Horrific Options

Writers: Miriah
Date Posted: 3rd January 2021

Characters: Enali
Description: Enali considers some horrific options.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 17 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, J'ackt (not by name)

Sitting in the creche, Enali's eyes found the three children that had
been pointed out to her and surreptitiously studied them. One was
walking and getting to that just-running clumsy stage, a small girl
child of one and a half turns with white-blonde hair, dark blue eyes
and had a tendency to scream for attention. Her name was Jamori and
her mother was some greenrider who barely came to visit her. At the
moment, Jamori was running about the creche giggling, but Enali's
smile of response was fake. The little girl had her father's eyes.

The other that had been indicated was much younger, a bare
eight-months-old girl with light brown hair and those same blue eyes
named Ackeloh, who was sitting up banging blocks together. The girl's
mother was a drudge and a notorious flight moth who also had two other
rider's children and worked in the kitchens. Enali knew her and found
her to be almost too nice of a woman. She rubbed her nose before it
could wrinkle in distaste.

The third, after looking at her, Enali doubted was a sibling to the
brat she carried in her belly, but she was a potential too. Shija was
ten months old and had a more golden cast to her little cap of blonde
hair. Her eyes were brown and after meeting her mother, Enali thought
the child favored her instead. **Hmm...good for her.**

Her eyes went to the other two, watching them. So, these were the
children that were so desired by the Weyrwoman. Honestly, she just
didn't see the appeal. And there was another drudge too that was
pregnant like her, but Enali didn't think much of the other woman once
she'd talked to her. WIrame was so _stupid_, buzzing about her
pregnancy and how proud she was of it. Faranth, she wasn't even paired
with _him_ but acted like it was some sort of honor now.

She'd wanted children growing up. She'd wanted Grevan's babies. Now
she had this brat in her from a man she hated. Why couldn't N'vanik
have grabbed her after that flight? At least then she'd be more
protected! Or any other rider? The fact that it had been _him_ of all
people made her sick. He'd been _inside_ her and now she carried his
brat. She should have been carrying Grevan's; she would have been
thrilled.

A hand went down to her belly. If she was caught, the little brat
would be all that would help her. It was what she was betting on.
They'd not take a child away from its mother. No one would. But if,
after all was done, she was able to get away from this wretched place,
she didn't want to keep the scorched thing. As far as she was
concerned, she would hand it off to the first person who wanted it.

Enali's eyes went back to the children and considered them again even
as she offered a toy to a little boy. For a moment, she wished she
could be as cold as some of the women of the Weyr who /betweened/ with
their pregnancies without a thought. The man that sent her here
mentioned using them after her last message to him. How? They were
always watched by some of the creche workers. Her eyes turned to the
youngest little girl.

If she spent more time here, and the creche workers grew used to her
and if she paid a bit of attention to the children, but not too much,
something might work. If she had to, she could use one of them to
ensure her passage out if necessary. Her eyes went to them again and
for a moment, she felt sickened by her own thoughts. **They're
innocent. They're the truly innocent ones in all of this. I
couldn't.**

But would she? If it came down to between them and her? She glanced
quickly at the children again. Thought of her family, of her own life,
ruined by the Weyr and the Hold. Her beloved Grevan, her cousin
Jerinne, crushed to death in some horrible mine collapse to die alone?
She felt the familiar grief and rage bubble up in her belly as her
eyes flicked back to the children.

Her resolve firmed even as she pushed aside her inner horror at her
own thoughts. Yes. Yes, she could.

Last updated on the February 19th 2021

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Horrific Options