Nothing is Settled Yet

Writers: Cali, Emma
Date Posted: 29th November 2008

Characters: I'lan, Sorsha
Description: I'lan comes to Willet Grove for Sorsha.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 26 of Turn 4
Notes: Willet Grove Hold

Sorsha looked up from where she was scraping clean tubers with Raise as a shadow crossed the courtyard. She'd done it so often in the past month and a half since I'lan had promised to come see her it had become automatic, even if she'd given up the hope-or even want- that he would actually do it. That's why she was so surprised when she saw the big bronze and shocked when she recognized the rider as he landed not far from her.

A small part of her wanted to run up to him like she used to, but a bigger part of her was just confused. Was he here for her? If so, what did he want with her. Would Railen be mad if she talked to him? Did she _want_ to talk to him?

"Hello the Hold!" The bronzerider undid his straps, and made his way down to the ground, looking around him to see who would come. Normally Naath's arrival anywhere drew a flurry of activity, children wanted to see him, and Holders wanted to talk to him.

With nearly everyone out in the fields this afternoon, the place was deserted. "Raise, go tell Karai we have a dragonrider guest." She watched as the girl ran into the main hold and then she approached the large bronze. "Hello I'lan, hello Naath."

"Sorsha!" A smile lit up the bronzerider's face, then he remembered what he had been told at her home, that she wasn't really interested but was friendly with everyone. Perhaps that kiss had meant nothing. "It's good to see you."

"Why are you here?" Sorsha regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. He was a dragonrider, probably on official business, and her hurt feelings just gave a poor image to the hold.

"I've brought messages and news for the Hold."

Of course. He wasn't here for her, he probably hadn't even thought of her since he left that night at Green Bend. "Serend is out in the fields, but Karai will be here soon."

"Is it possible you could get a message to them, this is something I've been told would be best delivered personally."

It was important then. "They're at the edge of the hold's lands, it'll take several hours for a message to get to them and them to get back. You could fly to them faster."

"Would you show us, please?" he asked. She should hear this too, she had the right.

"There's a map inside..." Sorsha said a bit confused. It was rather uncomfortable holding a conversation with him. "It's to the Southwest."

"No, no I meant come with me. You should hear this too. It could affect you and your family."

"I..." Sorsha frowned. It sounded important, but she didn't want to sit with him on Naath. She didn't want to be that close to him after he'd played on her emotions like he had. Still... "All right. Just wait a minute while I go and tell Karai."

She met the woman at the door with Raise right on her heels. Once Sorsha explained what I'lan had told her, she agreed that Sorsha should go with him since it was important. She gave Sorsha's hand a reassuring squeeze and then shooed Raise to finish the tubers before going back inside.

Sorsha took I'lan's hand as she climbed up Naath's lowered leg and sat down in front of him. She felt a flutter in her stomach as I'lan put his arm around her waist and she cursed her body for reacting that way. She was Railen's, and even if she hadn't been, I'lan had no right to her, not after he abandoned her.

"Which way?" he asked as Naath gently took to the air. He was aware of Sorsha, and doing his best to remain polite and courteous, when all he wanted to do was find a quiet corner and ask her if it was true what her uncle had said. Something hadn't felt right about it, and from what he was seeing, she was struggling with something too."

"Southwest." she repeated. The hour plus it would take to reach where Serend and Railen were by runner would hopefully only take a few minutes by Naath.

"You heard the lady," I'lan told his dragon. "We'll be able to spot them?"

It was different, looking down towards the ground for things instead of straight ahead, and everything was smaller. "I think so."

"Listen, the reason I'm out here is that there are eggs on the sands," I'lan began. "Riders will arrive on search soon, and you know what that means."

"You want me to go to the Weyr." Sorsha said haltingly. Her dream flashed in her mind, of I'lan holding his hand out to her and asking her to come to the Weyr where she belonged.

"You have the right, you were searched once, and that still applies."

Sorsha frowned, if he had come to her before, if he had asked her when she was still at Green Bend, she would have said yes. "Why didn't you come back?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Your family, they said that you wanted to come here, that you were to be married. They, they said that you didn't want to see me."

"Who did you talk to? I didn't say that." Her father wouldn't have lied to a dragonman.

"Your Uncle."

That tunnelsnake! "You knew I was to come here to foster, I just thought it wouldn't be so soon. I never told anyone I didn't want to see you. And the marriage contract wasn't finalized yet, I didn't even know about it until recently."

"So you aren't married yet?"

Sorsha chanced a glance at his face, it was unreadable and she felt that flutter in her stomach again. "No... not yet. But I will be soon, to Railen. Why didn't you come and see for yourself? I waited for you every day..."

"Your Uncle was positive you didn't want to see me, he made out that you might send an invitation to your wedding, if you remembered me."

If she ever saw that man again... "And you believed him. Because that sounds just like me doesn't it?" Her anger at her uncle was brimming over onto her frustration at I'lan.

How could he explain this delicately, there wasn't really a way. "He, he also said that," and the bronzerider at least had the grace to look away. "He implied that you were more than friends with Railen."

"But I wasn't! There was only _you_." Sorsha exclaimed. She couldn't believe that he thought she'd toyed with him. Then she realized how her admission sounded and hastily added, "But it's different now, Railen and I are going to be married."

"I wish you all the happiness on Pern," he said softly. "But if you change your mind, remember you have the right to stand again until you are over age, if that is what you want."

She smiled, "I'll remember, but I stood and didn't impress. I don't want to make Railen wait four turns for me on the off chance that a dragon will like me someday."

"But, if you never try. Sorsha, you could have a good life at the Weyr. You could be happy there, whether you impress or not. You have friends there, and I'm there too."

Sorsha shook her head, "And what would I do at a Weyr? I don't have a craft, if I didn't impress I'd be no more skilled than a drudge. Here I'll be the wife of a holder, I'll have a purpose."

"I'm there," he repeated. "You could be anything you wanted there. An apprentice even. But _I'm_ there."

She clamped down on those flutters in her stomach and gave a long sigh.
"I'lan, If you had said all this when I had first come to Willet Grove then I probably would have left with you. But you didn't. I've made a choice I can't, and don't want to go back on now."

"Can you risk that your dragon would die without you being there for her? There's a golden egg on the sands this time, what if she is the one for you?"

Sorsha gasped at the suggestion and memories of the previous hatching she had stood at came to mind. Those little dragonets had been so precious when they'd emerged from their shells. The thought of one of them looking for her, of crying out for her and not being able to find her broke her heart. "I..."

"Then come back to the Weyr."

It was so easy to be swayed by I'lan, so easy to fall back into that infatuated feeling she felt when she was around him. "I can't. I can't leave Railen for the Weyr. I'm sorry."

"Please Sorsha, think about it. Nothing is settled yet."

It was an out. "I'll think about it then, okay?" Once he was gone, her head would clear and she wouldn't ever see him again.

"Promise me that much at least."

Sorsha felt Naath start to drop and realized that they'd spotted the group out in the field. With another flutter from her stomach that she felt was more anxiety at the upcoming meeting than attraction she said simply, "I promise."

Last updated on the November 29th 2008

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