A Sudden Change of Heart

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 24th November 2013

Characters: Sinla, Chupsin, Genna
Description: Sinla and Genna come to Chupsin with a request.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 5 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Makarl

Genna

Genna had all the way to the Infirmary to compose herself and reassure
herself that this was the only thing she could do. She needed to get away
from her mother and her hypocrisy before she exploded and spilled her big,
terrible secret. Having it known would mean the end of her father, her
brothers and probably her uncles and aunts as well. So she had to play this
out right, because if she told Chupsin anything and he found out...

Sinla, likewise, tried to regain her composure and settle her thoughts as
she hurried after her daughter's long strides. Torn between saving Genna
from herself, form the perversities of the Weyr and saving her family from
the destruction she had brought over all their heads had her swaying first
this way, then that. As they finally reached the Infirmary and Chupsin's
quarters, the good of the many had outweighed the good of the one. And maybe
Genna was right, after all. Maybe she would fit in at the Weyr. Maybe she
would impress and be happy. As Genna knocked on the door and announced their
coming, Sinla steeled herself and reached deep for the acting abilities she
would need to convince her brother of her change of heart.

At this point in time, he was actually in the shower. So he didn't hear
them. The day's toil had worn on the healer and he was carefully scrubbing
all traces of disease and blood from his skin. Tourniquet was curled up on
his pillow near the heater but looked up when he heard the noise.

Genna knocked and knocked again, but eventually she had to admit her uncle
either wasn't in, or he couldn't hear her. Walking straight past her mother
without even looking at her, she checked with one of the on-duty apprentices
and then came back to the door and knocked again. Chupsin was supposed to be
home.

It took some time but finally he got out of the shower. While toweling off,
Tourniquet appeared and began to make noise. Sending images of people at the
door, he got the message and slipped a robe on before going to open it.
Surprised to find both his niece and sister there, he didn't say a word for
a moment. "Ah so you found her then."

"Yes, I did," Sinla nodded, trying to sound natural. "And we have something
we need to talk to you about." She glanced at Genna, who wasn't looking her
way."Can we come in?" Genna asked as she avoided her mother's gaze.

"I suppose." He watched them closely, sensing something in their body
language. This was going to be good, whatever it was.

"Great," Genna said quickly as she all but stormed in. Sinla followed more
subdued and found herself a seat in Chupsin's small living area. Sinla
realized they had to play this right and started off slowly. "Well, the
fight we had was about Genna's search."

"Oh was it now?" Shutting the door behind them, he didn't say much. He was
just watching and listening, eyes going from one to the other of them.

"Yes," Sinla nodded, glancing at Genna as she too sat down. "And Genna has
finally convinced me going to the Weyr is her true dream and I've decided
not to stand in her way any longer."

"And how did she do that?" Chupsin was beyond curious. This was very
non-Sinla behavior.

"I just.. I've never seen her this passionate about anything," Sinla said
with a small sigh. "It made me realize I could be keeping her from great
things."

"And you could be sending her to her death, too." Yep something was off and
Chupsin was a healer-he was trained to listen and to determine things based
on what people were not saying. He also knew his sister better than anyone
else.

"And I could die just as well from a cold I'll catch in the Hold," Genna cut
in, some note of desperation sounding through in her words. If her uncle
would now block her only escape route, she would go out of her mind.
"Please, uncle, can you call on your dragonrider friends and ask if they can
come pick me up soon?"

He was quiet for some time, looking at the two of them. Her anxiety was
telling. Yes, something was wrong. "I will help you, but only if you are
honest. Sinla-you know as well as I do you wouldn't change your mind about
something like this that quickly. And Genna-you shouldn't be so desperate to
go. You need to consider what you are leaving behind and what sort of
permanent change this could be. Besides that, I'm not stupid."

Genna shook her head resolutely, giving her mother the first glance since
their fight, her eyes telling her firmly to stay silent. The true story
would ruin Chupsin, she was sure of that now. "I'm sorry Uncle, this is
something between the two of us. If you won't help us, I will find someone
else who will. I've got my search token so I have every right to go to the
Weyr."

"You do with both your parents' permission. What about your father?" In
this, Chupsin wasn't mistaken. In a Hold, the husband ruled the family so
Makarl's permission was necessary.

"My father approved long before my mother overruled him, you know that,
uncle." Genna shook her head in disbelief. She had thought Chupsin had been
on her side in this.

Actually he hadn't. Chupsin didn't speak to Makarl much, but he hadn't
thought the man would have willingly sent his daughter to the Weyr of all
places. He searched the faces of both of them. Something wasn't right here,
but he wasn't going to figure it out today. Hopefully, he wasn't making a
bad decision that he would regret like others he had made recently. "Very
well, I'll get you a ride, but you need to promise me that you are going for
you wanting to be a rider and not some other stupid reason." He was also
going to discreetly arrange for someone to watch out for Genna when she
arrived. The girl thought she knew so much but she was wrong-so wrong.

"I promise I want to go to the Weyr to be a rider, uncle," Genna said with
conviction. If she hadn't wanted to be a dragonrider, she would have fled
somewhere else.

Sinla remained silent, feeling her heart tearing with regret, guilt and
sadness. Had she just sacrificed her daughter for her own good?

Last updated on the December 4th 2013

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A Sudden Change of Heart