Getting an idea

Writers: Rochelle
Date Posted: 31st October 2007

Characters: Shaelis, R'syl
Description: Shaelis pulls R'syl aside after the Hatching to talk about her granddaughter.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 3 of Turn 4

Shaelis watched her children and grandsons moving ahead of her as she and Aothart progressed more slowly behind her family. She paused yet again, unable to stop herself from looking over her shoulder at the sight of her granddaughter coaxing the little golden queen toward the weyrling barracks, her heart almost bursting with pride. Aothart stopped when she did, his weathered face amused at her continual delays, but no less proud.

"She'll make a wonderful queenrider." He murmured, laying a gentle kiss on her ear. "Congratulations."

She glanced at him, amused. "She's your granddaughter too, Aothart."

"Yes." He agreed amiably. "But her father was not my son, for all that you allowed me to love him like one."

She laughed softly. This was an old joke, stemming from his daughter's hostile feelings toward Shaelis. "Don't be silly..." She paused then, before glancing back at her husband and sipping out from under the arm encircling her shoulders. "Go on ahead. I'll be right back."

R''syl was with the rest of the weyrlingstaff, helping the new weyrlings with their dragons and trying unsuccessfully to avoid getting accosted by too many families -and trying to keep too large a crowd from assembling around the young gold. But the dragonets were almost all sated now, their riders stumbling back to the barracks with the young dragons and encouraging weyrstaff in tow. To his relief, Ariau seemed to have gold Alabieth in good hand, allowing him to help fend off the angry shouts of a father whose son had Impressed green.

"We're very proud of your son, Journeyman Hikarlo." He added, helping one of the senior weyrlingstaff gently steer the indignant man toward the dining cavern. "Your son will make an excellent rider. And greenriders are what we need the most. They're the fastest dragons on Pern." He soothed.

Journeyman Hikarlo was bright red with anger, but it was a welcome change from the purple with spots he'd started out as, so R'syl felt safe enough to let the other staff and riders finish steering the man toward the Feast. He sighed, and made a mental note to check on young H'karn. There were always a few parents who weren't happy with the dragons' choices, no matter how happy the children in questions were.

"I see your Second is not the only wherry's arse around." A voice said conversationally, sounding amused.

R'syl spun, and found himself facing up into the face of a very tall, elderly woman, extravagantly dressed. He blinked, and realized that he was looking at Master knots. A harper. And an eccentric one or tactless one, to start with such a comment.

"That is some peoples' opinion." He conceded cautiously.

Shaelis chuckled. "But not yours. I see. Forgive me. I am Master Shaelis, Ariau's grandmother."

R'syl blinked, then stared. He knew that name. Master Shaelis...? "Forgive me, but are you the Master Shaelis who wrote 'Utena's Lover'?" Masair had loved that song...

Shaelis nodded. "I'm the only Shaelis I know of." She confirmed with a broad smile. "And you look familiar, Weyrlingmaster. Have we met before?"

R'syl smiled, trying to shove away the memory of his lost wife. That had been so long ago, especially if the woman who wrote the song looked old enough to be _his_ mother! "I was weyrlingmaster second at Telgar Weyr until a few months ago. We met briefly when you did the Hatching concert there two turns ago." he admitted. Then the second half of the message sank in. Ariau... Faranth! "You said you were Ariau's grandmother?" He repeated politely.

Shaelis glanced toward the weyrling barracks again, and saw that Ariau had finally gotten Alabieth inside out of view. The spectators were starting to thin out now, and she felt an irrational surge of protectivenesses and pride that they had been lingering to catch a glimpse of _her_
granddaughter. "Yes, that's correct. She's my eldest granddaughter. I raised her and her brothers when my son died." She admitted softly. The fleeting irritation R'syl had been feeling at Shaelis's way of starting a conversation evaporated. "I'm sorry." He said sincerely, swallowing. "I lost my daughter to Threadfall, and raised my children when my wife died, so I understand how hard that can be."

Shaelis shook her head. "Thank you, Weyrlingmaster, but it was a long time ago." She tried to shake off the mood that was settling on her, but only managed a half smile. "I just wanted to meet you, to get an idea who I was entrusting my granddaughter to."

He raised an eyebrow. So many parents cornered him on Hatching nights for the same reason... "And what do you think?"

Her smile broadened involuntarily. "I think you'll do fine." She glanced at the barracks again, knowing as she did so that she wouldn't see anything. "Ariau is a strong one. She has her faults, but thankfully they're livable enough." She snorted. Certainly Ariau was not E'laj or Shaeo, with their puzzling insistence on staying in one place as much as possible. "If you're fair with her, she won't get too stubborn." R'syl grinned at the woman. Blunt, and it sounded like she had a reasonable view of what her granddaughter was capable of. And the advice, while unnecessary, could be useful... "Thank you, Master Shaelis. I'll certainly keep that in mind. Anything else about your granddaughter you think I should know?"

Shaelis grinned back. "Just that she's my granddaughter. She's likely to get antsy and impatient until she's allowed to fly on her own." Shaelis spread her hands in a vague apology. "Her grandfather and father were runners, her other grandfather is a caravan guard, I dragged her all over the northern continent for turns, and her brother is a bluerider that took her anywhere she wanted to go. Travel is in her blood, and she's not going to be happy when she realizes she can't go anywhere on a whim anymore."

Inwardly, R'syl cringed. He was going to have to watch Ariau for a different reason than he'd expected. All weyrlings got antsy after a few months of ground drills, but a queen picking up her rider's irritation...
He'd deal with at when he got there. He gave a slight bow. "Forewarned is forearmed, ma'am." He agreed. "But if she's as reasonable as you implied, I'm sure she'll be a wonderful queenrider." Most parents of the metallic colors liked when he used it in reference to their children.

"Dragonrider." Shaelis corrected him with a raised eyebrow. "I know you treat all the weyrlings the same, and Alabieth is a dragon, no matter what her color. And Ariau is her rider." She added proudly. There was no need to flatter her granddaughter and give Ariau or Alabieth ideas for her sake, even if she did like the sound of the term! Queenrider, goldrider...
Her granddaughter. But first and foremost, Ariau was now a dragonrider -a profession, Shaelis thought privately, that would probably suit Ariau much better than harper ever would.

"I see you're better versed in weyrling training practices than most."
R'syl observed, deciding that her correction was probably for the sake of the other parents still lingering around, some of them looking rather put out that their precious sons or daughters had greens, or nothing at all.

Shaelis shrugged. "I've been to all the weyrs on the northern continent, and my grandson E'laj is a bluerider at Fort Weyr. He used to complain to me in his letters about weyrling practice."

"Ah." R'syl nodded, noting the approach of another elderly man who had been listening politely in the background. He was nearly bald, and the same height as Master Shaelis. He guessed they were together, since the man wore an equally elaborate tunic. "Your escort, ma'am?" He asked politely as the man came closer.

Shaelis looked over her shoulder, and saw Aothart right before he put a familiar arm around her shoulders. "My husband, Aothart." She told the Weyrlingmaster, amused. "I suppose you want me at the Hatching feast now."
She remarked to her husband with a sigh. Aothart smiled knowingly at her.

"Please don't let me detain you." R'syl said automatically, already easing away from the pair. He _did_ have other things to do this evening after all. "If you'll excuse me?"

"Of course, my apologies." Shaelis said automatically, letting Aothart ease her away. "Have a good evening. I know you'll do my granddaughter proud."

R'syl smiled, watching the pair walk away. An honest but polite woman...
He wondered how much Ariau had inherited from her grandmother. "Congratulations."

Last updated on the November 3rd 2007

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Getting an idea