Why Can't I?

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 9th December 2013

Characters: Vell
Description: Vell comes to a decision
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 2 of Turn 7

The next day dawned bright and clear, promising a hot autumn day. Vell spent the morning
helping shepherd their largest flock into the next field, and afterward took a
pitchfork and helped muck out the ovine pens closest to the Beasthold. By the
time the lunch bell rang she was sweaty and hot, but her appetite hadn't
recovered from her argument with her father the night before. Instead she
saddled her runner and went for a ride, and scorch her afternoon chores.

She led her runner up the valley wall into the cool shade of
the trees. The wind rustled the leaves and the sun fell in speckled heaps on
the underbrush. Here and there she heard rustlings as bugs and tunnelsnakes
fled her approach, and a flock of wherries circled high above the valley floor.
The air smelled of sap and yellowing grasses.

Eventually she heard the murmur of a stream. "You hear it
too, hmm?" Vell asked, and patted the beast affectionately on his dark brown
neck. Her runner pricked his ears and picked up his pace, hurrying along the
stony trail that led between trees and boulders to where the stream tumbled down
the hill's edge.

The path ended in a small meadow dotted with wildflowers and
heavy with the hum of insect wings. Vell dismounted, hobbled her runner and
pulled the saddle from his back before letting him loose to graze. The stream
cut through the edge of the meadow and widened briefly as it entered the woods,
pooling into a swirl of current deep enough that Vell couldn't touch the bottom
with her toes. She and her brother, Elor, had come here often when they were
children so Elor could teach her to swim.

The water was clear, warmed by the sun and deliciously dark
blue. Vell tipped her head to one side but heard only the murmur of the wind in
the trees; she was alone. A smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. Perfect.
It only took a moment to strip out of her stained work
clothes, leaving only her underthings between her and any prying eyes. Even though
she was alone Vell hurried into the water and dunked her head beneath the flow.

The current tugged at her hair, and she surfaced and quickly undid her braid so
the current could play with the strands. The water washed away the sweat and
dirt she'd earned this morning, and felt cool against her skin.

She and Yarron had come here only once, to swim. They'd
snuck away one warm evening in the spring, and had swum, shivering in the cold
water before coming together on the bank. They'd ridden back feeling thrilled
and guilty and proud of their encounter, foolishly so, since they were already
married.

Yarron. Vell turned onto her back and floated, staring at
the patterns of the leaves above her head. Her heart ached at the thought of
him. They'd been so happy, and now? Her eyes blurred with tears. Now he was
gone, she'd never see him again, and worst of all, would be married to someone
else. A stranger. Nobody could ever make her feel the way he had, and a
marriage that was less than the passion she'd shared with Yarron would be a
sham. If only someone would just _look_ for him. It wasn't fair! If she weren't
a woman, she'd go herself.

Vell froze. Why _couldn't_ she go looking for her wayward
husband? She could hunt and shoot a bow, and could ride well. But the Harper
Hall was so far? She bit her lip, thinking as she floated. Perhaps she could
ride to Opal Cove and hire a dragon to take her the rest of the way.

Or not? The moment her parents knew she was missing, Opal
Cove would know too. The skies would be crawling with dragons on sweep rides.
They'd scour every inch of road until she was found.

Unless she didn't take the roads, and didn't go to Opal
Cove. Vell stood up in the stream, the water eddying around her shoulders as
she slowly headed back to the bank. There were maps at the Holding that
showed every inch of their territory, and all of Opal Cove. All the way to the
Sea of Azov. If she could go cross-country to the Sea, then she could take a
boat from there to the next major Holding, and from there catch a dragon in
relative anonymity. There hadn't been any reports of bandits this Turn, and it
shouldn't take more than a sevenday or two if she rode fast. The traders went the
route all the time so there must be places to shelter from Thread.

If she left soon, there wouldn't be a risk of the weather turning before she
got to the Sea of Azov, and crossing the Sea in the winter would be warm enough.
And finally, finally she'd be doing _something_ other than waiting. And beyond
the Sea of Azov, Yarron was waiting.

**I'm coming,** she thought. It made her feel bold. Strong. **You don't have to
wait much longer, husband. I'm coming to find you!**

Last updated on the December 18th 2013

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Why Can't I?