Trouble, Meet Trouble

Writers: AL, Anaria
Date Posted: 8th May 2011

Characters: Kaya, Lyranel
Description: Lyranel and Kaya meet, and begin a tentative friendship.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 6

Lyranel's chores for the day were completed, and she sat by herself at
a table in the Dining Hall, randomly watching people who entered.
Everyone at the Hold bustled about, completing their tasks, or
spending time with their friends and family. For a moment, Lyranel's
heart ached as she watched them. They all had a place at the Hold,
people who wanted them, things to do.

A girl entered then, who she guessed was about her age, and who didn't
seem like the rest of the young women at the Hold. She didn't
recognize her from the women's quarters at the Hold, and she didn't
seem to be at ease like most of the other women at the Hold. So
Lyranel decided to flag her down, "Hi, I'm Lyranel, I'm new here!" she
greeted.

Kaya almost recoiled from the overly cheerful greeting. Mainly
because she just didn't _expect_ it. She relaxed a little though when
her eyes settled upon the bright face. "Oh. Um. Hello." Kaya
glanced around nervously. She heard the whispers as she passed by and
wondered how long it would take until someone approached to her ask
her about what had happened. She didn't really want to talk about it
to be honest. "I'm...I'm Kaya."

"Do you mind if I sit next to you? I'm new here and I don't really
know anyone. And... you sort of looked like you needed a friend,"
Lyranel said. She wasn't used to putting herself out this much, but it
was just one thing of many that she had intended to change now that
she had a new home. Besides, Kaya was around her age, and Lyranel
hoped that perhaps she could one day call her a friend.

"Oh...if you...would like." A sudden invitation and Kaya couldn't
think of any way to graciously refuse without sound just plain rude.
So she'd just deal with it. The young woman motioned to the chair
next to her and attempted to smile at Lyranel. "You're...new?"

"Yes, I was at a cothold in Garnet Valley territory until last
sevenday," Lyranel explained. "I've never actually lived in a big Hold
before, this is all very exciting to me! So are you new as well? You
don't act like the rest of the girls here." Lyranel cringed a bit
internally, hoping that the other girl wouldn't take her comment the
wrong way.

"No, I'm from Turquoise Valley." Kaya shook her head then let her
gaze dance about those other women. She knew what Lyranel was talking
about. "I'm...I've just gotten married, so...I guess I'll be here for
a little while." _Little_ while.

"Oh, I've heard a lot about Turquoise Valley," Lyranel said. "And
congratulations on your marriage. I wish you the best." Lyranel wasn't
certain what she was supposed to say to someone recently wed, but she
knew that everyone had congratulated her, regardless of her misery.

"Thank you. It's very kind of you." Kaya managed a small smile.
"Are you married?" It stood to reason the girl would be. Kaya was
strange in that she hadn't been married turns before, but that was
another story in itself.

Lyranel looked away, "I was, actually. My parents married me to this
awful old man, his sons were my age. He didn't like any of them as
heirs to his cothold, so he wanted me to give him a few more. But we
could never really consummate the whole thing, and he died just
recently. I do hope that you were lucky to marry a man of your
choosing?"

Kaya winced. Favinar had been closer to her in age than some girls
were fortunate to have, but he was horrible. "Um...sort of yes, sort
of no." She shook her head. "It's a long story. But Wirnan...he's
nice at least. He doesn't...well, he's nice." But she couldn't stay
married to him. She just couldn't. She needed to leave.

Lyranel dropped the fork that she had been about to place into her
mouth. "Wirnan, he is your husband?" She asked, her voice barely above
a squeak. Was the man that she'd accidentally dyed blue mere days
before this poor girl's _husband_!? She felt her face flush hotly.

"Y...yes." Kaya stared at the girl. The reaction was not what she
had expected...or maybe it should have been. There had been many,
many rumours going around about her and what exactly had happened.
Kaya lowered her gaze to her own plate, fork toying with her food.
"Is...something wrong?"

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it, I am sure he'll be a great husband
to you. It's just that there was a little incident and suffice it to
say, I am probably not his favorite person at the Hold right now,"
Lyranel said. She couldn't believe that her face could possibly get
redder, yet somehow it managed to.

"Incident?" So it wasn't _her_. Kaya couldn't help but feel a bit
relieved, but now her curiousity had been piqued. "What...incident?"
Wait..."Oh...oh! The blue! Was that...was that _you_?"

Lyranel couldn't find words, so she just nodded, averting her eyes.
Kaya's tone didn't _sound_ angry, and for that she was glad. But
still, Lyranel was both scared and embarrassed. How uncultured does a
woman have to be not to recognize simple luxuries like sweetsand?!

Kaya stared at the girl. Then she began to laugh. The giggles
bubbled up as the memories of how _silly_ Wirnan had looked were
brought back to mind. "So you're the one! I don't think I had ever
laughed so hard in my life!"

Lyranel was relieved that the other girl seemed okay with everything.
"Really? He was _so_ angry at me, so I didn't get to laugh about it
until far later in the evening. I seriously thought he was going to
take me over his knee he was so livid! But we didn't have sweetsand at
my old Hold, and it looked about how sand should look, I thought!"

"He was laughing after a while though." Kaya assured him, another
giggle escaping before she could get them under control. "He really
was. I think he realised what a funny situation it truly was. And I
can understand how you can make a mistake like that if you're not used
to having something." Kaya's own hold had always had plenty of
sweetsand, but her father's hold was larger than a good many of the
minor holds. "Most of it's come off."

"Well how much was left after the first washing or so?" Lyranel asked
curiously. "Because when I saw him, he was the loveliest shade of
Harper Blue from neck to toes." She was glad to hear that both Wirnan
and his wife had been able to laugh about the incident after a bit of
time had passed.

"After the first washing he tried? Most of it was left. I had to
scrub quite a bit to..." Kaya paused, and then pink came into her
cheeks as her eyes dropped. "It took a while." Then she giggled
again, back of her hand pressed against her mouth. "It was a lovely
shade of harper blue."

Lyranel giggled along with Kaya, "Well I am certainly glad to hear
that my little accident helped to amuse you!" She exclaimed. "So how
long have you and Wirnan been married?" Lyranel asked curiously. His
room had lacked the feminine touch that came from being with a woman
for a long period.

"Oh...not long. Just...a couple of sevendays." Not long before the
blueing incident to be honest. "So...really..._just_ married I
suppose." Kaya sighed inwardly. And things hadn't gone well.

"Oh... are things going poorly?" Lyranel asked. She didn't want to
prod, but Kaya hardly presented herself like a happy bride. "Wirnan
seemed... nice, I suppose. Until I dyed him blue, that is. You haven't
been dying your husband have you?"

That brings about another giggle. "No, I haven't. It's just...an
adjustment. The...marriage...it was sort of...sudden." Very sudden.
Kaya glanced up at the girl. Hadn't she heard the rumours?

"Ah, well, I hope that it goes well for you. I must admit there are
some nice things about not having to worry about being alone. I'm
sorry if I seem like I'm prying, I just haven't been here long, and
many of the women here don't acknowledge me because they think I'm
stupid," Lyranel said with a frown.

"No, it's all right." Strange, yes, but Kaya...she missed talking
with people. It was nice to have a pleasant conversation. "Why do
they think you're stupid?"

"Oh, just because of the mistakes that I made when I was new, and
because... well... I never learned how to read or do figures. My ma
didn't know how, and my Da didn't feel it was a woman's place to know
such things. he was afraid we'd get ideas to run away and join a
craft," Lyranel explained.

"As if the crafts would have taken you." Kaya had to count herself
lucky for that. She had learned her figures and how to read. After
all, if she was to be a holder's wife, she had to help her husband in
many ways. He hadn't wanted her to craft, but he also knew there were
advantages to now having completely stupid women. "Are you learning
them now?"

"A few of them have been nice enough to help me with some things, like
reading the task lists from the Headwoman and the like. So I can read
most of the words from that. I was actually considering helping out in
the creche with some of the little ones so I can learn a bit from the
Harpers while I work," Lyranel said. "Being here at Amber Hills is a
huge opportunity for me."

"I can imagine." Especially if she was getting out of a situation
like that from a hold. Kaya nodded. "If you need some help...maybe I
could be of assistance. Help you learn the letters. It's one thing
to be able to recognise words, it's another to be able to put together
the sounds to form the words and be able to read and understand them."

Lyranel beamed. "Thank you, that would really mean a lot to me! And if
there's anything at all that you need help with, even if it's just
someone to talk to, I would be glad to help you out," Lyranel said.
Being the youngest child at a remote cothold, it was a new and
interesting concept to have a female friend her age.

Kaya's smile reappeared, a bit warmed by the offer. "Thank you.
I'll...I'll keep that in mind. It would be good to have a friend, even
if only for a little while.

Last updated on the May 12th 2011

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Trouble, Meet Trouble