A Changed Demeanor (Open)

[kaykay]

Neory had changed since Sheluth's flight. From what she heard from the rumor mill, most attributed it to the fact that Sheluth was egg heavy, that it was the hormones of the dragon who was gravid for the first time affecting the formally cheerful young woman. Neory knew differently, but she kept the truth to herself.

There were still people she opened herself to, those who had always been close to her or had shown that she could trust them, and a few that would have surprised everyone, including herself, for reasons that she could not explain. The root was that they were people she felt safe around in one way or another, though she herself did not understand it.

All she did understand was that nothing mattered except Sheluth and the good of the Weyr. That had become the entirety of her world since R'net had left to return to the past. She could not allow anything to cloud this new realization. She worked tirelessly, helping Elisha in every way possible, watching the wings practice, learning how to use a fire thrower herself, preparing for meetings with the Holds to convince them that the Red Star had returned, that thread would soon be returning.

She had become cold, hard, less yielding, though she still cared. She just was more focused, less likely to be distracted, and far less concerned with her own desires or comfort.

She sat at the head table for the evening meal, eating with disinterest, her face a mask as she ooked out over the Riders that sat at the lower tables. She had seen the practices, she knew that despite the difficulty with searching, that there was an answer, at least for Sheluth's clutch, and for now, she was content.

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Perahps finally Neory and Elisha had something more in common other than riding gold. Elisha was often sullen, tired, and irritable. It had come to the point where messengers often hesitated outside her door before knocking. Her eldest son was sent away from her back in time, something she knew she had to do, that the boy wanted to do, but a mother couldn't just turn off her feelings towards a child. He could have left by saying "I sharding hate you, and I wish you would take a ride between and never come back," and she would still feel that same pain of longing for her son to be by her side. She was missing 10 turns of his life. Not to mention, her younger son was only six months old, and the way things were looking, she might miss his entire life. It wouldn't be so bad if she had a creative outlet, or if D'rian wasn't such a dimglow, or if V'rak and her hadn't fallen apart... Instead she'd just have to keep busy versus dwelling on the past.

In fact, she was too busy to notice how Neory had changed. Since she absolutely loathed gossip (and the fact that most people got out of her way when she was in one of her moods) she had not heard the people whisper about her. Maybe whispering about both of the crabby goldriders. This would make Elisha snort, maybe less girls would want to stand for gold if they realized it wasn't all dresses and ranking lovers. In fact, actually, it was the ranking lovers that caused half of the problems...

Elisha took her place at the center of the head table, noting that once again, W'lam was not there. Just as well. They had a working relationship, but she did not have more feelings than that. Not that it was a bad thing, Weyrwomen did not have to love the riders who caught their queens. Most people just assumed they did. What a silly, romantic notion. Probably made up by some ignorant harper. Whatever bronze who caught Adeloth was most worthy for the strength of the gold's clutch, not necessarily most worthy of the love of Elisha. And perhaps this added to her bitterness.

She looked over at her Junior and gave a half smile once she was sat down. She said formally, forcing herself to be gentle, "Hello, Neory, how was your day?"

In truth, she didn't really care, but who really did when they posed such a question? Usually people asked that because it was expected of them, and thus they became a society of nosy people who really didn't give a shard. Elisha poked at boiled tuber, realizing her own cynic. She knew she'd have to get out of this lunatic mood before every one hated her. Even if conversation was a formality, she didn't want to push away the only other queenrider in Telgar. Neory didn't deserve that from Elisha, and Neory didn't exactly know what the senior was going through so it wouldn't be fair to push any hostility on the poor girl. Maybe Neory could cheer her up, though Elisha noted that she did not look much more happy than Elisha herself.

[kaykay]

Neory was not unaware of her Senior's difficulties, though perhaps she did not know the extent to which they troubled Elisha. She knew that she was not the only Queenrider who had been forced to sacrifice by sending the group to the past. She also knew how happy she'd been for Elisha when she and V'rak had become more than just partners in leadership, and how much that falling apart had had to hurt.

But she felt that she was just beginning to be able to understand the depth of the other's pain and dedication. They disagreed about certain aspects of policy, but Neory had never questioned the other woman's dedication. And now that she understood the sacrifice that came with their rank, she found that she respected the other woman more than ever.

So while she understood that the question was a formality, she honored it. Elisha, afterall, was one of the few people that Neory could still trust, so there was no reason to keep her out. There, however, was also no reason to add to the other woman's burdens.

"It was well. I observed some wing practices, and am quite pleased with the progress that is being made." Telgar wings were never slouches, but things had, naturally, to be ramped up with the looming approach of thread. "Though I admit, I'll be glad once Sheluth has laid the eggs." Which was as close as she'd come to admitting that Sheluth being egg heavy was having any effect upon her whatsoever. "And yours?"

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Elisha nodded as Neory reciprocated, "Oh, um, well enough. I met with the Headwoman today, she had some complaints about the shipment of sugar that came in yesterday from the south. Apparently some of it wasn't sealed tightly and the traders came through some rain. She was not happy, which of course just added to the day's tediousness. We'll have to deal with the traders one way or another. Maybe find a different wagon train?"

"But once Sheluth starts clutching, you'll be obsessed with the clutch, even taking meals on the sands," Elisha smiled more warmly. "When Adeloth clutches, I think that's my favorite time. You know, other than dealing with a brooding queen, but I'm usually in high enough spirits to deal with any disturbances. Usually just me and her, and most people realize I'm busy and leave me alone for a bit. And the Hatching. That's always an exciting time, too. I am very glad for you."

Of course, Elisha knew that she must be sad that R'net returned back into time, and would not be there to share that great happiness with her. When Elisha was with D'rian, he'd often lay on the sands next to her, and they'd talk all night, about everything, love, life, death, riding, life before dragons, what they were going to do with the rest of their lives together. But she was in her early to mid twenties. Maybe she was grown past that now. She was a mature adult, and she certainly didn't camp out with V'rak or W'lam. Still, a clutching queen was a demanding one, and then maybe Neory wouldn't hurt so much. Elisha in turn respected the younger woman for going through what she was at such a young age. She gave another half smile, "I wish I could say it always gets easier."

[kaykay]

Neory smiled as she thought about the clutching and hatching. Just her and Sheluth. Oh, she was sure she'd still have some duties to tend to, and she would not leave Elisha without help, but that didn't mean that she was not looking forward to the bonding time with her Sheluth, without all the distractions that tried to tear her mind from what really mattered.

She nodded at the statement that was as close as she'd heard from Elisha, or anyone, admitting that they knew this was difficult for her. "It's all right... Sheluth is worth any personal pain. And Marisol did warn me. I think it's a good thing that I didn't fully understand her warning at the time though."

She looked thoughtful, "Are we sure it was the traders and not a subtle insult from a Hold?" Neory had been raised in the weyr. She believed in the dragons and their import to society. She never doubted, even at the end of the long interval, that thread would eventually return. However, she knew that those in the Holds often did not hold the same view.

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Elisha thought for a moment and nodded, "You know, I never really thought of that. It could very well be, and perhaps more likely. I just figured the traders would have a good look at the goods they were buy and trading. However, it's a very good insight. One definitely worth looking into." Elisha nodded again, lost in thought, thinking about the holds and which one was most likely to sabotage. She opened her mouth to speak and paused before going on, "Now, I don't want to point fingers, but sugar the traders get is from the south, right? Usually around Ista or Southern Boll if I have my geography right. Do we know of anything political going on to why they might want to run the sugar product?"

Maybe she was thinking too much in to things, but with so much unrest in the holds, anything was possible. She was glad then that she had another mind to bring up new ideas, and smiled to Neory, "You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you might be on to something." And it got their minds off of their own tragedies.

"Maybe we can contact Ista's Weyrwoman, she'd know better than us if something is wrong in the South." Elisha bit her lip, if Neory's hunch was right, and Elisha was correct in assuming it was Ista or Southern Boll, other holds would be following suit. Then all of the Weyrs would have to have a conclave or meeting of some sort. It was more important than ever to get across that Thread was an immediate threat, and within possibly a turn or two, Pern would no longer be the safe place it had been for the last few hundred turns.

[kaykay]

"I don't know...it just seems that we're running into more and more difficulties with the Holds." She had been present when Jeyna and Amneris had given their report about being refused to Search and the accusation that the heir had been stolen by dragon riders. "Even those holds that are known to be supportive have fallen on hard times, with the plague..."

Neory shook her head. "I'm not sure of anything, Elisha. I just don't understand why Traders would make such a mistake. They, much more than the Holds, and even perhaps more than us, ourselves, are dependent on their reliability. Why would they risk their livelihood? Even if they felt some resentment towards us, something so blatant and obvious would not make any sense at all."

She was entirely focused on this puzzle for now. In many ways, this was a much more serious situation than her own silly concerns of romance--or the death thereof, and yet she was excited, perhaps even giddy, to have something to focus upon. "We're not popular. And the fact that some of us... particularly Telgar... are having larger clutches." She sighed, "I don't personally understand it, Elisha, but I was born and raised here, but if one is convinced that thread is not returning, than the larger clutches simply mean more mouths to feed, more people we 'steal,' and less we have to offer..."