"The Opportunist"

Writers: Emma, Heather
Date Posted: 29th May 2014

Characters: Judassa, Chaysea, I'lan
Description: Judassa makes the best out of a bad situation.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Follows "My Sister's Keeper"
Mentioned: D'hol

Judassa was seething as she crouched in the dark corridor, one arm
around her bared chest, and the other wrapped around her waist with her hand
splayed to cover the area between her legs. She couldn't believe that
D'hol had thrown her out of his weyr, and _naked_ no less. Her teeth
grated together. Now how was she suppose to get back to her room with
no one seeing her? It was humiliating and Judassa swore that she would
have revenge on D'hol, even if she had to exact it on her own sister,
Jeyme, to prove her point.

Judassa rubbed idly at the bruise marks on her forearms that D'hol's
biting fingers had left behind.She had been banking on her plan to
seduce D'hol, and now with that gone she would have to think of
something else. D'hol had been the perfect choice because he had
proved that should he get a woman pregnant, as he had Jeyme, he would
follow through and care for the woman carrying his child. Judassa's
hand reached down to her still,
rather flat, abdomen. Who was going to care for her child?

When she heard movement in the corridor ahead she froze, her eyes
frantically darting about to try and find somewhere to hide.

"Hey! Come back here!" I'lan called after his canine. "That's the last time
I let you off your lead around here, you know exactly what I mean when I
tell you to stay with me, I know you do."

Bubbly meanwhile was quite intent on clattering down the corridor, his claws
making clinking noises on the stone floor, giving little yips and woofs
until he came to a sudden halt.

Judassa yelped as, in her haste to scrambling away from the approacing
figure, she tripped over the furry thing that had come to an abrupt
stop right in front of her feet. Bare knees and elbows scraped against
the floor and her hip collided sharply as well, drawing a hiss from
between her teeth.

"Now look what you've done," scolded I'lan, even as the canine whined,
sensing the distress of the woman who seemed to be sprawled on the stone
floor next to him. "Hey," he began. "You all right?" The words came out even
as he registered her state, and lack of clothing.

A naked woman by the bathing pools, or swimming in the lake or sea was one
thing, but by the corridors was something else entirely. He took a step
back, hastily slipping off a light over shirt and holding it out to her.
"Here, take this," he said politely averting his eyes.

Judassa looked up at the man offering the shirt, and her mind
calculated the situation quickly. Bronzerider shoulder knots, young,
polite, a gentleman offering her clothing to cover up with... And he
wasn't bad looking either. **He'll do.** She thought, even as she
blinked up some tears, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Thank you." She breathed out around a sniff, reaching out with
trembling fingers to take the garment and slip it on. Luckily the man
was of a decent height and so the shirt fell over her thighs enough to
cover everything up.

"What happened?" he asked, even as he clipped the canine's lead back to his
collar. "Can I get you any help?"

Tears slid down her cheeks, "I was... He...." She emitted a soft sob,
leaving no doubt as to what she was implying had happened.

"Someone tried to..." I'lan's words trailed off as his brain began to digest
the implications. "Are you hurt? Let me get you to the healers."

A horrified look crossed her face and she took a step back, "Oh no, I... I
can't. This is embarrassing enough as it is." Logically Judassa knew that a
healer would find she had not been violated in that manner.

"The Headwoman then?" he suggested gently. "Maybe she can help you with
this." Perhaps the young woman needed the comfort of a motherly figure to
talk to rather than the sometimes impersonal, yet always professional care
of the healers.

Realizing that this bronzerider was going to make her see _someone_,
Judassa figured that the lesser of the two evils would be the
Headwoman. It appeared this bronzerider, much younger than D'hol, was
one of those gentleman types. Judassa could certainly use this
situation to her advantage.

"Yes, the Headwoman." She agreed.

"I'm sure Chaysea will be able to help you," he said. "Let me show you to
her quarters."

Judassa had never heard of this Chaysea woman before, but she hoped
that the Headwoman was gullible because she was going to have to turn
in her best performance to make her story convincing. "Thank you." She
murmured again, meekly. This bronzerider was just the type she needed
if she planned on having someone take care of her while she was in the
Weyr.

"It's this way," he began, pointing in the appropriate direction. "I'm
I'lan, by the way, Naath's rider."

She committed the name to memory, "I am Judassa."

"I wish we had met under better circumstances." Well met was hardly the best
greeting at a time like this, he thought as he began to lead the way. "I
might have asked you to join me for a cup of klah."

Judassa smiled inwardly, oh yes, this bronzerider was perfect. The
smile that she showed I'lan, however, was meek and coy, "I am sure
that would have been lovely, too."

"Well maybe sometime, or a walk with the furball, when he behaves himself
that is."

"Yes, maybe sometime." Judassa agreed as they arrived outside of a
door, presumably, the Headwoman's office since that was where I'lan
had said he was taking her. Having come newly to the Weyr, Judassa was
not in the loop on Weyr business and knew nothing about what sort of
person this Headwoman was.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" asked the bronzerider as he raised his
hand to knock on the door.

"Would you, please? I know we just met and all but... It makes me feel
safer with you here." Judassa spoke softly.

The door swung open mere seconds after I'lan knocked. Chaysea had been
on her way out when the knock came, and the bronzerider and
barely-dressed female were the last thing she had been expecting to
see. Her eyes quickly took in the fact that the woman was only wearing
a _tunic_ and nothing else.

"Goodness, what happened?" Her eyes went to I'lan.
.
"I," he stumbled over his words slightly, wanting to make it clear that he
found and rescued Judassa, that he was in no way responsible for this. "I
found Judassa here in the corridors, I think someone hurt her some how."

"He was kind enough to give me this shirt." Judassa added in I'lan's
defense.

Chaysea's green eyes widened a bit, "Please come in." She opened the
door wider, and in one swift movement she swept the blanket hanging on
the back of her office chair from it's perch and settled it around
Judassa's shoulders.

Judassa murmured her thanks as she took a seat on the couch in the
Headwoman's office. Her sharp eyes quickly took in the floor length
skirt that Chaysea wore, as well as the prim way her blouse was
buttoned to the neck. Oh yes, this woman was a Holder, Judassa was
sure, she had seen enough of them to know. That made her task of
convincing Chaysea not to turn her over to the healers that much
easier.

"So what exactly happened dear?" Chaysea asked, leaning back against
her desk as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Judassa's eyes flicked to I'lan, feignig innocence, as if the thought
of speaking of such in front of a man embarassed her, "A man... a
man...took liberties." She said in a hushed tone.

Chaysea blinked, "Do you know who it was? What he looked like?"

Tears whelled in Judassa's eyes, "No, the corridor was dark."

"I don't recognize you from the Lower Caverns," of course, she was
still learning people's faces and names, "are you here visiting?"

"Well, I had hopefully come here to stay." Judassa tossed that little
bit out there, hoping the Headwoman took the bait.

"And do you have family here?" Chaysea asked.

Judassa nodded, "Yes, Jeyme is my little sister."

"Ah yes, Jeyme." Chaysea knew the pregnant greenrider from bringing
her some maternity supplies. "Well then, what sort of job could you do
here at the Weyr? We don't take charity cases."

**Gotcha.** Judassa thought smugly, "I was apprenticed to a midwife at
the Hold, I am sure I could be an assistant to one here."

Chaysea thought it over for a moment, "Let me talk with the midwives
and see if any of them would be willing to take an assistant. In the
mean time you should go see the healers in the infirmary to make sure
that you are allright." She looked pointedly at the red marks on
Judassa's arms which were sure to become bruises within the next day.

"Oh no," Judassa looked mortified at the thought, "it would be ever so
embarassing to have to tell more people what happened. I would rather
no one know, it is just... better that way. You are from the Hold, you
understand." She played to Chaysea's sympathies.

The fact of the matter was that Chaysea did understand. Things like
this at the Hold made a woman damaged goods. "Fine," Chaysea sighed,
she supposed she couldn't force the woman, she was of age after all,
"I have empty rooms in the lower caverns where I can put you."

Judassa hid her glee behind a face of timidity, "Would I have to go
there alone? I... I would be afraid to walk around the Weyr by myself,
espeically not knowing who the man was.... And what if I were to meet
him again in a dark corridor?"

Chaysea looked to I'lan, "Could you escort her there?"

"Certainly Ma'am. Can you show me on the plan which rooms you mean?" asked
the bronzerider politely. "Will we need to stop by the stores as well to get
some things?"

The Headwoman nodded while she pulled out the map, "Yes, the
necessities and then tomorrow I will gather the rest." Chaysea said as
she showed I'lan the room. She figured the bronzerider probably even
knew a faster way there than she did.

"I know where that is," I'lan said. "And there are some stores not far
away."

"Very well, thank you I'lan, and miss...."

"Judassa."

"Judassa, I will check in on you tomorrow to see how you are settling
and help gather any other supplies that you might need." Chaysea
assured the young woman.

The blonde stood, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders,
"Thank you both."

Last updated on the June 2nd 2014

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"The Opportunist"