Bringing the Cradle

Writers: AL, Vix
Date Posted: 20th September 2008

Characters: Eliste, Jardon
Description: Jardon brings the Cradle to Eliste and the two talk.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 11, day 23 of Turn 4

Eliste had been waiting for Jardon all day and when he finally came, she was glad that Fog wasn't there. She wanted the chance to talk to Jardon alone. She felt bad about hurting him and she truly did wish to stay friends with him. She hoped that he would want to as well.

She was smiling when she opened the door, Follen cradled in her free hand, eyes open and gazing up at nothing and everything. "Hello Jardon."

"Hello Ellina. . . Eliste." He looked down at the large bundle of wood and fabric that he carried. "I've brought the crib."

"Oh!" Eliste breathed in delight and stood back, opening the door wider. "Bring it in! I can't wait to see it set up!"

He edged through the door, shifting his load as necessary to get the longer pieces past the threshold. "Where do you want it?"

"Right by the bed, please." If Eliste was going to use the cradle, she wanted it as close as possible and have Follen within easy reach. "Oh, what a lovely, rich wood!"

Jardon blushed, remembering the amount of work he had put into the carving and finishing of that wood. "Thank you." He studied the area she had indicated. "This should be plenty of space, though I'll warn you – it'll look different from the cribs normally seen."

"Oh?" Eliste couldn't imagine anything different from other cribs. The idea was a curious one to her. "I can't wait to see it all together."

He placed the bundle onto the floor near where he would be assembling it, more comfortable now that he was working. He selected a few of the pieces of wood and started assembling them, pegs fitting into slots that he had carefully drilled. "First of all, the cribs one usually sees have legs to raise them off the ground. On the riverboat that would be wasted space and less stability, so we don't do that, though we can boost it on blocks when used a-land."

"Oh?" Eliste sat down upon her bed and watched, fascinated at the process. The only things she had ever tried to put together were the quilts - she supposed it was much the same thing, in a way, putting together something like that cradle.

As he knelt on the floor, he assembled several of the boards into a rectangle, fitting a larger flat board into grooves set inside edges of that frame. "This is the base. It can fit into the lower bunk space of one of the riverboat's family rooms." He picked up a squared off post and set it into one corner, studying it first as he decided exactly the placement of it.

"It's ingenious." Amazing how they could take what little space they had on the riverboat and make as much use of it as possible. "How many of these have you made before?"

Jardon shrugged as he picked up a fence-like section to place along the far boundary of the frame. "Only one or two. There are several in use that have been passed from one generation to another and there are few babes on born at any time, so there's little call for more."

"I feel honoured that you've made this for me." Eliste smiled, then watched silently as Jardon continued his work. When it was finally put together she stood, reaching out to caress the smooth wood. "I love it."

Rising to his feet, he surveyed his work, noting that the carving of the post work caught light and made shadows in the interesting play that he had hoped. He reached out to the side. "I'd better show you how it works. Most cribs you would reach in from the top to get the babe, but with this one we've made a side opening. That's necessary since it fits under the top of the bunk set onboard."

"Oh, I see." Eliste watched carefully as Jardon showed her how to slide the center latch, then a top one and unfold the door so that she would be able to reach in and get the baby. "I guess I won't have to worry about him crawling out if he's under the top of the bunk. Thank you Jardon."

He backed from the crib. "You're welcome." He forced a smile. "And now your baby is all set to be a true riverboat child."

"Yes." Eliste's hand glided over the smooth wood for a moment, enjoying the feel of it. Then she let it drop to her side and turned to the man. "I'm sorry Jardon."

He shook his head, still smiling. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Ellin. . . Eliste. I wanted you to be happy and it appears that you are."

"We're still friends?" Eliste took a step forward though no more, perhaps afraid that he might bolt like a skittish colt should she come too close.

"Of course." He had hoped for more, but his cousin had been the one to earn that privilege, so what more could he say?

"I never meant to hurt you." She said softly.

He forced a larger smile. "I'm fine – don't worry."

"I..." What more was there to say? To give him what he wanted would require leaving Fog, and Eliste wasn't about to do that. "Will you come see me tomorrow? I miss our conversations."

"I do, too," he replied, "but I can't." He gestured toward the crib. "This has taken a bit of my time and I should be catching up on my other work today. I can't be here tomorrow."

"Soon then." Eliste insisted, "Come see me when you catch up."

"I will," he told her, though he privately thought it would be better if he remained 'too busy' until Eliste and the baby had left the Waypoint.

Last updated on the September 20th 2008

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Bringing the Cradle