Headwomen

Writers: Chelle, Suzee
Date Posted: 16th October 2011

Characters: Qorri, Jylanya
Description: Jylanya comes to see Qorri
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 5, day 1 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: K'hetah

Jylanya

Jylanya had done significant work at the Hall and made great progress.
The sea captain Qorri had sent down had made great headway in
repairing all the damage from the turn of neglect. She was far from
finished by any stretch but she set a good foot under her and made for
a visit to the Weyr's Headwoman.

She had her hat against the sun and a light dress that helped cover
her from the intensity to keep her from burning during the 30 minute
walk. Finally she came over the final rise and walked down the hill
and through the bowl averting her eyes from the riders in various
states of undress. The Weyr was still a strange and wonderful world
that she didn't feel comfortable with, but she didn't judge. After her
talks with K'hetah she was beginning to understand the way their world
worked. She didn't see the subject of her thoughts as she traveled but
she figured they were out training or something like that.

Entering the lower caverns she made her way to the Headwoman's office
and knocked on the doorframe. "Qorri?"

"Aye?" She was currently kneedeep in the problems that arose when her
Weyr had to move a crafthall, or at least part of it.

"Morning Qorri," Jylanya said with a smile as she came into the office.

"Aye good day to you. What brings you here to see me today hm?" She
thrust aside what she was looking at.

"Just a quick visit to say thanks and ask for a few supplies." Jylanya
pulled out her inventory. There were a few items she'd marked to talk
with Qorri about when she got the chance. "The man you sent to help
with the repairs did a marvelous job. Even fixing things that I hadn't
realized needed it."

"Good to know he was helpful." She filed that away, thinking she was happy
she had somewhere to send the Seacrafter to. "So what is it that you need
then?"

"Well," she said pulling out her notes and pushing the sheet toward
the other woman. "I did a complete inventory and it's amazing how
many things we had in odd places. Now that it's all organized I have a
better hold on what is needed." They were becoming more and more
self-sufficient but there were a few things they needed help with. "We
have plenty of seafood and even a surplus we could supply to you if
needed, but we're lacking in some of the grains and meat. Fresh fruit
is also needed but we're getting by at the moment."

Qorri took it and pulled out her own lists. Checking the amounts against
each other, she frowned and worked the sums in her head. "My question
is this...do you have room down there for a small beasthold? If so, I'd rather
just give you a bit of livestock so you can provide your own milk and meat
for yourself in future."

Jylanya thought for a few moments then began to nod. "I think we do,
but we'll need some beasthandlers."

"Mm...for something this small at first we'll only need one. As it grows,
your Master can try and recruit others. Make nice with the Masterherder,
you know." She winked and nodded to herself. "I'll have to discuss it with
the Weyrwoman to get permission, but I don't think it'll be a problem. Fruit
is easy for the riders to collect around here. We can trade that for some of
the fish. The grains...that would be a matter of increase in tithe. We've fallen
a bit tight ourselves this turn with all the hurricanes."

"All good suggestions," Jylanya smiled. "Perhaps we can also clear
some land for a farm midway between the Hall and Weyr. There is a very
nice slope of land right there that could be easily made into a farm
cothold. Close enough that farmer type candidates who didn't impress
could still stay at the Weyr if they didn't want to return to their
former lives."

"We have a small kitchen garden, but honestly with the amount of grain
we'd have to increase...that wouldn't even begin to cover it." She shook her
head. "It'd be a lot of work for a return that wouldn't be worth it I'm afraid."
A Weyr didn't have the amount of people available for enterprises like that
during a Pass. That was what the tithing system was for. "We'll just make do.
We've been cutting back by a third ourselves to accommodate, substituting
vegetables and other things when we can."

She nodded seeing the woman's point. Yet she still thought from her
own experience as a manager of just that type of hold farm, they would
be able to add significantly enough to their supplies to make it
worthwhile. She privately resolved to find some way to attract the
right sort to the area and see what they could establish to help
support the hold.

"Will you be going to the Gather at Opal Cove Hold?" Jylanya asked.

"No, I cannot leave the Weyr unattended. Especially since I think both
the Weyrleader and the Weyrwoman are going." She hadn't asked, but
she was sure they would.

She nodded. Luckily, she would be able to go and was relishing the
fact. "I'll be going, is there anything you'd like me to keep an eye
out for?"

"Fabric...I want some good bolts of Weyr colors to redo the chair backs
with." Qorri didn't get that in tithe very often and was forced to trade for
it. A Gather allowed her to choose her colors.

She nodded and made a note for later so she wouldn't forget. "How
about something for yourself," she asked with a smile. She didn't
have many friends and she recognized something in the other woman that
was similar to her. Friendships were important and beyond that, she
liked Qorri.

"Well.....it's not often I get a new dress, but they'd have to have measures
for that." Qorri usually had to work hatchings, so she didn't get to wear finery
often anyway.

Jylanya smiled. "Me either," she said. "You know if you want we could
get your measures and I could take them with. What do you think?"

"Aye but I'd want to see and feel the fabric and see how it fit and all of that.
Better to wait I think. You can buy me some candles though to mark the time."
They were a commodity that she could make if she really wanted to, but
she didn't bother.

She nodded at Qorri. "We'll I can probably bring you some swatches and
contact information if you'd like." She was going to have a least one
new cool dress made up. It was always so very hot here that she ran
through her meager wardrobe quickly. She pointed at the other
headwoman "I'll find you some nice candles. I've seen some that are
scented. Would you like some like that?"

"It doesn't matter. Just something that can mark the time and augment the
glows. We can make our own here, but it's hard to gather the animal fat needed
to do it and I don't get as many of them as I'd like." Qorri hated the chore and
the drudges did too.

"Alright," she smiled. I'll find what I can. She stood to take her
leave of the Weyr.

Last updated on the December 16th 2011

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