Family Obligations

Writers: Heather, Yvonne
Date Posted: 31st March 2026

Characters: Saibra, Dondelia
Description: Dondelia has a favor to ask of Saibra
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 10 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: R'enh, Saibra, N'kyri, Ki'ben, Donnise

Saibra

Thanks to a lovely bout of sleep regression with the twins, Saibra was up earlier than usual. The sky had only the faintest stain of pale blue showing over the horizon when she trudged into her office and collapsed in her chair. The mechanism in the chair groaned as she rocked back sharply, rubbing her hands along the soft leather arms as she crossed her legs and then took her steaming cup of klah.

Cradling her hands around the warm cup, she yawned, her jaw popping and crackling. "Good grief," she sighed, slurping down the piping hot liquid. "They're trying to kill me," she said to no one. Her thoughts were filled with visions of her sweet twins, Brenha and Saihen. Despite having the zoomies and refusing to go to sleep at a decent hour, they were sleeping with innocent, sweet faces when she left. And despite her exhaustion, she felt that same jolt of happiness and love when she looked at them. It was interesting how parenting was the worst-best thing.

Rubbing at a gritty eye, she caught sight of an envelope on her desk. **Probably dropped off by a flit.**

She became a bit more alert as she recognized the handwriting on the outside.

**Dondelia.**

Without even opening the letter, she knew immediately, the contents must be about her niece, Donnise. There would be no other reason for Dondelia to write her.

Puffing out an exhale, she seriously considered trashing the letter and pretending as if it had gotten lost in transportation. But her conscience won out in the end and she sliced it open with her decorative letter opener....

~*~

Dear Saibra,

I have been thinking of you and Chioneth ever since I heard that you have a new Weyrleader. I hope that he is treating you well and the Weyr is thriving under his leadership. More than that, I hope that you are enjoying the beginnings of spring. How is R'enh, and Brenha and Saihen? The twins must be so big by now! So must Saidrene's daughter. How strange it is to be a grandmother!

I hear bits and pieces from N'kyri when he visits, so I hear that Ki'ben is doing well in the Weyrleader's Wing. It sounds that riding a dragon suits him, but of course I worry about him, and Saidrene, and all of the rest of you every Threadfall day.

I confess that I am starting this letter writing about your children because I wanted to bring up my own 'dear' daughter. Donnise is driving me crazy. I am not sure if N'kyri told you, but last month she decided to try to sail across the channel to the next island in a raft she BUILT, which OF COURSE disintegrated in the middle of the channel and left her ADRIFT in the middle of the OCEAN for nearly a DAY before she was spotted by a sweeprider. I've tried to instill some sense into her before it's too late, but she won't listen to me or the Weyrlingmasters or the Headwoman, or anyone really.

I was hoping that you would consider accepting her as a transfer to Dragonsfall Weyr? A change of scenery might set her on the right path before it's too late. The things I tell her go in one ear and straight out the other. Perhaps she'll listen better if its coming from you and N'kyri.

I know that I am asking a lot of you, but I am at my wit's end. I've sent you a cake so that you still think sweetly of me, no matter what your decision is.

Come visit soon. Love,

Dondelia

~*~

Saibra finished the letter with a groan. Leaning forward, she rested her head on her desk with a thud. There was no way to say no. Not to her niece. Not to _Nykri's_ daughter. She'd already gained a few silver hairs trying to survive Ki'ben's coming-of-age, and now _Donnise_.

**This is family,** she told herself. She actually repeated the three-word mantra over and over and over as she wrote a simple reply.

"Of course she is welcome to come. Can't wait to see her.

-Saibra
PS. You'll owe me more cake"

Sitting back with a sigh, she took the wrapped baked treat off her desk, peeled back the paper, and shoved it in her mouth.

Last updated on the April 1st 2026

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Family Obligations