Remember the Time...

Writers: Eimi
Date Posted: 8th May 2010

Characters: Daigoro
Description: Daigoro looks around his home one last time...
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 14 of Turn 5
Notes: This marks Daigoro's official retirement as Hallsecond at AHH-VH.

Daigoro's boots echoed against the bare walls of the cot he and Cinale
had began their life together in. He just wanted to take one last look
to make sure nothing was left undone, and to remember. There were so
many happy memories that covered every inch of this little home. It
didn't look like much. As Hallsecond, he had been entitled to a lot
more. But it was exactly what he and Cinale had dreamed of, had talked
about as they planned their future lives together among the ruins of the
destroyed Amethyst Cliff Hall.

And yet, the dream had started even earlier than that - a nice quiet
walk interrupted by a sudden downpour, and a little cot where had found
shelter from the rain. They had walked through the rooms, much like he
was doing now, but instead of imagining what could be theirs one day, he
was remembering all the memories they had shared in their small little
home.

He closed the door and turned to face the little sitting room. The
first time they had walked through that door together was on Turns End
one and a half turns past. His beautiful wife had flowers in her hair,
and
on her face was the loveliest maidenly blush a new bride every wore.
They had wasted very little time looking around. They both had been
anxious to enjoy the pleasures being married would bring. A small smile
graced his lips as he remembered how nervous he was as he lead her
across the room to the steps that would take them upstairs to their
bedroom and nuptial bed.

Turning before the stairs, he now walked into the kitchens, lightly
running
a finger across the table as he passed it. They had taken most of their
meals in the Hall's kitchens where she had worked. But sometimes she
would cook for him here. Shards how he had loved watching her bustle
around her kitchen. It was _hers_, and she was in complete control when
she was bustling about preparing their meal, filling the house with the
most wonderful smells...

But he remembered the look on her face when she had walked in on him
making an utter mess of her kitchen. He had wanted to do something
special for her, and had enlisted the help of the Hallmaster's daughter
to teach him to do a little baking. His first attempt, with coaching,
was perfect... Until their firelizards had decided to make a little nest
out of the warm cookies. Daigoro tried to do everything exactly the
same as before, but the results had been less than impressive. No, he
chuckled softly at the memory, the cookies had been a disaster. Even
the firelizards
wouldn't touch them! Cinale had come home to the chaos he had created,
and instead of being angry at him for intruding in on her sanctuary, she
looked at him with those eyes that told him he had done something
wonderful, and she was pleased with him. He would do anything for that
look.

Of course, not all the memories were happy ones. He could remember at
least one occasion in which he had made a very serious mistake. Cinale
had spent the day baking a beautiful cake and left it in the middle of
the table. Daigoro, being the thick-headed dunce he was, had assumed it
was him and cut right into it. When his wife came home, that was when
he had learned that it had been baked for a special purpose. Shards,
she had gotten so mad, and him right back at her. It had ended in
tears, and he had felt low as a tunnel snake. She quickly forgave him,
of course, but Daigoro never again touched a cake or plate of cookies
without checking with her first. He had finally been housebroken, it
had seemed.

He turned back the way he had come, but instead of walking into the
living area, he climbed the worn stairs up to the second floor, smiling
fondly when he heard the familiar creek on the fifth step. Walking into
the bedroom the had shared, he sat himself on the bed, his hand lightly
caressing the feathered mattress he and his wife had spent their first
night together on. And their last night in this home as well. His
other paw
wrapped it's think fingers around the post, giving it a fond shake. It
was a sturdy old bed, made by a fine craftsman. That bed had withstood
a lot, he thought with a rather smug smile.

His desk in his office hadn't been quite that lucky, he recalled,
laughing out loud at the memory of when their flits had risen to mate
for
the first time after their marriage. Like adolescents, they had quickly
locked the door, carelessly swept the contents off the top, and gave in
to the moment. And what a moment it had been! It was worth the
embarrassment of having to ask the Hallmaster for another desk.
Luckily,
the new one had covered the stain from the inkwell that he failed to
mention to the
Hallmaster. Good times, he thought. So many good times.

But his eyes lifted to look out of their bedroom, and stared straight
into the room across the way and was reminded of one of the most painful
memories they had shared in this house. They had called that 'the
baby's room', though they had yet to have children. Faranth knew it was
not from lack of trying. They both had wanted children so badly. So
many couples married after them were getting pregnant, but it just
didn't seem to be so easy for them. When Cinale had heard from the
healers that she was finally pregnant.. shards, how happy they had been!
There had never been a more excited couple on Pern.

It made it all the harder when, only a month after they had learned the
happy news, she lost the baby. How both their hearts broke. How they
mourned. How Cinale suffered, and Daigoro right along with her. It was
probably the hardest thing Daigoro had ever gone through in his life.
He could bare the loss of his own hopes, but to see Cinale's dream
shattered... Daigoro felt so helpless and ineffectual. Of course, with
time, with patience, and with a lot of love, her heart had mended a bit.
But another pregnancy seemed long in coming. They were both beginning
to accept the fact, through they never actually said so out loud, that
they may never have a child of their own. But they would keep trying.
As long as there was a chance, they would not admit defeat. At least,
not to each other.

And perhaps it was a good thing. This was no time to be having a child.
Not when they were leaving the Hall to start a new life together. They
would miss this place, their first home. But they would make another.
To be honest, Daigoro had been rather bored with sitting behind a desk.
His hands had been itching to get back to work on the brews he had
loved. Nearly a turn before he had sent a geologist and one of his
journeyman out to scout a location for a new brewery, and they had come
back with news even more promising than he had hoped for. An artesian
well had been found with water so clear, so clean, and so perfect making
beer with. For the longest time he had envied the man who would be
placed in charge of getting that brewery up and running. It wasn't
until Cinale had encouraged him to talk to the Hallmaster that he had
gotten up the guts to actually make the suggestion that _he_ should be
the one!

Cinale had believed in him, had supported his passion for creating
something new, and she would now be his partner in this new adventure.
They, with a small team of journeyman and their wives, would now go and
fill the rooms that had been built specifically for them, and Daigoro
would once again just be a Brew Master. It made him smile. Of course,
it might not be a permanent situation. He and Cinale had both agreed
that if she were to become pregnant - _when_ they were to get pregnant
again, they would come back. Perhaps he would like to teach rather than
administrate. As fun as it will be to create something new, deep down
he knew eventually he would miss the Hall. He'll miss the students,
he'll miss his peers. Cinale eventually would miss her kitchen. They
would both miss their little cot, with their own tiny herb garden they
had worked so hard on together.

Yes, someday they might be back, but for now his wife, and adventure was
waiting. He looked around the room one last time and smiled. So many
memories he would take with him, and in the night, in their new home, in
their new bed, he and Cinale would whisper in the dark and pull out
those memories, like little treasures and relieve them once again
together. And each one would begin, "Remember the time..."

Last updated on the May 18th 2010

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Remember the Time...