It'll Get Better

Writers: Suzee, Paula, Emma
Date Posted: 21st December 2012

Characters: Corowal, Oria, L'cor, Dinalee
Description: Lecordin decides to change his life.
Location: Green Valley Hold
Date: month 11, day 9 of Turn 6

Oria

L'cor

Dinalee awoke early as she normally did. It was her job to stoke the
morning fire and waken the others so they could be ready to open when
the sun began to rise. She moved silently through the Inn and down
into the common room stopping on the bottom stair.

"Lecordin?" Her son sat at one of the tables near the fire. Clearly
he'd already stirred up the banked embers and added fuel. The room was
already beginning to warm from its heat.

He turned to look at her with pain filled eyes. "Mother."

"What is it," she asked softly and crossed the room to where he sat.

"Malysa," he started. Then looking down into his hands at the item he
held there he handed it to her. "And this…"

She looked wonderingly at the token he'd placed in her hand. "You were
searched?"

He nodded and continued to stare into the fire. He'd been thinking and
thinking and thinking until his mind spun in circles. "I've been
working hard to get where I am. It's only a matter of time until I
advance to Understeward and then…" His voice trailed off. They both
knew that sooner or later Deveker was going to step down and the way
it stood right now he was in a solid position to move up. But that
thing in her hands changed everything.

"But this changes things," she said softly, speaking his thought and
handing back the token. It was a very big thing but she no longer made
decisions for her son. He was a man now. She'd done all she could to
help and his father had been generous, making sure Lecordin had a
solid Harper schooling along with his financial support. She'd been
privately pleased by the seeming coincidental appearance of a Master
Harper in their hold and his sudden desire to 'retire' there. He'd
taken such a marked interest in Lecordin and begun some private
lessons. She thought she saw Corowal's hand in it though she'd never
confirmed it.

"Yes," he said. "It changes everything."

She nodded softly. "I know how that happens."

~~*~~

"Corowal I'm pregnant," she whispered softly in his ear. She knew she
had to tell him. She could already feel the hard mound low on her
belly where the babe was forming. Soon it would become impossible to
hide and in this small hold she would be shamed and ostracized. She
wouldn't be the first woman to come up pregnant with no known suitors,
but she could give no real explanation to anyone.

"Pregnant?" Corowal's face froze. He was not sure how to react this
news. He had no children he knew about and the situation was new to
him.

"Yes," she said softly. She almost held her breath as she waited. He
could repudiate her and just walk away but that wasn't the man she
thought lay next to her. She hoped he'd be happy about it but as much
as they cared for one another, he'd made no promises to her.

"Well, that would be the first time," Corowal said and pulled her
closer. He was yet to think what it really meant.

"Really," she smiled. That thought made her rather happy. They'd never
talked about it but she'd somehow thought he had a wife and children
tucked away somewhere.

"Despite my mother's attempts, I've managed to evade marriage,"
Corowal said. "And I won't lie to you, I have other women and has had
in the past. None of them ever mentioned me being pregnant." He
chuckled," I was actually getting worried that there might be
something wrong in me..."

"Well, I guess you now have proof there's nothing wrong." Dinalee knew
there was no other possibility for the father of her child. She was
not a loose woman, in fact she had deep feelings for Corowal.

For some reason Corowal had always been more honest with Dinalee than
any other woman in his life. He pondered his possibilities for a
while. "You know I want to be something. not just a mere assistant
Steward. For that I have to marry some one suitable." He actually
already set his sights on Ofelia, the Lord Holder's grand nephew. She
wasn't pretty and she was nearly blind, but she was Blood. "So I can't
marry you," he actually sounded regretful. "If you want to keep the
baby I'll do everything I can to support you two. It won't be easy for
you."

"I know," she said softly. "I never expected you to marry me Corowal."
His connections were far better than hers, he was blood and that
counted for something. "I think if you can help our child then we'll
be okay." Privately she hoped that one day he could acknowledge the
product of their love.

"No matter what, he or she will be my first born," Corowal
murmured...at least one he knew of. He couldn't vouch that there
wasn't surprise here and there.

Dinalee lifted her face for a kiss. Her child would be loved as it had
been created by love. Whatever this man's destiny he had promised to
care for them. "I love you," she murmured back.

~~*~~

Dinalee reached a hand out to caress her son's head. "The sun will be up
soon."

Lecordin looked up at her with Corowal's eyes. "I know," he said. He
picked up the bag from the side of his chair and stood. "I raised the
flag last night. So a rider should be here soon."

"Lecordin! Are you sure?" Dinalee was shocked by the decision. He
hadn't talked about it at all and there hadn't been dragonriders here
to search for several weeks. Her heart dropped at the look on his face
and her hand went to her mouth.

He half smiled. "I have to go. I have to at least try. You know father
can't acknowledge me..." he left it hanging in the air between them.

She looked at the floor and sagged a little. "I know," she said in a
small voice. No matter how fervently she'd hoped for it. If he'd still
been just a steward it would have been different she was sure of it.
But the young man she'd loved so many turns ago was now a Lord Holder
with a wife and an heir and that made all the difference. She pulled
her cloak from the peg when he moved toward the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" He smiled as they went through
the door and out into the dawn. The call flag was snapping in the
breeze as they walked across the square.

"With you of course," she smiled back. "I want to see you on the back
of a dragon."

Lecordin looked up toward the rising sun shading his eyes to look for
a wingrider from the east.

And then she came. Oria was up fairly early with Degrorth, heading to the
small holding that she had been to on search not all that long ago. Once she
was certain that people had seen her, she asked her green to slowly come in
to land.

**Don't show off,** she advised her green. **Just go slow and steady, give
them a few minutes.**

Dinalee stood with her son as the dragon landed then she looked up at
him. "Do you think they'll let me come watch," she asked softly.

"I don't know," he said. "But I can ask." He slowly walked toward the
dragon and her rider and held up his token.

"Lecordin, isn't it?" Oria smiled as he came close, and she undid her straps
and slowly climbed down to take the token. "That's one of my tokens, I
remember you."

"Yes," he said with an easy smile. "I remember you too. Oh," he said
waving his mother over. "My mother wanted to know if there were a way
for her to come for the hatching. Is that possible?"

"More than possible," she told them both. "When you see the headwoman and
check in with her, let her know and she'll make sure that on the day someone
will come."

"Thank you," he smiled brilliantly at the pretty greenrider. Then he
turned back to his mother and stepped closer to kiss her cheek.

"Take care of yourself," she smiled up at him.

"I promise," he said and turned back to the younger woman. "Where do I
stash this," he asked looking up at the side of the dragon that seemed
so big in the small square. People had begun to gather around the
edges and whisper behind their hands but he no longer heard or saw
them. His heart swelled. He was going to the Weyr!

"Here," Oria said, as she unfastened a loop ready to secure the young man's
belongings. "Tie this through the handles, and then around your bag. It'll
hold it steady."

He did as she told him and tested the knots. It all seemed secure so
he went to put his arms around his mother one last time. "Give this to Malysa,"
he asked. Then he turned to follow the greenrider up into his seat and waved
with a smile.

Dinalee waved back and watched them bravely as they left and until
they finally disappeared /between/ changing her life completely once
more. Then her hand rose to her mouth and she fled back to the inn.

Last updated on the March 26th 2014

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