Post by Susan on Aug 16, 2008 17:49:47 GMT -5
A Goldrider's Duties: A Day in the Life of Melina
Aka Why the SHELL did I Impress a gold?
By Susan Baker
23.13.11
reeeeeeeally early
Melina awoke to a sharp pain radiating along her arm. Her first instinct was to jump, to get away from the pain, to smack something sharply on the side of the head.
However, experience had taught her that was not the best way.
Slowly she opened her eyes and met the round green gaze of her cat reflecting the vague light inching under her curtained doorway.
"Let. Go."
Two words, issued from between her teeth and the feline smugly retracted her claws from the red pinpricks she'd left in her human's arm. Melina growled under her breath as she rolled out of bed, restraining the urge, as she always did, to drop kick the cat between.
"Why can't you just wake me up by licking my face?" she asked the feline flatly as she flipped open a glow basket and glared.
The cat licked her paw for a moment and then glanced up with an inquiring look as if to say, "Where you saying anything important?"
Melina let out a long slow breath. She would not lose her temper because of a cat. Despite the fact that Sioranth had kept her up until early hours this morning preening and brooding over her latest clutch of eggs. Assassin was, after all, just a feline with no sense.
"I will not kill you this morning, Assassin," she stated firmly, reassuring herself if not the cat. "However, I may have T'chock cook up Cat Surprise if you don't stop the Morning Wake-Up Claw."
Assassin merely purred as she settled herself on Melina's vacated pillow. With a snort, the goldrider snatched up a fluffy towel and grumbled under her breath all the way to the bathing room. "Stupid cat, had to adopt me, why couldn't she curse somebody else? Why can't Sioranth just drop her between?..."
###
7am to 8am -- Breakfast
Melina sipped her warm klah, contemplating her day, hoping that perhaps her queen's clutch would hatch ahead of schedule and cheer her broody queen up for the next month or so. The goldrider was tired of hearing her Queen's constant stream of complaints.
Speaking of which...
Why are you not here admiring my eggs, rider? came the imperious question.
I'm eating breakfast, Sioranth, came the tire reply. And I was there not four candlemarks ago. I'm sure your eggs haven't changed much since then.
They are *much* prettier than they were then. See this one? Melina caught a mental picture of her queen carefully turning a small iridescent blue and while egg. It will have a glorious little hatchling. You should come and see then now.
Yes, Sioranth. I'll be there in a little while.
"Will the hatching be today you think, Melina?" a bluerider who flew with the queen's wing asked hopefully.
Melina glanced at her, mustering a tired smile. "I hope so, S'lari," she replied quietly.
"I love a good hatching. It's just the thing to avoid wingdrills," a greenrider said with a chuckle as she glanced at her weyrmate, S'lari.
"Celea," S'lari sighed as he rolled his eyes.
Melina only looked at the young greenrider with raised brows as the woman turned away giggling. The goldrider, however, said nothing. One could change the frivolous nature of that greenrider as much as one could stop her gold dragon from brooding over her eggs.
"A moment of your time, goldrider?" a voice came from across the table and Melina looked up to find bronzerider N'val watching her almost warily.
"Of course, N'val," she said as she gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Please sit down."
"Thank you, weyrwoman," he said as he sat. "The matter concerns..."
Why are you not here yet? Sioranth's voice snapped into her rider's mind. The eggs are getting harder and you are not here to see them!
I will be there momentarily, Sioranth, Melina replied heavily, trying to concentrate to the bronzerider.
What does momentarily mean? I hope it means now because that is when you should be here, the queen responded. These are my most beautiful eggs and I want my beautiful rider to stand here next to them.
Sioranth, I will be there when I get there, Melina sent back with as firm yet inoffensive as she could manage. Pissing her broody queen off was not of her agenda today. Now, please, I have to listen to this bronzerider.
Bronzeriders are a mark a dozen, came the hauty sniff. I am the one and only queen on the sands. Who is more important?
"...would that be acceptable, weyrwoman?" the bronzerider asked as he leaned back. Melina's gaze focused on him as she silently cursed her dragon's imperious way.
"I'm sorry, N'val, but my queen was speaking to me rather loudly. Could you go over that again?"
N'val gave her an understanding look. "Of course, weyrwoman," he said. "I've heard that Sioranth is rather...broody with this clutch," he continued delicately.
The goldrider smiled slightly. Broody? Sioranth? Was the Red Star red? "Please tell me again, N'val. I will try to keep up with your words this time."
N'val, however, shook his head. "It can wait, goldrider. I will ask again after the Hatching."
The Weyrwoman Second went back to her klah as she watched the bronzerider walk away. She almost felt relieved that N'val had decided to come back later though she also felt rather guilty. She was the Second, after all, and supposed to be available to the Weyrfolk as needed.
He does not need you. I need you. Now. Sioranth's voice rang through her head. Melina growled under her breath and rubbed her forehead as Sioranth took up her complaints again. This was going to be a long day.
"A word with you Melina?" another hopeful voice asked.
###
8am to 12pm -- Wingdrills with the Queen's Wing
Melina glared at her queen over the paperwork she had dragged to the Hatching Grounds. She could be cozily ensconced in her office, catching up on the paperwork that amazingly reproduced itself on her desk without any human hands to aid it.
But nooooo. Sioranth needed her on the sands. Because the eggs just wouldn't harden right if Melina wasn't there to watch her weyrmate turn each egg just so. And, after all, what did her rider have better to do since she couldn't fly wingdrills with the rest of her wing?
So, Melina found herself seated on a thick blanket near her queen, wishing heartily that she could be sweating profusely while running wingdrills over the islands. Instead she was here, sweating profusely from the heat of the Sands, surrounded by inventory lists, candidate lists, weyrling lists, tithing lists and probably the list of lists she needed to look at.
The goldrider sighed as she pulled the closest pile to her side. Maybe she could actually get something done this morning.
###
12pm to 1pm -- Lunch
Jerath says his rider wishes to know why you cannot join him at lunch. I *told* Jerath that you were very busy looking at lists and watching my eggs and he was very understanding. Unlike his rider, who Jerath says thinks you ought to be able to come for lunch because you need a little time for yourself. But I told Jerath to tell his rider...
"I brought you some lunch, Melina, m'lass," a cheery voice interrupted the almost non-stop flow of comments and complaints from her dragon.
The goldrider looked up at T'chock in relief. She was so hungry her stomach felt like it was just about strangling her spine.
"Thank you," she said as she pushed aside some of her paperwork for the bronzerider sit down beside her.
"I'm sorry I even questioned Jerath," he said with a chuckle as he watched the goldrider take a large bite of the sandwich he'd brought her. "He says Sioranth is still going on about it."
Melina glanced a him with a sigh. "Yes."
"I'll be glad with this clutch of hers is hatched and on its way," he said as he leaned back and eyed the queen.
"You're not the only one," the goldrider responded before she took another big bite of lunch.
###
1pm to 2pm -- Confers with Weyrwoman
"...and then A'tah said I shouldn't worry my pretty little head about a thing because he would make sure the chest was situated just perfectly in my weyr. And my didn't he look just stunning as he lifted that blanket chest all by himself - with no shirt on, I might add - all those muscles." The greenrider sighed dreamily as Melina watched her with a somewhat glazed expression.
Selia had just walked into the Weyrwoman's office and interrupted the meeting that Melina was having with the Weyrwoman. She dropped some paperwork on the Weyrowman's desk that needed Vinalli's signature and then she turned to Melina and started talking. The Weyrwoman glanced over the parchments, evidently decided that the interruption was worth her time and picked up a writing stick while Selia had just continued talking. And talking. And talking...
"It was too bad A'tah turned just the wrong way and pulled that back muscle," Vinalli said with a narrow glance at the greenrider, as close to sarcasm as Melina had ever heard her. Selia, however, was oblivious.
"Yes, it was! I bet he would have been quite an entertaining partner last night." The goldrider looked sad. "As it was, I had to call someone to help him to the healers. They say he should be all right in a few sevendays."
"So you ended up alone last night?" Melina tried to understand the object of the greenrider's story.
Selia looked a bit surprised. "Well no. One of the healers who helped A'tah was quite handsome. And he made a special trip all the way back to my weyr to tell me A'tah would be okay and to offer his sympathies." Selia's eyes glazed over for a moment. "He was very sympathetic."
Melina stared at the rider. Then she shook her head to clear it.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't have to spend the evening alone, Selia," Venalli said firmly as she handed the now signed papers back to the woman. "You can take these back to your Wingleader." Her tone was a flat dismissal and the greenrider beamed.
"Thank you, Weyrwoman," she prattled before she bounced out the door. Melina slowly turned her gaze back to Vinalli.
"Do you think it was a good idea to put all the greenriders in wings of their own?" she asked delicately.
Vinalli merely smiled. "It seems to be working so far."
Melina made a non-committal reply. "As interesting as Selia's conversation was, we should get down to discussing Lord Lannon's tithe. I understand we're expecting it to dock soon and that you collected a list from Lannon last sevenday?"
"Ah, yessss," the younger woman replied as her eyes gleamed. "I met with Lord Lannon last sevenday and he is so very handsome and so much a Lord Holder! Quite demanding in an arrogant sort of way, you know." Vinalli sighed as she waved her hand back and forth in front of her face.
"I have met Lord Lannon," Melina said without expression. "Did he happen to mention what he was sending with the tithe?"
"Oh yes," Vinalli said with a casual wave of her hand as she thought back on her "meeting" with the Lord of Splitrock. "He said he was sending the usual."
"The usual?" Melina asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.
"You know, Melina," Vinalli said a she rummaged on her desk for the list Lord Lannon had given her. "Ah here. Lots of dried Fish, dried fennel, several different spices, grains, wool, cotton..."
"Wool?" The older rider glanced up in surprise from where she was checking off 'the usual' supplies.
"Yes, he asked if I minded that he send along some wool for our use," Vinalli gave her a reminiscent glance. "He did mention that it makes the most wonderful mattress covers. So soft and warm."
Melina stared at the woman for a long moment before she slowly rubbed her forehead. "Wool." What was she going to do with wool at a tropical Weyr?
"Very soft," Vinalli continued with bright eyes. "Let me tell you, the sample he showed me was just wonderful."
###
2pm to 3pm -- Confers with Weyrlingmaster on weyrlings progress
I do not think these spindly-legged little Candidates are much to look at. I am not sure they are good enough for my beautiful eggs.
They will be fine, Sioranth, Melina replied patiently as she tried to focus on Jina's words. The Weyrlingmaster was going over the list of the upcoming graduates as some of her staff members herded Candidates onto the Sands to familiarize them with Sioranth's eggs before the Hatching.
Just *look* at that one, her queen said as the queen lowered her head to glare at the offending Candidate with red tinged eyes. He, along with his companions, quickly backed away from the large dragon and her eggs. His hair is standing out all over his head!
Sioranth, you're frightening them! Melina snapped as she abruptly turned away from Jina. "Stop it this moment!"
The gold dragon eyed her rider before turning indifferently away from the little humans and back to the eggs closest to her. The Candidates eyed the dragon and then turned to Melina. She motioned them and their weyrlingmaster attendants back onto the Sands. Hesitantly, they moved and then with more confidence as the queen regally ignored them.
Finally, Melina turned back to find the Weyrlingmaster smirking at her.
"I apologize, Jina," Melina ground out politely. "What were you saying?"
The Weyrlingmaster shook her head. "I bless my lucky ancestors every day that I didn't Impress a cranky, broody queen," she snorted as she rolled up her weyrling lists.
Melina's brows raised. "Indeed?"
"Bloody well 'Indeed', Melina. That queen of yours is a terror and if she frightens off too many Candidates, she'll be standing out there by herself when those eggs hatch."
The goldrider reined in her temper. Everyone knew Jina was as blunt as the head of a hammer. There wasn't anything personal in her words. Really. "All queens brood over their clutch, Jina," Melina pointed out flatly.
"Well, she has raised being broody to an art form." The brownrider stood and snapped her lists against her thigh. "We'll continue this discussion after those eggs hatch."
With a final glance and a snort towards the Hatching Sands, Jina walked away, stopping to give a last few words of instructions to the Candidates before she left the cavern.
Melina watched her go and then turned to look at her queen. Sioranth wasn't any more broody than any of the other StarRise queens, she stated silently to herself. Jina was just cranky because her baby kept her up all hours.
With a sniff, Melina settled on her blanket once again and picked up her paperwork.
Would you *look* at THIS one? Sioranth suddenly thundered in her mind. She walks like a wherry!
There was a long hiss and several screams and the Candidates scattered again.
SIORANTH!
###
3pm to 4pm -- Confers with Nursery mistress about fostering children, apprenticing, and Candidacy
"We did had several more promising young people who were considering approaching the Weyrleaders to be allowed to stand but then..." the woman's voice faded as Sioranth hissed across the sands again. She bit her lip and then forced a smile. "For whatever reasons, they decided to wait until the next clutch to try. However, I'm confident with the next clutch, we'll have more than enough Candidates."
Melina smiled though the expression didn't quite meet her eyes. "I'm glad to hear that, Klytha. I'm sure Rejath will have a respectable clutch and won't be quite as demanding of the Candidates as Sioranth is," she said dryly.
"Yes well..." the older woman shuffled her paperwork as she glanced nervously at the brooding queen and then at the brooding queenrider. She quickly closed her folder and stood. "That's all I have for you today, weyrwoman," she said as she straightened the folds of her dress. "I need to be checking on some new fosterlings this afternoon."
"Very well, Klytha, if you're certain you have nothing else to discuss."
"Nothing that can't wait until later," the woman said with a quick glance towards Sioranth. Then, with a bow, she was heading across the sands.
Melina sighed as she perched her chin on her palm. One would think she had the plague as quickly as her meetings were coming and going today. And still she hadn't been able to complete her paperwork.
"Melina!" The goldrider jerked at the voice and looked around. She quickly spotted a familiar figure with Sable brownrider cords making its way across the Sands completely oblivious of the brooding Sioranth. With her white hair and wide dark eyes, the woman was easy to spot.
An unexpected smile darted across Melina's face as she stood to welcome her clutchmate.
"Leania! Its wonderful to see you!" she began.
"Why are you still here?" came the sharp interruption as the young woman came to a halt belligerently before her, hands on her waist and scowl on her face.
Melina stared at her in confusion. "What?"
"Why are you still here?" the woman demanded again. "I've been waiting and waiting for you to come to your senses and come back to Sable. But noooooo, do you do the sensible thing? No, you have to stay in the only Weyr that makes a habit of killing off its goldriders."
Melina tilted her head slightly, waiting for enlightenment. "What are you talking about, Leania?" she finally asked patiently.
Leania's beautiful eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Melina. The StarRise Curse is what I'm talking about!" she growled as she pulled out a rolled up parchment from her belt. With a snap, she opened it and glared first at it and then at Melina.
"Do you know how many golds have died here since Turn 15?" The goldrider tried to reply but her friend continued right over her. "Seven golds have died here since Turn 15, that's how many! And not just "Dying in Threadfall" deaths either. A Hatching Ground collapsed on one! And another was shot from the sky!" Leania ground her teeth. "And this list doesn't include the three who just vanished! Poff."
Melina forced herself to relax as she curled her fingers around the dagger at her waist. She gave her clutchmate a stern look. "Don't get so excited. The StarRise Curse is just a myth. If anything, the loss of golds was just Bad Luck. We haven't lost any golds since the end of Turn 21. And nothing at all has happened to Sioranth since we've gotten here."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Leania asked flatly. "That just shows that the Curse is due a gold. Any time now! And it could be you!" Leania pointed at Melina and glared. "So you can just get those transfer papers ready now. Cause you're coming back to Sable!"
Melina felt a smile curl her lips as she looked at her friend. Leania was *such* a mother wherry sometimes. Frankly, Melina was surprised it had taken her friend this long to come after her.
"If you remember correctly, clutchmate, it wasn't a voluntary transfer when I came here."
"Yes, well Shaylynn has had ample opportunity to regret that particular maneuver. The other goldriders hardly give her the time of day much less any kind of help that doesn't directly relate to the good of the Weyr." Leania grinned rather unpleasantly. "I'm sure she'd welcome you back with open arms."
"But I don't want to go back, Leania," Melina finally said in a gentle tone. "I like it here well enough."
Leania gaped at her. "You like it here?"
"Yes, Leania, I like it here well enough to stay."
"It's hot!"
"You get used to it."
"It's muggy!"
"There's a nice breeze on the beaches."
Leania pulled out her trump card. "There's no MOS shows here!"
Melina considered. "Sometimes the bronzeriders get really tanked at the Dragon's Eye and strategically lose their clothes in an attempt to impress the greenriders." The goldrider sighed tragically. "Not as graceful as the typical MOS show but one makes do."
Leania glared at her clutchmate.
"Melina! Don't make me drag you back to Sable!"
She is too loud! Sioranth suddenly barged into the conversation as she leaned her head over to her rider and hissed at the noisy brownrider. She is disturbing my Hatching Grounds. Tell her to be quiet around my beautiful eggs.
Leania, however, transferred her glare to the gold. "Don't even hiss at me, Sioranth," she growled irritably. "I remember when you were knee high to a wherry so don't try to intimidate me. Go play with the Candidates."
Sioranth backed off a bit in surprise as Melina smirked. Finally someone who wasn't put off by her gold's brooding!
For her part, the gold dragon snorted.
See what happens when you are not particular about the Candidates?" she said as she watched Leania. Then the queen turned back to survey her eggs. Melina merely laughed.
"Leania, I'm glad you came by today."
"Well, if you insist on staying at this cursed Weyr, Melina, then you will be seeing a whole lot more of me. Because I am not leaving you here by yourself!" With that, the brownrider marched back the way she came, leaving Melina staring after her.
After a moment, the goldrider turned to find Jina beside her with a grin on her face. Behind the Weyrlingmaster, there were a few Candidates staring in awe at the departing brownrider.
"If she transfers here, I want her in my wing," the Weyrlingmaster said with a smirk.
Melina raised her brows. "That would, of course, be up to the discretion of the Weyrleader."
Jina grinned. "I'll have a chat with D'ven. I don't think he'll mind."
###
4pm to 5pm -- Meets with Wingleaders regarding rider morale and problem riders.
"Overall, the morale of the wing is high. Crosswinds is flying very well. We've only lost two riders in the last six Threadfalls and most of the injuries are minor ones."
Melina jotted down the comments as she nodded slowly.
"I am also considering possible candidates for wingseconds."
The goldrider glanced up in surprise. "But you have two very capable wingseconds, L'ndel. Is one of them thinking of transferring elsewhere?"
The bronzerider shook his head. "Not to my knowledge but it never hurts to be prepared. When the time comes when I have to choose another wingsecond, I want to be certain that the rider chosen is right for the position. I won't make another hurried mistake as my predecessor did."
The goldrider glanced up at him. "Another mistake?" As far as she knew, the Wingleader hadn't chosen his wingseconds at all but inherited Z'leena and T'chock from the previous Wingleader. And both her more than capable of leading the wing should something happen to L'ndel in combat.
The Wingleader waved off her question with a quick glance. "I want to be certain of my choice, milady," he said again. "I have certain standards to maintain."
"I think all the Wingleaders have certain standards to maintain, L'ndel," Melina replied as she closed her folder. She glanced up at him. "Just let me know when your choice is made so I can update the records."
The Wingleader stood and gave her a brief bow. "I will, milady," he said before he left the room. Melina watched him go with a thoughtful look.
However, it was only a few moments later that the next Wingleader arrived to make his report. Melina returned his smile and gestured to the chair before her desk.
###
5pm to 6pm -- Confers with Weyrhealer/Weyrharper/Weyrtanner/ect....each on a different day.
"...and I would like some more of that splendid hide from Splitrock if we could manage it. It makes for such strong supple straps..."
Why are you not here, rider? I think you need to be with me.
"...and it seems those greenriders are wagering with their riding straps again because my supply is dwindling again..."
I think this egg will have a beautiful little blue in it...
"...and we're expecting a few apprentices from the tanner Hall within the sevenday. I'll need a dragon or two to go fetch them. Might I have a brownrider, Melina?"
This egg is quite the most beautiful, I think. Are you going to come out here, Melina?
"Weyrwoman?" Melina?
Melina started from the confused state she had fallen into trying to listen to the Weyrtanner and her dragon at the same time. "What?"
6pm to 7pm -- Supper
The Weyrwoman Second idly stirred her casserole around on her plate as she considered her day. She had ample opportunity as the seats around her were amazingly empty though the Dining hall was quite full. She almost smirked. She supposed her queen's moody temper was rubbing off on her as well by the number of people avoiding her.
She sighed inwardly and wished with all her heart that her queen's shard blasted clutch would hatch already!
###
Every third day, mornings are spent bathing and oiling her gold.
23.13.14
Finally, the hatching was done with. The new weyrlings were settled in the barracks, still talking about how they braved the terrible Sioranth to Impress their beautiful little weyrmates.
And speaking of Sioranth, Melina was relieved that her dragon was finally content to curl up in her own weyr again, leaving her rider to get a good night's sleep with her favorite bronzeriding bedwarmer.
Melina snuggled into T'chock's warmth with a pleased sigh. For whatever reason, her cat, Assassin, did not pester her on mornings when T'chock was present. The goldrider thought it had to do with the swat T'chock had given the little feline the first time she had tried her little Good Morning Wake-Up Claw on him. Perhaps Melina would try something similar the next time the cat woke her up like that.
The bronzerider chuckled sleepily as Melina hummed under her breath. She smiled softly. A late morning today would not be unexpected since she'd spent the last month running two and from the Hatching Sands. No one would say anything if she and her caravanner didn't show up for breakfast. And T'chock was always quite snuggly in the mornings....
Why are you still in bed, Melina? Sioranth asked with an edge of irritation. I need a bath and some oiling and some sun. And be sure to bring that *big* pot of oil. The sands have dried out a spot that I can't quite reach.
Melina froze and T'chock glanced down at her curiously. Then she buried her head in the blankets and sniveled.
"Tell me again why I became a goldrider?"
Aka Why the SHELL did I Impress a gold?
By Susan Baker
23.13.11
reeeeeeeally early
Melina awoke to a sharp pain radiating along her arm. Her first instinct was to jump, to get away from the pain, to smack something sharply on the side of the head.
However, experience had taught her that was not the best way.
Slowly she opened her eyes and met the round green gaze of her cat reflecting the vague light inching under her curtained doorway.
"Let. Go."
Two words, issued from between her teeth and the feline smugly retracted her claws from the red pinpricks she'd left in her human's arm. Melina growled under her breath as she rolled out of bed, restraining the urge, as she always did, to drop kick the cat between.
"Why can't you just wake me up by licking my face?" she asked the feline flatly as she flipped open a glow basket and glared.
The cat licked her paw for a moment and then glanced up with an inquiring look as if to say, "Where you saying anything important?"
Melina let out a long slow breath. She would not lose her temper because of a cat. Despite the fact that Sioranth had kept her up until early hours this morning preening and brooding over her latest clutch of eggs. Assassin was, after all, just a feline with no sense.
"I will not kill you this morning, Assassin," she stated firmly, reassuring herself if not the cat. "However, I may have T'chock cook up Cat Surprise if you don't stop the Morning Wake-Up Claw."
Assassin merely purred as she settled herself on Melina's vacated pillow. With a snort, the goldrider snatched up a fluffy towel and grumbled under her breath all the way to the bathing room. "Stupid cat, had to adopt me, why couldn't she curse somebody else? Why can't Sioranth just drop her between?..."
###
7am to 8am -- Breakfast
Melina sipped her warm klah, contemplating her day, hoping that perhaps her queen's clutch would hatch ahead of schedule and cheer her broody queen up for the next month or so. The goldrider was tired of hearing her Queen's constant stream of complaints.
Speaking of which...
Why are you not here admiring my eggs, rider? came the imperious question.
I'm eating breakfast, Sioranth, came the tire reply. And I was there not four candlemarks ago. I'm sure your eggs haven't changed much since then.
They are *much* prettier than they were then. See this one? Melina caught a mental picture of her queen carefully turning a small iridescent blue and while egg. It will have a glorious little hatchling. You should come and see then now.
Yes, Sioranth. I'll be there in a little while.
"Will the hatching be today you think, Melina?" a bluerider who flew with the queen's wing asked hopefully.
Melina glanced at her, mustering a tired smile. "I hope so, S'lari," she replied quietly.
"I love a good hatching. It's just the thing to avoid wingdrills," a greenrider said with a chuckle as she glanced at her weyrmate, S'lari.
"Celea," S'lari sighed as he rolled his eyes.
Melina only looked at the young greenrider with raised brows as the woman turned away giggling. The goldrider, however, said nothing. One could change the frivolous nature of that greenrider as much as one could stop her gold dragon from brooding over her eggs.
"A moment of your time, goldrider?" a voice came from across the table and Melina looked up to find bronzerider N'val watching her almost warily.
"Of course, N'val," she said as she gestured to the empty seat across from her. "Please sit down."
"Thank you, weyrwoman," he said as he sat. "The matter concerns..."
Why are you not here yet? Sioranth's voice snapped into her rider's mind. The eggs are getting harder and you are not here to see them!
I will be there momentarily, Sioranth, Melina replied heavily, trying to concentrate to the bronzerider.
What does momentarily mean? I hope it means now because that is when you should be here, the queen responded. These are my most beautiful eggs and I want my beautiful rider to stand here next to them.
Sioranth, I will be there when I get there, Melina sent back with as firm yet inoffensive as she could manage. Pissing her broody queen off was not of her agenda today. Now, please, I have to listen to this bronzerider.
Bronzeriders are a mark a dozen, came the hauty sniff. I am the one and only queen on the sands. Who is more important?
"...would that be acceptable, weyrwoman?" the bronzerider asked as he leaned back. Melina's gaze focused on him as she silently cursed her dragon's imperious way.
"I'm sorry, N'val, but my queen was speaking to me rather loudly. Could you go over that again?"
N'val gave her an understanding look. "Of course, weyrwoman," he said. "I've heard that Sioranth is rather...broody with this clutch," he continued delicately.
The goldrider smiled slightly. Broody? Sioranth? Was the Red Star red? "Please tell me again, N'val. I will try to keep up with your words this time."
N'val, however, shook his head. "It can wait, goldrider. I will ask again after the Hatching."
The Weyrwoman Second went back to her klah as she watched the bronzerider walk away. She almost felt relieved that N'val had decided to come back later though she also felt rather guilty. She was the Second, after all, and supposed to be available to the Weyrfolk as needed.
He does not need you. I need you. Now. Sioranth's voice rang through her head. Melina growled under her breath and rubbed her forehead as Sioranth took up her complaints again. This was going to be a long day.
"A word with you Melina?" another hopeful voice asked.
###
8am to 12pm -- Wingdrills with the Queen's Wing
Melina glared at her queen over the paperwork she had dragged to the Hatching Grounds. She could be cozily ensconced in her office, catching up on the paperwork that amazingly reproduced itself on her desk without any human hands to aid it.
But nooooo. Sioranth needed her on the sands. Because the eggs just wouldn't harden right if Melina wasn't there to watch her weyrmate turn each egg just so. And, after all, what did her rider have better to do since she couldn't fly wingdrills with the rest of her wing?
So, Melina found herself seated on a thick blanket near her queen, wishing heartily that she could be sweating profusely while running wingdrills over the islands. Instead she was here, sweating profusely from the heat of the Sands, surrounded by inventory lists, candidate lists, weyrling lists, tithing lists and probably the list of lists she needed to look at.
The goldrider sighed as she pulled the closest pile to her side. Maybe she could actually get something done this morning.
###
12pm to 1pm -- Lunch
Jerath says his rider wishes to know why you cannot join him at lunch. I *told* Jerath that you were very busy looking at lists and watching my eggs and he was very understanding. Unlike his rider, who Jerath says thinks you ought to be able to come for lunch because you need a little time for yourself. But I told Jerath to tell his rider...
"I brought you some lunch, Melina, m'lass," a cheery voice interrupted the almost non-stop flow of comments and complaints from her dragon.
The goldrider looked up at T'chock in relief. She was so hungry her stomach felt like it was just about strangling her spine.
"Thank you," she said as she pushed aside some of her paperwork for the bronzerider sit down beside her.
"I'm sorry I even questioned Jerath," he said with a chuckle as he watched the goldrider take a large bite of the sandwich he'd brought her. "He says Sioranth is still going on about it."
Melina glanced a him with a sigh. "Yes."
"I'll be glad with this clutch of hers is hatched and on its way," he said as he leaned back and eyed the queen.
"You're not the only one," the goldrider responded before she took another big bite of lunch.
###
1pm to 2pm -- Confers with Weyrwoman
"...and then A'tah said I shouldn't worry my pretty little head about a thing because he would make sure the chest was situated just perfectly in my weyr. And my didn't he look just stunning as he lifted that blanket chest all by himself - with no shirt on, I might add - all those muscles." The greenrider sighed dreamily as Melina watched her with a somewhat glazed expression.
Selia had just walked into the Weyrwoman's office and interrupted the meeting that Melina was having with the Weyrwoman. She dropped some paperwork on the Weyrowman's desk that needed Vinalli's signature and then she turned to Melina and started talking. The Weyrwoman glanced over the parchments, evidently decided that the interruption was worth her time and picked up a writing stick while Selia had just continued talking. And talking. And talking...
"It was too bad A'tah turned just the wrong way and pulled that back muscle," Vinalli said with a narrow glance at the greenrider, as close to sarcasm as Melina had ever heard her. Selia, however, was oblivious.
"Yes, it was! I bet he would have been quite an entertaining partner last night." The goldrider looked sad. "As it was, I had to call someone to help him to the healers. They say he should be all right in a few sevendays."
"So you ended up alone last night?" Melina tried to understand the object of the greenrider's story.
Selia looked a bit surprised. "Well no. One of the healers who helped A'tah was quite handsome. And he made a special trip all the way back to my weyr to tell me A'tah would be okay and to offer his sympathies." Selia's eyes glazed over for a moment. "He was very sympathetic."
Melina stared at the rider. Then she shook her head to clear it.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't have to spend the evening alone, Selia," Venalli said firmly as she handed the now signed papers back to the woman. "You can take these back to your Wingleader." Her tone was a flat dismissal and the greenrider beamed.
"Thank you, Weyrwoman," she prattled before she bounced out the door. Melina slowly turned her gaze back to Vinalli.
"Do you think it was a good idea to put all the greenriders in wings of their own?" she asked delicately.
Vinalli merely smiled. "It seems to be working so far."
Melina made a non-committal reply. "As interesting as Selia's conversation was, we should get down to discussing Lord Lannon's tithe. I understand we're expecting it to dock soon and that you collected a list from Lannon last sevenday?"
"Ah, yessss," the younger woman replied as her eyes gleamed. "I met with Lord Lannon last sevenday and he is so very handsome and so much a Lord Holder! Quite demanding in an arrogant sort of way, you know." Vinalli sighed as she waved her hand back and forth in front of her face.
"I have met Lord Lannon," Melina said without expression. "Did he happen to mention what he was sending with the tithe?"
"Oh yes," Vinalli said with a casual wave of her hand as she thought back on her "meeting" with the Lord of Splitrock. "He said he was sending the usual."
"The usual?" Melina asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.
"You know, Melina," Vinalli said a she rummaged on her desk for the list Lord Lannon had given her. "Ah here. Lots of dried Fish, dried fennel, several different spices, grains, wool, cotton..."
"Wool?" The older rider glanced up in surprise from where she was checking off 'the usual' supplies.
"Yes, he asked if I minded that he send along some wool for our use," Vinalli gave her a reminiscent glance. "He did mention that it makes the most wonderful mattress covers. So soft and warm."
Melina stared at the woman for a long moment before she slowly rubbed her forehead. "Wool." What was she going to do with wool at a tropical Weyr?
"Very soft," Vinalli continued with bright eyes. "Let me tell you, the sample he showed me was just wonderful."
###
2pm to 3pm -- Confers with Weyrlingmaster on weyrlings progress
I do not think these spindly-legged little Candidates are much to look at. I am not sure they are good enough for my beautiful eggs.
They will be fine, Sioranth, Melina replied patiently as she tried to focus on Jina's words. The Weyrlingmaster was going over the list of the upcoming graduates as some of her staff members herded Candidates onto the Sands to familiarize them with Sioranth's eggs before the Hatching.
Just *look* at that one, her queen said as the queen lowered her head to glare at the offending Candidate with red tinged eyes. He, along with his companions, quickly backed away from the large dragon and her eggs. His hair is standing out all over his head!
Sioranth, you're frightening them! Melina snapped as she abruptly turned away from Jina. "Stop it this moment!"
The gold dragon eyed her rider before turning indifferently away from the little humans and back to the eggs closest to her. The Candidates eyed the dragon and then turned to Melina. She motioned them and their weyrlingmaster attendants back onto the Sands. Hesitantly, they moved and then with more confidence as the queen regally ignored them.
Finally, Melina turned back to find the Weyrlingmaster smirking at her.
"I apologize, Jina," Melina ground out politely. "What were you saying?"
The Weyrlingmaster shook her head. "I bless my lucky ancestors every day that I didn't Impress a cranky, broody queen," she snorted as she rolled up her weyrling lists.
Melina's brows raised. "Indeed?"
"Bloody well 'Indeed', Melina. That queen of yours is a terror and if she frightens off too many Candidates, she'll be standing out there by herself when those eggs hatch."
The goldrider reined in her temper. Everyone knew Jina was as blunt as the head of a hammer. There wasn't anything personal in her words. Really. "All queens brood over their clutch, Jina," Melina pointed out flatly.
"Well, she has raised being broody to an art form." The brownrider stood and snapped her lists against her thigh. "We'll continue this discussion after those eggs hatch."
With a final glance and a snort towards the Hatching Sands, Jina walked away, stopping to give a last few words of instructions to the Candidates before she left the cavern.
Melina watched her go and then turned to look at her queen. Sioranth wasn't any more broody than any of the other StarRise queens, she stated silently to herself. Jina was just cranky because her baby kept her up all hours.
With a sniff, Melina settled on her blanket once again and picked up her paperwork.
Would you *look* at THIS one? Sioranth suddenly thundered in her mind. She walks like a wherry!
There was a long hiss and several screams and the Candidates scattered again.
SIORANTH!
###
3pm to 4pm -- Confers with Nursery mistress about fostering children, apprenticing, and Candidacy
"We did had several more promising young people who were considering approaching the Weyrleaders to be allowed to stand but then..." the woman's voice faded as Sioranth hissed across the sands again. She bit her lip and then forced a smile. "For whatever reasons, they decided to wait until the next clutch to try. However, I'm confident with the next clutch, we'll have more than enough Candidates."
Melina smiled though the expression didn't quite meet her eyes. "I'm glad to hear that, Klytha. I'm sure Rejath will have a respectable clutch and won't be quite as demanding of the Candidates as Sioranth is," she said dryly.
"Yes well..." the older woman shuffled her paperwork as she glanced nervously at the brooding queen and then at the brooding queenrider. She quickly closed her folder and stood. "That's all I have for you today, weyrwoman," she said as she straightened the folds of her dress. "I need to be checking on some new fosterlings this afternoon."
"Very well, Klytha, if you're certain you have nothing else to discuss."
"Nothing that can't wait until later," the woman said with a quick glance towards Sioranth. Then, with a bow, she was heading across the sands.
Melina sighed as she perched her chin on her palm. One would think she had the plague as quickly as her meetings were coming and going today. And still she hadn't been able to complete her paperwork.
"Melina!" The goldrider jerked at the voice and looked around. She quickly spotted a familiar figure with Sable brownrider cords making its way across the Sands completely oblivious of the brooding Sioranth. With her white hair and wide dark eyes, the woman was easy to spot.
An unexpected smile darted across Melina's face as she stood to welcome her clutchmate.
"Leania! Its wonderful to see you!" she began.
"Why are you still here?" came the sharp interruption as the young woman came to a halt belligerently before her, hands on her waist and scowl on her face.
Melina stared at her in confusion. "What?"
"Why are you still here?" the woman demanded again. "I've been waiting and waiting for you to come to your senses and come back to Sable. But noooooo, do you do the sensible thing? No, you have to stay in the only Weyr that makes a habit of killing off its goldriders."
Melina tilted her head slightly, waiting for enlightenment. "What are you talking about, Leania?" she finally asked patiently.
Leania's beautiful eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about Melina. The StarRise Curse is what I'm talking about!" she growled as she pulled out a rolled up parchment from her belt. With a snap, she opened it and glared first at it and then at Melina.
"Do you know how many golds have died here since Turn 15?" The goldrider tried to reply but her friend continued right over her. "Seven golds have died here since Turn 15, that's how many! And not just "Dying in Threadfall" deaths either. A Hatching Ground collapsed on one! And another was shot from the sky!" Leania ground her teeth. "And this list doesn't include the three who just vanished! Poff."
Melina forced herself to relax as she curled her fingers around the dagger at her waist. She gave her clutchmate a stern look. "Don't get so excited. The StarRise Curse is just a myth. If anything, the loss of golds was just Bad Luck. We haven't lost any golds since the end of Turn 21. And nothing at all has happened to Sioranth since we've gotten here."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Leania asked flatly. "That just shows that the Curse is due a gold. Any time now! And it could be you!" Leania pointed at Melina and glared. "So you can just get those transfer papers ready now. Cause you're coming back to Sable!"
Melina felt a smile curl her lips as she looked at her friend. Leania was *such* a mother wherry sometimes. Frankly, Melina was surprised it had taken her friend this long to come after her.
"If you remember correctly, clutchmate, it wasn't a voluntary transfer when I came here."
"Yes, well Shaylynn has had ample opportunity to regret that particular maneuver. The other goldriders hardly give her the time of day much less any kind of help that doesn't directly relate to the good of the Weyr." Leania grinned rather unpleasantly. "I'm sure she'd welcome you back with open arms."
"But I don't want to go back, Leania," Melina finally said in a gentle tone. "I like it here well enough."
Leania gaped at her. "You like it here?"
"Yes, Leania, I like it here well enough to stay."
"It's hot!"
"You get used to it."
"It's muggy!"
"There's a nice breeze on the beaches."
Leania pulled out her trump card. "There's no MOS shows here!"
Melina considered. "Sometimes the bronzeriders get really tanked at the Dragon's Eye and strategically lose their clothes in an attempt to impress the greenriders." The goldrider sighed tragically. "Not as graceful as the typical MOS show but one makes do."
Leania glared at her clutchmate.
"Melina! Don't make me drag you back to Sable!"
She is too loud! Sioranth suddenly barged into the conversation as she leaned her head over to her rider and hissed at the noisy brownrider. She is disturbing my Hatching Grounds. Tell her to be quiet around my beautiful eggs.
Leania, however, transferred her glare to the gold. "Don't even hiss at me, Sioranth," she growled irritably. "I remember when you were knee high to a wherry so don't try to intimidate me. Go play with the Candidates."
Sioranth backed off a bit in surprise as Melina smirked. Finally someone who wasn't put off by her gold's brooding!
For her part, the gold dragon snorted.
See what happens when you are not particular about the Candidates?" she said as she watched Leania. Then the queen turned back to survey her eggs. Melina merely laughed.
"Leania, I'm glad you came by today."
"Well, if you insist on staying at this cursed Weyr, Melina, then you will be seeing a whole lot more of me. Because I am not leaving you here by yourself!" With that, the brownrider marched back the way she came, leaving Melina staring after her.
After a moment, the goldrider turned to find Jina beside her with a grin on her face. Behind the Weyrlingmaster, there were a few Candidates staring in awe at the departing brownrider.
"If she transfers here, I want her in my wing," the Weyrlingmaster said with a smirk.
Melina raised her brows. "That would, of course, be up to the discretion of the Weyrleader."
Jina grinned. "I'll have a chat with D'ven. I don't think he'll mind."
###
4pm to 5pm -- Meets with Wingleaders regarding rider morale and problem riders.
"Overall, the morale of the wing is high. Crosswinds is flying very well. We've only lost two riders in the last six Threadfalls and most of the injuries are minor ones."
Melina jotted down the comments as she nodded slowly.
"I am also considering possible candidates for wingseconds."
The goldrider glanced up in surprise. "But you have two very capable wingseconds, L'ndel. Is one of them thinking of transferring elsewhere?"
The bronzerider shook his head. "Not to my knowledge but it never hurts to be prepared. When the time comes when I have to choose another wingsecond, I want to be certain that the rider chosen is right for the position. I won't make another hurried mistake as my predecessor did."
The goldrider glanced up at him. "Another mistake?" As far as she knew, the Wingleader hadn't chosen his wingseconds at all but inherited Z'leena and T'chock from the previous Wingleader. And both her more than capable of leading the wing should something happen to L'ndel in combat.
The Wingleader waved off her question with a quick glance. "I want to be certain of my choice, milady," he said again. "I have certain standards to maintain."
"I think all the Wingleaders have certain standards to maintain, L'ndel," Melina replied as she closed her folder. She glanced up at him. "Just let me know when your choice is made so I can update the records."
The Wingleader stood and gave her a brief bow. "I will, milady," he said before he left the room. Melina watched him go with a thoughtful look.
However, it was only a few moments later that the next Wingleader arrived to make his report. Melina returned his smile and gestured to the chair before her desk.
###
5pm to 6pm -- Confers with Weyrhealer/Weyrharper/Weyrtanner/ect....each on a different day.
"...and I would like some more of that splendid hide from Splitrock if we could manage it. It makes for such strong supple straps..."
Why are you not here, rider? I think you need to be with me.
"...and it seems those greenriders are wagering with their riding straps again because my supply is dwindling again..."
I think this egg will have a beautiful little blue in it...
"...and we're expecting a few apprentices from the tanner Hall within the sevenday. I'll need a dragon or two to go fetch them. Might I have a brownrider, Melina?"
This egg is quite the most beautiful, I think. Are you going to come out here, Melina?
"Weyrwoman?" Melina?
Melina started from the confused state she had fallen into trying to listen to the Weyrtanner and her dragon at the same time. "What?"
6pm to 7pm -- Supper
The Weyrwoman Second idly stirred her casserole around on her plate as she considered her day. She had ample opportunity as the seats around her were amazingly empty though the Dining hall was quite full. She almost smirked. She supposed her queen's moody temper was rubbing off on her as well by the number of people avoiding her.
She sighed inwardly and wished with all her heart that her queen's shard blasted clutch would hatch already!
###
Every third day, mornings are spent bathing and oiling her gold.
23.13.14
Finally, the hatching was done with. The new weyrlings were settled in the barracks, still talking about how they braved the terrible Sioranth to Impress their beautiful little weyrmates.
And speaking of Sioranth, Melina was relieved that her dragon was finally content to curl up in her own weyr again, leaving her rider to get a good night's sleep with her favorite bronzeriding bedwarmer.
Melina snuggled into T'chock's warmth with a pleased sigh. For whatever reason, her cat, Assassin, did not pester her on mornings when T'chock was present. The goldrider thought it had to do with the swat T'chock had given the little feline the first time she had tried her little Good Morning Wake-Up Claw on him. Perhaps Melina would try something similar the next time the cat woke her up like that.
The bronzerider chuckled sleepily as Melina hummed under her breath. She smiled softly. A late morning today would not be unexpected since she'd spent the last month running two and from the Hatching Sands. No one would say anything if she and her caravanner didn't show up for breakfast. And T'chock was always quite snuggly in the mornings....
Why are you still in bed, Melina? Sioranth asked with an edge of irritation. I need a bath and some oiling and some sun. And be sure to bring that *big* pot of oil. The sands have dried out a spot that I can't quite reach.
Melina froze and T'chock glanced down at her curiously. Then she buried her head in the blankets and sniveled.
"Tell me again why I became a goldrider?"