Take Me To Our New Home

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 19th October 2005

Characters: Almonteo, Carmora
Description: Almonteo brings his wife to their new home
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 8, day 8 of Turn 3

Almonteo

Carmora had always been terrified of /between/. She'd always done her
best to hide it from Almonteo, and he had always been tactful enough to
pretend he didn't notice. Sometimes she liked to pretend that he really
didn't know, but somehow she doubted it.

She arrived at Dolphin Cove Weyr with her husband's arms wrapped snuggly
around her and her arms wrapped perhaps a bit _too_ snugly around her
daughter, with her face burried in the girl's flight jacket so she
wouldn't have to see where they were.

Almora was not as tactful as her father, and laughed as her green dragon
started circling lazily towards the weyrbowl. Twisting to look over her
shoulder, the greenrider gave her father a cheerful grin. "Please tell
me you know how to pry ma off of me?"

Almonteo chuckled and yelled into the wind. "Of course I do! Land and
then tell her if she doesn't let go you'll take her back up with you!"

Carmora made a muffled sound, her hands tightening in her daughter's
jacket. "Are we on the ground yet?"

"No, wife, not yet. I wouldn't let go of you until we were safely
down." The Hallmaster had to smile at the sight of his wife huddle up in
fear. She rarely showed weakness or fear save for adragonback. It was
a side of her he rarely saw. And she was all the more precious to him.

When they finally reached the ground, Carmora let go of her daughter
with some reluctance, straightening herself out as best she could to
present her usual confident face to the residents of the Weyr. Only
Almonteo could tell that she was still trembling, obviously having not
much enjoyed the trip /between/.

Almonteo undid his riding straps. He slid down then reached forward and
helped Carmora with hers, knowing full well her fingers would not be
capable of working with their usual dexterity quite yet. Slipping to
the ground, he reached up help catch his wife.

She slid down, wobbling a little when he let go of her. Her knees were
still feeling more than a little weak, but she couldn't help but peer
curiously around at what was about to become her new home. "So this is
Dolphin Cove..."

"Yes, my Carmora, this is Dolphin Cove Weyr." The Hallmaster let his
eyes wonder up to the heights, and to the magnificant sight of the
dragons sunning themselves there. "And behind us a bit of a ways is the
sea. Just think, wife, we can walk along the beach every day of the
turn."

Carmora slipped her hand into Almonteo's and smiled up at him. "Well, I
suppose that will be something."

"And just think, my love, not only do you have a hall full of
apprentices to mother, you now also have a weyr full of Candidates as
well." He bent down and kissed her head, happy that she was at least
willing to give it a try.

Most of their things had been brought ahead, so it only took a few
moments to unload the last of the bags they'd brought with them from the
Harper Hall. Insisting on carrying her own bag, Carmora tucked her hand
into Almonteo's elbow and nodded. "So take me to our new home, husband."

"This way." He took her hand and began leading her towards the cliff
face. The Hallmaster was glad that he had asked the Weyrleader for no
reception or formal welcome. That would come when the rest of the
harpers arrived on the boats. And then he promised a celebration that
would fill the caverns with some of the most beautiful music on Pern.
But now, he was more concerned with getting his beloved wife settled
into their new home, for he was determined that it would become a home
for _both_ of them.

Carmora took everything in silently, more than a little awed. "It's so
big," she said finally, shaking her head. "No wonder they could find
room for us here... I'll be surprised if anyone even realizes we're
here!"

"Trust me, love, there can be no hiding a whole Hall full of Harpers
anywhere on Pern. Soon, these stones will echo with music." He grinned
down at her, pleased at her amazement. The Hallmaster had been spending
a lot of time in Weyrs recently. It was nice to experience the
excetement and wonder again through her.

"How far away is the boat?" she asked curiously as he led her down
another corridor. She'd have so much to do... setting up rooms and
getting to know the women and children of the Hall.

"They are still about two sevendays out." He gave her hand squeeze.
"We'll have plenty to do in the meantime. We need to get the new Hall
ready for them when they arrive. Assign sleeping quarters, designate
work areas and offices, prepare classrooms. And you and I need to
settle in to our new home."

"We _are_ almost there, aren't we?" she asked, a little worridly. She'd
had no _idea_ how large the Weyr really was! She could already see the
next two sevendays being spent in trying to find her way from one place
to another!

"Yes, love, almost. Just up a flight of stairs. They were kind enough
to remember that we all needed to be located as close to the ground
floor as possible since we have no dragons to carry us up to the
heights."

Carmora was feeling the strain in her legs by the time they reached the
top of the stairs, though she would rather have died than admitted that
she might be getting a little slower in her advancing turns. "Which one
is ours?"

"The one at the end, I'm afraid. I thought it would be a bit quieter,
and I am informed it's slightly bigger. Not that we need the space for
just the two of us. But there is a rather large comfortable couch in
there," he said with a knowing wink.

Laughing, Carmora made it to the end and opened the door with excitement
she couldn't quite hide. "Oh, Almonteo! It's lovely!" And it was, with
more than enough space, a couch that looked very comfortable, and best
of all... "Is all that water _warm_?"

He kicked the door closed behind them as he wrapped his arms around his
wife's middle. Resting his chin on her shoulder he whispered, "It is
indeed." Almonteo felt quite pleased with himself that he had thought
leave the curtains to the bathing chamber open, leaving her with a clear
view of the heated, and two-person sized, bathing pool.

Carmora was entranced, breaking away from her husband to wander toward
the bathing chamber. The idea of never having to wait to draw a bath
again was almost worth leaving her home. It was sinfully indulgent and
Carmora was in love with it at once. "Can I take a bath now?"

"You don't expect that I would let you leave me in this big old weyr
alone do you?" Almonteo had already planned that he was going to make
his wife feel welcome all over their new home. The bathing pool was a
perfect start.

She turned to face him, her fingers already started on the laces of her
dress. "You're a shameless old man, my love... luckily for you I like
you that way."

"What?" he asked with an innocent shrug as his eyes watched her every
movement. "I have to wash off the travel dirt too, don't I?"

"So much dirt up there in the air," Carmora replied sympatheticly,
kicking her shoes off. "Well, are you going to stand there watching me,
or are you going to come help me?"

Last updated on the October 19th 2005

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Take Me To Our New Home