Tea For Two (1)
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 16th March 2009
Characters: Eliste, Reitha
Description: Eliste has invited Reitha over for tea and the two talk.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 1, day 27 of Turn 5
Notes: Riverboat Sungazer
Reitha waved to the crew gathered at the bottom of the landing stage as she stepped onto it, hurrying up the ramp and onboard the Sungazer. She had been invited to afternoon tea with Eliste and baby Follen and she was very much looking forward to the event. The Holder's wife was amused by the formality of the invitation because she was of an on the Sungazer every time she tied up, and Nettleweed Dock was considered as much the crew's home as the riverboat itself. Still, if one wanted to make something special then this was the sort of thing that would do it. An invitation delivered by one of the children. An acceptance sent back aboard with another.
Eliste opened the door almost immediately after Reitha knocked upon it. She smiled and motioned for the woman to enter. For once, Follen wasnot situated in his carrier, snug against her bosom as he slept. Instead, he was in the crib that had been made for him, quite sound asleep. "You have good timing." Eliste commented as she closed the door. "He's just gotten to sleep." Normally she would simply hold him or wear him while he slept, the crib going mostly unused, but Eliste would need her hands and didn't want to take the chance that she might drip hot tea upon him while wearing him.
"Oh. I'm too late for a cuddle then," Reitha said with some disappointment. It was her joy in life to have all the fun of cuddling babies and indulging toddlers now that none of them were her own. "Can I just peep at him then? I shall have to report to the others at the Hold how he's grown in two sevenday."
"Oh certainly." Eliste motioned to the cradle. Follen was so used to having noise around him that their conversation didn't even cause him to stir. Eliste had been afraid that he might not sleep since no one was holding him, but for the moment, he was quiet. "Perhaps before you leave you can hold him if you like."
"I would like that, Eliste. Oh, he has grown!" the Holder's wife exclaimed softly. And he's such a pretty babe." She looked up at Eliste. "Is he good?"
"Very good. Of course, he's not very old yet." Eliste smiled mischievously. "We'll see what happens when he gets older. If he takes after Fog, he'll be a handful, I'm sure."
"If he takes after Fog - and I'm sure he will - he'll grow up to be a good, kindly man." Reitha straightened up, unable to resist smoothing the quilt that covered the tiny body. "I'm proud to say that most of the men the Sungazer raises are good people."
"I must agree with you on that." Eliste had yet to meet any Sungazer men that did not fit that description. "I am grateful to be here."
"You've been lucky," Reitha agreed. "And the Sungazer's lucky to get you, too." The older woman peered around the neat staterooom. "Are you working on anything at the moment?"
Eliste flushed at the compliment, then nodded in response to the question. "Under the bed in a box. I actually have two quilts in progress." She had finished most of the quilts she had promised herself she would make for those who had been so kind to her since leaving Emerald Falls. Now she was working on quilts to sell and help bring in money to the boat.
"Will you show me?" Reitha suggested encouragingly.
"Oh, certainly." Eliste turned away from her son and moved over to the bed, reaching in to extract a fabric covered box. Inside were two piles, each made up of various colours, though one seemed to contain more yellows and oranges than any other colour. "I haven't quite started to piece them yet, I've just gotten them cut out."
"This is unusual," Reitha said, unerringly putting her hand on one fabric that was in a shade she hadn't seen before. "I wonder where that's coming from. Perhaps some Weaver Hall experiment." She peered at Eliste, suddenly struck by a thought. "Or did this come from your former home? Now that there's nobody stopping you from claiming what was yours."
Eliste turned her eyes away from Reitha and shook her head. "No. I brought what I truly wanted with me." The idea of going back, even though Helvar was dead, did not rest well with the young woman. "I don't ever want to return."
Last updated on the March 16th 2009