Dropping the Ball

Writers: AL, Chelle
Date Posted: 11th October 2014

Characters: Rhosyn, Briata
Description: Briata tries to force Rhosyn into mothering.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 25 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Y'gel, Reeva

Briata

She had to admit, she was disappointed. Briata had hoped that the
emotion she'd seen in Rhosyn's face had been an indication that the
Weyrwoman would be a part of her child's life. As it was, she rarely
saw the goldrider and even when she did, there was little indication
that the woman wanted to spend time with Nisheyl. For a long time,
Briata had merely let it go - but now that Nisheyl was going a little
longer between feedings, perhaps it was time to be a little more active.
So, toward the end of the day, after all her duties would technically be
over, Briata knocked upon the Weyrwoman's weyr.

The Weyrwoman herself was trying to catch some sleep before she
had to make her rounds to the injured riders. Hearing the noise, she
wondered if she didn't answer if the person would just go away.

Briata was a bit more insistent than, perhaps, Rhosyn might have
wished. Another knock was then followed by a query to the golden
dragon. "Orlaith, is your rider in her weyr or elsewhere?" She had
thought Rhosyn would be there that time of day, but perhaps she was
mistaken.

Rhosyn heard that voice and knew whose it was. Dimly she registered that
maybe something was wrong with the child. Despite giving Briata the
authority she needed to make some decisions, perhaps it was something she wanted her
input on. Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed and wandered over to the
door before opening it. "Hmmmmmm?" she answered, red hair in all directions.

"Good day, Rhosyn." Briata greeted. While the wherry of a hairdo was
unexpected, the young fostermother said not a word as she swept into the
weyr with both children, Brigel on her back, Nisheyl on her front. "I
hope you're doing well." In truth, there had been some rumors about
the goldrider, but they were often as untrue as they were true so Briata
wouldn't just listen to those.

Nisheyl was already two months old. Rhosyn hadn't seen her since she'd
handed the baby over to Briata and Y'gel-not closely anyway. Shutting the
door so no one else saw her like she was, she clearly hoped this wouldn't last
long. "Mm...trying to take a nap. What do you need, Briata?" Her tone wasn't
annoyed nor was it whiny, but it did sound exhausted. She didn't make any move to
come closer to Briata either.

"Nisheyl has been waiting for her mother to visit her, but that hasn't
happened, so we're finally coming to you." Briata twirled about and
studied the Weyrwoman a little more closely, though there was no comment
given on her current state.

Of all things, that was not really what she wanted to hear. Despite herself,
here it was-her failings confronting her. She had been talking with Reeva,
of course, but Rhosyn was not really ready yet. How hard could it be though?
She had held the baby before so she could do that. "Oh well...there's no way you
could come back later? After I've had a bath?"

"Neither of us care if you've had a bath." Briata wasn't about to leave
- most likely the woman would make an excuse the next time she came by,
or perhaps not even allow them entry. No, Rhosyn wasn't going to get
out of it. "Nisheyl wants a visit."

"How do you know that if she can't even talk?" Rhosyn looked at her as
if she had grown horns. Stall. Stall. Stall. She was trying to hold it
together but from somewhere deep a panic was starting. She knew, though,
if she kept on and let it control her, Orlaith would get upset. If Orlaith
got upset, it would attract attention. She didn't need that.

"Because I know. She was with you for nine months, she knows you
intimately. She remembers your heartbeat, your touch, your voice, your
smell." Briata untied the knot on the wrap and loosened it just to
enough to wriggle Nisheyl out. Her free hand kept a hold on the sashes
so that Brigel would not be in danger of slipping off her back. "Why
don't you hold her a bit?"

Rhosyn was quite skeptical about all that. She had been a baby once and
she didn't remember any of those things about her own mother. Her chest
fluttered some but she clamped down with her will. This was baby as nowhere
near as large as a dragon. It couldn't hurt her. So why was she so
afraid of it? "She looks comfortable where she is really..."

"She'll be just as comfortable with her birth mother. You have to take
her now, though. If I let go of the ties, Brigel will fall and I can't
retie them with one hand." It wasn't a whole truth. While she couldn't
tie them one handed, she could have just tucked Nisheyl back into the
folds and then retied it, but she wasn't about to admit that. "So if
you wouldn't mind." Then, without giving the goldrider a chance to
protest, she closed the distance between them and tucked the child
against Rhosyn.

For the longest time, the Weyrwoman just stood there, almost as if she
was in shock at what had just happened. Here she was, holding this baby
that had come out of her and nothing had struck her. Her eyes travelled
down to Nisheyl. Still, the stare wasn't exactly one full of love. It wasn't
the look that mothers gave their offspring. It was confusion as to why this
baby was in her arms.

"Hurry up and tie it so you can take her back. I'm going to drop her or
something." She was almost certain of it. Nothing good could come of this.
She was not a mother. She did not hold babies. She didn't talk to them or
smile at them. Rhosyn didn't like children.

"You're doing just fine. See, you're supporting her head and I didn't
even have to mention it to you. You're a natural." Briata took her
time with the straps, shifting them, she reached behind to feel where
they lay on Brigel, bounced him a couple of times as if to settle him
better. She wanted Rhosyn to hold Nisheyl longer than five seconds.
"Talk to her. Look, she's opening her eyes. She recognizes you already."

That didn't lend much confidence to the short woman handling the baby
as if it had been crawling with thread. "Talk to her about what?" Her tone
was rather harsh and the baby could sense her demeanor. That was when
Nisheyl began to cry which further distressed her mother. "Briata-this
isn't working. Take her!"

"Calm down. She can tell you're uncomfortable." Rather than take the
baby, Briata slid an arm about the Weyrwoman's shoulders in order to
guide her toward the couch. "Sit down, relax. She'll relax when you do."

"How can I relax when I am holding a baby that I could break that is crying?"
**Maybe she isn't the best fostermother if she is handing me a baby of all
people** Rhosyn went toward the couch, but she was clearly distressed and
the crying didn't stop. Nisheyl obviously needed security and didn't feel it
in the arms holding her. Rhosyn started to shake her a little, doing what she
had seen others do, but it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"No, not like that. Gently rock her, back and forth. It will feel
like she's inside of you again. And talk softly to her, gently. Lower
your voice. Tell her it's okay, and keep repeating it." Briata lowered
down next to Rhosyn, perched upon the edge of the couch so Brigel would
not be squished against the back. "Back and forth, smoothly, as if you
were in a rocking chair."

"I can't do it." Standing up, she handed her daughter back to Briata quickly
and backed away. "I am not her mother nor will I ever be. That is your
responsibility, Briata. I chose you because I knew I never could." Her eyes
held fear and a certain amount of anger, but the tone she used was one of
resignation and relief that she was no longer holding the little girl.

Briata eyed the Weyrwoman even as she gently bounced the child. After a
moment or two, Nisheyl settled and the woman stood to tuck the babe
safely away in the carrier. "As you wish, Weyrwoman. By your leave?"

She nodded, standing back while the woman left. It was there in Briata's
eyes-condemnation. The fostermother knew something was wrong with her.
She just hoped Briata would have enough sense not to tell anyone besides
Y'gel. Shaking slightly, Rhosyn headed over to a chair and fell into it.
Nowhere near ready to go visiting, she tried to settle down first.

Last updated on the October 19th 2014

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Dropping the Ball