Discovering the Truth

Writers: Anaria
Date Posted: 2nd July 2011

Characters: Tiernan, Vanilesa
Description: Tiernan visits Vanilesa to deliver the bad news about her son, and to ask about her past.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 2, day 24 of Turn 6

It hadn't been hard for Tiernan to find a dragonrider willing to take
him to Emerald Falls. He'd went to Sapphire Meadows in search of
Vanilesa, but had found that she'd somewhat recently taken residence
at Emerald Falls. He tipped the dragonrider before beginning to wander
aimlessly about the Hold's courtyard. He asked various people that he
came upon someone who was familiar with the woman, and who'd directed
them to the Hold proper.

It appeared that she was a foster mother, and had arrived a few turns
prior upon the passing of her husband. Tiernan poked around the
corridors of the Hold until he found the one that he was looking for,
and rapped on the door.

A short, slender woman opened the door, "Yes?" She asked, her eyes
floating down to his shoulder knots. When she saw that he was a
Seacrafter, her eyes widened. "Is.... is this about Fievan?"

"Yes, yes it is ma'am, do you mind if I come in?"

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, as she nodded and stepped aside,
gesturing to Tiernan to sit. "It's... it's not good news is it?" She
asked finally, a moment later.

Tiernan took the seat that she'd offered, and nodded. "Unfortunately
ma'am, there was a hurricane, and Fievan... he was swept overboard. We
couldn't get him back on the ship. I'm so sorry," he said. Tear began
to sting at his own eyes as Vanilesa seemed to shrink more and more
within herself with every word Tiernan spoke.

"There's.... there's more," Tiernan said, extending a hand, which
contained the espousal ring that he'd found in Fievan's things. "My
name is Tiernan. My father is Fieranan," he said, almost reluctantly.
He didn't want to add insult to injury, but he needed to say it.

"I'm sorry?" Vanilesa asked, her tears stopping momentarily. "But...
you can't be..."

Tiernan's heart broke as he saw the last shreds of hope die in the
simple foster mother's eyes. "I'm sorry, Vanilesa, but Fieranan is
married. To my mother. He has been for nearly 35 turns. I'm so sorry
if he's deceived you."

That statement drove Vanilesa into an active rage. "He... what?! He
told me that I was the only woman! That when he was at Topaz he was
too busy tending to his ship and with shore tasks to spend time with
any women!" She looked at Tiernan with pleading eyes. "Please, tell me
you're lying...." she said softly.

"I.... I wish I could," he said finally. "Has.... has he been coming
around as much the past few turns? I know he's getting closer to
retirement age, so he's been spending more time at Sea Hold with my
Ma," Tiernan asked.

Vanilesa's face fell, "No, he said he was working more so he could
retired from Captaining, and go back to a Hold as a Dockmaster, or the
Hall as a teacher." She shook her head. "I don't understand, why did
he lie to me?"

"I... I don't know," Tiernan said, getting out of his chair and
kneeling down next to the distraught woman. He wrapped an arm about
her, rubbing her back reassuringly. "I.... I haven't gone out to
confront him about it yet. But I swear to you that I will. I am so
sorry that he's done you wrong."

Vanilesa shook her head, "No.... I should have seen it coming," she
said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I met him at a tavern one night
after my husband had left to go be with another woman. He knew I was
married, he likely assumed that we'd never amount to anything. But...
when Fievan was conceived... it was different. I knew that he couldn't
be my husband's child because we'd been trying to conceive for so many
turns. When Fievan was born, and had your father's eyes, I sent my
firelizard out to him. He wanted to do my son right. So he sent me
marks, and a turn or two later he came back, and we hit it off again."

"And then Vanera was born?" Tiernan prompted.

Vanilesa nodded. "Whenever he was in the area after that, we'd meet
up. And he kept asking me if I would leave my husband for him, but by
that time, he was in poor health and I didn't want to leave him when
he only had a few turns left."

"And how has he been since your husband died?" Tiernan asked.

"He was odd... distant... at first. But then he started talking about
when he would be done with his Captaining days, and how he'd take me
with him to the Hall once he was there regularly...." Vanilesa shook
her head. "He seemed so genuine..."

"He has always seemed like an honest man to me, but I've seen proof
otherwise recently," Tiernan said. "How... how old is Vanera
nowadays?"

"She's 12 turns old," Vanilesa said. "She's learning how to mend with
some of the other women of the Hold, but I worry for her. She's got
her daddy's wanderlust."

"You know, in recent turns the Harper Hall has been taking female
apprentices," Tiernan said, his voice low despite they fact that they
were in her private chamber. "Or you could send her off to the Weyr.
There are other options for her, and I wouldn't mind helping you out
with them."

Vanilesa nodded. "I... I will keep that in mind," she said. "Will you
come back, when you've spoken with Fieranan? I'd be interested in
knowing how he explains his actions." In her mind, there had to be a
logical explanation for it. Perhaps Tiernan wasn't aware of the true
state of his parent's marriage. Perhaps it was an arranged situation
and Fieranan didn't actually love his wife.

"I will," Tiernan promised.

"I will keep in mind the things you said about Vanera. I can't make a
decision about it now though, not with everything that you've told me.
I need time to straighten things out," Vanilesa said, tears coming to
her eyes once more.

Tiernan hugged the woman quickly, before standing. "Send your
firelizard if you have any need of me," he said, as he left the foster
mother's rooms. He had hoped that he would feel better about things
after talking to the woman. That perhaps he'd misunderstood her
relationship with his father. But he was becoming more and more
certain that he was right.

Last updated on the August 3rd 2011

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