A Land of Dreams

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 1st September 2014

Characters: Barenziah, Maylia, Bathemue
Description: Barenziah tells her family she is leaving.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 8, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Benani, Zathris

Notes: Takes place after "The Dream Ends"

Barenziah

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" Maylia's voice was a panicked
shriek as she grabbed Barenziah's arms.

"Mother." The redhead sighed and shook the woman off. It had taken all
of the courage she could muster to go down and tell her parents that
she would be leaving in the morning. She knew that the porcelain skin
around her bright blue eyes was splotched red with tears.

"What have you done?" Bathemue demanded, pain etched into his voice.
"What have you done that you must run away to the Weyr?"

The man's questions were loaded, and for a moment the air in the room
seemed to be suspended, three pairs of eyes all staring at one
another. Barenziah had resolved not to tell her family why she was
really leaving. At all costs, Benani could never find out what she and
Zathris had done.

"I am twenty-eight Turns old. Marriage is far off the table, you both
know that. I don't want to spend my life groveling here. Maybe I will
learn a craft when I go to the Weyr." Barenziah answered, although her
voice lacked conviction.

Maylia shook her head, her bosom heaving, "Do you know what everyone
will say? If you go to the Weyr your reputation will be ruined,
_RUINED_, do you hear me?!"

Barenziah clenched her teeth together. **I am already RUINED,
Mother!** She mentally shouted. Chiffon curled her tail tighter around
Barenziah's neck, her luminescent eyes peering through the woman's
fiery red hair.

"I am sorry, Mother. I do not wish to reflect poorly upon you and
father. You may disown me if that makes it easier. But I am going to
the Weyr."

Maylia let out a strangled noise of frustration and threw her hands up
into the air, "I don't know what else to say. You talk some sense into
_your_ daughter Bathemue!" The woman threw herself down into a chair,
pressing the back of her wrist to her forehead as if she might faint.

Bathemue's facial expression had not changed. The pain that was
clearly written in his blue eyes was still quite clear. He approached
Barenziah slowly and curled his large hands over her shoulders,
"Whatever has happened, my little ruby, does not matter to me." The
tears misting in his eyes made Barenziah's bottom lip quiver, "You
will always be my daughter, my first born, no matter what you do, or
where you go. Please don't go."

Looking up into her father's eyes, Barenziah considered, for the
briefest of moments, staying at Amber Hills. Telling Zathris to take a
flying leap, and his precious Benani too. If she found out, too bad,
Zathris should have considered that before pulling down his pants....
But in the end, sanity prevailed, and Barenziah shook her head, "I
cannot stay."

Bathemue pulled his daughter against him, enveloping her in a hug as
he whispered against her ear, "He never deserved you anyway."

Barenziah's eyes shot open, and she automatically stiffened. How did he know?

"Whoever has broken your heart. Doesn't deserve you." Bathemue pulled
back and looked into Barenziah's eyes.

A small trickle of relief slid down her spine as she looked up into
her father's face, "Sometimes things just aren't meant to be."

Hooking a finger beneath Barenziah's chin, the beastcrafter smiled,
"Aye, and you deserve something that is."

Silent tears slipped from the corners of Barenziah's eyes, "No, I
don't. Not after... Not after the things I have done."

Bathemue shook his head, "None of that. No one is perfect, eh? Not
even your beautiful mother." His lips crooked a bit with a smile as he
glanced in Maylia's direction. The woman gave a sniff and turned her
face toward the fireplace.

When he looked back to Barenziah he continued, "The Weyr will be a new
beginning for you, yes? Don't carry the weight of the past with you.
Start all over. And don't forget to write us." He tapped a finger to
Chiffon's golden head.

Barenziah buried her face in her father's chest, wrapping her arms
around him, "I won't forget." She promised. Dolphin Cove. A new
beginning. The land of her dreams.

Last updated on the November 5th 2014

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A Land of Dreams