Tantrums

Writers: AL, Jane
Date Posted: 25th March 2009

Characters: Ylisahn, Rilisa
Description: Ylisahn is distracted from her temper tantrum by a visit from her daughter.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 7 of Turn 5

Whomph!

It was a reassuringly solid sound, the sound of the pile of old-fashioned hides hitting the smooth stone floor beside the desk.

Served them sharding right. Stupid hide work. Stupid old-fashioned hides, some so old they should have been left to moulder away at Thayan Peak when the Weyr had been abandoned.

Ylisahn's sandalled foot cleared the desk leg and gave the pile of hides a kick to further relieve her feelings then peeked cautiously up at the half-open door that those whining women had left ajar when she had shooed them out with assurances that she would deal with their complaint.

Well she _wouldn't_, she thought with a regrettable smugness at the rebellious thought. She would go to the Dolphin Hall and leave the problem for the next Headwoman.

But still, even though she was supposed to be tidying up before leaving, it would be embarrassing to be seen kicking hides around the room by anybody. She could either get up and shut the door or stop taking out her temper on the hides.

"Mama!" Rilisa's face appeared around the edge of the door frame, her dark, wavy hair cascading down, reaching toward the floor with desperation, but unable to draw anywhere near it. Her lips tilted in amusement and she inched into the room, hiking up her skirts though the gesture was really unnecessary. "Mama, what are you doing?" The young woman queried as she drew closer and glanced down at the hides that slumped upon the floor where Ylisahn had flung them.

"I am having a tantrum, young woman. I seem to remember you having a few of your own in the past." In the far past, to be honest. Rilisa had a sensible head on her shoulders and even indulged by two doting mothers she had grown herself into a remarkable steady young woman.

"And why are you throwing a tantrum?" Rilisa took it upon herself to offer herself the chair and lowered into it. She looked at the hides almost reproachfully, as if letting them know of her disapproval that they had settled there.

"Oh, the usual thing. Complaining women." Sometimes she thought that half her job was sorting out complaints by one group or another. Perhaps only harpers ought to take on the really hard jobs - like headwoman. "Quite justified but still _annoying_. Now I have to do something and that's only going to make the ill-feeling run higher."

"It's not for too much longer." Rilisa nudged the offending hides with the toe of her shoe. "And then you'll not have to worry about it any longer. What sort of complaints did the women have?"

"They work with a shirker - plain and simple. A woman who uses mating flights and 'seeing to the men's needs' as an excuse to always be wandering off from her work and letting the other women do her share." Ylisahn grinned fleetingly. "Am I cranky about it just because I find men unattractive, do you think?"

"No." Rilisa knew a couple of girls just like that. To coin the term 'annoying' seemed an understatement. "Perhaps you should tie her to her work then she can't leave. She'll be forced to finish her work before doing anything else."

Ylisahn chuckled. "Perhaps I should let her go but make her make up the time she spends away on her restdays or in her evenings." She sighed. "There are definitely _some_ parts of my job I'll be _glad_ to leave behind when I go to the Dolphin Hall."

"Those kinds of girls aren't the most pleasant to deal with." Rilisa sniffed in disdain and picked at a bit of lint upon her skirt. "It's as if they think the Weyr owes them something."

"And the men are so distracted by their - er - usefulness they can never see what a problem they are. Surely that won't be a problem with dolphineers!" It had been a long time - since before the hurricane - since Ylisahn could remember looking forward to anything with any enthusiasm, but she was starting to feel quite excited about the move a quarter candlemark up the coast to the Hall.

"You certainly won't have to worry about flights over there. Dolphins don't fly or impress." Rilisa leaned forward to rest her arms on the desk and regard her mother. "In the mean time, though, you really ought to leave the hides here and come out and enjoy the day."

"I have so much to _do,_" Ylisahn protested. And whether or not the move to the Dolphin Hall would help with the memories she couldn't avoid, work was still her best defence against them.

"But today is not a day for work." Rilisa pointed out as she rest her chin upon her hand. "It's a rest day. That means you rest. Or have fun, which is another way of resting."

"What do people do for fun when they're my age," Ylisahn asked her seventeen Turn old daughter with a sigh. "Sit in the shade and remember the old days?"

"You aren't _that_ old." Rilisa rolled her eyes and straightened up. "Come on, let's take a walk on the beach and see if we can catch some slowpoke spiderclaws."

"Ahh," said the Weyr's Headwoman, getting to her feet. "That could _almost_ be considered work."

Last updated on the March 27th 2009

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Tantrums