Know Your Place

Writers: Jelena, Miriah
Date Posted: 15th March 2014

Characters: Genna, Ninaine
Description: Genna and Ninaine have a not so polite conversation
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 2 of Turn 7

Genna

Ninaine

Coming out of the Hatching Sands, Ninaine walked off by herself away
from the other candidates; she was still absorbing the sight of the
eggs. And to think, they'd be hatching soon. She could scarcely
believe it and just the thought made her stomach quiver with nerves.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, letting the chatter of the
other candidates become background noise as she settled her nerves.

"Ninaine?" Genna's voice sounded surprised as she identified the
familiar figure in front of her. It couldn't be anyone else. "Ninaine
is that you? What are you doing here?"

Ninaine stopped, her brow delicately furrowed as she turned around.
That voice was familiar. When she caught sight of Genna, her brows
rose in surprise before she remembered that Genna herself had come
here far before she had. She simply hadn't thought of the girl. "Oh,
Genna." She nodded primly. "I'm a Candidate, just like you."

Irritation instantly rose at the other girl's tone of voice. Genna had
never liked her much and somehow it felt like a slight that she too
had been chosen by a search-dragon to stand at this clutch. She was
supposed to be the perfect Hold girl, wasn't she? Then what in
Faranth's name was she doing at the Weyr? Genna was too well-trained
to let her thoughts shine through too much though. "That's nice. How
long have you been here?"

Like Genna, Ninaine was far too well-bred to show her inward dislike
of the other girl. Genna had always been a wilder element and not a
person that her parents had wanted her to associate with. She was too
loud, too outspoken. She had actually argued with her parents, from
what she had heard. Clearly not an influence that any proper young
lady needed. But, she smiled politely and made conversation. "It is
nice. I've only been here a few sevendays. When my father heard about
the gold egg and I was Searched, he gave permission for me to attend
this Hatching."

Ah, that was to be expected, Genna sighed inwardly. She was here just
for the gold egg. Genna's fists clenched for just a moment, thinking
of how unfair it would be, should a hatchling green choose Ninaine
instead of her. "You know there's only one gold egg and many more
greens in that clutch, right?" she asked, keeping her tone light, even
though her eyes narrowed slightly.

Ninaine kept the polite and civil smile on her face. "Of course I do.
But if I don't Impress the gold, then I'll be expected to come back
home. I _do_ have marriage prospects that have to be considered and I
have a duty to my family." The light insinuation was there that Genna
did as well, but perhaps didn't consider them as important as she
should have.

"And if you impress green?" Genna asked, irritation rising at the
veiled insult. "Of course, I hope your marriage prospects won't be so
unfair to hold you having been at the Weyr against you."

"Oh, I'm not for a green." She replied simply, as if that was the end
of that thought. "They require women that are more open than I." She
gave a lady like shrug. "They will not be. I am keeping myself pure as
I should be. My parents trust me completely."

That almost made Genna itch with frustration. How could she just
assume like that? A green really would be wasted on her. A gold too,
for that matter. "Oh, and your male suitors all trust you like that
too? How lucky you are," she smiled sweetly at Ninaine, though her
eyes were starting to shoot daggers.

How utterly low. Ninaine sniffed softly. "My male suitors trust in my
reputation. They know I wouldn't do anything to damage my prospects. I
was raised far better than that. It isn't luck, Genna. It's simply
that I was raised properly." She returned the false civil smile. For
anyone watching it would have appeared as though they were having a
nice, polite conversation.

"Well I hope you're right," Genna replied as she flicked her hair
back. "Or that you impress the gold of course. I'm sure you'd fit
right in here." She wouldn't, Genna was sure of it, and because of
that she felt confident the girl would not impress and be out of her
hair at the end of the hatching.

"I'm sure I have nothing to worry about." Ninaine nodded, her smile
never faltering. There was a slight narrowing of her eyes. She could
match anything that this spoiled brat could do. "I'm sure you've
already fit in quite well." She stroked her hair carefully. "You're
hoping for a green, aren't you?"

"I'm hoping for a dragon," Genna said with pride in her voice. "No
matter what colour. I chose a dragonrider life when I accepted my
search."

"That is indeed your choice." Ninaine gave a delicate, feminine shrug.
"But if you don't Impress?"

"I have a good many more years to stand, but if I don't impress after
all, I'll stay here and make myself useful to the Weyr in another
way." She wasn't about to tell the other girl about her plans to
become Headwoman some day, should she fail to impress.

"Of course." Ninaine drew the words out. "You don't have much future
at the Hold, after all."

Oh the guts this girl had! Implying she was so much better than her,
urgh! "It's more that I want to be my own person rather than be a
mindless puppet for my parents or future husband."

Both brows shot upwards as Ninaine smiled at her as though she was
just a little slow. "I'm so sorry you feel that duty to your family
requires no brains. You should have done quite well at it."

"And I'm sorry you seem to think you are so very important. You should
have a good look around when you get back to your precious Hold life,
you might notice you've got quite a lot less to say than you actually
think." Ninaine was really bringing out the worst in her, she knew,
but she could not stop herself. Ninaine seemed to embody everything
she had fought over with her mother and Sinla's betrayal still weighed
heavy on her heart.

"Me? Hardly. I'm just a small fish in a large pond." Ninaine smoothed
her skirts again with her palms and sighed. It really was pointless to
talk to Genna. The girl had always been so frightfully stubborn and
wild. "Oh, do go on, Genna. You know we'll not agree on much of
anything. We never have. I know my place. You never have been able to
see yours."

"For someone who claims she knows her place, you're awfully condescending,"
Genna said between clenched jaws, before regaining some of her composure.
"But I can at least agree that we won't agree on anything. I hope you find
what you're looking for, Ninaine." And she really did hope that would be
back home at the Hold, far away from her.

Last updated on the April 13th 2014

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Know Your Place