A Shoulder to Lean On

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 12th March 2019

Characters: Ranni, Chaysea
Description: Ranni runs into the Headwoman after her encounter with R'nar.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 9, day 20 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Loseth, Panitath, Cyradis, R'nar
*follows "Sinister Intentions?" directly.

Ranni

Tears blinded her vision as she fled the hallway. She hadn't even been at the Weyr long enough to really know the ins-and-outs of the different hallways. All she knew was that she wanted to be as far away from R'nar as possible. The other thing she knew was that the only logical way to get back to the safety of the lower caverns was to go down, no matter where that might be.

Ranni's feet flew down the staircase and more than once she almost misstepped but managed to catch herself from falling headlong by grabbing the handrail. Grabbing the handrail caused a different problem. R'nar had torn off a couple of her buttons and now she had to hold her shirt closed with her hands.

**You are so stupid, Ranni. Didn't you learn anything from all those Turns at Sunstone?** she berated herself as she ran.

"Ranni!" Hands were suddenly on her arms, bringing her to a halt.

"Let me go!" she jerked away.

Chaysea's eyebrows shot up. "Hey, whoa. Easy."

Ranni panted, her eyes looking like those of a beast at bay. "Oh... Headwoman." Someone she could trust! She instantly felt a little more secure.

Chayea watched as Ranni glanced over her shoulder, as if afraid that someone was pursuing her, and then Chaysea's eyes trailed down to the torn shirt and the way the Candidate was clutching the front shut.

"Come on, dear, why don't you come with me?" she put an arm around Ranni's shoulders.

Ranni sagged against the Headwoman. Surely none of the men would imagine touching her now, would they? Not when she was with the Headwoman.

"I thought you were on laundry duty today?" Chaysea asked as they walked, purposefully avoiding asking about her torn shirt just yet.

"I was. I've been working hard, I swear. I was carrying laundry bags from the weyrs to the laundry room." Ranni rushed to explain, hoping that Chaysea didn't think she had been slacking off. Now that she was at Dolphin Cove she had to earn her keep so that she would never be sent back to Sunstone. If she didn't Impress then she needed to be allowed to stay and work in the lower caverns.

Chaysea gave her a little squeeze as she directed her through a doorway. "Of course, Ranni, I have no doubt that you were working. You are a very hard worker, I have noticed."

Oh, good, Ranni felt a little bit relieved. She had never been in the Headwoman's personal weyr before. It felt homey, she decided. The touches were minimalist, but the fresh green plants gave the space a cheerful feeling. Ranni noticed as well that there were baby items around; toys, rattles, and a blanket tossed over a crib that was tucked in the corner.

"Here we go, have a seat right here and I will get us some tea." Chaysea directed Ranni into a padded chair in her living area.

When the Headwoman returned she had a shirt draped over her arm and a cup of tea in the other. "Here you go, I have more sweetner if you need any in the tea."

Ranni blinked at the cup as it was placed on the small table beside her chair. No one had ever served her tea before, typically she was the one who served others.

"And here's a shirt, I noticed yours has lost a couple of buttons."

She blinked again as a white tunic was pressed into her hands. "Oh, thank you," tears came into her eyes as she looked up at Chaysea.

"Shhhh," Chaysea soothed, smoothing her hand over the top of Ranni's head, "put the shirt on and then we'll talk, hm? I'm going to get myself a cup of tea while you change."

Ranni bobbed her head and through her tear-blurred vision she waited until she saw Chaysea's figure disappear from the room before she hurriedly shrugged out of her shirt, and then with trembling fingers pulled the Headwoman's tunic over her head. It was a little roomier in the bust since Chaysea's bosoms were more ample, but Ranni preferred it that way, now no one would look at her chest.

Chaysea released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding when she came back into the room to see that Ranni had changed shirts and had her cup of tea between her hands. Chaysea had been worried that the Candidate might be in shock. Now she had to find out what had really happened to the girl.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, Ranni?" Chaysea asked, taking a seat opposite the girl.

"What were you doing in the hallway during a gold flight? Healer Meysa told me the best thing for me to do was be in a room alone."

The corners of Chaysea's mouth twitched as she surprised her smile. Of course Meysa would say that, the bubbly healer was always trying to be as preventative as possible, especially with the Candidates.

"I have been at the Weyr long enough that I can work right through while a gold flight is taking place. After all, being the Headwoman of a Weyr the size of Dolphin Cove, I have plenty to keep me busy."

Ranni stared into her teacup. "Weren't you afraid that a man would grab you?"

Chaysea's eyebrows arched marginally. "Grab me? Why should I be afraid of that?"

"Because… well… Meysa said that people don't behave like themselves during a gold flight, and during one a man might want to…" her cheeks colored, "well, you know."

"It is true that inhibitions are lowered, especially during a gold flight, but that hardly gives any man, or woman for that matter, an excuse to 'grab someone' during it." Chaysea figured she might need to speak with Meysa about what exactly she said to Candidates about sex.

"Did someone grab you, Ranni?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Ranni said immediately, but then followed it with, "no. I mean. Maybe? It's hard to explain." She thought of R'nar and how he had trapped her against the wall. He hadn't touched her though, not until she had kissed him…. Her cheeks flamed to the point that even the tips of her ears felt hot. Had she caused it all? No wonder he thought her to be a 'loose' woman.

Chaysea's lips formed a thin line. "I need to know, Ranni. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I was carrying laundry bags and R'nar offered to help. We had just carried them into the closet when it happened. The flight, I guess. He was.. different and so close to me. He… He…" she covered her eyes with one hand.

"Yes?" Chaysea prodded gently, almost afraid of what Ranni might say. She'd been Headwoman when R'nar had been Ranar, a Candidate, and son of Cyradis. She did not want to be the one to have to tell the Weyrwoman that her son had done something inappropriate.

It was on the tip of Ranni's tongue to lie, to leave out the part where she'd stayed and kissed R'nar first, but she kept remembering the genuine smile he'd given her when she'd allowed him to help her carry the laundry bags.

"He told me to leave," she said in a low voice, barely audible. "I didn't. I kissed him because… I don't know, because I was curious? I had never felt that way before." Her voice became defensive.

Chaysea nodded sympathetically. "If you've never faced those feelings before it can be unsettling the first time you experience a gold flight."

"Well, he kissed me back and…." It had felt amazing. She couldn't admit that part, however, not even to Chaysea. "The next thing I know his hands are on my… on my skin… and I realize that my shirt is open. I told him that I'd never done anything like that before, and then he asked if I was a virgin. He was surprised that I am because he thinks that a drudge like me couldn't be a virgin."

The Headwoman's eyebrows shot up. "He said that?"

"Pretty much," Ranni mumbled.

"And then?" Chaysea asked.

"I pushed him away from me and ran."

"I see." Relief flooded through Chaysea. At least things hadn't gone _too_ far, although by the look on Ranni's face things had gone plenty far for her. Chaysea was just relieved that it was something she could settle without having to consult Cyradis. Little run-ins happened with new Candidates, especially those who were unfamiliar with mating flights, and from what Ranni had said, things had broken off before they had gone too far.

Now there was a different matter to address.

"If you Impress, Ranni, you know that you will have to have sex as a part of your dragon's mating flights."

Ranni's eyes flicked up to Chaysea's. "I know. I heard that in Candidate lessons."

"I believe the Weyrlingmasters encourage 'less experienced' Weyrlings to find a partner before they've had their first flight so that things go a bit smoother. You'll need to consider that if you Impress." Chaysea often counseled young Candidates, male and female on considering all aspects of Impression.

"I know," Ranni said again, a stubborn edge to her voice.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.

"Thank you, Headwoman."

Company burst into the room, making happy crooning noises as he fluttered in a lazy circle down to Chaysea's shoulder. ~~Panitath. Loseth. Happy.~~ He sent images of the Weyrleader's bronze twining necks with the senior queen.

"Ah, it would seem as if the flight is over and the two dragons are heading away from the Weyr. Would you like me to escort you back to the Candidate barracks?" Chaysea offered.

Ranni hesitated, wanting to say yes, but also wanting to prove that she could take care of herself, even if it hadn't seemed that way from the day's events.

"I can manage. Thank you, Headwoman." Ranni said, feeling a little less jittery after telling Chaysea what had happened. She felt less afraid of R'nar as she replayed the events in her mind and more ashamed of her wanton behavior. Ranni determined in that moment that she would never be alone with a male again, and especially not R'nar.

Last updated on the March 19th 2019

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A Shoulder to Lean On