A Day Just For Us

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 18th December 2015

Characters: Chaysea, L'pin
Description: L'pin and Chaysea go to a Gather to celebrate a birthingday.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 8

It was the end of the sevenday and his birthingday. The weather at Dolphin Cove was heavily raining, not something he would have enjoyed if he was staying in. But he wasn't - there was a gather out at Sapphire
Meadows, and Chaneth had found that the weather was good there by asking a visiting dragon. The blue was strapped up and waiting. Now he just had to acquire his date.

He knocked on the Headwoman's door. "Chaysea?" he called.

Chaysea was in a pair of riding leathers that she only wore when L'pin was going to be taking her aboard Chaneth. The long emerald tunic she wore was covered with a fluffy white vest. Stamping into her boots, Chaysea jogged over to the door and swung it open with a smile. "Hey!"

"Hi there. Ready to go?" he asked her. "I hear the weather there is great, unlike here."

"I'm all set." Chaysea had never flown in the rain before, she wondered if that made it more difficult for the dragons?

"Fortunately it's just a quick hop and then we're there." He walked her to the Weyrbowl. Chaneth came down as close as he could and extended a wing to give them a bit of shelter. Then L'pin offered her help up if she needed.

Once they were mounted, he signaled the blue to take off. In deference to the passenger, since he knew how important she was to his rider, the blue's takeoff was very gentle. He got just to the Star Stones height
and then followed his rider's visual /between/.

The contrast in the weather was apparent as soon as they arrived at Sapphire Meadows. The temperature was cooler by a few degrees, but it was perfect weather, the sky brilliantly blue and clear and the sun shining brightly. Chaneth spiraled down slowly so that L'pin and Chaysea could take in the sights of the Gather spread out across the plain below, then landed in one of the areas designated for dragons. L'pin slid off and offered Chaysea his arm.

"Where to first?"

Chaysea's green eyes roved over the colorful tents assembled. "How about food first?"

"Sounds good to me. Sapphire Meadows is the home of the Bakers Hall, you know - there's bound to be some things here we can't try anywhere else."

"I could never be the Headwoman of a Bakers Hall, I would be fat in no time." Working at the Vintner Hall hadn't been so difficult as she only had a passing interest in wine.

"I'm surprised there are any skinny Bakers," he agreed with her.

One of the tents was offering small hand pies with different fruits inside them. There were stonefruit and redfruit ones, the usual blue-filled ones, and some filled with sweet cream. "I'll take a stone fruit one," he said to the stall owner.

"And the lady?" the baker asked.

"Sweet ceam, please." she said to the baker. Taking the extended pie she took a bite immediately, closing her eyes in pure appreciation. "So good, I must get these made at the Weyr."

L'pin paid for them and took a bite of his own. "These are marvelous!"

"Hall recipe," the stall owner said immediately. "See if the Weyr can hire a Baker. And my compliments to you both."

Chaysea wondered if she smuggled one of the sweet cream pies back to the Weyr if her bakers could taste it and figure out the recipe. It was a thought to entertain.

"What next?" she asked as they walked and ate their pies.

"I was thinking about checking out the shops. There's nothing specific I want to buy. And Harpers will be performing later, before the dancing." He was looking forward to the concert and the dancing.

The idea of shopping sparked Chaysea's interest. She'd brought along some of her marks. It was easy for the Headwoman to save up marks since she still had the hefty sum that had been left to her when her husband had passed. "I'd like to look at some of the clothing stalls. I need a few more things that are more Weyr-appropriate."

"I'd be happy to compliment you in them if you'd like," he teased.

Chaysea elbowed him gently in the ribs, "You'd better."

"I'm sure it will always be the truth, too. No Harper embellishments," he said with a hand over his heart dramatically. He was enjoying the clowning around.

"Mmhmm, I know about you harpers." she teased.

They arrived at a stall that had tunics of all shapes, colors and sizes hung up for display. A long tunic to go over her breeches would be nice, Chaysea thought, especially for those days when she was digging around in a supply closet. Sometimes her skirts were cumbersome in tight quarters.

"That we're dreadful men? Speaking of, after you're settled, mind if I look at what the ones here have for sale?" He wasn't shopping for anything in particular, from any particular stall, but it was always nice to see what his old craft was up to.

The tunics were nice, and he found himself looking at one made of a very soft fabric in a cool dark grey. He couldn't see Chaysea in the color, but a plain man like himself didn't need much ornamentation. There were a few in blue shades that were attractive, one that reminded him of her eyes. When she looked away from what she currently held, he indicated that one with a point and tilt of his head.

Chaysea glanced at the tunic in a beautiful shade of blue, it was a color that she had always been drawn to and she was surprised that she hadn't seen it first. "Good eye." She murmured to L'pin with a wink as she fingered the garment.

"I've always liked looking at colors," he told her. "Beautiful colors, but not really decorated," he added so the shopkeeper could hear.

Turning around, Chaysea took the garment to the vendor and laid some marks down on the counter. Slipping the shirt was folded into a piece of brown paper and then tied in place with a bit of twine.

"Thank you." she said, tucking the package under her arm. "Shall we go see what the harpers are selling?"

"I'd like that. I hope it won't bore you too much - strings and pipes can't be nearly as interesting as clothes, I know."

Chaysea laughed and looped her arm through L'pin's. "Maybe there will be a jewelry stall nearby."

"Looking for something sparkly?" he asked. There was certainly plenty of sparkle and spectacle at a Gather. He meandered slowly towards the Harper stalls, occasionally stopping to be distracted by something like the stand with scent oils, or brightly colored scarves (which were fine for the climate they were in now, but not really as useful for Dolphin Cove…)

"Perhaps." she said. Fortunately for Chaysea there was a jewelry stall a short walk from where the harpers were set up. "I'll look around here."

"Let me know if you find anything you like!" he called over.

He lingered over the stall and considered a few items - a set of pipes far better than he could carve, a fine small hand drum - while making small talk. After a few minutes, the Harper reached behind the table
and pulled out a lap harp, with some beautiful carvings decorating the side. "I made it to be pretty hoping a Lady Holder or her fosterlings would buy it. But you've training enough to use this better than they
would, and passion enough to deserve this."

"I'm not sure…" L'pin began.

But the Harper persuaded him into it. It took him all the marks he'd brought, but it was worth it. The Harper had agreed to hold it till the eve ended, so L'pin could seek out the Headwoman without worrying where to carry it.

A new necklace adorned Chaysea's neck and and a silver cuff bracelet slid along her wrist when she turned to find L'pin walking in her direction. "Did you find anything?" she asked.

"A beautiful harp. I promise to play for you soon," he said. "Those look lovely on you, by the way."

"Thank you." she said. "Ready to dance?"

"Absolutely I am," he assured her.

Chaysea looped her arm through his. "Me too."

Last updated on the December 27th 2015

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A Day Just For Us