From what I've heard. . . (part 1)

Writers: Kaysea, Vix
Date Posted: 12th May 2007

Characters: Benaran, Karemyn
Description: Benaran tests what he "knows" about female greenriders.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 26 of Turn 4

Karemyn gazed down over the newly ploughed fields wondering if she could see any of her family below, she wished she had time to call in and see them but her duties precluded that, and duty must always come first.

}:There is a child in that field, I think it is the little one:{ Charyoth called Karemyn's youngest sibling by the name she always used.

**Possibly, but we have no time right now Char, to go and visit. They're expecting us at the Hold.**

The green winged her way across the open fields towards the huge edifice of Amber Hills Hold. Herd beasts stampeded in the fields if she flew too low, so she always flew as high as comfortably possible for her rider.

**You do realise it would have been easier to just go /between/, don't you?**

}:But you wouldn't have seen your families place:{
**No matter, maybe later.** Karemyn watched as the Hold appeared before them.

Charyoth glided in a huge circle, before bugling a welcome to the Hold's watchdragon. She backwinged slowly, coming to rest in the gather square. Karemyn slid down the green's side, and made her way across the field.

**A green dragon.** Benaran scowled as he made his way toward the creature.
**Of all the insults. . .** His thought trailed off as he noted the rider.
**And a _female_ rider as well?**

Karemyn stopped when she realised she was being watched, unsure whether to approach or remain where she was. The man hadn't taken his eyes from her, and she wasn't sure of the way he was looking at her, a mixture of disgust and - something that made her uncomfortable. As he drew closer, she called to him, "Karemyn, rider of green Charyoth, here to collect Lord Benaroy's son, Benaran?"

He had been well-schooled in manners and knew what was expected of him - even when addressing female riders. With a forced smile, he bowed slightly. "I am Benaran. I trust that the trip here went well for both of you?" With a glance, he included the dragon in the question.

"Very." Karemyn acknowledged his wellwishes, and walked with him to Charyoth's side. The green extended her foreleg, to allow Benaran to climb to her neck ridges. Her large eyes swirling slowly in shades of blue and green, never left the man as he neared her. "It is good weather today, so we should travel well."

"We haven't far to go," the holder told her. He mounted slowly, though he tried to appear nonchalant, as if this were something he did on a regular basis. "I need to check in on the forestland that the Woodsmith Hall is timbering. It's a day's travel by runner, so I imagine it's far less by dragon?"

"We can go /between/ if you would like to get there faster, but yes, maybe a candlemark at most?"

"That's not necessary," he replied quickly, remembering the times that he had gone /between/ on dragonrides and recalling his terror with that place. "I'd rather take time to see my hol. . . my father's holding."

"Certainly, Sir." Karemyn settled into the neckridge in front of the Holder, taking time to ensure he was well strapped in. It wouldn't do to lose a prospective Lord Holder in mid flight.

}:I would never allow that to happen:{ Charyoth sounded indignantly in Karemyn's mind.

**I was _joking_.** Karemyn gave a half laugh, then covered it with a cough, realising it wouldn't look good not sharing the _joke_ with the Holder.

"The Holding is vast, yes?" Karemyn asked, settling herself again and buckling her own straps.

He could not help but feel a swell of pride at that question. "It's very large. Holdings in the South tend to take up more space than those in the North, so even though this may not be the largest, it's far from the smallest. With Amethyst Cliff's holding added to it, yes, vast would be an apt description."

"You have some good land in the Amethyst Cliff holding." Karemyn said, "My family hailed from there."

"Oh? Do they still reside nearby?"

"No, your father was good enough to offer them shelter, and a place to work after our family home was destroyed."

"But you had already left by then?" He studied her back, noting that her riding gear did not completely hide her curves. That certainly gave him reason for thought: well-shaped, good-looking, and a dragonrider - and the rumors about those women and what they were willing to do . . .

"Yes, quite a while before. Two of my brothers, and I, had left over the turns." Her eyes took in the view below them, as Charyoth glided for a few moments, "It's beautiful here, it's not _home_ but it's still beautiful. . . "

The holder looked over her shoulder as he spoke. "It's definitely beautiful, but difficult now that there are so many to look out for. Do your parents have all that they need?"

"Yes, and grateful to your father for his generosity. We can't see it from here, it's in the opposite direction."

His voice was soft, almost caressing. "If they need anything, let me know."

"Oh, okay, thank you." Karemyn detected the change in the Holders voice and wasn't sure if she was imagining his intent or not. His offer, while cordial, held a hint of something more.

}:_I_ shall need a wash by the end of the day:{ Charyoth emitted plaintively.

**Why?** Karemyn's face creased into a frown.

}:To wash of the taint he is leaving..:{ she intoned, cryptically.

"So. . . you're holdbred." His hand brushed against her as he shifted slightly between the dragon's ridges. "Do you find it difficult to return for a visit after living at a Weyr?"

"Yes, I was holdbred." Karemyn replied, the touch of his hand, brief though it was, left her feeling soiled, especially after the comment from Charyoth. "Difficult to return to my family? I'm not quite sure what you mean, Sir." she hoped playing dense would discourage him from further insinuations, but had little faith. But there were ways and means...she smiled secretly.

"From what I've heard, life is quite different in the Weyr." He leaned in a little closer. "The attitudes, the way women are treated? You must be accustomed to far more . . . freedom than at home."

"My parents were never what you would call _strict_ in the way they treated us. My brothers and I were afforded the same choices in life." She had been grateful for that. Had seen a lot of other girls pushed into marriage for the sake of breeding, but her grandmother had been a forward thinking woman, and had encouraged her own children to be that way. Her father had just followed her lead.

"Few are allowed to make their own choices," he observed. "I've often felt that most of my actions are dictated by who I am and what is expected of me." He blinked, wondering what had possessed him to reveal such an honest evaluation of his life.

"That could be true." Karemyn conceded, possibly even the cocksure attitude with women could be attributed to his Sire and bloodline.

"But you find that you act exactly now as you would if living here with your parents?" He considered that, wondering to himself if perhaps she had a sister, someone who was near to the Hold - and of the free spirit and favors that he associated with women of the Weyr.

"I think if your parents bring you up with the right values, it will stand you in good stead wherever you may chose to live your life as you mature. Of course the Weyr is different from the small hold in some ways, but the same values my parent instilled in me, I try to live by there as well."

"Really? Isn't that a bit difficult under the circumstances? After all, you ride a green dragon."

"My parents brought my brothers and I up to respect ourselves. _That_ above all else. I still have self respect for myself."

"Interesting," he replied. "To most that would seem to be contradictory, at least with the way greenriders are generally perceived."

"You think because of the way we echo dragon pairings we should have no self respect?"

"Your actions would be seen as wrong by many people. Most outside of the Weyrs would frown on such pairings."

She could feel her anger rising, and cautions from Charyoth weren't having the desired affect, but knew she couldn't afford to anger this Holder, who may one day hold her parents in the palm of his hand.

"It really doesn't matter to me, what those outside the Weyr think of me. What my family think of me is enough. My parents consider my being a dragonmate an honour, I help to protect them. And they realise that my personal life is just that, personal." She hoped her tone didn't reflect her anger, replying as succinctly as she could.

"I see." This woman definitely had fire to her, something he liked in those he bedded - though he was most pleased when he had tamed them. She definitely held promise, though he knew that for now he should back off. "It's difficult to tell where we are from up here."

"Just up ahead," she nodded, grateful for the change in topic. "You can see the stand of trees from here." she pointed out to her left, and detected a slight shake in her arm, from the anger that still bubbled just below her calmer surface.

}:You will need a wash too - it will do us both good:{ Charyoth's words echoed in her head, and had a calming effect.

**Yes, and a nice glass of wine, I feel.** Karemyn smiled and stroked the dragon hide just below her.

"This was much faster than by runner," Benaren noted. "And more enjoyable as well." Again his voice took on its caressing tone.

"Yes, I imagine it would have been, less bumpy for a start." Karemyn agreed, "And with the added benefit of seeing just how far your father's Hold stretches for?"

His father's Hold. She had to remind him of that, didn't she? And with it came the reminder that he had no assurances that the Hold would one day be his. His voice held a tinge of coldness as he replied to her. "Yes. It's definitely of benefit to see how far his hand reaches."

Charyoth tilted to the right, and began to slowly descend in ever decreasing circles, until they hovered over a clearing. Her backwinging dredged up bracken as she landed lightly.

Benaren detested dragon landings and the dizzying effect they had on him. He paused for a moment on the pretext of looking around them, noting a man running toward the clearing through a break in the trees. "I'll not be long." He slid from the dragon's back, swearing softly as his knees buckled when he hit the ground, but keeping himself from falling. Without a backward glance, he set off to meet his escort to the logging site.

Last updated on the May 14th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

From what I've heard. . . (part 1)