Advice

Writers: Jane, AL
Date Posted: 31st October 2008

Characters: Kellin, Menore
Description: Menore asks her cousin's advice.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 12, day 12 of Turn 4

The riverboat pilot could always be found in the same place on restdays - and her restdays were any day they weren't underway on the river. _Every_ day, she had been known to say firmly when somebody or other asked for help with this task or that one. Pilots took all the responsibility for guiding the riverboat every moment it was sailing, from daylight to dusk, most days, sharing the job between one or two of them so that their attention didn't falter through tiredness.

It was easier on the Sungazer, Kellin acknowledged, for they were sharing the load with the Sungazer's two pilots, so shorter shifts, more congenial company while they were off duty.

But on restdays, like the two at the seaport, Kellin took herself away from the riverboat and anybody who might disturb her time of mental relaxation.

She found a Tavern. The best one at the seaport. The one with games. And she settled down to play white dots.

She was a champion white dots player.

And one who didn't like to be disturbed.

Unfortunately for Kellin, Menore was going to disturb her. Unfortunately for Kellin, Menore herself was rather disturbed. Her mind was reeling with the thoughts and conflicting emotions that had been warring for her attention ever since that fateful night.

No, that was wrong. Those thoughts and emotions had been there _prior_ to then - they just hadn't been quite as noisy and pronounced. Since then, they had become quite a bit louder and more vocal in their manifestations. That certainly didn't help matters one bit. The woman didn't know what to do, so she sought out her cousin.

"Kellin." Menore grabbed a chair and plunked down in it, eyeing the black rectangles that sported white dots all carefully placed.

"I'm really busy, Menore," the pilot said firmly, in a tone that aboard the riverboat would send most of the crew into retreat.

Menore, however, was not one of the most. She was as tenacious as her cousin and wasn't so easily cowed. "I need your advice." She stated without even wincing. She watched as her opponent put down his move.

The pilot kept her eyes on the white dots tiles. "But do you need it _now_?"

"Now would be good." Menore sighed and laced her hands together. "But I'm prepared to wait until you finish the game. Quickly, I hope."

"If I have any more distractions it will be," Kellin grumbled.

Normally, Menore would have made some smart aleck remark to, perhaps, distract her. Yet, while she wanted the game to be quick, she didn't necessarily want Kellin to be in _too_ bad of a mood. So the girl kept quiet and waited, letting her thoughts mull around a bit more while she did so.

At last the pilot sighed, shook the hand of her opponent and got to her feet. "All right, then. Let's find somewhere else to sit and you can ask my advice." Though what the girl needed advice on Kellin couldn't imagine. Especially such _urgent_ advice.

"Somewhere where we can talk in private." Menore amended. She did _not_ want to be overheard by ears with loose mouths.

"This is a Tavern. If I can hear you over the background noise it'll be a miracle, to be honest, and the chance of eavesdropping is slim."

"I suppose you're right." Menore glanced about - indeed, her cousin was correct. No one was giving them a second glance and the gentle roar of the voices around them would keep anyone else from catching anything they could string together into a cohesive sentence. "All right. That booth over there then?"

"Sure. Are you going to get something to drink?" Kellin had her own mug, still half-full of ale, in her hand but her young cousin had nothing.

Menore shook her head. A fuzzy head did not make for clear thinking. "Maybe in a bit. I need your advice. On men."

"Men? Menore! What have you been getting up to while we've been away with the Sungazer?"

"I've been being an idiot, I suppose." The younger woman sighed and leaned back into the booth. "An idiot twice over."

"Uh-oh." There were any number of idiocies women could get up to that involved men, but Kellin hadn't picked Menore for somebody who would make heedless decisions. In fact, the pilot rather thought Menore's interests lay closer to home, among the Moonflower's crew.

"I'm not sure what to do." Menore continued, "He's expressed interest in marriage, but more for convenience sake. I..." She paused, then looked down. "I love him. Shaffit all, I love the wherry and he's only interested in convenience."

"Hmm. Who, exactly?" Kellin asked, not wanting to get herself in trouble by assuming anything.

Menore eyed her cousin for a moment. She supposed she might as well say, since Kellin would be sure to find out soon anyway. Besides, if Menore truly wanted her advice, it was best to give _some_ information.
"Mehan."

"Ahh." As Kellin had suspected. At least on Menore's side. It was a little more unexpected, though, that the captain had - What had Menore said? - 'expressed an interest in marriage'. "So, what's the problem? He wants to marry you and you love him and he's a wherry? Sounds all very straightforward and normal to me."

To be honest, Menore had expected more of a reaction. "You don't sound surprised." She eyed her cousin then sighed. "Straightforward. I suppose. I was kind of hoping I could mean something more than simply convenience, for that's the only reason he's given for us to get married."

"Ahh," the older woman said again. "You want him to _love_ you, in fact?"

Menore bit back a rather sharp retort - that wouldn't do her any good and Kellin might tell her to go find advice elsewhere. Instead, she merely nodded and echoed with a verbal, "Yes."

"And how do you know he doesn't?"

"Because I asked him why he wanted to marry me." Menore reached up to rub her eyes - she could feel the beginnings of what she was sure would be a pounding headache. "And that was _not_ the reason given."

Kellin smothered a laugh. "I don't think men say that sort of thing very often," she suggested. "Maybe he just can't say the words. He's not one for sharing his feelings, is he? Never a peep out of him when Dimaya died."

"True." Menore sighed again. Why couldn't he just say it? Or maybe he couldn't because he truly didn't feel it. "But I told him I needed more than simply convenience to marry him. So I guess I basically told him 'no'."

"Why didn't you tell him the truth. Blunt and not open to misunderstanding? 'I won't marry you unless you say you love me - and mean it.'" Kellin had been trying so hard to avoid laughing that her instructions to Menore were a little louder than they needed to be and she glanced around to find one of her former white dots opponents looking up, and looking rather surprised. "Just giving some advice," she reassured the man.

Menore ground her teeth. She had not necessarily wanted the conversation to be heard by the entire Tavern. "Because I want _him_ to say it without having to be asked to do so. It doesn't mean as much if I have to ask."

"But rather foolish if you end up with nothing because you're waiting for him to _guess_ what the problem is." More gently Kellin added: "Rather sad ... and a waste."

"How is he guessing when I told him that I needed more?" Menore wrinkled her nose. "It's not my fault if he's a fool."

"He's a fool, all right, but he's the fool you want, apparently."

"I don't know if I want to be wanted simply because I'm convenient to have around." Menore's tone was almost bitter, then she sighed. "Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe I should just let things be as they are."

"Too late for that, but you might be right. Give him some time to realise that he needs to do more. Not too much time, mind you." The pilot wondered if she should have a word to the Moonflower's captain. She felt she knew him well enough after the candlemarks they spent together while the Moonflower navigated up and down the river.

"I guess that's what I'll do then." Menore wasn't really at ease, but what else was she to do? She managed a small smile to her cousin. "Maybe he'll come around." Then again, maybe he didn't have any feelings for her at all and convenience really was his motivation.

"Maybe you should go on a run up and down the river on the Sungazer, if they'll find room for you. See how he handles a month with you away."

"Heh, that's an idea." A very good idea. Maybe it would get him to rethink things. Or maybe realise whether or not he _did_ love her . "A very good idea, indeed. I think I _will_ do that."

"Good." Kellin glanced back at the white dots tables and hoped ... "Is that all you wanted to talk about?" It was certainly a big enough issue since it would mean considerable disruption to the Moonflower if the pair of them couldn't resolve the issue. But surely Menore couldn't have more than one issue of that seriousness on her mind?

Menore opened her mouth as if she were going to bring up something else. Instead, however, she closed it and shook her head. "No. Thanks for listening and for the advice."

"I hope it does you some good."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Menore eased out of her seat and stood. "I'll let you back to your game now." She had a feeling that Kellin was more than eager.

"I might see you on the Sungazer, soon, then?"

"I have a feeling you might." Menore agreed. She cast one last smile upon her cousin, then turned and headed out. Yes. Might well indeed.

Last updated on the October 31st 2008

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Advice