A Chat in the Solar

Writers: Chelle, AL
Date Posted: 9th February 2009

Characters: Parale, Briata
Description: The ladies sit and have a chat.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 13, day 26 of Turn 4

Briata

Sitting in the Ladies' Sitting Room, Parale was fiddling with some
sewing. With her bag at her feet, she shuffled through, pulling out
a sock that needed darning. Her children weren't the best at taking
care of their clothes at times.

"Oh, hello." The woman's face wasn't familiar to her. Though that
really ought not to surprise Briata, it was hard to get used to the
fact that she didn't necessarily know every face. Back at her father's
hold, she knew faces even if she didn't know names. The girl smiled
and then motioned to the empty chair. "Would you mind some company?"

"I certainly wouldn't. Have a seat if you'd like." Glancing at the sock,
she made a note to talk to Petris about turning in his holey socks
before the holes got as big as the one she was looking at. "Fine day
to be inside, cloudy as it is. Hard for the little ones though. Sure
they're running about in some back tunnel somewhere.." She frowned,
hoping this wouldn't mean bruises and scrapes later.

"Oh, they're not in the creche?" Briata would have expected young ones
to be in the creche or in harper classes. She set down the basket that
had hung upon her arm and took out the blue shirt she was embroidering.
"How many children do you have?"

"Oh dear no..They're not small. I'm a fostermother see... So I get the
older ones. They have their morning chores, then they have harper lessons
but after that they run wild for a few candlemarks after midday meal, then
I have them." She grinned. "Of course the ones that are thinking about
apprenticing aren't quite so loose but.." Pursing her lips, she thought back to what Briata had asked. "I have three right now. Two boys and a girl."

"Oh, how lovely." Briata hoped she could have her own children, though
she supposed fostering was better than nothing at all. "Do you have any of
your own?"

"No. It never happened for me. And now, look at me. I'm so old it likely
won't now." Parale didn't seem too worried about it though. She was content
to borrow the children of others. Of course, if there ever was a fellow that came along, she wouldn't turn him away either. Rolling her eyes, she chuckled as her needle worked, straight and true. "As if I have time for a husband under my feet as well."

Briata giggled at the last comment. "Well, I'm about to have one under
mine. I suppose I shall simply have to do the best I can under the
circumstances." Her voice was light, teasing. Briata didn't really
consider Ishek to be 'underfoot'. It was a joy and an honour to marry him.

"Oh aye I should think so. That one..likely to be harder than your average
holder. You'll have so much to do.." Not that the Headwoman and the former
Lady just sat around doing nothing.. "Ah well, you're a young thing with turns ahead of you. You'll handle it." A sure stitch finished one sock, then she picked up another, examining it, before she rethreaded her needlethorn.

"I've helped my father with his hold." It was a minor hold, but one of
the larger ones. Still, it was nothing compared to Garnet Valley. "Hopefully that will help me."

"Aye sure. Of course, you could always speak with the Headwoman and Lady Thalia.." Parale thought maybe it could be hard with Thalia, but the Headwoman would be easy enough to approach. "I'm sure she could give you some pointers."

"Of course, it's nice to know that I have someone who can help." Briata wasn't sure she would go to Thalia, not after their disagreement. She didn't want to make the Lady Holder any madder. "Hopefully I'll do all right."

"Oh aye. Who is helping with the preparations then?" She imagined the Headwoman would be involved, but usually there was another woman to help the bride-to-be.

"Oh, I've had several people who have come and offered their services. Really, most of the stuff is being done for me. They just come and ask me questions and I say yes or no pretty much." It was nice to not have to worry about what to do and whether or not something was or wasn't going to get done.

"Sounds lovely." The girl was already delegating. That was a good sign indeed. Smiling, Parale focused more on her sewing for a few moments. "Do you like it here?" She had said she'd come from a smaller hold after all.

"Yes, I do." Briata stated without hesitation. It was different, but Garnet Valley was in her heart, even before Ishek had proposed. "That's not to say it hasn't taken some getting used to, but I do like it here. What about you? Have you always lived here?"

"Aye I have for better or worse." Parale chuckled at her joke, then her eyes turned quickly to Briata. "It's my home. What I'm used to, who I am, where I've grown.."

Briata smiled warmly. She would have children there, they would grow up running through the long, echoing hallways and loving the heavy stone walls of Garnet Valley. She, too, was coming to love the place, and its inhabitants. She, too, could now call it 'home'.

Last updated on the February 17th 2009

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Chat in the Solar