Make New Friends

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 20th September 2008

Characters: Eliste, Marilea
Description: Eliste confronts Marilea and reveals some of her own past - and the two plot.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 27 of Turn 4

"Marilea!" Eliste trotted as fast as she dared with her sleeping infant, snuggled cozily in his carrier. She had set out in search of the other woman and finally found her on the way somewhere - probably the cot she shared with her husband. "Just a moment, please."

"What!?" Marilea stopped and turned around, her whole body on the defensive as she clung tightly to her baby. "More to say?" she spat out.

"I want to show you something." Eliste came to a stop a few feet away from the woman, as if afraid that drawing closer would cause her to run off again.

"Show me what?" Marilea could barely keep her temper as Eliste drew nearer, she was on her guard the whole time.

Eliste turned, shifting her son in the front and pulling down the strap of the carrier that went across her right shoulder. While one hand held onto her baby, the other loosened the ties to her tunic, then pulled it down over her shoulder. Marilea could see a scar, starting at her shoulder and making its way down, hidden by the tunic that she could and would not pull down - not out in the open. It was no small thing, brown against the lighter colour of the surrounding skin, and served as a bitter reminder to Eliste of some of the treatment she had received from her husband." Eliste twisted her head to look and Marilea. "I know more than you think."

"Shards...." Marilea's voice had lost all of its hostility at the other woman's actions. Her eyes didn't leave the scar for a moment or two, then slowly her eyes travelled back up and she locked gazes with Eliste. "You... you do know." Tears flooded her eyes again, this time shame was there on show for Eliste to see. Shame for the way she had behaved, and shame for the way she looked. The bruise, when she swiped at her eye could be seen, black and swollen. Her eyes had almost completely closed over, the eye socket misshapen and a split in the skin across her nose had been haphazardly tended.

Eliste fixed herself up, fumbling with the ties and lowering her gaze. "I do. I know very well." She looked back up, pity for the woman filling her. "You can't stay here, Marilea."

"I have to." Marilea shrugged. "I have no other option. Besides, he won't let me leave him. He warned me when I left with him that he wouldn't be as soft..." she winced at the word, "sorry. It's what he said, he wouldn't be as _understanding_ as Fog."

"You could come with us on the riverboat." Eliste suggested, taking a step closer. "Head up to the seaport and find your way somewhere where he can't reach." It had been what Eliste had planned to do originally, why wouldn't it work for her too?

"It's no use. I'm no use." Marilea shook her head, "I should never have left Fol- Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Eliste was very tempted to say 'No, you shouldn't have. You were an idiot.', but she kept her mouth shut - at least about that. "You don't have to tell him. You can run away, like I did. You'll be safe with us." She glanced over at her son. "Do you care about him at all? If so, then would you stay knowing that if he beats you now, he's likely to do the same to his children?"

"Oh, he wouldn't do that." she shook her head. "He loves the baby. He'd never hurt him."

"And then one night he comes home drunk, and you baby is crying and crying because he's sick." Eliste took another step forward, her voice trembling with every word, "And you go to get the baby's medicine, but you're too slow and he's angry. So he lifts his hand and he hits the child, breaking her neck and you lose what is more precious to you than anything else on Pern. Do you really want to risk it?"

Marilea gasped in shock, she hadn't missed the gender reference. "It.." she gulped deeply, "it happened to you?

Tears moistened Eliste's eyes and she looked down, closing them as her arms surrounded the bundle she wore. It was obvious what the answer was.

"Oh oh....no." Marilea refused to believe the truth in what Eliste said, surely he wouldn't do that. He _couldn't_. She wouldn't survive losing her child. How did Eliste? "I'm sorry. Oh Eliste, I never imagined..." she shook her head, tears sliding down over her cheeks.

"You never imagined because you've never had to bear witness to such a thing." The younger woman managed to gain control of herself and looked up. "I couldn't have imagined such a thing before he..." He trailed off and when she spoke again it was in a vehement whisper, "Marilea, for his sake if nothing else, you can't stay."

"Yes but how am I to get away without him knowing? You and Fol-" she corrected herself, "you and Fog aren't leaving yet, are you?"

"No. We leave on the twenty-first, in the evening." Eliste knew that Marilea had to get away, otherwise there might be a repeat of what had happened to her. "Let us be friends, Marilea. Do you think your husband would let you come and care for a friend who is very ill?"

Marilea thought for a moment, then nodded slowly, "If it made him look good to the hold, he would. But he'd still expect me to have his evening meal waiting when he got home."

"That will be fine." Eliste smiled, a bit relieved. "The riverboat doesn't usually leave until just before dinner time. Just make it a bit early and leave it to keep warm."

"Are you sure they'll let me come? Fog - he'll not let me, I know he won't."

"I will speak on your behalf." Eliste assured the other woman. "I will talk to Fog regarding it. You won't be able to stay, of that I am certain, but surely they will give you sanctuary until we can get you to a safer place."

"After everything, I'd be surprised if any of them will sympathise with me." Marilea replied, looking embarrassed. "I think I've burnt too many bridges to expect them to look favourably on me, most of all Fog." Her gaze dropped to her baby as he stirred against her breast. "But you're right, I don't want anything to happen to him." she said, dropping a kiss on the infant's head.

"Maybe they won't like it, but I think knowing what the alternative might be...well, I'm certain they would feel horrid if they didn't help." Marilea had been mean and horrible to them, but that didn't mean they would necessarily deny her help from such treatment.

"You will try to help me - after all I've said and done to you?" she just couldn't believe Eliste could be so forgiving. "I'm so sorry for all I've said - and done." tears built in her eyes again, "I don't deserve your kindness."

"It will cost you." Eliste warned, though what she asked was really a trifle. "I want you to go around to the people to whom you have been badmouthing Fog and explain to them that you were wrong and how sorry you are for misleading them."

"Anything, anything I can do to make it up to you." Marilea nodded, "To _both_ of you. I was just... just so unhappy and you both look..." She shook her head, trying to form her thoughts into coherent words, "He _really_ loves you. You know that, don't you?" she asked, her voice softening. "I don't think he ever looked at me the way he looks at you."

"I know he does. The thing is, Marilea, he may have but did you ever think to look back and notice?" Eliste pressed. She wanted to help her, but she wasn't going to mince words either.

"I can't remember if he did." she shook her head. "And after the accident...." With a heavy sigh, she met Eliste's eyes, "I felt the pity others looked at him with, and didn't want them looking at me the same way. I took the easy way out. I know I did."

"What looks the easiest often turns out to be the hardest." Eliste chided, then sighed. "Come. Do as you said you will do and I think hearts will be softened, if only enough to allow you safe passage. We will get you out of here. Just tread lightly with your husband."

"Okay." Marilea nodded, "I'll do as you ask. And gladly, if it will help make amends to you and Fog, and get me away from _him_."

"Do as I say, and you'll both be safe in less than a month." Eliste smiled a bit. "Come see me tomorrow - are you free in the late morning? Oh, do you know how to quilt?"

"I can... I was shown how to aboard the Sungazer." she gave Eliste a weak smile. "And yes, I'm free in the late morning."

"Good. Then bring your sewing supplies." If they were going to pretend to be friends, it needed to be done in a convincing manner. "We're going to work on quilts together."

"We are?" Marilea showed her surprise. "I'm...I'm not very good I'm afraid. I was a disappointment to the women of the Sungazer." she smiled half heartedly.

"You will get better." Eliste returned the smile, hers a bit warmer. "It will give us something to do. When you are finished with yours, you can sell it and the marks you earn will help you start your new life."

"I...I'd have to improve a great deal." Marilea replied, a touch of amusement in her words. "But you're right, I will have to do something if I am to support us - at least for a short time, until I can find a position somewhere that will allow me time with the babe as well as giving us a place to settle."

"You'll figure something out." Eliste was certain Marilea could be quite resourceful when she wanted to be. "Tomorrow, in the garden, midmorning. I will meet you there."

"Yes... and thank you." Marilea nodded, pulling down the lock of hair to cover her face again before she turned to leave.

Last updated on the September 20th 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Make New Friends