The Snake in the Grass

Writers: Yvonne, Heather
Date Posted: 12th April 2024

Characters: H'run
Description: H'run attends a small Gather incognito to measure the attitude of holders in the Amber Hills territory
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 13, day 27 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, K'reyel, Kadira (not by name)

H'run

Shadow Mountain Gather was a smallish affair, with a few enterprising farmers and amature crafters selling things on blankets near the entrance to the Hold. The weather was fine, so the Headwoman had set up tables outside and holders and farmers with small stills were selling cups of their wines, liqueurs and other questionable delights for a small cost.

There was a harper too, playing a gitar for dancers and accompanied by a young woman on pipes and three men of varying ages on drums. Dancers kicked up dust and the air was lively with laughter and chat.

It was easy enough for H'run to walk in and start asking around for work. Itinerant workers weren't unheard of; people, Holdless or not, often travelled to earn a few extra marks with the seasons. It was a good cover story. Nobody would suspect that the dusty, plain-looking fellow who introduced himself as 'Harun' was a dragonrider-- if they remembered him at all.

The bluerider bought a cup of cheap wine and began to circulate, listening to the chatter around him. Good crops, someone's daughter getting married, a son apprenticed to the Farmcrafters... and women riding blue dragons.

"You know how they are up at that Weyr! Taking our girls and putting them on dragons like men!" a man was saying rather belligerently. He appeared to have already consumed half a barrel of mead.

"Women have been riding dragons for ages so...."

"Naaawwww," the man waved this response off. "I ain't talking about them lady riders on greens and golds. I'm talking about them putting women on mens' dragons. Ain't you heard about that girl who Impressed to a blue dragon? You ever heard tale of something like that happenin' before? Nawww, not even harper tales. I tell you what, there's something strange going on at that Weyr! And we men need to be protecting our women better. What do you think happens when that girls blue catches one of those lady riders' green dragons? Nothing good, I can tell you that!"

"I thought it was an accident?" H'run let his voice only just rise about the hum of the crowd, and as he hoped someone else echoed the question. Perhaps hearing it asked in a tavern would be enough to make the old drunkard look a fool, and if not, it would certainly help identify if his opinion was widely held or not.

"An accident?!" more voices roared, heads swiveling to see who had said that.

"Ain't no accident," the drunk guffawed. "You know them stories about how they let those Candidates touch them eggs aforehand to try and guarantee they get what they want... I bet they've got those girls up there all over those boy-looking eggs trying to get more blue dragons to pick our girls. T'int right, t'int proper!"

"I dunno, might be an accident." This was from a ruddy-faced man in muddy boots half-leaning against one of the tables. "Never happened before, did it? Dragon probably made a mistake 'cos those girls up at the Weyr ain't so womanly!"

This earned an uproar of laughter from those gathered around him.

"What's next? Men on gold dragons? Cause some of those men up there ain't too manly neither!"

H'run hid his smile in his cup of wine as laughter rippled around him. The tension eased a bit, and whatever ill feelings were being stirred up felt smaller. Still, it seemed that Saibra had been right about holders in the area being less inclined to send their Searched girls to the Weyr if they thought there was a chance that they would impress a blue dragon-- no matter how slim the odds. Kadira was still the only woman who had _ever_ ridden a blue dragon.

Then he heard something interesting. There were three men sitting at a table with their heads close together.

"I wonder if it's those Holders up by Dolphin Cove Weyr that did something to the eggs..." The fair haired one had his hands wrapped around his mug of ale as if he was afraid it would jump off the table. "Maybe they tried poisoning our eggs too, and that's why a blue dragon got confused."

"Yeah, the Weyr is always taking on workers who show up. How hard could it be to get access to the eggs?"

"Access to the eggs? Son, haven't you heard about them queens? I think one of them might eat you or something if you go on the Sands without permission. That's what I heard anyway."

The fair haired man shrugged. "Guess that's why they went after the baby dragons, although seems kind of risky since you might be killing one of your own kids along with it."

"All the more reason to keep your children at _home_ where they belong."

The fair haired man laughed and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Say that once you have another six children yourself, Wiken! Nine kids in one cothold is driving me to drink!"

"Maybe you ought to learn how to pull out and you wouldn't have so many children running around!" Wiken shot back, digging an elbow into Jesten's ribs.

The dragonrider hid another smile as his attention slid elsewhere. Holders troubles with too many children were less important to the Weyr, although it was heartening to hear that not everyone was set against sending their children off if Searched. He left his spot by the tables and went to browse the small craft offerings but didn't hear anything else of note.

Which was a good thing. It meant that there were rumblings of disquiet, but it hadn't become a problem-- yet. Saibra and K'reyel had time to do something about it. He finished his wine and bought a bubbly pie, lingering at the Gather until the sun set and he could slip off into the darkness and leave the Hold without notice.

Last updated on the April 18th 2024

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The Snake in the Grass