Life's so unfair! Or is it?

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 29th July 2013

Characters: Chupsin, Genna
Description: Genna is looking for sympathy from her favourite uncle Chupsin, but instead he gives her some new ideas about her future.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 2 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Sinla, Benani

Genna

Genna was in a foul mood. Like she had been for the past few sevendays.
Ever since the Hatching, to be honest. Oh of course, the Hatching itself
had been marvelous, the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced.
Except maybe for being Searched just prior to it. But it had all turned
into such a disappointment. At first she hadn't even known if she wanted to
go to the Weyr. But seeing the Hatching, seeing those baby dragons meeting
their lifemates... If that could be her, she just had to give it a try. But
of course her mother wouldn't let her go. Ever. And her new-found dreams
were squashed to the ground as quickly as they had arisen. Ever since that
first "no" Genna had been trying to find loop-holes, catch her mother
off-guard, anything that could possibly sway her from her stern belief
Genna would be ruined at the Weyr. But to no avail. She felt entirely
misunderstood and in her mind there was only one person that had shown her
some sympathy. So naturally she felt drawn to her uncle's company. After
all he was the one that had shown her the Weyr in the first place. That and
he was miserable, too, if for entirely different reasons.

All in all it wasn't by accident that she kept showing up at the Infirmary
to volunteer her help and today was no different. "Hello uncle, anything I
can do to help out today?"

Something was going on. It was awful fishy for Genna to keep showing up
like this. So finally, Chupsin took the bait and nodded. "Oh aye, if you
want to fill these jars with dried rosemary for me." He gestured toward a
long row of glass jars laid out with a large bowl and sieve nearby
containing the herb.

"Sure," Genna smiled sweetly, sitting down at the table quickly. As she
started on the chore, grabbing the sieve and the first empty jar, she
glanced at her uncle cautiously. Maybe it would be best not to broach the
subject right away. "How are you doing, uncle?" she thus started innocently.

"About the same as before, though now half the Hold probably thinks I'm
cracked. Of course they don't have the gall to say it to my face and this
is the only infirmary to receive service at so I suppose it doesn't matter
much." He shrugged his shoulders before putting the stopper inside a vial.

"Ah, Uncle, anyone who doesn't understand is surely cracked up themself,"
Genna replied, a serious note flitting across her words. She didn't know
what it felt like to lose a loved one and she wasn't keen on finding out,
but she did know grief could make you do strange things and she would never
hold his grief against Chupsin. "But yeah, just treat the ignorant bastards
when they need it and let them think what they want, it's of no bother to
you, right?"

"Genna-language," he scolded lightly. Ladies didn't speak like that. "The
only problem is, it could mean I never marry again. After all, what woman
would have me now?" That was true enough and he found himself feeling
guilty about considering the possibility once more after his poor wife had
met with such a demise.

"Ah, sorry," Genna said, not sounding too sorry. At least Chupsin didn't
make a lecture out of it. "And that's not true uncle, you're still a
catch!" Genna defended her most beloved uncle loyally. She seemed to
hesitate for a moment, but decided not to speak out her mind entirely on
the subject. If she was absolutely honest, she had to say Chupsin had
settled beneath himself with his previous wife and she was sure he could
even do better this time. But that was not something you just said out
loud. "You're a genius Healer with a good future in the Craft ahead of you.
You'll make a good match for any sensible lady."

"And I do have social connections," he considered. Chupsin didn't have
Blood, but his craft rank was fine enough and he hoped it would only be a
matter of time before he could walk the tables and get his Mastery so he
could be the Master Healer at Amber Hills. Perhaps Lord Zathris might put a
bug in the Masterhealer's ear about it if it could speed the process. It
would be good for him as well. "Well, Genna, why don't you find me a lady
then?" he almost chuckled. "You seem a bit down though yourself."

"Oh I will if you want me to!" Genna grinned. "But she might not be what
you or mother might approve of." At his last statement, she shrugged. "It's
just being offered something so incredible and then having it taken away
again is a bit disheartening. And I'm starting to believe mother will never
change her mind."

"Did your mother give you reasons why not?" Chupsin asked, not
contradicting his sister, but asking for more information before giving his
viewpoint. "And why wouldn't I approve of her?" She had said that as if she
already had someone in mind.

"She says it's dangerous, that I'll get myself killed and that if I don't
Impress and want to come back I will be ruined for marriage." Genna
shrugged. In her plan there wasn't really room for not Impressing. If she
wasn't going to, why would that dragon have Searched her? "And alright,
maybe you would secretly approve, but I'd pick a fun woman for you, uncle,
and mother doesn't seem to approve of fun."

"Well she's right. It is dangerous. And you could get killed. And she's
also right about the fact that hold and craft men do not marry women from
the Weyr." He was an honest man and he thought Genna deserved that, at
least. Chupsin was quiet, though, as he considered his spirited niece.
"Genna, it would be an honor to have a rider in the family but you need to
understand-it's not about fun. It's about risking your life so that others
can live. It's about risking your dragon. It's scarier than anything you've
ever known.

"But isn't that my choice to make?" Genna asked her uncle seriously. She
was vaguely aware that she did not understand the full extent of what being
a rider involved, but she felt like she should be allowed to look into that
herself. It wasn't as if she would have blindly jumped in if they had let
her decide for herself. She wasn't an idiot!

"It would be once you came of age. Now, though, it's your mother's." And
maybe Chupsin was giving her a hint. If it was really what she wanted after
she was old enough, then she could go for it. Right now, though, she was
too young to make such a momentous decision.

"But that is ages away!" Genna complained with a sigh. "And what if I'm
betrothed before that? It's not like mother would allow me that much time."

"It's actually not as far away as you think, dearling. Some girls are
already married and living in their own cots by now." He tried to placate
her. When he
was young, he had been impatient as well, but he had plenty to work toward
and travelling to do. His world had been much larger. "Have you ever
thought..
maybe you could be fostered for marriage prospects? And in so doing, at
least get out from under your mother for a bit?" He knew Sinla kept a
gimlet eye on
Genna, though. She was afraid the girl would go wild. He didn't think his
niece was quite that stupid, but she wasn't his so it wasn't his decision.
"Something
like Lady Arippa did." And maybe she could find herself a fellow. "Matter
of fact, Genna-did you ever meet Corofel? Now that would be a good idea.."

"I did, briefly, at etiquette lessons," Genna said almost absent-mindedly
as she was still overthinking Chupsin's earlier remarks. "Do you think my
mother would go for that? Fostering?"

"Possibly, if she were able to find good fosterparents for you." He himself
began to think about that possibility.

Genna considered this for a moment. It seemed like her one shot at a bit of
freedom. "Would you talk to her about it? If I did she would just shrug it
off. But if you were to suggest it she might take it more seriously."

He almost laughed at what he saw as her attempt to gang up on her mother.
She was clever, though. Just as Sinla was. "I might mention it, but I think
the person who could get more traction and would be key to arranging a good
fostering anyhow would be Lady Benani. You could talk to her."

"Oh!" Now there was a good idea, why hadn't she thought of that herself?
Genna launched herself forward to envelop her uncle in a big hug. "Thanks
uncle. You're the best."

"Yeah yeah, just remember me when you're a famous goldrider and all that."
He gave a small smile as he considered her. Would his child have been
something like Genna? Or more like Alivya had been perhaps? The thought
caused a shadow to cross his face. "Now I think you need to be doing some
embroidery or something useful eh? In the ladies' solar perhaps?"

"I can promise that, dear uncle," Genna grinned impishly, before pulling a
face at him at his mention of the ladies' solar, until she realized that
was her best shot of finding Benani and her grin returned. "Yes, I really
do need to pick up my needlework. Thanks for the chat!" And with that she
whirled out of the infirmary.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2013

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Life's so unfair! Or is it?