Terrorizing Women

Writers: Bree, Eimi, Elaine
Date Posted: 23rd October 2005

Characters: Jio, Talrian, Rialine
Description: Jio comes to share dinner with the new healer Talrian and his daughter Rialine
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 8, day 6 of Turn 3

Jio had thought to bring a bottle of wine with him to the Healer's cot.
Though he was not too much of a drinker himself, having learned his lesson in his youth, but he wanted to welcome the new craftsman and his daughter in style. The vintner hoped someone would hurry and answer the door. The weather might be good for keeping the wine chilled, but it chilled his fingers too.

Rialine was trying to put a few last minute touches to the cots decour, trying to give it a touch of hominess. While she was bustling around she caught sight of someone outside. **Oh dear** she thought, quickly trying to tidy her appearance. **I thought I had more time** "Papa, I think Journeymen Jio is here," she gave a quick yell before approaching the door.
She critically checked her apperance, and nervously smoothed a few invisible lines before opening the door.

**One more breath** she thought to herself, quiet nervous. This was their first visitor in the new hall, and with the unpacking she had not had much time to meet people yet, so it was doubly nervous. "Welcome Journeymen..."
she said as she opened the door. She paused, perhaps in nervousness, perhaps startled by Jio's nice freatures. She bobbled a quick curtsy, not sure what was appropriate. "Oh! Please step inside and I'll get my father."

"Thank you," he smiled as stepped up into the warm cot. "It was a bit cold outside. Shall I leave this on the step to stay cold?" he asked, holding up the bottle of wine.

"Yes, I supose so," she replied motioning to one side of the door, "If you can put it over there, that should be good." After the Jio full stepped inside she closed the door, blocking the chill. "Ahhh thats better now, out of the cold? And Thank _you_ Journeymen for the wine. Papa will surely appreciate it."

"Well, I hope so," he said with a smile as he fished into his thick winter coat for the package he had hidden there. "And this, I suppose I should give to you. It is a gift to say welcome to you and your father."

"OOoohh!" Rialine's voice shot up in both suprise and delight. It was a plaque with a vine and grape design with bits of what looked like glass and crystal. "For the window? This is beautfiul." Beaming she began moving across the windows trying to figure out where it should go. She finally turned back to Jio with a twinkle in her eye. "Is there anything else hiding in those pockets or should I shower you with more thank you's now?"

Jio smiled at the young woman and he began pulling his arms out of the sleeves. "No, my pockets are empty now. Which is a good thing because it's a little too warm in here to be wearing my coat. But you are welcome to shower me with 'thank you's all night if you please."

"No sorry, you have to earn your thank yous Journeymen," she crossed her arms in mock stuborness, enjoying that the Jio was playing along. "but if you just give me your coat we can get you _officially_ inside and I'll go see about fetching father."

"Well then, I certainly have my work cut out for me tonight." He gave her a wink as he handed her his coat. She was definitely not shy, this one. "May I ask your name before things become _official_?"

Rialine blushed. **How could I forget to _introduce_ myself?** "Sorry, I just guess I'm used to people knowing who I am. My name," she said matter of factly as she took his coat and placed it in a closet, "is Rialine. And you, I hope, are Jio, because otherwise I'll have to set another plate at the table and continue to watch the door."

Talrian cleared his throat from the doorway where he'd been standing unnoticed for several moments. "Another place setting won't be necessary, dear. This is indeed the famous journeyman Jio."

"Famous? Perhaps, _infamous_," Jio laughed as he held out his hand to the healer. "Good evening, Talrian. Thank you for the invitation."

Rialine felt abashed. She couldn't quite pin why, it just felt as if her father had _caught_ her at something, although she wasn't doing anything wrong. **Perhaps I was being a bit bold with the Journeymen** she thought.
"Alright. If you two will excuse me, I'll just run and check how dinners coming." Right as she was about to leave the room she popped her head back in. "Oh Papa, did you see Jio brought us a suncatcher? And some wine, we left it outside."

Talrian smiled as he shook Jio's hand. "Thank you, Jio. For the gift _and_
the wine. How are you this evening?"

"Just fine, thanks." Jio breathed in the smells appreciatively. "Something smells wonderful!"

Rialine gave the hot broth a tenative taste. **Hmm good, but a little thin.** She threw a little more barley into the stew "Its Herdbeast Stew"
she said in response to the compliment she heard. Rather then returning to the other room though she bustled about the kitchen, checking on the bread loaves and then making sure the table was set correctly and tasting the stew again.

Jio smiled as he watched her through the doorway. "Your daughter seems to be a great help to you. Must be a comfort."

"Oh, I don't know if I'd call her a _comfort_," Talrian said teasingly, leading Jio into the dining room. He raised his voice to make sure his daughter could hear. "She rules over her poor father strictly enough. I've learned it's safer to let her have her way."

"I have found that is true of all woman," Jio whispered to the healer with a consipiritorial smile.

"Its for your own good" she turned brandishing a laddle jokingly. "Most people don't eat so well or dress so stylishly." She was now striking a pose. She couldn't hear Jio's comment though so didn't respond to that.

The vintner chuckled. "Yes, journeyman, I see your point. She does look fearsome."

She sighed smiling, turning to walk back over to the heath. "Well if your scared of a lil ol harmless girl like me..."

Jio threw his head back and laughed. "Forgive me, Rialine, I mistook you for a _woman_." He turned towards her father. "I can see how you could be intimidated."

**He has a good point, I used the wrong word.** This time there was a longer exhalation of breath. "Well, I'm glad you think so Journeymen Jio." She gave the broth another quick taste. "Stew's ready."

Talrian was eyeing Jio with renewed interest as he pulled out a chair for the journeyman. "Have a seat, Jio. I'll fetch the wine you brought us, and Rialine will serve dinner."

"Thank you." The vintner took a seat and looked around the room. "It certaintly seems you have settled in nicely here."

Rialine took the bread loaves out of the towels and brought them over with a bowl of greens. "Ok, bread, greens, I'll run back for the stew." She pratteled on as she placed the items on the table. "Oh yes, almost forgot."
She drew a knife from under the bread board in one swift motion, but then carefully placed it beside the bread.

"Hmmm... No smell is quite as nice as freshly baked bread," Jio said as he smiled at it appreciatively. "I think you live very well indeed, Talrian!"

Talrian returned with the wine. "I don't know much about vintages, Jio...
what am I looking at here?" He handed the bottle to the vintner, allowing him to do the honors of opening it.

++++ Rialine returned with the stew pot and a laddle seeing the two men examing the bottle. She approached Talrian's place setting and filled the bowl there with a generous serving. She then siddled up to Jio. "Sorry to interrupt, but how much Jio?"

"The same please," the vintner said as he smiled up at the young woman. "It smells delicious."

She slowly laddled out another generous serving while smiling at Jio. She actually almost missed the bowl, but managed to move the laddle before she dribbled on the table. "Thank you, just wait until you taste it!"

"So, Talrian," Jio said as he turned back towards the healer, "I hear you have another daughter as well."

"Talryne's a greenrider at Dragonsfall Weyr," Talrian replied, picking up the bread knife and slicing a few pieces off. "You may have a chance to meet her sometime, though I've gotten the impression it might be best to do so away from the Hall."

Rialine returned finally to sit down at the table. She critically eyed the table setup to make sure she didn't forget anything. She decided to remain quite for the moment and simply began slicing the bread.

Jio watched her as she expertly cut the bread. "You know, Talrian, I think I can see a definite family resemblence to the Weyrhealer of River Bluff."

Talrian grinned proudly. "I think so as well. Her sister's grown into Abrei's spitting image, to tell you the truth." He lowered his voice as if doing so would keep Rialine from hearing him. "I'm just hoping they didn't inherit her temper as well! But I suppose with the way their mother used to push me around, I'm doomed from both sides of the family..."

She smiled, always taking in pleasure in any parallel's to her father's cousin. She realized her father was trying to make sure she couldn't hear, but she sighed an interjected anyways with a grin. "Papa do you have to make it sound like I terrorize you?"

"But you _do_ terrorize me," Talrian replied mournfully. "Every day!"

"Maybe by terrorize you mean feed and cloth, my mistake," Rialine said expressively, with mischef in her eyes as she withdrew the arguement.

"If that is the definition of terrorize," Jio smiled, "then every man is in need of a woman who is willing to terrorize them."

Rialine smiled at Jio in response, her spoon pausing midway to her mouth.

Talrian hid a wider smile as he refilled Jio's glass, then his own. "Well, then. Let's drink to the hopes that every man will find his terrorizing woman." And maybe Jio would fine one sooner than he expected.

Last updated on the October 23rd 2005

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Terrorizing Women