Almost Eleven Turns

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 12th June 2007

Characters: Rahona, Tahna
Description: Rahona finds Tahna tatting and tried to find out a little more about the girl.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 19 of Turn 4
Notes: Mentioned: Denna and Vaheri

Tahna sat tatting on the foredeck, lost in thought. The relationship
with her father seemed to be improving since they had had their talk,
but Linli was still not taking things well. The younger girl was still
stiff and formal around Fog, no matter that both seemed to want more,
they were finding it impossible to find a common, comfortable ground.

"Are you making _lace_?" Rahona asked incredulously as she caught sight
of the thread the young girl was working with. Despite what Vaheri and
Denna had told her she found it incredible that such young girls should
be so skilled.

"Um.. yes." Tahna looked up at her new cousin. "Yes, I am making a new
quilt cover for Fog. It's his birthingday soon, and I..." she gave a
shrug. This woman didn't want or need to know about her problems.

"Isn't that a _huge_ project?" the newest crewmember asked, looking down
at the girl's work. "I'm afraid I'm not very talented in these sort of
weaver skills."

"Yes it is, but I've been working on parts of it piece by piece. This
is only a small part." She flattened out the circle she had been working
on. "See, this will be stitched to the next, and the next."

"Oh. That's still a lot of work for ... somebody your age. How old are
you, Tahna?" Rahona asked finding a 'something' to sit on. She
despaired of ever knowing what all the bits of the riverboat were
called, though her children already seemed to know the names of
everything. Perhaps it was in their blood, as Lineal insisted.

"I'm ten, almost eleven turns." Tahna admitted, not thinking it was
young at all.

"Oh? Oh. And you're Linli's big sister, I know. Do you help Neke look
after her?"

"Yes, usually. But, well - Neke told me I need some time to be a child
as well," she shrugged, "so I'm here doing this. And really, it's not
hard to do. I enjoy it." She didn't mention that a few of the rooms
now had some of her tatting in them.

"I think she might have meant something less ... Something more like
running around and climbing over things and playing with your friends."
Much like Lihona who couldn't have had taken to life on the riverboat
better if she had been born to it. "Don't you think?"

"May be." Tahna shrugged, "But I don't particularly want to be with the
little ones, besides, Linli thinks I am too bossy." She gave a small
smile, "I probably am, but with mam gone..." Her eyes clouded over, pain
and anger visible at the mention of her mother.

"At the Weyr," Rahona said, breaking her promise to herself not to start
any sentences that way, "mothers come and go but foster-mothers are
always there."

Tahna nodded, "Yes, we've been lucky with Neke, she has been good to us,
to all of us, my Dar too." She smiled a brief but totally genuine
smile, "We love her, and you will too, once you get to know her well."

"I'm sure I will. Does she teach you these things? The tatting and the
quilting?"

"No." Tahna laughed, the amusement brightening her whole face. "Neke
can't tatt." The thought of Neke even trying made her laugh a little
longer. "No, she says her fingers get too confused." Tahna said calming
down, "One of the passengers who comes with us occasionally, makes lace
for Emerald Falls Hold. She started teaching me while my dad was sick
and Neke was taking care of Linli."

"So you have different skills from all the other women aboard. That
must be fun."

"We all muck in together, but I like this, and it works for the boat as
well. I make things to trade when we dock at the bigger holds."

"You _sell_ your tatting?" Rahona's contribution to the Weyr had been
in her work; cleaning, meals, laundry. She had never had skills that
had a saleable output and although she knew the adult women of the
riverboat did, the fact that a half-grown girl was also dragonlengths
ahead of her was incredible and faintly depressing.

"Oh, don't look upset Rahona, it's not much really; mainly to cover the
cost of buying more yarn." Tahna looked up, worried she may have done or
said something wrong. "And what's left," she dropped her eyes to her
hands, flushing a little with guilt, "I buy treats, mainly for Jezz and
Linli, but occasionally for others."

"You are a wonderful sister," Rahona said, realising the truth of what
Neke had been saying about this girl - she was already taking on more
responsibility than she needed to, especially in the environment of the
family crewed riverboat. "I hope they appreciate you."

Tahna shrugged, not really comfortable with where the talk was heading.
"I like to do things for others," she answered easily.

"So do I. That's the sort of work I like best."

Tahna smiled up at her new aunt, "If you like, when you have time, I can
show you how to tat?"

"I would love that! I feel so ignorant about weaver crafts around here,
where you are all so good."

"You'll learn it in no time." Tahna assured her, "And its peaceful. I
like to sit here and watch the water, and just tat."

"If I can find the time I think I'd like it too." The newest riverboat
crewmember got to her feet. "We'll have to arrange a time for you to
teach me, but for now I think I'm supposed to be with Vaheri. She's
teaching me everything _else_ I need to know."

"Okay Rahona, just tell me when you're ready." Tahna smiled a wide,
genuine smile. Her new cousin seemed nice, like Aunt Neke, but not.
"Oh! Welcome to the Sungazer, too. I don't think I said it to you when
you first arrived."

"Thank you, Tahna. I'm very glad to be here."

Last updated on the July 19th 2007

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Almost Eleven Turns