Oh, I Couldn't

Writers: Emma, Rylie
Date Posted: 21st March 2006

Characters: Fieayz, Otrina
Description: Fieayz makes Otrina an offer she can't refuse
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 3

Otrina sat quietly under her favorite tree, remembering her mother and trying not to let the tears come to her eyes. Her father would berate her for such laziness and unladylike behavior - sitting on the ground! Yet she needed just a few moments right now.

"Otrina?" queried Fieayz as she walked past. "Are you all right?"

Otrina jumped up quickly, blinking several times to make sure her eyes were free of moisture. "Oh, ah, yes, I was just..." she trailed off. There was really no explaination. "Just sitting and thinking."

"Thinking?" she said, then looking at the slightly younger girl, she said, "Aah, thinking."

Otrina smiled and confided quietly, "I was remembering my mother."

"You miss her, don't you?" said Fieayz gently. She missed her own mother, but at least she could send her a letter, or even go and visit if she really wanted to. Of course as far as her father was concerned her mother might as well be dead.

"I do miss her. It was so sudden. She was here that morning, and -"
Otrina's voice broke and she swallowed several times to regain control, "and gone that evening. I could talk to _her_. My father - well, you know my father," she added with a wry grin for the older girl.

"He's, he's not the easiest of people to get along with," said Fieayz, a grin crossing her own face. "But he does seem to care, in his own way."

"Oh, he does. He definitely does. It's great that you can see that. Not everyone does. Actually, that's what my mother was always telling me.
That he cares in his own way."

"He reminds me of someone I met at the Weyr, one of my Uncle's friends."

"Really? Was he as...traditional?"

"No..." replied Fieayz with another grin. "My Uncle's a brownrider, but his friend L'sen rides green!"

Otrina's eyes grew wide and her mouth formed a silent "o." Then she smiled, "My brother's a bluerider. Father won't speak of him."

"Is that D'trian?" she asked. "I think I might have met him."

"Yes!" she said excitedly "At River Bluff Weyr! You met him?"

"He's in my Uncle's wing, they fly in the Weyrleader's wing."

"Wow! I haven't seen D'trian in ever so long! My father, well, er we aren't supposed to even speak of my brother. He was, well, not pleased about the color of dragon that he impressed. We haven't spoken much of it," Otrina said with a pause, quite certain that her father would not want her asking this, but she was so curious, "But, what was in like in the weyr?"

"Like nothing I'd ever seen before. Girls our age rode dragons, or had apprenticeships. And in any craft they chose, not something ladylike unless that was what they wanted."

Otrina's brown eyes grew wide in awe and she shook her head. "It's hard to imagine things could be so very different. Was it a little scary?"

"At first, then I kind of got used to it. Even thought about asking if I could stay and apprentice myself."

"Really? What would you have apprenticed as?" Otrina asked curiously, impressed that Fieayz would have such courage.

"A vintner maybe, like Papa."

Otrina nodded, thinking that if she were ever to be brave enough to think about apprenticikng, she would definitely NOT choose her father's craft.
"Did you ever think about standing for a hatching?"

"Not really, I have Arva you see." Hearing her name, the gold appeared, the air giving a slight 'pop' sound as she emerged from /between/. "Have you left those eggs of yours?" asked Fieayz of the gold.

"Oh, she is sooo beautiful. You are so lucky to have her," Otrina said with undeniable longing in her voice as she admired the gold flit.

"There is still an egg left unclaimed you know."

"Ooooh," the younger girl vocalized brown eyes as big as saucers, "Oh, Fieayz, I would love...I mean that is so very kind... Er that is I couldn't possibly," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "Not that it isn't my dearest wish, but, my father..."

"Forget him for a moment," said Fieayz earnestly. "Think about what you would like."

Otrina closed her eyes. She didn't have to think. She _knew_ what she wanted. The young blonde opened her eyes and met Fieayz's earnest gaze with a determined one of her own. "Yes," she said quietly, "Yes, I would like to have the egg," she stated with more force.

"Then it's yours," said the other girl simply.

"Thank you, Fieayz," Otrina said with a shy smile before her brow furrowed in concern, "But how - that is what will I need to do?"

"Just feed him or her when she hatches, and think lots of loving soothing thoughts."

"When should I pick up the egg? When will it hatch?" Otrina asked to herself wondering how she was going to keep this from her father.

"It's in my room, but it should hatch in the next day or so."

"How fast does it happen? I mean do you have any warning before they hatch?"

"There'd be some warning, Arva would know. And she knows you, so I send her to fetch you when the time comes. I usually have scraps handy for her, so all you'd have to do is just be there when the shell cracks."

Otrina nodded and smiled, "Thanks again, you can't believe how much this means to me."

"No problem."

Last updated on the March 22nd 2006

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Oh, I Couldn't