A Long, Long Time

Writers: Jane, Kaysea
Date Posted: 19th January 2009

Characters: Kateena, Leisenn
Description: Leisenn interviews Kateena.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 13, day 13 of Turn 4

"Now," Leisenn said when the obviously pregnant journeywoman appeared in the door of her office shortly after breakfast, "You must be Kateena."

The Hallmaster was working her way through the journey-ranked dolphineers, getting each of them to do some of her paperwork in the little office formed out of a storage space adjacent to her own office. It gave her a chance to meet each of them and get a feel for their ability - at least their paperwork ability. She would have to get out in the bay and into the classrooms to assess them in the other areas of their craft.

"Come in," the Hallmaster continued, waving the very attractive young woman in. "Sit down."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Kateena gave her a curt nod and a brief smile, "I had intended on coming to see you, I was hoping you could give me something useful to do around the Hall. I'm beginning to climb the walls in our quarters," she said, lowering herself carefully into the chair.

"I'm going to do exactly that. Now, what have the healers said about your pregnancy?" The old master dolphineer asked, thinking that it was a long, long time since she had ever had to deal with such a thing in a subordinate. "What duties are you to avoid? What can you undertake?"

"No swimming, light duties." she shrugged, "They've had me working on a backlog of reports over the last couple of sevendays. But ma'am? I'm so bored. Even if I could have a tutoring lesson with one or two apprentices - I would feel like I hadn't been pushed aside."

"I suppose we can arrange that. There are always a few apprentices that could benefit from a little extra teaching ... some that could benefit from a lot. But for the moment I have another plan for you. I'm sure you've heard that I'm borrowing journey-ranked dolphineers for a few days to a sevenday at a time to help me get through my work here." It also gave her a chance to get to know the journeymen and women and get a feel for their administrative strengths and weaknesses. "You'll be next, I think, and then you can have that over and done with and we'll find something more exciting for you."

"At least it'll get me out of our quarters." Kateena smiled, "I'm not used to being totally alone all the time, I guess. I usually have at least Civi to talk to. I'm beginning to carry on conversations with myself, these days." she laughed a little self consciously.

"Huh. I do that, too, but just put it down to old age. Right, come and see your 'office'," Leisenn said, getting to her feet and rounding the desk to head for the former storage room that now boasted a desk and a chair and a small shelf for papers.

"My office?" Kateena said, trying to keep her excitement under control. Even if it was just helping the Hallmaster with her hidework, it'd make a change from the work she had been doing - all alone.

"You better take a look at it first," the older woman cautioned with a smile. "If you get any more 'around' you might not fit."

"I'll make sure I do." Kateena answered with a wide grin. "You don't know how happy you're about to make me."

"We'll see if you say the same thing after a sevenday or so. The work isn't all that interesting, though you won't be stuck in your quarters alone, I suppose. Does your husband - You're married to the kitchen worker, aren't you? Swift?"

"Yes, Swift, he's my husband," Kateena nodded, "is there a problem?"

"No." Leisenn considered the younger woman's question. "Why would it be?"

"I... don't know." Kateena laughed softly, "I guess I just expect a comment about the age difference, people are usually surprised by it."

"And probably more than a little surprised by a journeywoman crafter and a unranked worker in the Hall," Leisenn said, her tone dry. "People allow them to be surprised by entirely too much. I've met your husband and he seems like a lovely man, and he's certainly a well-liked and well-respected member of the Hall staff, from all I've heard."

"He is." Kateena smiled warmly, pleased by Leisenn's words. "I think I chose well."

"Good bloodlines, too," Leisenn said with a nod for the evidence of the younger woman's pregnancy. "When you get to my age you start to realise just how important it is how well one ages."

"You have children?" Kateena asked, not aware of anyone discussing the Hallmasters family since she arrived.

"I have two. Carver and Naen. They're both seacrafters in their fifties now." Leisenn paused, and recalculated. "Carver's actually in his sixties, now I think about it. Why does _that_ makes me feel so much older than them both being in their fifties?"

"I don't think it matters much how old they reach, once they're in a new decade I think its adds to our ages. At least that's what my mother kept telling me, every time she reminded me I _still_ wasn't married -
and she _still_ didn't have grandchildren." Kateena rolled her eyes as her mother's voice sounded in her head again.

"You're from a Hold, then?"

"Oh no," she shook her head, "no...Mother was, but she is also a retired rider." She omitted the fact her mother was a retired Gold rider though, not wanting to seem as if she was bragging.

"A dragonrider? Huh. You people are more populous than I thought."

"How so?" Kateena asked.

"Two of the apprentices are from the local Weyr. I've never had so many dragon-folk around a Hall before. Probably because there didn't used to be so many, I suppose."

"Well, I didn't actually grow up around here, either. My parents are in the North." She replied in explanation. "They visit occasionally, but not too often."

"Not that they aren't welcome, I hope they understand. The dolphins seem to find the dragons very acceptable companions."

"They're kept fairly busy in the Weyr, but they also have their own lives to lead and expect me to lead mine, though I know they'll descend when the baby arrives." She smiled fondly, caressing her belly. "And your grandchildren? I take it you have them as well?"

"Many. And great-grandchildren, though I hardly know any of them. My two boys were raised by my husband's sister and apprenticed early. They married far away and we're only intermittently in contact. It's easier for dragonriders, I suppose," Leisenn said thoughtfully.

"Yes, it was for my parents, but both liked to keep in contact. Restdays were always spent together. Washing dragons." She smiled. "My foster parents and my parents all got on well."

"It sounds like a pleasant childhood." Long before Thread returned to mar life in the Weyrs. "So," Leisenn indicated the tiny office, "Do you think you'll be able to work in there for a sevenday or so?"

"Oh definitely..." she nodded emphatically. "It's not my room, so it's all good." She smiled.

"The I'll leave you to look around. I've told the former occupants to leave notes about where they were up to, so you should be able to figure most things out from those but if any are too cryptic just come and ask me."

"Thank you, I will. I look forward to getting started."

"You're welcome, Kateena," Leisenn said before leaving the younger woman to her new job.

Last updated on the January 21st 2009

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A Long, Long Time