And Now, A Lovely Lady(Marisol)

[hrsegrl]

Laughing at R'net she went back to her story, hopefully he was beginning to understand why she was telling this particular one. "At fifteen, I was a terror. My parents could not control me or anyone else for that matter. One day I finally decided what I wanted. I was going to be powerful. For a woman to be powerful in a world led by men was a challenge. I knew my best chance for true power was to become a Gold rider." She smiled now for the best part.

"You see its not always what other people want. Its what you want that can shape the world. If you are brave you will reach for whatever it is you do want and when you keep reaching no matter what it costs you then you will achieve it." Marisol believed in the power of ones own inner strength.

"When I was sixteen I looked upon a familiar sight. A Bronze dragon was at Telgar Hold along with the very handsome L'tor. I was old enough to impress and coincidentally there was a Gold egg on the sands." Marisol didn't really believe it was a coincedence. She was brought to the Weyr when there was a gold because she and Beynath were meant to be together.

[thedreamerlady]

R'net smiled slightly. Mari was a study in inner strength- and a woman who took on the men in this world, and showed them who was boss. Her story would probably showcase that more than once.

"A gold egg? Did you Impress? Did other girls try and Impress? Were you always sure you'd Impress? Did you get into any fights? What about L'tor? Was he pretty, and nice?"

Reiko liked to talk. He liked to listen too, which made questions his favorite kind of talk. He shifted in Marisol's lap, really excited. It didn't dawn on him that he'd probably been in her lap too long, and should be thinking about moving.

It did, however, dawn on R'net, and to save Mari from the embarrassment of needing to ask him to move Reiko, R'net stood and swooped down on the small wiggly child. Plucking him out of his Great-grandmother's hands, he moved back over to his seat, placing the child in his own lap so he wouldn't whine.

[hrsegrl]

Mari would never let her great grandson think that she was not strong enough to hold him. R'net had saved her from asking the small one to move. She loved them both so dearly, she often wondered if they knew just how much.

"I was sure that I should impress. I mean dragons know who they want. They want people who are sure of themselves. There were other girls but as soon as I arrived at the Weyr, I began to meet all the right people. The Weyrwoman took a liking to me and I was allowed to visit her dragon, Herath. I only got into fights later in life, my dear boy, but that is a different story that I cannot tell you till you are older. L'tor was very nice and he always looked good." She looked over at her grandson and his son, "Though you two might put him to shame if he were alive."

"Hatching day came along. The other girls and I formed a semi circle around the Gold Egg. Beynath hatched, very sure of herself. She looked at me and I her. There was an inexplicable warmth all over my body and a voice entered my head. She said ..." Beynath actually spoke to the boy at this point, finding this all very amusing. Marisol, I am Beynath. We have much to do.

[thedreamerlady]

Reiko's mouth formed into a small "O" of surprise. Beynath had spoken to him!

"Grandma, Grandma! Beynath spoke to me! She did, she did! Did you hear her? Was it just like that, cept with more warmth and stuff?"

The boy was nearly exploding from joy and happiness. A Gold, a real, live, Gold was speaking to him. None of the other Weyrbrats had ever had that happen to them- and it was going to be his secret to make himself feel better whenever they were mean. And the other kidlets could be very mean. His face screwed up into a sad expression, then changed back to joy when he realized that a QUEEN had spoken to him!


R'net was shocked when the kid started freaking out, though it all began to make sense as the words came out of his mouth. Sometimes Beynath did that- it was another interesting thing about her.

I love you. Torenth's voice came out of no where, meaning that the bronze had been listening to the story, and thinking about their own Impression. And I you.

Impression changed everything, and nearly always for the better. R'net waited quietly for the boy to settle down, and Mari to continue her story.

[hrsegrl]

Marisol smiled and looked out at the dragon comfortable on her couch. The Gold was lovely as ever. She aged more gracefully than her human coutnerpart but again she was also younger. Darling you are so good to them. It makes you happy to see them happy. The dragon was logical but she had done it because Marisol didn't expect her to.

"She likes you very much. She said that because your happy, I'm happy and when I'm happy, she is happy." It made sense, as dragons always made sense. Queens were especially guilty of this.

"After Impressing Beynath and I became close friends. It was quite a few turns later when we finally became Senior Weyrwoman. The rest of our story is for a later time." Marisol ended warmly. "Now Reiko, I suspect that your foster mother is looking for you." Marisol stood, more quickly than people would expect of a seventy five turn old. She went to her desk and pulled out one of her rare old pieces of parchment. The set had been so expensive she had told Q'tre not to get it, but he had insisted. It was rare and they had lost the ability to make it.

She took out the ink that had come with the set and the quill. What a rare find indeed. It was perfect for her hand. She wrote beautifully, even with her hands becoming less than steady. "Alright, Reiko, take this to your foster mother. Your father and I need to have a small chat before our bed times. I'll see about taking you to lunch tomorrow."

[thedreamerlady]

Reiko sighed loudly. He was still feeling good, and he was hoping there would be enough time for him to sneak some fruit or something sweet out of the kitchen before returning to his foster mother, so he submitted meekly to her orders, sliding off of R'net's lap, and trundling over to get the note, and moving quickly(for someone of his size) out of the weyr and off into the rapidly darkening rest of the Weyr.


R'net watched him go with a smile. It was always easier to appreciate his son once he had left. Standing and stretching out his legs(a pretty girl sitting on his lap wasn't a problem, but a much smaller boy made his legs knot up- where was the logic in that?), the rider shook his head.

"Next thing you know, he'll be out Impressing, and having children of his own- so very odd, don't you agree?"

He retook his chair, his legs tired from the myriad of things he did each day. The man liked being active, but at around this time, he just wished to lay down(or to dance and drink, and forget about his aches). Relaxing, he waited for Mari to say whatever it was that she wanted to say.

[hrsegrl]

"You grew up just as fast I might add." She gave him a laughing glance. "Don't be too hard on him. At least he is sneaking up to see me and not some random person here or there. Besides I think he's a lot like you in that he needs the special attention now and again." Walking to her chair again, she sat slowly.

Marisol began to unbraid her long gray hair, while talking. "R'net, I'm worried about you." She wasn't one to skirt around the truth. She was indeed worried and it showed on her face. "This search for a Gold Candidate isn't just about her impressing a dragon. You are looking for a companion..."

She sighed softly, knowing how hard it was to find one that was both physically pleasing and emotionally staying. "I know its hard, but I doubt your looking for the right kind of girls. For now I would suggest you not fret over it, but do find yourself someone who can please you in the interim. It does not do you any good to mope about and think of finding Gold Candidates."

[thedreamerlady]

"It's stressful." R'net admitted quietly. "I don't know why I was thinking about, honestly, but it just came up. And it would be nice for there to be a Goldrider around who I'm not related too, who I could be with- or even just around. It's the nature of Bronzes to want Goldriders, and eggs, and the like. And I can't have that with Elisha."

Standing up, he moved to give Mari a hug. "I think I'll take your advice. Nothing like a little fling to make your life a little better. I'd advise to you take your own advise, but I think Q'tre might be able to take me in a fair fight."

Kissing her gently on the cheek, he smiled tiredly, but looked a lot happier than he had when he'd entered Mari's Weyr. To any who knew him, they would have realized he was out of his slump. It was going to be rather interesting to see what he would do now.

"Is it okay if Torenth picks me up off your ledge, or is Beynath on it?"

[hrsegrl]

If anyone understood that it was Marisol. She had more lovers than even she could recall though few were Weyrleader beside her. The problem with being a Goldrider was that Bronzeriders competed for every moment of your spare time so that you would rather just avoid them all together. Still she had not found the right companion for a very long time after L'tor's death. She should not have rushed herself into finding a new mate so quickly but she had been as lonely as her grandson.

She hugged the young man back, "It is and I understand your predicament. Having been in a similair one when I was younger than yourself." Her companions were not always people with whom she had shared her nights with. In fact before Q'tre was Weyrleader with her she had been rather promiscuous for a long while.

"Q'tre would not fight against my wishes. If I wanted to leave him, he would let me go." She said matter of factly. Q'tre loved her enough to give her what she wanted even if it hurt him. Marisol loved him in return and would not cause him anymore hurt than she had earlier in their lives.

"Beynath is sleeping on her couch. Torenth should have enough room to enter. You are a handsome, young man and a Bronzerider. Prove that to yourself. I'll see about female Candidates and who would be suitable for a Gold as well as informing you on where you should search." When the time came, Marisol wanted R'net to be prepared. He needed her help but not because he was incapable of doing it himself. It was because he needed to know she supported him.