Comparing Notes (2)

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 6th February 2008

Characters: Kateena, Renada
Description: Kateena and Renada discuss marriages - one good and one not so good.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 4

"Well, when did you last look at _that_ young man when he was getting ready for a swim." Renada nodded in the blonde man's direction. The boyish features weren't indicative of the journeyman's age, for he was in his mid-twenties. "He's modest enough to wear his shirts loose, but he's _certainly_ got better than average-dolphineer's muscles.

Kateena's eye twinkled in amusement. "I guess," she chuckled, "I just haven't had time to look at anyone else, but, mmmm. Not bad. Just don't tell Swift I said so."

"Wouldn't think of betraying such a comment. We journeywomen have to stick together, especially in this Continent."

"You have a point there." Kateena frowned, "I can't believe the attitude, even here where women _can_ craft; some of the folk in the surrounding areas still sneer, and make snide comments. I just wasn't used to it from the North." She hadn't meant to become so opinionated, but Renada broached a subject that was extremely close to her heart of late.

"And it's only been forty Turns, or a little more. Some of the people here must be able to remember women crafting. They didn't _all_ die, otherwise there would have been no crafts."

"You'd think it had been this way for generations..." Kateena shook her head, "but not everyone feels that way, thank Faranth. Especially my Swift." she said, in a proprietary way.

"_Your_ Swift, indeed. He looks besotted enough for the title." It was sweet that he was, Renada thought, but not so surprising. Kateena was a very beautiful and much younger journeywoman crafter. The kitchen-hand couldn't help but be aware of how lucky he was to have her as his wife.

A smile split her face, "Mmm, yes, he is _my_ Swift, isn't he?" she said, almost purring. She sounded like a feline who had a whole bowl of cream to herself. "But at least with Swift he doesn't underestimate a woman's intelligence, or usefulness. I was lucky; he's an older man who does remember when women were more than just useful breeding beasts."

"He's a Northern man, anyway," Renada pointed out. "That's probably my problem - I'm stuck down here and the only men worth having are up North."

"Do you think so?" Kateena asked, "I'm northern as well, which I suppose is the main reason I don't think the way they do down here, but some of these southerners don't seem as stuck in the mud as others. They're just few and far between," she said, pulling a face.

"Most dolphineers are Northern, aren't they? Or Northern-aligned if they apprenticed down here."

"I think so." Kateena nodded, "Even many of the support staff, the older ones at least, seem to be, to some extent."

"There. We're sitting in an enclave of reasonableness in a Continent not known for such things. A good place to find a husband, if you're going to find one down here."

Kateena laughed, "True, and to think I had to travel south to find a northern husband. You know, _that_ has never occurred to me before."

Renada smiled. "Lucky you. I travelled south to get away from mine!"

"And you found him again, anyway." Kateena laughed.

"Don't remind me," the older journeywoman grumbled.

"Oh sorry." Kateena replied, covering her mouth with her hand to hide the grin. "So you arrived first?" she asked finally, biting into a piece of fruit.

"Just. Only long enough to breathe a sigh of relief ... then he turned up." The older woman threw back her head and laughed. "It was like a nightmare!"

"And he didn't follow you - purposely?" Kateena asked, personally she wouldn't have though so, but who knew with Tarehg, he was hard to fathom.

"He was trying to get away from me. He didn't even _know_."

"But surely your Hallmaster?" Kateena asked, more than a little surprised at the outcome, she could only imagine how both Renada and Tarehg had felt.

"Oh, he must have known." Renada laughed again. "He must have thought all his birthingdays had come at once. Getting rid of both of us - and having the last laugh."

Kateena shook her head in amazement, "I'm surprised you can laugh, I doubt Master Tarehg does."

"Which probably explains why we're not still married," Renada pointed out. "But such an unpleasant subject - my former husband. Let's not talk about him at all."

"Well, I hate to say this, but I think my time is up anyway, I have to down at Benidom Point this morning, and I'm already running late."
Kateena glanced over at the timepiece above the servery, and found she had to restrain the urge to go back into the kitchen one last time.

"And I'm going to be late too. You have a good day, Kateena. And enjoy yourself with Swift. You're a lucky woman."

"You have a good day too," Kateena replied, as she stood and collected her breakfast dishes. "and thanks for the company!"

Last updated on the February 9th 2008

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Comparing Notes (2)