Dread

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 9th January 2007

Characters: F'lin, Tsaera
Description: Felarin finds out that his mother is coming to the Hatching,much to his surprise
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 9 of Turn 4

Felarin debated for a long time. He reached out his hand twice, but then twice drew it back. The candle burned down, its yellow flame flickering against the plastered walls of the Weyrwoman's weyr, and glinting off the iron grey hair that floated nimbus soft around her lined face. Finally, she sighed. "Of for Faranth's sake, boy, make a move!"

The young man frowned, then moved his chess piece. Then immediately wished he could take it back as Tsaera leaned forward, made her move, and said, "Checkmate."

"Shards!" Felarin scowled, and Tsaera scowled back.

"Watch your tongue, young man."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just that I _saw_ that, and then forgot about it while I was thinking about other moves. Guess that's why you win so much."

"That, or because I've played turns longer than you," Tsaera said dryly. She lifted a heavy ceramic mug with a blue glaze and sipped at the klah inside it. It rolled fragrant and spiced across her tongue.
"Good game, anyway."

"Yeah, good game." Felarin was silent a moment, staring at his hands.
Yesterday his grip had slipped and a chisel had carved a shallow red line across the back of his left hand. "I guess if I Impress, I won't have much of a chance for games for a while, will I."

Tsaera shook her head. "No. Weyrlings have a lot to do, and not much free time. Are you anxious about it?"

He nodded - more than she'd ever guess. And for reasons that would never cross her mind... he thought of his mother, sitting alone in her cot at Topaz Sea Hold. "I want to Impress so badly..." he said softly. There was a time when she had, too. Tsaera had initially stood in hopes of Impressing a green to help her with her survey work. She'd Impressed, all right, and gotten much more than she'd bargained for... from the Hatching Caverns, Tabanirth sent her a sleepy mental caress, and a reminder that she was loved. "Why?" she asked.

"Why?" The Candidate frowned. He couldn't tell her the real reason...
the main reason. But there were others. "I guess... I guess, after what happened at Topaz Sea Hold, I realized that I can help people.
And I want to help people. That tidal wave... the fact that dragonriders were able to be there to save people- _most_ people...
that means something. And keeping the skies free of Thread, that's important. I can build things- fences, walls, furniture, but it's not as... meaningful." He sighed. "It's just something that I feel that I need to do."

"This will be the last time you can Stand," Tsaera said. "You're turning twenty one in a matter of days."

"I know. And I know that there's no guarantee that I will Impress. I didn't get Searched. But I have to _try_."

"I know."

"What about my mother?" Felarin asked, eventually. Casually. "Everlyin? I wrote to her, and she's coming, you know. She's scared and angry at you, but you're still her son."

Felarin was staring at his grandmother in surprise. "Really?!"

Tsaera smiled. "Really. She wouldn't miss you Standing for all of Pern."

"But- I thought.. she hasn't written to me in _weeks_!" The closer to the Hatching it got, the louder Everlyin's silence had become. "Never the less. She'll be arriving two days from now, and I suspect the Eggs will Hatch two days after, the day after Threadfall."

"Two days..." Felarin swallowed nervously. A pit had suddenly formed in his stomach. In two days he'd have to face his mother, and in four he'd find out if he was to be disowned...

Last updated on the January 9th 2007

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