Hatching a Plan

Writers: Len, Ames
Date Posted: 16th December 2010

Characters: Maemira, Sabin
Description: Maemira helps young Sabin concoct a plan to let her stay at the Harper Hall
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 12, day 2 of Turn 5

Bustling about the cavernous main room, Maemira straightened some of the parchments and decorations on the shelves. It was near enough to night, that most of the visitors who liked to spend the evening in discussion here had already headed off their own way. Picking up a stray dish here and there, she clucked her tongue. What would these Harpers do without her to pick up after them? It was a job Maemira enjoyed, truth be told.

Just as she was about to dim the light on this side of the room and leave, she heard what sounded like a shuffling sound. The room had been empty a short time ago, she was sure of it. Had someone come in? But the door was before her, and she surely would have seen any visitors.

"Is someone still here?" She asked.

When she heard the Headwoman's question, Sabin sniffed a tear and hide her face behind her long black hair. The last thing she wanted was to see another face full of pity. It had been bad enough when she told her best mates of what was to happen to her, but the same look on an adult face would be too much. She slid down lower, hoping the woman would just go away.

Maemira wasn't about to leave even though no one answered. She'd heard a tiny shift. Someone was in the room and she thought she'd heard a sniffle. In a few moments, she'd brought up the light in the room once again and was walking in the direction of the sound. It was as she'd rounded the one sofa that she caught sight of what she thought was a wisp of dark hair and a foot.

Moving closer, Maemira glanced down at the girl. "Sabin? What are you doing? I'd thought everyone had gone to bed already."

"I'm doing...nothing, sorry I should go." The girl sniffled another tear and stood to leave.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute, dearie!" Maemira put her hands out and on the girl's shoulders. "No one said anything about going." She'd noted the tear streaks and the look on the child's face. "Come sit, tell me what's bothering you." She tried to guide the girl to one of the couches, hoping she would come and not resist. Maemira hadn't had much time to get to know Sabin since her arrival, but perhaps she could rectify that now.

The girl let the Headwoman settle her into one of the soft couches. Thinking this may be the last time she got to sit here, in the Harper's Hall made the girl well up in tears once again. Despite being raised to be a lady, a part of her heard and cringed at her distintly unlady-like sobs.

"Oh dear," Maemira tsked, reaching for the girl's hand and patting it between her own. "What ever is the matter? I can't help you unless you tell me, Sabin." She was shaking her head, trying to figure out what could have upset the girl so much. Various thoughts ran through her mind, but Maemira tried not to jump to conclusions in her mind.

"It's my father. He wrote me the other day to say he has a match for me to marry. Only I don't want to be married off! I want to stay here and learn...what am I going to do? If only I was an apprentiance and not just a student, this wouldn't be happening then!" She fell into a sobbing heap on the Headwoman's lap.

"Oh, dear me," Maemira clucked her tongue as she stroked the young girl's hair. "Sabin, I'm afraid I won't be able to change your father's mind, but I know, from experience, that marriage can be a wonderful thing," **sometimes** she added silently.

"No one likes to be told what to do. You just go ahead and cry and then we'll draft a plan together to help you get through this," Maemira gave a little hurmpf sound, even as she continued to pat and stroke Saban's hair. Why did fathers do these things to their daughters? She sighed as she waited for the girl's sobs to subside enough that they could talk if she desired.

After a long while Sabin had exhausted herself enough to talk. Or at least listen to advice. "Did..did you say you have a plan? Is there_anyway_I can stay?"

Maemira had been thinking about how to help Sabin best, when she heard the nearly heartfelt pleas in the young girl's tone, her heart nearly broke. "Oh, dearie, we'll think of something." Then a smile lit her face, "What might happen if your betrothed came for a little supervised visit only to find you...ahem...less than appealing," she winked at young Sabin, wondering what the girl would think of the idea.

She brightened at that. "Can we do that?" She hated to disobey her father, after all. But then again, it wasn't like he had her best interrests in mind.

"We could surely try," Maemira winked. "Do you know anything about your betrothed? Any chance he might be coming to meet you here at the Hall? Then, we could really try and convince him you're not a good catch," Maemira was practically bursting inside at the thought of trying to pull this off. It might just work...depending on whether the boy had any say in the matter. They just had to find out what he hated and make Sabin exactly that!

"Yes, he is!" Sabin was beginning to get excited by the idea. "He's an older man, I think. At least old for me, he's like in his 30's or something. And all I know is he's got a small Hold someplace pretty far away from anyone else's. And I think he doesn't really like dragon riders much." Neither did her father but she really couldn't see what all the fuss was about. They kept all of Pern from dying under the grip of Thread, right? So what if they didn't carry on like Holders. She really didn't see any problem.

"Hmm. Well I'm not sure we could convince them that you've become a dragonrider. Not without a dragon at least." Maemira paused, thinking, "we could always see if you _could_ actually stand on the sands, seeing as we are at the Weyr, but that would mean you'd be a dragonrider and not a harper student." She contemplated further. "I just know we'll find a way to make this work."

Sabin trembled at the thought of being considered a dragonrider. Her father would be furious if she Stood, considering his low oppinion of female riders. But then again, he would be angry if he heard just what they were planning. She sighed, looking hopefully at Maemira. "Would we get in trouble, for this?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"All we can do is try, m'dear. All we can do is try!" Maemira winked at her and wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders, giving her an encouraging hug. "Come, we've got much to plan for."

Last updated on the January 22nd 2011

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Hatching a Plan