Bet On Your Friends
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Corrin, Yvonne
Date Posted: 10th November 2024
Characters: Halia, Sanvi, N'kyri, H'run
Description: Sanvi and Halia hear about the bets on the gold egg
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 10 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, Ashela
"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Sanvi dragged Halia after her through the Dining Cavern toward the table with the two blueriders. News of the betting book travelled throughout the Lower Caverns like wildfire and there was no _way_ Sanvi was going to pass up the opportunity to see where she sat in the rankings. It wasn't like she wanted to Impress the gold dragon herself... it was more like, she just wanted to see what people thought of her.
Halia allowed herself to be pulled along, laughing despite herself. "Fine! I'll come, but only to see where they put you and the other girls. I know _I'm_ dead last. Or I should be if the bookies have any brains."
"You don't know that! You might have excellent odds. I have no idea how these things work." Sanvi put on her brightest smile as she approached the table. "Hello! We want to place a bet."
H'run looked up at the two girls, clearly both drudges. One was a tall, leggy blond with beautiful green eyes, and the other was a scruffy short girl with her hair hidden beneath a crocheted red kerchief. Neither were wearing shoulder knots. He smiled. "Step right up, ladies! Do you have a favourite for the gold egg already, or would you like to see the books?"
"Oh, we _absolutely_ want to see the books," Sanvi said, elbowing Halia.
"Very well," said N'kyri from his spot beside H'run. Flipping the ledger in front of him around, he slid it across the table with a flourish. "Feast your eyes on our golden hopefuls."
For all her earlier protestation, Halia was quick to lean in and scan the list of names and odds until she spotted her own name at the very bottom. A prickle of dismay flashed through her, but she shoved it down immediately. "I told you," she said, pointing it out to Sanvi-- but the smug words froze on her lips as she noticed her friend's name, just above her own.
"Hey!" She glared up at the men across the table, green eyes flashing. "I know why _I'm_ so low, but why is Sanvi?!"
Candidates. Uh oh, N'kyri mouthed at H'run, but he was smiling and seemed more amused than abashed. "Laaadies. It's nothing personal! We're just going by facts. Lineage. Sands record. That sort of thing."
"Yeah. How come I'm so low in the rankings?" Sanvi was more amused than anything, and wanted to see if she could get the two blueriders to squirm. She pitched her voice a little louder. "Is it because my mom is dead? Or is it because you don't think anyone in the Lower Caverns is worthy of a gold egg?"
"Oh, not at all!" N'kyri replied hastily, raising his voice as well. "How could I be bias against the Caverns when I was raised in some myself-- alongside our dear weyrwoman." What he _didn't_ mention was that Saibra hadn't been a kitchen drudge.
He leaned forward -- elbow on the table, chin in hand -- and dropped his voice to more normal levels. "Tell you what. H'run and I did our best with the odds, but if you think we're off, we're all ears. Why should you be higher, Sanvi? Where should you be placed?"
"First place, of course!" She fluffed her hair and grinned at N'kyri, pretending to ignore the way the other bluerider rolled his eyes. "My mother _died_ in _Threadfall_. Doesn't that count for something?" She widened her eyes and gave him the saddest look she could. It wasn't hard. It had happened ages ago, but the loss of her mother still hurt.
N'kryi chuckled good naturedly. "Well, you're tugging _my_ heartstrings, kid, but I don't think that'll work on the hatchling. I've never heard of a gold picking a girl because she felt sorry for her."
"She wouldn't need to feel sorry for her," Halia snapped. "She'll have the brains to see it means Sanvi's got more grit and resilience than some coddled holder girl. If a gold looks for strength, she can't do better than Sanvi."
"Well, I'm putting my marks on Halia anyway." Sanvi handed her sixteenth of a mark to N'kryi. Halia would make such a good goldrider. "And just you hope that Halia isn't leading the Weyr in a few Turns time."
"A sixteenth of a mark on Halia, from Sanvi..." H'run drawled, inking an elaborate curl for the 'S' in Sanvi's name as he wrote her name in the book. Truthfully he hoped neither girl Impressed that gold dragon. Good thing Ashela had fled the Weyr if these were the sort of girl Saibra had recruited for the Sands. He turned to Halia, pen poised. "And yourself?"
"A sixteenth on Sanvi," Halia said, sliding forward a sixteenth as well. It would hurt to lose that, but she had to return her friend's faith..
"Very touching," said N'kyri as he collected their marks. "Well, ladies. Best of luck to both of you. Try to remember us little people when you're leading the Weyr."
Sanvi rolled her eyes at Halia after they'd turned away. If she somehow Impressed that gold, she _would_ remember them.
Last updated on the November 18th 2024