Making the Decision

Writers: Ames, Emma
Date Posted: 10th July 2013

Characters: Ameala, Fitchan
Description: Ameala tells Fitchan what she has learned, and they decide she should stand
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 18 of Turn 7

She couldn't sit still. She'd talked to everyone she needed to now.
She sat in on a candidate class today to see what it was about. Now
she needed to talk to Fitchan. The Weyrlingmaster had shared his views
on things with her. Having met him, she could tell there was no
bending there. What he said would go. Period.

She was torn about what to do. She knew what she and Fitchan had
discussed. She didn't want a dragon to die if she wasn't there for it,
but would _they_ survive the expectations and limitations that would
be placed on her if she went forward?

Frustrated, she heaved a sigh and flopped down on the couch. Counting
the time until Fitchan would be home.

"I'm home!" Well as much as a room carved into a cliff wall, perpetually
needing glow baskets could ever be home. "How did it go?"

She smiled when she heard his voice. It felt more like it should. Her
at home waiting for him, him coming home after a hard day's work.

Ameala rose from the couch and ran over to him, throwing her arms
around him to hug him, while she kissed him hello.

"It was interesting," she finally remarked. "I have alot to tell you.
Come in first, get comfortable. I can have food brought in here so we
can talk and not have to go to the loud dining cavern." She'd stopped
and inquired about that in the kitchens on her way back. They said
anyone could have food in their private rooms if they requested it.
She let them know she would be back to get some shortly. She planned
to go get it while he changed after work.

"I bet it was," he said, even as he hunted for a clean shirt after letting
his wife go. "The Weyrlingmaster sounds like an interesting person."

"_That_ he is," she replied with a raised eyebrow. She had much to
tell him. "I'll be right back with our food." She left the room and
made her way as quickly to the kitchens as she could. She knew it took
longer than it had in their little cot where she had cooked food for
them herself, but the plates were still warm by the time she returned
with them.

"Dinner is served," she announced with a smile as she entered and took
them to the little table in their...home.

"It looks good," Fitchan said. "But I know you can do better."

She smiled at him. "I wish I had the time and the kitchen to actually
cook for us again. I may end up working there though since I don't
really have skills in any other areas. At least that's what they said
when they were discussing my placement as a candidate." Working in the
kitchens couldn't be too bad. It was something she had enjoyed doing
at their little home. Though cooking for one man and helping to cook
for hundreds was an entirely different story.

"So? What did they say?" he finally asked as he helped himself to the food,
then pouring drinks for them both.

"Well," she started, "alot really." She paused as she took a drink
from the cup he'd filled for her. "The weyrlingmaster isn't going to
be an easy man to get along with. He made _certain_ to tell me all
about what would and wouldn't happen. The Weyrwoman was much nicer,
though she not sure I'm ready to Stand when the eggs hatch. So I have
to go to classes and try and learn as much as I can and then she'll
decide when the time is closer."

There was so much more she needed to tell him, but she didn't want to
ramble on without giving him a chance to respond to what she shared.

"What sort of things did he say?" He could guess, some of the conversations
with his new workmates had been pretty blunt about things. And there had
been one or two crude jokes about weyrlings and what they had to give up for
a good long while.

"Well, I'm going to have to work _very_ hard for one. They are going
to assign me to the kitchens I think, so I won't be around here much
during the day. Not like back home." She paused, "but, well, the most
interesting part has to do with what weyrlings _aren't_ allowed to do
because it might harm the dragons. So _if_ I would Impress, I wouldn't
get to live with you anymore until my dragonet grew older." She
frowned at that idea. There was still more to it, but she waited for
his reaction on this first part of her news.

"Did they say how long that would be for?"

"They said it was about four months," she replied. That seemed like
_such_ a long time to her when she thought of how often they were
together as man and wife.

"I'd be counting the days," he said, knowing what was going through her
mind. "And we'd have to make sure there was something to remember first."

She paused and looked at him, "So you think I should still go through
with this? They said I didn't have to, but it _is_ quite a honor and I
wouldn't want to be the cause of a dragon's death." So much was still
uncertain about the whole thing for her, but the support of Fitchan
was what kept her going through it all.

"I think you should try it, just this once. I don't want you to look back in
turns to come and wonder what might have been," he said after a long moment.
He reached out to take her hand, "I'll be here for you no matter what."

"Thank you," she replied, squeezing his hand. "That's all I need to
know. That you will be here for me no matter what." She gave a slight
nod of her head. "So, looks like we're going to do this!" She
purposely used the word _we_ as she felt it was something she and
Fitchan were doing together.

"I think we are," he said gently.

Last updated on the July 17th 2013

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Making the Decision