You Shouldn't Have To Be Sad

Writers: Kastaka
Date Posted: 16th February 2009

Characters: Vasha, Sabri
Description: Vasha receives a firelizard egg from her mother.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 30 of Turn 4

"Hey, girl."

Vasha turned to see the greenrider approach and smiled awkwardly. She was never quite sure how to respond to her mother's occasional flying visits into her life.

"Hey," she replied, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"How's tricks?" Sabri fiddled with something that Vasha identified as a fur-lined pouch, probably some kind of expensive handbag her mother had picked up at the festivities.

"You know," replied Vasha, pushing her breakfast around her plate, "the usual."

Sabri took a seat on the bench opposite her girl and gave Vasha one of those big smiles that was meant to put both of them at their ease but generally had pretty much the opposite effect.

"It's okay, kid," she said in what was meant to be a reassuring tone of voice. "You know, I was fifteen before I Impressed."

"Yeah," replied Vasha, somewhat disinterestedly. "And it's not as if I'd be making Journeyman till long after then."

"Look," said Sabri, worried that the conversation wasn't really going the way she wanted it to. "It's Turn's Beginning! You shouldn't have to be sad. So I got you this." She passed Vasha the fur-lined pouch and looked at her expectantly.

Vasha took the pouch carefully. It wasn't empty, like she'd expected. The look on her mother's face suggested that she ought to look inside, so she gingerly opened it up a little and peered in. Nestled in the depths of the fur was a small, dappled, unmistakable firelizard egg.

"Think of it as a sort of trial run," suggested Sabri cheerfully.

Closing the bag again and putting it down on the table next to her, Vasha tried to collect her thoughts before meeting her mother's eyes again. She didn't really want a firelizard. She didn't want something to look after. She knew as a dragonhealer apprentice how much firelizards got into trouble or injured themselves if you didn't train them properly. But she didn't want to offend her mother, either, and she could feel the cheerfulness in Sabri's face gain a shade of desperation as she paused even for this short moment.

"Thank you," replied Vasha eventually, with all of the gushing happiness and sparkling eyes that she could muster, pretending that she was just overwhelmed with the magnitude of the gift.

"I don't know what colour it'll be," warned Sabri, "but it's a little one so there's a good chance it's green."

**Maybe there's a good chance it won't hatch, too,** thought Vasha darkly, and with more hopefulness than she liked to admit. "I'll love it whatever colour it is," she promised her mother.

"That's my girl," said Sabri with obvious approval.

Last updated on the February 16th 2009

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You Shouldn't Have To Be Sad