Idle Chatter

Writers: Cali, Eimi
Date Posted: 12th November 2006

Characters: Gilsha, Arilanna
Description: Gilsha and Arilanna have a chance to get to know each other
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 20 of Turn 3

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Arilanna asked of the greenrider sitting alone at the table. "Oh! No, not at all," Gilsha smiled as she pulled her tray closer to give the woman a bit more room.

She sat down, just a bit awkwardly from her enlarged stomach. "Thanks, I'm not much for eating alone." "Oh well, as you can see, I have nothing you're interrupting. I'm Gilsha, by the way," the greenrider took the woman's try while she adjusted herself on the seat. Arilanna smiled in gratitude. "Arilanna. I thought this late, I'd be the only one interested in a meal." "I was out making a few deliveries and missed the evening meal," Gilsha shrugged as she set the tray down in front of her new companion.

"I'm just always hungry." she chuckled. "Want some of my bread? I don't really want the whole thing." "I'd love some. It really is quite lovely." Pepper had been baked directly into it, and with a bit of cheese it was perfection. "It must be hard eating for two."

That elicited a small giggle from the pregnant healer, "Oh yes, very hard to have an excuse to eat all the time. Now the heartburn I get _after_ I eat is the hard part." "I can imagine. That's not pleasant at the _best_ of times." Pregnancy was one thing Gilsha did not regret never experiencing.

Arilanna bit into a piece of tuber and had the manners enough to swallow before continuing the conversation. "How about you? You said you were making deliveries... transport duty doesn't sound all that pleasant either." "Oh, well, these are just some things I do on the side. I never took up a craft, but it was the way I earned my keep during the Interval,"
Gilsha shrugged. "I like meeting new people, I guess."

She was surprised, "Really? I remember people like you. Weyrless dragonriders... flying around doing whatever you please going wherever you please. It all sounded very romantic." "It wasn't all romantic. I mean, it could get rather lonely being the only dragonrider sometimes. Not everyone welcomed you, and you had to always be one step ahead of the cold and starvation. The problem with having no home is just that, you have nowhere to go. Still, it was an amazing life while it lasted." And it would have lasted forever if sharding Thread hadn't started to fall again.

Arilanna gave her tablemate a confused look, "It's amazing how again? The way you describe it, it sounds horrible!" "Well, I didn't drill, I didn't have anyone telling me what to do, I could go where I wanted to go and see what I wanted to see when I wanted to see it. It was just me and my lifemate and we could take or leave everyone else." More often leaving than taking...

The healer nodded understanding. "I guess it's like most things. You take the good with the bad and hope for more good days than not."

"And it was good, more days than not. And when it wasn't," Gilsha shrugged, "as you can see, I survived."

She smiled, the greenrider did indeed survive, and she seemed to have a good spirit about it too. "Well, I'm sure the Weyr is glad to have you." "Well, it hasn't always been an easy relationship," Gilsha admitted.

"Hard to get up so early for drills?" she couldn't imagine there being any serious problems when she came to the Weyr. When thread started, everyone just pitched in as best they could. "Yeah, waking up early. Taking orders. Being told when and where I can go. Told where to sleep and when to eat."

So pretty much being a civilized person... "It seems like you've adjusted well enough." Arilanna said with a smile. "Some days are better than others," Gilsha shrugged. "So when are you due?" Arilanna laid her hand on her belly and then gave it a little pat pat before replying. "The end of month two I think." "That's soon. Are you ready?"

She swayed her head from side to side and nodded, "Well the labor part is never fun, but after that things can start to get back to normal. I'm not keeping him, he's going to stay with his father's sister." "That must be a relief to have the baby staying with family."

"Yeah," Arilanna nodded as she sipped her klah, "D'wrayt says his sister just loves babies, and I really don't have time to take care of one with all the time I spend in the infirmary, so... it works all around." "Ah, D'wrayt, the Weyrleader." Interesting.

The healer raised her eyebrows slightly, sensing just the hint of something in the greenriders voice that indicated a score of gossip or scandal. There really wasn't any there though, D'wrayt's family was ecstatic at the thought of another child to play with. "D'wrayt is such the proud father, always showing me off to everyone..." She said it with an aire of proud embarrassment. "What about you? Have any weyrbrats running around in the lower caverns?" "No. Never been pregnant."

Arilanna nodded, "It's not for everyone, that's for sure. And that's one of the nice things about weyr life, it's not something you _have_
to do, not like in a Hold." "And that's definitely why I don't do it," Gilsha nodded. It would certainly be bad for business if she had to fly straight!

Last updated on the November 14th 2006

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