Earlier

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 31st October 2007

Characters: Teene, Geni
Description: Geni and Teene discuss the possibility of an early delivery with eavesdroppers listening.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 6, day 17 of Turn 4

Teene smiled her thanks as the riverboat crew member placed a heavy pottery pitcher on the table between her own reed chair and Geni's. She didn't speak, not wanting to wake the sleeping woman. The crew member was willing to be as courteous and crept away without a sound. It was good for Geni to sleep when she could and Teene had no objection to just putting her feet up and enjoying the peacefulness of an evening on the balcony. Not far away the children were tucked up in their beds, happily exhausted by a day running around the unfamiliar territory of the boat.

While looking after the children was Teene's responsibility the riverboat crew assured her that the older ones would come to no harm as long as they were sensible enough not to push each other overboard nor intrude into areas that were clearly fenced off. She had talked to the boys and Brylee and they had all promised to be careful, a promise she had underscored by pointing out how fast a drifting branch fell behind the riverboat.

"That could be you," she had informed them, trying to force her normally cheerful expression into something more solemn. "And you'd never see Amber Hills Hold."

Not that she had any idea of how much of a threat that was since she had never seen the place herself, she thought as she stretched her legs out on the attached footstool on the chair. No doubt it would be like any other major Hold. With electricity, she hoped, though she had grown up without and could manage if she had to.

"Oh shards, I'm sorry Teene, I didn't mean to drift off." Geni said, stretching slightly, her hands rubbing slowly over her swollen belly.

"No need to apologise. If you need to nap, then nap." Teene stretched again, wiggling her feet from side to side and wondering why more chairs weren't as comfortable as the woven reed ones on the riverboat. "This boat's a lovely place to rest and I'm not sure the next one -" when they left the river and started the sea journey "- will be."

"No, I should imagine this time of the turn the weather won't be as good to us. I'll admit to feeling a little trepidation at that part of the journey." Geni nodded, "So I plan to enjoy the peace of this part."

"And you seem to be doing a good job." Teene nodded at the pitcher the crew member had placed on the table. "They brought fresh water if you'd like a drink."

"I might have a small drink before bed, but not too much, the baby appears to have dropped a little and last night I was up and down all night."

"But you have sevendays to go, Geni. Or you'd better have," Tenne said trying to sound threatening. "We don't want a baby born at sea."

"It wouldn't be a pleasant time to have it, but..." her eyebrows rose a little in consideration. "It'd surely cut short our travel time. Once the babe was a sevenday or so old, we could swaddle it well, and carry it between, surely? Riders do it all the time don't they?" she asked, not entirely sure of this.

"You're asking me what dragonriders do?" Teene grinned. "Might as well ask me what Lady Holders do, for all I'd know about either. And I don't know where you're going to get advice on such a thing out here in the middle of nowhere."

"You'd think I would know, but I've never worked at a Weyr, so my knowledge of dragonrider practice is almost non-existent. But it'd sure be nice to surprise Causton and arrive a little earlier." she sighed wistfully, and rubbed at the niggling pain that had started to nag her, in the small of her back. "The next month can't come soon enough for me." she muttered.

"My mother knows," a little voice said with remarkable firmness despite that fact the owner of the little voice and her friend weren't supposed to be on the crew deck at all.

Geni turned slowly at the sound of the voice, "What are you.... " the child's words penetrated the shock she felt at being spied on. "Your mother knows what?" she asked, almost as quietly as the child had spoken.

"I'm Lihona," the six Turn old said getting to her feet behind a group of unused chairs. "And I come from River Bluff Weyr and so does my mother. She'll know about babies going /between/."

"Your mother's a dragonrider?" Geni asked, a puzzled look on her face as she glanced across at Teene.

"Not my mother!" Lihona said with a laugh, forgetting that she still ought to be in disgrace for being where she shouldn't be. "Otherwise she couldn't have come here, but my uncles both are."

"Oh, I see." Once more her eyes flicked across to Teene, before returning to look at the little girl, "And who is your mother?" she asked, realising she probably shouldn't be encouraging the child, but her own curiosity was getting the better of her, and the niggling pain in her back was giving her cause for concern.

"Rahona. And my father's the Captain now."

"Oh!" Geni's eyes widened a little, "Well, thank you for letting us know, but -" she looked at the darkened sky, "shouldn't you girls be in bed?" she asked, looking from the talkative one, to the other hiding in the shadows.

Lihona looked guilty again and nodded. "Maybe. We might just go now."

"Will you tell Rahona that we were here?" Linli finally piped up, not sure what her dar would say, but sure aunt Neke wouldn't be happy with her for eavesdropping - again.

"You don't need to if you don't want to," Lihona suggested hopefully.

"No, I'll try not to let slip, as long as you both promise me two things?" Geni tried to keep the smile from her face as she attempted to sound and look stern.

"Have to know what they are before we can promise," the elder girl said with belated caution.

"Well, firstly - that you don't eavesdrop again." Geni replied, pleased to see the girls wouldn't just agree to anything.

"Not on purpose," Lihona agreed.

"Good - and secondly, if you have a free candlemark or so, I'm sure my children would like to meet with you - if they haven't already?" she asked, no longer trying to hide the smile she had been concealing.

Lihona looked at Linli. "They're passengers ..." she began uncertainly.

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't _think_ so."

"You don't like to play with passengers?" Geni asked, then a thought occurred to her, "or is there some rule you're not permitted to play with them?" The niggling pain in her back was growing more severe. She rubbed against the pain, kneading it with her hand.

"I think we're supposed to stay off the passenger deck," Lihona admitted in a hurried mumble.

"Geni?" Teene said, frowning as she caught sight of the other woman's expression. "Is everything all right?"

"Just a little sore, the baby must have shifted a little." She tried to hide the worst of her pain from the two little girls, but didn't think she had quite managed it. "Would your parents be upset to see you playing with the children?" she asked, though now becoming more breathless.

"Do you have anybody who knows about babies onboard?" Teene asked the girls. "Who helps your women when they have their babies? Could you get her to come and see Geni?"

"Teene!?" Geni's eyes widened as another pain hit her, she felt the top of her stomach tighten. "Teene... this... is... too... soon." she gasped out, trying to remain calm, more concerned about frightening the two children who looked on in stunned silence.

"Va...Vaheri. Our aunt." Linli finally managed to get out. "We should go..." she tugged at Lihona's sleeve. "Come on!"

Lihona needed no second urging. She simply turned and fled for help.

Last updated on the November 3rd 2007

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