Fancy

Writers: Paula, Yvonne
Date Posted: 13th June 2014

Characters: Ciendra, Alina
Description: Alina and Ciendra bond over a mirror in the candidate's quarters
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 3 of Turn 7

Alina

The evenings could drag on forever, but this evening Alina had found a couple of ribbons and a box of hair pins. She sat in front of the polished metal strip that served as a mirror in the girl's candidate barracks and twisted this way and that, trying to see if she'd managed to pin up all her hair or if she'd missed a bit. Usually Elana did this for her; it was much harder to arrange one's own hair.

Movement caught her eye; Alina turned to Ciendra, who had come into the dormitory. "What do you think? Did I miss any bits?"

"Miss what?" Ciendra asked with confused tone. She didn't spend time fixing her hair and had no idea what the other girl was trying to do. She just brushed her hair and tied it to a ponytail.

Alina smiled, even though she felt like rolling her eyes. Wasn't it obvious? "Did I miss putting any bits of hair up?"

"Oh. I'll see," Ciendra said and looked around her head. "There's one curl, left side of your neck," she replied.

"Darn." Alina turned back to the mirror and felt around until she found the wayward strand and tucked it back where it belonged. She turned her head this way and that in front of the mirror, trying to make out her reflection, before giving up in disgust. The Candidate's barracks obviously got the sub-par materials. When she turned back, the girl was still watching her. On impulse she asked, "Want me to do your hair?"

Ciendra had remained to watch her out of curiosity. "Mine?" she asked astonished, and touched her dark hair. "If you want to," she shrugged.

"Sure. It'll be fun!" Alina stood and patted the chair she'd been sitting on. "I do this for my sister all the time. Come sit down."

"I don't have sisters," Ciendra said with a wistful tone and took the seat. For some reason, her parents haven't been able to conceive another child after her and then they had died.

"Oh. That's too bad. Sisters are the best." The older girl undid the knotted cord holding Ciendra's hair back and picked up a hairbrush. "I have a brother, too. He's all right, but Elana and I are much closer. Which isn't that surprising, I guess, since we're twins."

"Twins? Isn't that very rare? I haven't met any twin before," Ciendra replied, curious now.

Alina nodded. "Yes. I never met any other twins until I came here. You have really lovely hair, by the way."

"Thanks," Ciendra blushed with the pleasure of being complimented. Aline seemed like very nice person to her.

The other Candidate smiled. "Where are you from?" she asked as she separated Ciendra's hair into three pieces; one over each shoulder, and one down her back. One of the shoulder pieces she began to braid with nimble fingers.

"Green Valley, that's one of Emerald Falls' minor holds," Ciendra told her. "You?"

"Nadol Cothold, also in Emerald Falls territory. Here, hold this--" Alina passed the finished braid to Ciendra and showed her where to pinch her fingers to keep it from unravelling. "It's mostly farming. I always wanted to actually go to Emerald Falls instead. Have you ever been there?"

Ciendra wasn't sure she ever heard of Nadol Cothold and she had no idea which part of the hold it was. After all, Emerald Falls covered a large territory. "The main hold? No, I've only been in Green Valley and Red Rush," Ciendra replied.

Alina sighed. Two holdings? She'd only ever seen Nadol, and now the Weyr. Her quick fingers were already plaiting a braid on the other side of the girl's face. She didn't speak again until she was done. "Here, hold this too," she told Ciendra and handed her a second braid on the other side of her head. "You're lucky. Were you fostered?"

"No, my parents died when fire destroyed Red Rush hold. So I was sent to live with my aunt in Green Valley," Ciendra's voice had turned silent. She still missed her parents. Her aunt hadn't exactly _wanted_ her around.

"Oh." Alina's hands stilled. Poor girl. That was _way_ worse than just getting sold off to the Weyr when the dragonmen asked. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been very hard for you."

"Yeah," Ciendra grunted. She really didn't want to dwell on it.

Alina was quiet for a moment, sensing that the other girl didn't want to talk. Ciendra's hair had begun to take shape as Alina twisted the unbraided bits into sleek curls and pinned them in loops on the back of Ciendra's head. "Do you like living here?" Alina asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, very much," Ciendra's voice took a cheery note.

"Oh, me too!" Alina replied, mimicking Ciendra's cheerfulness. Apparently she'd found someone else who didn't like the Weyr, and the knowledge made her a little giddy. It was a relief to know that it wasn't just her.

Ciendra smiled, she seemed to be making a new friend here, which was just what she needed.

"Darn." Alina reached for a pin but there were none left. With a sigh she pulled a handful from her own hair to pin the last of Ciendra's curls in place. Her hair fell down her back in a tangle. "There," she said. "You're all done. What do you think? Ready to go to a Gather and meet a nice young Journeyman?"

"It looks lovely! You're so skilled at this," Ciendra was amazed how it changed her. She looked pretty. She wondered if L'cor would think her pretty with hair like this.

Alina beamed at the complement, even as she waved it aside with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, that's nothing. You should see what my mother can do. She was fostered at Emerald Falls when she was a girl, and learned from the Lady's maid how to arrange hair properly. I'm just playing. But if you like it, I can do it for you at the Hatching, if we have the time."

"That would be great," Ciendra said, excited. Maybe L'cor would notice her there.

"In the mean time..." Alina pulled a few more of the pins from her own hair, then swept it back into a simple bun at the nape of her neck. "We should go out for a walk to show you off."

"Good idea," Ciendra agreed.

Alina held her arm out as if she were a man, ready to escort his lady friend out for an evening walk. "It would be an honour," she said, then giggled.

"It's a pleasure, m'Lady," Ciendra took a hold of her hem and curtised. She could fool around too.

Last updated on the June 13th 2014

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