Respected
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 25th January 2015
Characters: Alina
Description: Alina takes a trip to the main bathingpools and doesn't like what she sees.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 16 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: L'pin, Sh'del
It was evening, after chores and lessons, and when she should by rights be studying. Instead Alina was standing frozen at the door to the biggest bathing pool in the Weyr, where most of the dragonriders went. **Just go in,** she told herself. **Everyone does. You're a greenrider. You're supposed to be a greenrider.**
The door swung out and ejected a pair of women about her age, or maybe a little older. They were giggling, wet haired and rolling their eyes at each other over something one of them had said. Alina grit her jaw and entered just as the door was beginning to swing closed.
The room was huge, high ceilinged and brightly lit with glows in front of polished bits of metal hung on the rock walls. Alina scurried off to the side to find a cubby for her clothes and strip down. Her skin broke into gooseflesh, overexposed. She undid her braid and shook her hair out over her shoulders like shield before hurrying into the water with downcast eyes.
This was an experiment. L'pin and Sh'del talked incessantly about Weyr life and how she was supposed to embrace it. How nudity was expected. How she needed to be comfortable with her body because of Imarith's upcoming rising. But she wasn't comfortable with any of it. The weyrling found a spot with a bit of space around it in the soaking pool and sat, her shoulders hunched, and watched the dragonriders.
And the dragonriders watched each other. This particular bathing pool was as social a place as the dining cavern. As many conversations were started as backs were scrubbed by helpful hands. There were a few like her who were there alone and didn't seem to want company, but for the most part, they were there to be seen -- and to _see_.
Because they were always _looking_. Judging. Appreciative glances, leers, winks, sidelong looks-- they flew like suds across the water. Three older greenriders with saggy skin and grey in their hair seemed immune until Alina caught one of them winking at a much younger man half way across the bathing pool. She hurriedly averted her eyes from his shining, sculpted chest-- although maybe she looked back for an instant. Maybe. And didn't let her eyes wander any lower... A pair of young men were elbowing each other as they cast sidelong glances at an older man with dark hair who was studiously ignoring them. A withering look was cast from a woman with red hair to a man with scars on his forearms. She even caught a few looks sent her way, mostly inquisitive and no doubt wondering who the stranger among them was.
Alina shrank back into herself a little further. The thing about the Weyr was that everyone was on display, _all_the_time_. The Weyrlingstaff never spoke of it directly, but the bathing pool made it abundantly clear. Barely anyone bothered with families or relationships because of their dragons, which meant that everyone was fair game-- and the game was sex.
At home on the farm, everyone knew who everyone else was. You knew who was married and who was not, who was looking for a kiss behind the barn and who wanted to be left alone. Who was betrothed, who was widowed, who was up for trouble and who was trouble and should be avoided at all costs. People showed each other respect. But here... all they saw was that she was a greenrider. And everyone knew that greenriders were ripe for the taking.
Well, she wasn't. Alina left the bathingpool the way she'd entered; eyes averted, shoulders hunched. She felt sick and scared, and so, so homesick. This life... Imarith was wonderful. Flying would be all right. Fighting Thread... maybe that was something she could do, although the thought left her weak-kneed and terrified. But this-- this constant mating display, a never-ending parade of lust and selfishness... she wanted no part of it. It wasn't stupid or prudish to want someone to respect her, to see her as something more than a body to sate themselves on. Someone to use to quench a need and then leave.
But that's what would happen when Imarith rose. She'd be used and left. It was worse than an arranged marriage; Imarith would be as sensible as a beast in rut when it was her time. At least in an arranged marriage your parents would choose someone who was compatible and could provide a good life.
Tears pricked her eyes as she hurried back toward the safety of the weyrling barracks. Imarith, who she'd thought was sound asleep, stirred and sent a sleepy tendril of reassurance her way. The weyrling stopped in the hallway and pressed her fingers against her eyes until she was sure she wouldn't cry. This was her problem, not her dragon's. Imarith couldn't help her nature. Besides, she was still a baby. Alina held her breath until she could feel her panicked heartbeat start to slow. **I'm all right,** she told her dragon.
It wasn't too much of a lie. She was all right.
For now.
Last updated on the February 11th 2015