The Heights or the Hair

Writers: Shelly, Yvonne
Date Posted: 23rd August 2006

Characters: Harki, Corvera
Description: Harki gets called into the Weyrwoman's office on account of her rather flamboyant hair.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 2 of Turn 3

Harki fluffed her fuschia hair in the mirror, frowning. Too mbarassed to ask anyone for help, she'd taken a pair of siccors to it herself and the result was... interesting. She fluffed it again. **Don't kid yourself,**
she thought bleakly, **It's awful.**

}:Harki? It is almost time to meet the Weyrwoman,:{ Cerillith reminded her. }:You will not wish to keep her waiting.:{
**I know.** Harki frowned at her reflection again, then deliberately turned away. Whether it was Carline, one of Carline's friends or a dragon, someone had let it slip that she was the one responsible for the greenrider's black eye. It was ridiculous; she was getting in trouble for getting revenge. **And it wasn't as if I was going to actually _hurt_ her,** she whined to her dragon. **Carline's been hurt worse flying Thread. And a bruise or two hasn't kept her from the sky!**

}:I am not the one making the rules,:{ Cerillith replied tartly. }:You must tell the Weyrwoman that, instead of me. I am sure that she will see that it is Carline's fault. Although you must learn to keep your temper better.:{
**Oh, spare me.** The greenrider rolled her eyes, straightened her tunic, and reached for her hat. Then she stopped. Her hair might be awful, but she wasn't going to give Carline the satisfaction of seeing her cower beneath a broad brim. Harki might look ridiculous, but she was not a coward. **Wish me luck, love. And let's hope that we're not on watch duty for the next month.**

}:Good luck! I am sure that the Weyrwoman will believe you,:{ Cerillith replied brightly, confident in her rider's ability to wriggle out of trouble. Especially trouble that wasn't exactly her fault...

~*~

Corvera had heard about Harki's adventure all right, and she had thought she was prepared to see the greenrider's hair without reacting - but when the poor woman stepped into her office, she was still more than mildly surprised.

Instead of Harki's natural toffee-colored hair, there was instead a short mass of magenta sprouting from her scalp. But, true to form, Corvera did not show any sign that anything was wrong that anyone could have picked up on.

"Now, Harki..." She began carefully. "You must know why I've called you in...?"

"I have a fairly good idea." The greenrider unselfconsciously glanced around the office, then alighted on the chair opposite Corvera's without invitation. She crossed her legs, her expression wary, and savagely repressed the urge to fiddle with her too-short, too-bright hair.

"Surely you know that I can't have this kind of thing in the weyr?"
Corvera spoke softly and kindly; she knew neither the hair nor the attack that followed was entirely Harki's fault, but actions were actions - whatever their causes - and had to be punished. "Would you like to explain things from your side?"

Harki pointed at her brilliant hair. "I think its fairly self explanatory."

"Indeed." Corvera had to smile at Harki's attitude. Not many women would take such a tragedy in stride. "Do you have any plans to dye it back to a more... natural shade? I think, perhaps, that would be a wise choice..."

"What, and have it turn an even worse shade?! I don't think so." Harki shook her head stubbornly. Besides, dying her hair back would be admitting that it bothered her, and she wouldn't give Carline the satisfaction. "I'm not messing it up any worse."

"Weyrs are supposed to have a sense of uniformity among their riders and I'm afraid that hair like yours is not uniform." She didn't want to punish Harki, but she hardly wanted bright pink hair bouncing around her Weyr either. "Now, I can appreciate why the incident with Carline happened the way it did but there are limits here and between the hair and the fight, you're pushing them."

The greenrider crossed her arms. "When I'm in the air, nobody sees my hair anyway, and in the air is the only place where a distraction matters. I'm not dying my hair again."

"Well then I suppose no one will see it on the heights for the next sevenday, either." Corvera replied simply without any kind of reaction to Harki's refusal.

}:Harki, don't argue with the Weyrwoman!:{ Cerillith shot angrilly. }:I do not wish to be up on the heights for a sevenday.:{ "You're putting me up on the heights because you don't like the colour of my _hair_!?" Despite her dragon's warning, Harki's temper flared. All she had left was her pride, and she wasn't going to be cowed into letting Carline win. "And you let Carline walk off without even a warning, even though she was the one who started this whole stupid thing and tricked me into dying my hair in the first place? You're making me into the bad guy when I already look like a sharding _idiot_ even before I tried to cut my hair off. I'm sorry, but I've suffered enough."

}:Stop talking!:{ Cerillith pleaded. }:You put everything badly. I'm talking to Mnaiath to explain...:{ Corvera stayed calm. "No. You're not going to the heights for your hair
- you're going to the heights because you fought with Carline.
Furthermore, you don't know all the business of this Weyr so don't assume you know who I have or have not spoken with or if I am going to do so. I don't want to punish you, especially when I know what it's like to have a rivalry like yours, but it's the hair or the heights, Harki."

**Hypocrate,** Harki thought, but bit her tongue. The Weyrwoman contradicted herself, and if she was going to take Carline's side in the matter there was nothing she could do about it. But shards, did she hate Corvera at that moment. "And what happens if I do dye it?"

"Nothing. I don't _want_ to punish you for this; I know it wasn't your fault and I would have done the same thing - actually, I would have done worse - but I can't have what looks like a rider running around with magenta hair and fighting."

The greenrider scowled. "I don't care what U'kaiah said; I was _not_
fighting. I gave her a black eye so she'd look as bad as I do."

Corvera had to laugh. She liked Harki's spirit and honesty. Some riders would be cowed by their Weyrwoman, but not her. "I've seen her already -
she looks worse. At least the hair has a certain charm to it. If you want you can bash me to all your friends and talk about how you wanted to keep it but the horrid new Weyrwoman forced you to dye back your hair."

The greenrider was silent for a moment, forcably biting her tongue. She didn't like Corvera's attitude - it felt patronising. 'Bash the Weyrwoman' indeed. As if she wouldn't. Cerillith gave her a quick mental jab, though, and reminded her rider that she did _not_ want to spend a week on the heights, and reluctantly Harki gave in. "Fine."

"All right then. We're settled. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

}:Don't say anything!:{ Cerillith warned. Harki refrained from rolling her eyes. "No."

"All right, then. You're dismissed." Corvera smiled a very official smile and nodded her head in a final gesture of release.

Harki was more than relieved to leave, although she made sure that her retreat wasn't _too_ hasty.

Last updated on the August 25th 2006

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The Heights or the Hair