Skyvale
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Duskdog, Corrin
Date Posted: 23rd May 2024
Series: From Hold to Weyr
Characters: Nalvara, Dalgarian
Description: News of Corowal's disappearance has spread far and wide. The heir of Skyvale and his wife discuss the implications for their hold, family, and ambitions.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 18 of Turn 11
Notes: Introducing Skyvale Hold! A minor hold in the DFW protectorate, it has shot to prominence in the last few decades as the major firestone supplier of the south. The sky’s the limit for their aspirations!
Dalgarian frowned down at the letters before him, tapping one lightly but impatiently on the smooth wooden surface of his desk as he contemplated. The news coming out of Emerald Falls was troubling. Corowal was still nowhere to be found, and though the Hold was far distant from his own beloved rock, the very fact that a Lord Holder could vanish into thin air was both disturbing and contemptible. Disturbing that it had happened at all, that it even _could_ happen. Contemptible because no properly-run Hold should have ever permitted such a thing, and there was no mercy in his thoughts for what he saw as a systemic failure -- a complete break-down of processes and measures that should have been in place all along.
“Corowal is clearly dead,” he said finally, tossing the letter down disgustedly atop the others and picking up the wineglass that his wife had so graciously filled for him while he’d been contemplating. “Still no clues. Still no ransom demand forthcoming. I’d wager he was dead and disposed-of the same night that he vanished.”
Nalvara, lounging on the edge of his desk, traded the wine for the letter which she gave a quick skim. Nothing new. No answers. No word of the Lord. “I expect you’re right, darling,” she sighed and pursed her red lips thoughtfully. “I wonder if it was a political rival or a personal one that got him in the end. He has that bastard you know, the dragonrider. Where there’s one, there’s easily others…” And it went without saying how messy some of those entanglements could be.
“He’s done himself in,” Dalgarian scoffed in agreement. “And, frankly, I think Emerald Falls is probably better off without him. I can’t say I had any particular quarrels with how he ran things before -- at least as far as I knew -- but if he was mismanaging his staff and Hold so badly that something like this could happen at all, he was clearly unfit for the position. Abducted and likely murdered from his own Hold, perhaps even his own bedchambers, in the night, without any clues or answers whatsoever? That _reeks_ of weak leadership, poor administration of his own staff, and a dangerous level of situational ignorance. I’ve little sympathy. Now his Hold is in the hands of a pup, and may only suffer further. Perhaps he died of shame. _I_ would have.”
No one could seethe quite like her husband, thought Nalvara as she looked on with fond admiration. A stranger might accuse him of hyperbole, or of being unfair to dear departed Corowal, but no. She knew her man and Dalgarian was being no harder on Corowal than he would be on himself, if he were to fail his Hold. Skies forbid.
“I wouldn’t let you die of shame,” she murmured, pulling him closer by a belt loop. “I’d keep you going until you got back up and fixed the mess.”
Dalgarian allowed himself to be pulled in, hands resting on her waist, lips curling into a slow smile. “And that’s why I married you. No mercy, no excuses. A shame Corowal no longer had a woman to keep him on task.” He tilted his head down until their foreheads were almost touching. “I’m lucky that we share a vision. What do _you_ think of all this?”
“Mmm…” she gave a thoughtful hum, eyes half closing as she thought. “I think Emerald Falls is in for a turbulent time. I know how well prepared young blooded men can be.” She poked his chest gently for emphasis. “But however prepared he is, there will be those who want to test him, his limits, his ability. For the people’s sake, I hope he rises to the occasion. Either way, he will be alone and lonely. He’ll have a steward, maybe a warder, a gaggle of younger siblings, but no one his equal. A lord needs a lady. He should take a wife, and soon, if he’s smart.” There was more to her thought, but she left it unsaid for the moment, a slow smile of her own curling across her lips.
“As I said: we _do_ share a vision.” He pressed his lips to her forehead for a long moment. “I’m calling Sybana home as soon as possible. We shouldn’t waste any time getting her in front of Corofel, but I’d like to see her at least for a few days before sending her off again. Letters just aren’t the same as having her right in front of us. If this weren’t such a perfect opportunity for her -- and us -- I’d be tempted to just keep her home for a while. But we have to strike while the iron is hot.”
“Softie,” she teased, smoothing a hand over his satin lapels. “You’re right though. A few days won’t hurt, in fact, a little delay may be good for the sake of appearances… we’re far too rich now to act that desperate,” she laughed and the gaiety of that moment starkly contrasted with the seriousness of the next. “I want that pup to know -- I want the old families of the Falls to know -- that our girl comes from a place of power too.”
“_Yes_,” he hissed softly. “Skyvale has always been inevitable, but having everything we want close enough to touch is…” He laughed a little, low and passionate, unable to find the word to describe the feeling he has but his heart was light with it, nonetheless. “It’s finally our time.”
Last updated on the July 24th 2024