_Not_ a Normal Hold Girl
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: Anwen, Patrick
Date Posted: 5th September 2006
Characters: Faran, Saria
Description: Faran tells Saria about his plans to send her North.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 3
Notes: "Come in." Faran said from his desk, looking up
from
his work. The door opened slightly and the slim
form of his sister Saria slipped in. "Oh Saria, just
who I wanted to see. I brought you here to discuss
your moving to the north to apprentice the baker hall
at Fort Hold. My former master has assured you
quarters and a place in the Hold."
He looked at her face, saw not the joy he had
expected, but a reluctance he hadn't expected.
"And why, exactly, are you trying to be rid of me?"
Saria said, not bothering to hide her outrage. "I'm
your only family left. And here you are, trying to
ship me off!"
Faran sighed, this was going to be more difficult
then
he thought.
"I don't _want_ to send you away. I just feel that
if
you got away from this place, surrounded by the
memories you could recover better. I know how much
you love baking, and you can't apprentice here." He
looked in her eyes, saw the tears, felt his own
sorrow
at sending her away, at the loss of his siblings,
his
parents.
No, he must remain strong, set the example. It's
what's best for her.
"You're going." he said.
"I won't," she told him firmly. "I'm not a child who
you can send away. You can't order me around. It's
my
choice, and I choose not to leave the hold I grew up
in. I'm disappointed that you'd think I'm so weak
that
I can't survive here without Ma and Da and our
siblings. Having their memories here makes me
stronger, not weaker."
"I know, I know. But if you don't leave by the first
of the month, I don't know when we'll be able to send
you north." He stood and walked to his sister, he got
down on one knee, putting his hands on her's, like
he'd done when she was little and had scraped her
knee. Though they were only one year apart, Faran had
always been Saria's comforter.
"This is your only chance. Not to leave, but to grow.
You'll have the chance to apprentice! Saria it's
what you've always wanted. What Da wanted." He
sniffed quietly, "Please Saria, go."
Saria pulled her hand from his. "Those were childhood
dreams, and I am no longer a child. All I want is to
stay in my home hold, have children of my own. Baking
is not as important to me as family is."
"But it need not be a childhood dream, Saria. Here in
the south we beat the sense of individuality out of
women. We teach them that family is most important,
over all else. Crafts, lives outside, here they take a
back seat to family. But up North, oh Saria, you
should
see the things women do up there. Women are composers
and artist's, they metalcraft and sing. They run
Holds, and manage Halls. Saria, it's not a dream, you
can be all that you want, and so much more." Faran
stood.
"I'm not sending you away from me, from your home.
I'm sending you to a life you could only dream of.
Don't do it for me, or even for dads memory. Do it
for yourself, so you can live to the fullest. I
thought you were above these weak minded women of the
Hold?"
"Don't you dare insult me by putting me in a catagory
with those females!" Obviously, her ire was still up.
"And don't try to use the fact that I'm not like them
against me. You talk about weak wills and weak mind-
then you try to bundle me up like an obediant child.
Well, this may be news to you Faren, but I make my own
decisions. If I want to go North, I'll arrange it on
my own!"
Faran refused to get angry, he wouldn't, not now.
"Fine, get there yourself. But it won't be easy." He
stood slowly and left. There was a click as the door
closed behind him. Saria stood, her arms stiff, her
anger appartent.
_How dare he!_ she thought. She walked up to his desk
and noticed the usual clutter. She houghed loudly and
threw the shedules, maps and compositions all across
the floor. Saria smirked at her work, her anger and
frustration venting.
She noticed sitting calmly on the shelf above his
desk, sat Farans flit, Kio. He calmly stretched his
wings and stood, the large bronze flit rose and glided
serenly out the door.
A slip of paper fluttered away from him as he left.
Saria caught it. It read:
See R'nali at Dragonsfall for Saria's lift, remind him
of the favor he owes me.
Saria read the note slowly. Did Faran plant this, or
what?
"Only one way to find out." she muttered to herself.
Saria clutched the paper to her breast and left the
office.
Around the corner Faran stroked Kio gently. He smiled
slightly, the first true smile he'd given in months.
He watched Saria turn a corner and whispered to
himself.
"I'll see you find your way to the Baker Hall yet."
"Come in." Faran said from his desk, looking up
from
his work. The door opened slightly and the slim
form of his sister Saria slipped in. "Oh Saria, just
who I wanted to see. I brought you here to discuss
your moving to the north to apprentice the baker hall
at Fort Hold. My former master has assured you
quarters and a place in the Hold."
He looked at her face, saw not the joy he had
expected, but a reluctance he hadn't expected.
"And why, exactly, are you trying to be rid of me?"
Saria said, not bothering to hide her outrage. "I'm
your only family left. And here you are, trying to
ship me off!"
Faran sighed, this was going to be more difficult
then
he thought.
"I don't _want_ to send you away. I just feel that
if
you got away from this place, surrounded by the
memories you could recover better. I know how much
you love baking, and you can't apprentice here." He
looked in her eyes, saw the tears, felt his own
sorrow
at sending her away, at the loss of his siblings,
his
parents.
No, he must remain strong, set the example. It's
what's best for her.
"You're going." he said.
"I won't," she told him firmly. "I'm not a child who
you can send away. You can't order me around. It's
my
choice, and I choose not to leave the hold I grew up
in. I'm disappointed that you'd think I'm so weak
that
I can't survive here without Ma and Da and our
siblings. Having their memories here makes me
stronger, not weaker."
"I know, I know. But if you don't leave by the first
of the month, I don't know when we'll be able to send
you north." He stood and walked to his sister, he got
down on one knee, putting his hands on her's, like
he'd done when she was little and had scraped her
knee. Though they were only one year apart, Faran had
always been Saria's comforter.
"This is your only chance. Not to leave, but to grow.
You'll have the chance to apprentice! Saria it's
what you've always wanted. What Da wanted." He
sniffed quietly, "Please Saria, go."
Saria pulled her hand from his. "Those were childhood
dreams, and I am no longer a child. All I want is to
stay in my home hold, have children of my own. Baking
is not as important to me as family is."
"But it need not be a childhood dream, Saria. Here in
the south we beat the sense of individuality out of
women. We teach them that family is most important,
over all else. Crafts, lives outside, here they take a
back seat to family. But up North, oh Saria, you
should
see the things women do up there. Women are composers
and artist's, they metalcraft and sing. They run
Holds, and manage Halls. Saria, it's not a dream, you
can be all that you want, and so much more." Faran
stood.
"I'm not sending you away from me, from your home.
I'm sending you to a life you could only dream of.
Don't do it for me, or even for dads memory. Do it
for yourself, so you can live to the fullest. I
thought you were above these weak minded women of the
Hold?"
"Don't you dare insult me by putting me in a catagory
with those females!" Obviously, her ire was still up.
"And don't try to use the fact that I'm not like them
against me. You talk about weak wills and weak mind-
then you try to bundle me up like an obediant child.
Well, this may be news to you Faren, but I make my own
decisions. If I want to go North, I'll arrange it on
my own!"
Faran refused to get angry, he wouldn't, not now.
"Fine, get there yourself. But it won't be easy." He
stood slowly and left. There was a click as the door
closed behind him. Saria stood, her arms stiff, her
anger appartent.
_How dare he!_ she thought. She walked up to his desk
and noticed the usual clutter. She houghed loudly and
threw the shedules, maps and compositions all across
the floor. Saria smirked at her work, her anger and
frustration venting.
She noticed sitting calmly on the shelf above his
desk, sat Farans flit, Kio. He calmly stretched his
wings and stood, the large bronze flit rose and glided
serenly out the door.
A slip of paper fluttered away from him as he left.
Saria caught it. It read:
See R'nali at Dragonsfall for Saria's lift, remind him
of the favor he owes me.
Saria read the note slowly. Did Faran plant this, or
what?
"Only one way to find out." she muttered to herself.
Saria clutched the paper to her breast and left the
office.
Around the corner Faran stroked Kio gently. He smiled
slightly, the first true smile he'd given in months.
He watched Saria turn a corner and whispered to
himself.
"I'll see you find your way to the Baker Hall yet."
Last updated on the September 10th 2006