Asking the Right Person

Writers: Jane, Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 4th October 2008

Characters: Lihona, Vaheri, Linli
Description: Linli asks Vaheri about having to move in with her father and Eliste.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 9 of Turn 4

Lihona trailled along in her friend's wake, since rightly it wasn't _her_ problem they were finally going to talk to Aunty Vaheri about. It was Linli's problem, or might be. Or might not. That was the _real_
problem. Nobody knew. Or not anybody who mattered in Lihona's opinion.

Vaheri watched the children approaching, drying her hands on the towel she had been using to wipe dishes. As they neared she called out to them. "Are you looking for jobs to do?"

"Noooo!" Lihona protested. "Honestly, we're not." She nudged her friend. If Linli didn't say something they would end up with _chores_.

"No Vaheri, honestly, we, er, I-" she was lost for words, "do I have to move in with Dar and Eliste?" she finally blurted.

The riverboat headwoman frowned at the question. "Why would you have to do that?"

"That's how families go on the riverboat," Lihona explained to the headwoman, rather surprised that Vaheri didn't know. "The two littlest stay with their parents and the older one has to move out. Like Nalin when our baby comes."

"But I like sharing with Neke and Tahna, I don't want to move in with Dar and Eliste..." she almost stamped her foot but caught herself in time.

"I don't suppose Nalin wants to move in the the grown-up men, either," Lihona said cheerfully. "And I'm pretty sure Rahona doesn't want him to."

"But there's still room in the bunks with Neke and Tahna." she argued, more concerned about sharing a room with her dar than she cared to admit. For as long as she could remember she had always shared with Neke and Tahna and her father had bunked in with the men. She was still quite shy around the man who was her dar. She had only just started to get to know him better, she wasn't sure she was ready to share quarters with him though.

Vaheri had listened through the exchange but now stepped in. "Let's sit down and talk about this a bit."

The headwoman waited for the girls to be seated at the table near her before she continued. "Yes, the two youngest children usually live with their parents when on-board," she conceded with a glance toward Lihona.
"However, we also disrupt families and arrangements that are already working as little as possible." This was directed more toward Linli.

"So I don't have to move?" she asked, the frown beginning to lift from her small puckered face.

"That would be up to your father," the woman replied. "However, he hasn't said anything to me about moving you."

"So Linli might not have to move?" Lihona asked. "Maybe we could talk to your father, Linli."

"I guess..." Linli said somewhat slowly. She didn't want to anger or upset her father, not now they had started a friendship, but neither did she want to leave the security she felt with Neke and Tahna. Maybe one of them could talk to Fog? "Or I could ask Neke, or even Tahna, if one of them would?" she said, hopefully - glancing at Vaheri for assurance.

Vaheri shrugged. "If I were worried about moving, I'd ask the people who were entitled to make the decisions for me. Worrying without knowing will get you nowhere."

"Thank you, Vaheri." Linli nodded.

Lihona sighed. Still not settled! Oh well, she didn't mind her father's cousin, Fog. They would just go and talk to him and see what he was planning. Vaheri was right. They would just ask - straight out.

Last updated on the October 5th 2008

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Asking the Right Person