Possible Insights and Future Plans

Writers: AmajoS, Paula
Date Posted: 27th March 2019

Characters: Ailda, Saranni
Description: Saranni meets Ailda and plots to learn what she can while planning future activities with her new friend.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 11 of Turn 9

The rain pattered against the window in Lady's Solar. Sitting in her
customary place near the said window, Ailda stabbed her needle through
her embroidery with such force that she broke it. "Shards," she
muttered and grimaced. Not very ladylike behavior. She was beautiful
young woman in her early twenties with light brown hair and blue eyes
with touch of green in them. Before Felyna's death, she had been one
of her ladies-in-waiting. Now, she was just another idle lady of Blood
and felt herself both useless and frustrated. The gloomy weather did
not help.

Saranni entered the Lady's Solar with her sewing basket in hand. She
was almost finished with the embroidery she'd been working on and
since the day was so bad outside, it seemed like the perfect time to
finish it. She noticed right away that the usual seat she used was
free, but the usual people were not present. No matter. There was
someone she'd been hoping to have a chance to get to know seated
nearby, looking rather disgruntled. She smiled pleasantly as she
approached, "I hope you don't mind if I join you?"

"Please, do join me," Ailda replied with friendly smile. Nothing like
little gossip to cheer you up on a rainy day. "Do you happen to have a
spare needle? I broke mine," she asked, noticing her sewing basket.

"Of course." Saranni sat in the comfortable chair and, reaching into
her sewing basket, she found the little stuffed cushion where she kept
her needles and pins. Selecting a needle of the proper size for the
delicate work it appeared the other lady was doing, she handed it over
with a smile. "I must say, that is lovely work you're doing."

"Thank you," Ailda replied and deftly replaced the broken one. "I'll
repay this to you. I do have spare needles, I just left them to my
room."

"That's fine, whenever you like. I'm sure we'll see each other often.
I'm Saranni, by the way." She pulled her project out from her basket
and, spreading the edges of the cloth hanging from the hoop out, laid
it in her lap while she searched the side pockets for her thimble.

"I'm Ailda, pleased to meet you," Ailda replied.

Saranni knew who the other girl was, of course. She'd made it a point
to learn who all the people were who were or had been close to the
Lord Holder and his late wife. The best way to gather information she
could use to further her goal would be from befriending or at least
becoming acquainted with those people. "The pleasure is mine. I'm
still quite new to the Hold, so it's always nice to find a friendly
face."

"Next Turn Over, I've been here for full two Turns," Ailda said. "Let
me know if you want me to show you around."

"I would like that very much. I've gone exploring a little bit, but
I'm sure you must know all the best places after having been here so
long." Not as long as Saranni had thought she'd been here, but still.
She would have gained some insights she could tap in even that amount
of time.

"The Fall is always a must see," Ailda said. "Although I better warn
you, my idea of best places don't always match the other ladies
ideas." Ailda always had a rebel streak beneath her prim lady's
decorum. "The Harper Hall is nice, short walk away, the walk to Weaver
Hall is nice one too, if you like longer walks. Their flax fields look
amazing when they bloom. There's some good spots for picnics along the
river, but right now, the season is wrong for those."

"I've visited the Harper Hall, but haven't seen the Fall nor the
Weaver Hall, we'll have to have an outing," Saranni replied as she
threaded her needle. "When the weather is more accommodating, of
course," she added with a small grin.

"Yes and it definitely needs a better weather," AIlda looked out of the window.

"In the meantime," Saranni began working on her stitches. "Tell me,
what are these scandalous best places you like that you think I might
not?" She grinned at the other young lady with a teasing glint.

"Oh, I don't know if they are scandalous. I like to take a small
backbag and go hicking. There's some nice mountains to climb across
the river. Apparently it's something a well bred lady shouldn't be
doing. Especially while wearing trousers," Ailda replied.

Well, that was a bit disappointing. She'd been hoping for some
titillating information or activity. But Ailda was right, of course.
Hiking in the mountains was an odd occupation for a well bred young
lady. Still, she needed to build a sense of camaraderie with the other
lady, so Saranni smiled and said, "Well, I don't especially enjoy
hiking, but I love riding. In good weather, of course." It was true
enough that she enjoyed riding, though she was not particularly
adventurous when she rode, preferring easy trails. She could keep up
with almost any rider, if pressed, but that didn't mean she enjoyed
hard gallops.

"I ride too," Ailda replied. She finished the flower petals she was
embroiling and switched to green thread to start the stem and leaves.

"Well, we should go riding together. Maybe to that Fall you
mentioned," Saranni replied. "But," she added after a moment, "only
once the mud dries." There were limits to even her willingness to do
anything to further her agenda.

"I don't think master Aivorn would let us take his precious runnes out
of the stable before the ground's dry again," Ailda said with amused
tone. The stablemaster wasn't overly trusting the young ladies ability
to handle the beasts.

"Wise of him," Saranni replied. "So," she changed the subject, "tell
me, who's who in Emerald Falls? I've met several other ladies already,
of course, but you've been here longer. You'll know whose conversation
is always dull and whose is not." She grinned at the other girl as she
worked a few more stitches into her pattern..

"Alright, here we go..." Ailda started.

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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