Old Farmholder Wisdom Pt 1

Writers: Avery, Chelle
Date Posted: 5th October 2015

Characters: Kapera, Rhosyn
Description: The two women discuss their struggles.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 2, day 13 of Turn 8
Notes: Pt 1 of 2; Mentioned: Lenala, Tsaera, Cyradis, K'sedel, J'nus, Meledei, Lanniya,
Teseada, Nisheyl

Kapera

"This was a good idea," Kapera said as she settled into a seat at the
tavern with a cold drink in hand. At the last big hatching she and
Rhosyn had talked about meeting up. And truth be told, she needed to get
out for a bit.

Travelling under the radar as she usually did, Rhosyn was clad in a pair
of buff hide trousers and a blue tunic. She was wearing sandals since the
flight hadn't been very long. She'd gotten a weyrling to drop her off since
a very large queen would have given her away quickly. She had a mug of
beer in her hand and a plate of steak and other good thing in front of her.
Nodding that it was indeed a good plan, she happily continued chewing
the bite she had in her mouth before swallowing. "So how are things at
Dolphin Cove?"

"I haven't eaten here before. That looks really good. What's that?" she
asked, pointing at Rhosyn's plate.

As for the question, she shook her head and winced. "The improvement
project's turning everything into a mess. They're going to be cooking in
the Weyrbowl for a bit while something happens to cool the kitchen."

"Herdbeast steak with some tubers and beans. Bread too." A hearty meal
for sure but anyone who knew the Weyrwoman knew she could clean a plate.
"Sounds rough. It's a wonder the new headwoman doesn't quit like the old
one." Not for the first time, she found herself glad that River Bluff
had been fully equipped.

Kapera had to try what Rhosyn had, it sounded good.

"It's quite the change-up. But I hear it'll make it easier to cool the
kitchens, which will make it easier to cook in the heat of the day. And
they'll be adding refrigeration. Almost like a modern Weyr," she quipped.

"Well good luck is all I can say. I don't really understand all of
that technical stuff. It's just annoying when something breaks. Am I
happy I have lights and a bathing pool though? Sure am." Nodding her head in
agreement with herself, Rhosyn sat back and thought about Kapera. She had lived at Dragonsfall
for a time and that meant she had been used to conveniences as well. "Good on
Cyradis for getting what she wants, though."

A waiter stopped by and Kapera asked for some of the steak with no
sides. Then she turned her attention back to Rhosyn. "It's a sign
Cyradis intends to stay longer than some of her predecessors, I suppose."

As for how technicians worked... "I don't understand it either, but
it's been quite something having them bustling around. Not as busy as
I hear Dolphin Cove was with the Harpers around, but it's still nice.
It's a shame there aren't more Halls at Weyrs."

"Aye well we can support the crafters we need, but a whole Hall?" Rhosyn
shook her head. "Maybe during the Interval, sure. Now, I'm glad to let the
Holds take care of that side of things. Otherwise, I'd have to have at
least double the tithe we get now." She was always loathe to raise that amount unless
they really needed to in order to avoid grumbling. Of course when new Holds popped up-like
Sunstone, that increased the amount without her having to ask, which was
nice.

"I do see Cyradis staying, which is good. The place needed someone permanent
besides its Weyrleader." She had finally let go of some of her own
anger about the others before Cyradis, but it still rankled.

Kapera nodded. "She's stable and motivated. A solid Weyrwoman to have
there, and a pleasure to work with. It'd be great to go one whole Turn
without somewhere's leadership changing up. But who knows with senior
flights?"

"I've been at River Bluff for almost two and a half with K'sedel,"
Rhosyn casually mentioned. Of course she planned for that to be a very
long time when all was said and done, just like Tsaera had managed. **Funny how
everyone always fusses about me and my ways but at least I'm permanent.**

"Do you think Orlaith will choose him again?"

"She's never done anything I thought she would do so I stopped guessing long
ago." That was true enough. Then again, Rhosyn had enough worries to
deal with-she didn't need to add another. "Vilarth did well which is good. And
Lenala's pregnant so I'll have to keep everything together."

"Is that going to put a huge burden on you?" Kapera asked curiously. It
wouldn't be so bad while her gold was grounded, but what about later? She
also wondered why the other goldrider had picked now.

"I'll manage. It all depends on how prepared my gold weyrling is when she
graduates. And if she graduates on time, barring any other problems.
Still, I'll need some help but I'll figure something." It wasn't as if she hadn't
learned to deal with things as they came. Nothing ever went right, after all.

"Hopefully your weyrling will be fine. I hear Meledei had some trouble
with continual Weyrwomen changes as she settled in. Yours'll be spared
that."

"Indeed. My Lanniya is far different from your Meledei, though. She
Impressed for a reason, however, so I'm hoping that reason will show
itself. I can't deal with having another Lenala-not right now." Rhosyn
shook her head, trying to imagine what that must have been like for Tsaera
and then decided to change the subject.

"So are you still hot and heavy with that bronzerider? I think I might have
met him."

Kapera could understand Rhosyn's worries. She'd always liked Teseada,
who'd been steady and smart. Must have been that Technicians training. She
probably wouldn't have been able to run herd over a slacking and untrained
second - might have been that way as the senior herself, after all.

But gossip she could handle. "J'nus and I are - something. I don't quite
know what," Kapera admitted.

That brought a smile to Rhosyn's face. "I've had that feeling before.
Sometimes it turned out-sometimes it didn't. The ride was mostly worth
it though." She shrugged, not really offering information about her romantic issues
and the current lack thereof.

"I haven't really wanted to stay with just one person. It felt like
settling. Something alien to the freedom the Weyr gave me. I think J'nus
would want that from us, but - I don't know if I can," Kapera said. She
was telling Rhosyn more than she told most people, but she thought another
goldrider might understand it.

"I think it's best to let him know that up front then. That way you
can deal with it now before anyone could be hurt by it. I mean...I've
really only had a weyrmate once. Even then it wasn't understood to be a permanent
thing-just the two of us sticking with each other for as long as we were going to. I think that
helped when the time came for things to change." Briefly she was quiet while she
went back to that day. That was another regret though in the end she
had made the right decision.

Last updated on the October 25th 2015

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Old Farmholder Wisdom Pt 1