Gossiping Golds

Writers: Eimi, Chelle
Date Posted: 18th March 2013

Characters: Hygalia, Rhosyn
Description: The two Weyrwomen chat at the hatching about their Weyrleaders, men, and more.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 7 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: G'nir, K'sedel, U'kaiah, Cyradis, N'vanik, K'deren, Teseada,

Lenala, M'galec, Tavia, Aileyan, U'das, J'darin, T'mahl, Solieira, Y'gel,

Ciara, Uetia, U'fouinn, Traelyn

Hygalia reached out a plate of goodies to her fellow goldrider. "I
think I might have grabbed the last of the cheese tarts. Would you like
one?"

"Nah you take them. I have some of these creamy puffy things and they're
enough. I'll have to dance for a few candlemarks to manage, but it's
worthwhile." Rhosyn was certainly enjoying herself and it was a treat
to see the Dragonsfall Weyrwoman as well. "So I think things between
N'vanik and Cyradis are working themselves out and she looks to be
staying."
That meant no more worrying about Dolphin Cove. "How are things with
you?"

"Well, I'm sure you heard about Onnyth's Flight." No doubt half Pern
had by this point. It was just the perfect kind of gossip to keep
tongues wagging for a while. "We're just waiting to see what the damage
is."

"Well browns have caught junior golds before...but that one was a bit
young indeed.." Rhosyn was trying to be positive. To be honest, though,
she was glad it wasn't her in that position. Still, the dragons chose,
didn't they? "We were quite relieved when everything went fine with
Lenala's
last flight." Of course everyone remembered _that_ disaster. "When is
she
due to clutch?"

"I suppose it's just Dragonsfall's Turn to have a renegade Queen,"
Hygalia said with a roll of her eyes, remembering hearing of Lenala's
own disastrous Flight some Turns back. At least no one was hurt in
Teseada's Flight. "She should Clutch around the end of the month.
We'll see just where we stand then."

"And G'nir?" She couldn't help it. It was easy to see that K'sedel and
the other man were very different. Rhosyn was probably the G'nir in
her relationship.

"He's not due to Clutch for a while yet," Hygalia said with a sarcastic
smile. She was relaxed enough around her River Bluff counterpart to let
her sillier side shine through. "He's doing fine. I think he's learned
not to let his bronze ego show too much, which is a bit of a relief."

Making a small fake choking noise, Rhosyn smiled as she reached for her
glass. "Honestly, I don't think many of mine are like that. M'galec's
about the only one I can think of. The rest of them just do their duties
and
go on. It's nice but...sometimes a girl just wants a little excitement."
Maybe that was the real attraction N'vanik held for her-he was
unpredictable
like she was.

It was not the kind of excitement Hygalia necessarily was looking for.
"Not when you have egos the size of G'nir's and U'kaiah's to deal with
on a daily basis. You can have that kind of excitement. Though really,
they're not so bad. And at least they have something to back it up
with."

"I don't think I've met U'kaiah...If I did..." She was trying to think
and
it was hard indeed. "Nope don't think so. It's probably easy for you
though. I mean I know Orlaith's ego is bigger than half of Pern so a few
bronzeriders... pshhh.." She made a motion with her hand to indicate
they could be knocked over in a minute.

"That's just it, _one_ is bad enough!" Hygalia laughed, though she knew
all too well that her gold's ego was just a magnified reflection of her
own. Though she'd never admit to that. "You should meet him someday.
He has definite potential."

"Potential for what?" Now that was interesting talk. "Are you trying to
send
me another egotistical wingleader? Is that what you're doing?" Laughing
outright, Rhosyn caught a few looks. "While it is true that my
Weyrleader
and U'das probably have enough turns between them to go back to the
First Egg, that doesn't mean I don't have some in reserve to replace
them.
Not
saying I wouldn't have more if I could but..."

"U'kaiah is going nowhere. I think half the ladies in the Weyr would
revolt if I sent him your way. A few of the men might be relieved
though." She didn't mind talking about the men in her Weyr to a fellow
Weyrwoman, though she would never be so open to any of the women in
Dragonsfall. "He's pretty easy on the eyes, I have to say, though he's
a little too... free... for me."

"Ah well. We goldriders can't be as free as the greens. Duty to the Weyr
and all that and being a good role model." She almost kept a straight
face,
right up to the point where she said model. And then she laughed again.
"Who am I kidding? I'm not even that free and they call me a whore
anyway.
But good for you for having standards. Is he umm..is he here? Can I see
him?" She was curious now.

"Oh, yes, he's around here somewhere. He recently fathered a child with
a Dolphin Cove greenrider, so he takes just about any excuse he can to
come." It was nice that he had taken such an interest in them, but
Hygalia did wonder where Aileyan fit into all this. "He's tall, curly
haired, hard to miss."

"Well maybe I'll try and find him later," she replied a bit
noncommittally.
Rhosyn was more interested in the last of the sweetrolls. "So what did
you mean about potential?" she asked again, trying to figure this out.
"You
mean to beat G'nir?"

"He is certainly a strong candidate, and could make a fine Weyrleader,
I'm sure. But there are others at Dragonsfall. J'darin and T'mahl are
both former Weyrleaders, and could potentially regain their old rank.
For sure G'nir sees him as his main competition, though." And had
treated him as an enemy for as long as she had been at the Weyr.
Hopefully he had taken their little talk to heart, and would not be
making obvious challenges to the Wingleader in the future.

"Hmm...I only have three Weyrleaders in total left too. Y'gel would be
good at it but with Augashyth's injury, it'll never happen." Rhosyn gave
a sigh thinking of her dragonhealer. Playing her fingers on the grain of
the table, she let slip something that most had guessed at. "Sometimes
I wonder what might have happened if N'vanik hadn't won with Cyradis."

Hygalia was not completely surprised by the goldrider's musing. It was
something she had wondered herself. "Who knows. Nothing is certain
with dragons. The gold chooses who will make the best partner to the
Weyrwoman, I believe, but the best is not always the most obvious. I
know G'nir was not the one I would have put my marks on before Genith's
Flight."

"Oh I know. At the time, he was arguably the best choice both for her
and the Weyr, but I still couldn't help but wonder. And then...ah well.
Back
to the same thing again. Me and K'sedel...he's the opposite of me so it
works. I know he won't be able to do it forever, but it was nice having
a veteran
to learn the ropes with. Faranth knows if left on my own I might have
killed
the Weyr." Putting her hands up, Rhosyn was quite self-effacing. The
truth was,
she had learned a lot about running things since her tenure began. "Also
would
never give Solieira to anyone for anything. Ever."

"I think finding a soul mate in a Weyrleader as well as a partner is a
bit much to hope for. And can be impracticable as well. I mean, if
your Weyrleader is your lover first, that would put a terrible strain on
the relationship. That's why I refuse to sleep with any of the
bronzeriders at the Weyr." It would just complicate things if they
should ever win the Weyrleadership. "But don't tell G'nir that. It's
fun to play with his mind a little. It keeps him on this toes."

"Oh boo. Then you can't be having any fun." Shaking her head, she went
back to K'sedel. "In my case, that was never going to happen. We work
together-the end. He's got his weyrmate and his kids and all that." No
offense to the bronzerider, he had probably been quite the catch back
then, but for Rhosyn now he was not. She was glad Ciara existed so she
didn't even have to try. "I'm not going to say I haven't a few others
but they
were one-offs and usually during proddy time. Not U'das though." She
waggled her finger, laughing.

"What's wrong with U'das?" Hygalia asked, laughing. "I think he's quite
dashing."

"Well as much as I love U'das-and I do-" She looked for the bronzerider
in the crowd but couldn't find him just then. "He's just as old as
K'sedel
and it might be starting to creak. Besides, I see Uetia and U'fouinn and
all
of them and think he could be my father." For all her free attitudes,
Rhosyn
was still a holder girl and had ideas about things that went back to
that. "I
mean...of course I sleep with K'sedel during Flights, but it's
different." And she
knew she didn't have to explain how because Hygalia knew.

"You seem to talk like he's almost dead when he's just barely middle
aged!" Hygalia said with amused shock. She also had been raised in a
Hold, and the potential to have been married to man his age had always
been there. Perhaps that more than anything had made her appreciate a
more mature partner.

"I'm sure he has quite a few turns left in him. But I'd rather he not be
in me." And that put it directly. "Besides...after N'vanik most just
don't...well, they just don't." She couldn't help it. She was hopeless.
"Faranth why couldn't I have waited and come to Dolphin Cove after
Traelyn went?
Why?" Stupid timing. And if Rhosyn didn't follow the rules, she could
have
Timed it and showed up at just the right moment after that and ended up
Weyrwoman of
two Weyrs. But that was just silliness-she couldn't be in the same Time
two times for that long so she didn't bother even voicing those
thoughts.

"And who's to say he would have been your Weyrleader? What would you
have done if your dragon had not chosen his? Would he have forgiven you
for that? And even if he was, who's to say that would have been good
for you? I seem to remember he and Traelyn started out as lovers, and
look how well that worked for them in the end." Of course Hygalia did
not know the particulars, but she had been publicly linked to at least
two other lovers besides N'vanik, and in the end she had been sent to a
special mindhealer. Obviously, their love affair had reached some sort
of conclusion. "Truly, Rhosyn, I had never taken _you_ for the silly
gold at River Bluff." From what she understood, that distinction was
supposed to be held by the Second!

"I know things may or may not have worked out. I realize that. And I
also know it didn't happen and it probably never will. It's just what
ifs at
this point. Still, every now and again, I can't help but ask myself that
question. And I am not Traelyn nor will I ever be." That was said with
such disgust that it was not hard to figure out that Rhosyn would never
understand how such a woman could have failed her gold and her Weyr
and done what she had done. She sighed and decided a conversation change
was in order. "Hopefully Cyradis isn't like Traelyn or Janani."

"She seems a sensible sort." Though Hygalia had never met either
Traelyn or Janani, so she couldn't say for sure how they had started
out. "I think they will work well together. Faranth knows all our
Weyrs could use some stability in the Weyrleader department." Say what
she liked about K'sedel, but at least he had been stable! N'vanik, too.
Hopefully G'nir would be the same. If he could keep his ego in check at
least.

"Hope so. I know they didn't get along at first but things seem to
be better now so they're working it out. She's mated up with K'sedel's
son now." Rhosyn nodded, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, I'd heard." News like that was not likely to escape anyone's
notice. "It's good they both have someone. It saves her from feeling
like
the
fifth wheel on the cart."

"Aye and it means she'll stay." That was important enough and Rhosyn
knew she didn't have to tell Hygalia why. "Well things are sorted until
she mates again anyhow. Now, I know I don't have to tell you you have
an open invitation when you get too cold." Her feet were itching and it
was likely time to go dancing again.

"And you should come down and enjoy the cooler temperatures," Hygalia
offered in return. "Come any time."

Last updated on the April 27th 2013

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Gossiping Golds