn 12

Hesbia

Notes:
~*~

Hesbia had made up her mind. If she could prove to the Weyr that she could stay, she would find a way to get her and her sister out from under her uncle's addiction for good. For that reason alone, she looked forward to this meeting, because even if it meant staying near those hated dragonriders, it was at least shelter and food and a better life than being Holdless.

Her knock on the door was more of a bang than polite.

Oselle had just sat down and she glared at the door. **What now?!** She took a deep breath, then called out: "Come in."

"I heard you're doing interviews," Hesbia said as she strode in. "About who wants to stay? How do I get one of those?"

The Headwoman gestured for the girl to sit. The girl was practically vibrating. "You speak with me. You were with the group that came in from the flooded cave?"

Hesbia took a seat. "Yes," she answered confidently. She opened her mouth to tell their story and then stopped. What parts should she include? What would give her the better chances of staying? Should she lie? Should she omit pieces? Should she tell the truth? No, definitely not the last part. Not in its entirety.

"My uncle got us kicked out of the Hold because he kept drinking," she started with. "My dad, sister, and I...we didn't do anything wrong. Dad just...wanted to be with his brother. Try to help him." Her tone took on some anger as she continued. "But he's a drunk and he's only going to get us kicked out again and I don't want to go back to being Holdless. I _had_ a Hold. Before him. I want that again."

Oselle nodded as she made a few notes on a scrap of hide. She'd have to transfer them over later... "What is your name, and your family's names? And what Hold did you come from before your uncle was cast out?"

"Hesbia," she immediately answered. "And my little sister is Haseba. Our...dad was Hessand. Our uncle is Hellond." Her confident tone fell. "I...don't remember the name of our Hold. We left it when I was ten." She quickly recovered. "But I don't have to go back to a Hold, do I? I can stay here? If I work...prove myself?"

"The Weyrwoman has made that offer, yes. You don't need to go back to a Hold, but it is a process and you are correct that you will need to work to prove yourself. Everyone at the Weyr earns their keep in one way or another." She made another mark on the paper. "How long ago were you and your family made Holdless?"

"Like, seven Turns ago? I think?" Hesbia answered with some uncertainty. Time flowed differently as Holdless. There wasn't always a calendar around. "Basically, my uncle got into one too many drunken brawls and the Lord Holder kicked us out." It felt easy to blame her uncle rather than pick and choose what to say. Anger and blame were familiar. "And I'm not like him. I can prove myself. I'm a quick learner. Put me to work in...in the kitchens or somewhere." She was abysmal at cooking but blamed that on no one else teaching her how.

"What was the last thing you cooked?" Oselle asked, suddenly interested. A lot of people thought they wanted to work in the kitchens, but between the fast pace and exacting standards of the head Cook, it was a much more demanding job than the laundry, gardens or cleaning.

Hesbia squirmed uncomfortably until an answer -- or what she hoped would be acceptable enough of one -- came to her. She prefaced her response with, "We didn't have much, okay? But we got bread last sevenday. And some herbs. We had a little oil so I took the herbs and oil and used it to crisp up the bread. Give it a savory taste. And then we covered it with some leftover wherry meat gravy. It was still chunky because it had some bits in it." It had been delicious and the memory of her father enjoying it made her feel both fuzzy and sad.

"Making do with what you have is what the Kitchen does best." Oselle's voice was gentle. "And if you're interested in cooking we will train you. But be aware that working in the Kitchens also involves dish duty, candlemarks of chopping, minding the cooking spits and hauling scraps to the Beastcrafters for the porcines. Newcomers to the Kitchens are also often assigned the morning shifts. Is that something you'd still be interested in?"

"So lots of labor," Hesbia said, "Yeah, I'm used to that. Being Holdless, we don't get to sit around like prissy Lady Holders do. I was up at sunrise every day anyway getting whatever breakfast I could ready. You won't find me slacking."

"Morning shift starts before sunrise." Oselle sighed. "I'll add you to the duty roster starting tomorrow. Come to my office in the morning and I'll bring you 'round to the Kitchens to orient you and introduce you to the head Cook. I'll also be able to move you into a dorm by the end of the sevenday." The woodcrafters were still finishing making a bed, and her drudges would be finished sewing and stuffing a mattress with hay-- Oselle looked down at her notes where she'd written the name 'Haseba' in a careful, curling script. "You mentioned your family... are they here at the Weyr as well? What are their plans?"

"My sister is Haseba. She's a few Turns younger than me. And she's staying too. I'll...I'll pay for her way or something." There was no way she was going to be separated from her sister. Not now! But her uncle... "My uncle is Hellond. And he can speak for himself," Hesbia said with sour defiance.

That complicated things. It wouldn't do to have the girls separated but it would also be difficult to have a child in the dorms, even if Haseba was an adolescent. She was probably also behind on her Harper training. Oselle thought for a moment, then made another note on her scrap of hide. "For now, I will see if I can find a place for you and Haseba to bunk in the same dorm. If you've been Holdless for seven Turns she's behind on her Harper lessons. Bring her with you tomorrow and I'll have her evaluated to find the correct class to put her in."

Hope -- beautiful, damning, and indomitable -- flared within Hesbia. They would get to stay! They could start over again, get some training, get some marks. Not have to scrape for anything anymore. And if they proved themselves to the Weyr, then they wouldn't have to leave if their uncle decided to drink his way into trouble again. "I will!" Hesbia answered eagerly. She couldn't wait to tell Haseba! "Is there um...anything else you need to ask me? Or whatever you do during an interview?"

"The offer to stay was extended already by the Weyrleadership, but its on you to prove that you can belong here. The Weyr works because we all contribute to a common cause: we support the dragons in the skies so that they can keep us safe from Thread. Consider the next few months a test," Oselle said. "If you and your sister do your duties as assigned keep yourself out of trouble, then you will find a home here."

Determination set her features. Even if it was with the dragons, it was at least more than what she had a sevenday ago. "You won't regret it," Hesbia said proudly.

**I hope not.** Oselle kept the thought to herself. Like all the Holdless who'd stated their intention to stay, Hesbia's name would be added to the list of people that the dragonmen were asked to look into. Holds had records. "Come to me immediately if you have any troubles or if anyone bothers you. The sooner issues can be dealt with, the easier it is for everyone. Do you understand?"

Hesbia probably wouldn't -- she was used to handling trouble on her own -- but she smoothly lied and said, "Understood. I will."

"Good. In that case, I will see you and your sister tomorrow morning," Oselle said.

Last updated on the June 10th 2025

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Promise You Anything for Another Shot