World of Pern
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2023/08/04 Hello loves! While I haven't been writing, I have been working on updating some issues that have been hanging around on the layout! The Character change box is now at the bottom of the page, beside the up/down arrows! Green and Gold dragon flight dates have been shifted to the bottom of the page, where the (useless!) discord widget was located. Where the dragon flights were in the header, is now replaced by a Monthly Event box! This will be updated at the start of each month, with a fun mini-event you can take part in, if you want to! Thistle!
2023/01/07 Welcome to the New Year! We are now ELEVEN years old! Thank you, all of you, for your love and writing! I am looking forward to spending another year with youall! In addition, a new Default colour scheme is in progress and will hopefully be available soon! All my love! ThistleProse
2022/07/29 Gold Malvayth and Bronze Xyxyth clutch is Hatching! Come and join the shenannigans 743.08.03 | NIGHT STALKERS HATCHING and bring the popcorn!
2022/05/11 Gold Malvayth has Flown, caught by Bronze Xyxyth of A'tay. Their Hatching will be PC, and take place in Telgar in August around the 20-22nd! Update your Candidate Applications and prepare for some fun!
2022/04/21 New default layout! I hope you enjoy it! If you find any bugs, please report them in the discord #bug-squishing channel!
05/JUL It’s Hatching time!! Come take part in the shenanigans here
30/JUN Gold Thallyath of Ista Weyr has laid a clutch! More information here
27/JUN A bluerider, and then a greenrider, are found dead. More information here
25/JUN The Touching is up! Take part here
30/MAY After the Touching, many Candidates found themselves preyed upon in the form of their food. More information here
18/MAY Another goldrider - Ameris of Benden - is attacked. More information here
05/MAY Multiple individuals are attacked whilest out of the Weyr! More information here
04/MAY Take a chance OOC and guess who you think the murderer is! You can win prizes! More information here
03/MAY Goldrider Cazan and her twin brother Cazelarias are attacked. More information here
24/APR Goldrider Ashara of Fort is murdered by two brownriders. More information here
12/APR Searchrider B’jin was attacked at Telgar Weyr, surffering a slash to his throat. While in Benden, bluerider B’dor is found dead in his weyr. More info here
05/APRMore attacks occurred today. More information here
03/APRMultiple individuals found their death this day; more information here and here
28/MAR Tragedy has struck again! Across all the Weyrs, multiple people - primarily dragonriders - have fallen ill after eating muffins. There have been multiple deaths, and others are in criticle condition. More information here
24/MAR Weyrwoman Ameris and her son, Rislan, poisoned! More information here
18/MAR Benden’s Weyrleader M’ris and his children have been poisoned! Resulting in sickness and death. More information here
18/MAROn 18.03.742 Bronzerider A’dris of Vyaniorth was found dead in his personal bathing pool. He appears to have drowned after drinking an excess of alcohol. Afterwards it was realized that Machiya of Gold Cameth from Telgar Weyr had disappeared. Having never arrived at her destination, it is suspected she had an accident between.
11/MAR Gold Racoth of Donmaline went between taking Bronze Beruth of T’rel with her shortly after she had been caught, due to T’rel strangling Donmaline. He did not survive. more info
25/FEB Congratulations and thank-you to Guest for taking on a moderator role! <3
14/FEB Stars Above PC Hatching Link
06/JAN :o new layout is a WiP. Please report bugs in Discord.
01/JAN Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!




Currently: Spring 03.745 al
Monthly Event
2024-February
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Welcome to the Month of Lovetm! This month's Monthly Event is all about Romance, whether it is asking someone out on a date, or getting sweaty between the sheets! Anything and everything counts, if it even looks sideways like it could be related to Valentine Day -- including lover's spats, or breaking up, Flights Wins (or Flight Losses!). Honestly, this month has a huge opportunity for interpertation, so go wild!



2023-December
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Ahh, the fresh snow, the crisp air, the naked trees... welcome to Winter! Or, just the Colder Months for those in the more Northern Weyrs, while Ista is just... not as hot. But it is time to enjoy the end of the Turn, so folks should get together, spend some time gossiping, and drinking Hot Chocolate (alcohol and marshmallows opional)... does Pern even have marshmallows????? (they do now!)



2023-November
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Feel like bitching? Wanna take part in a brawl? Or bet on someone? Take part in Brawls and Bitching this month! Boo-yeah!



2023-October
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Thistle flunked this month; You can still post until the end of November as a result <3
Experience, tell or hide from a Spooky Story!



2023-September
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The flu is running rampant, colds are clogging noses, and someone might have lost a limb?



2023-August
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Partake this month by going fishing... or anything that occurs while fishing, or dealing with fish!



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[G] [C] 739.06.08 | Curiosity Travels
2 PM | Onari

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#1
Dessa smiled absently to herself as the horse pulled the small cart along the well-travelled path. She had enjoyed visiting with her son-in-law and daughter, as she ever did, spoiling her grandchildren and enjoying their sticky kisses and sweet voices. The eldest, just barely two, was the light of Dessa’s life and she delighted in the way the child doted on her. The infant, another little boy, was a beautiful child who promised to be as delightful as his sibling. Dessa was proud of her daughter and she was proud of the life the girl was leading and wished her all the happiness on Pern.

Her attention was snagged when the horse snorted, and Dessa looked up curiously, wondering what had caused the animal to react. She was rather surprised when she saw what looked like a pair of youngsters walking along the road ahead of her. Dessa blinked, and tilted her head, considering. There were not usually lone travellers. She was a bit of an oddity, travelling by herself with her sturdy horse and little cart. Dessa didn’t believe in hiring a guard when she was quite capable of being intimidating when the time called for it, and besides, who would want to rob her? She was dressed comfortably but didn’t exactly reek of Marks, and while her horse was sturdy, he was old. Her cart was small, and usually filled with herbs she was taking to sell in her daughter’s home town as well as her own travelling items – clothes, primarily.

The pair was still a good distance ahead of her, and were either ignoring her or hadn’t yet realised there was someone coming up from behind. Dessa figured it was probably the latter, since the mild breeze was blowing into her face, meaning the sound was carrying away from them. She pulled her horse to a standstill and tilted her ear into the wind. If they were talking, it wasn’t loud enough to carry, which seemed strange to her. Usually children were loud and chatty when walking together, and she figured they were probably heading down to Telgar from one of the farms within the vicinity. They were still a couple of days out, but she’d known parents to send older kids off to the Hold to pick up items when the adults were too busy to make the trip.

Giving the reins a gentle flick, Dessa encouraged her horse back into his lazy walk. She watched them as she got closer, deciding she’d offer them a place in the back of her cart in exchange for any stories they had to tell, when she got close enough to realise it was a woman and child, not two children. Her eyebrows lifted somewhat, but Dessa smoothed her features before calling out a friendly greeting, watching curiously the way they reacted to the sound of her voice.

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#2
It felt wrong to be coddled by her. Two days out and Onari had already fucked up considerably.

"Ari, please."

The child's hand tugged at her wrist for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon. The sinew in her arms grew taut as she winced through another sluggish step. "You can't call me Ari."

"But--"

"I don't care what the circumstances are. You can't slip up once. What do you call me?"

Nlani's fingers massaged themselves into Onari's forearm, the frown on her features prominent. "Mama, please. It's still bleeding."

Onari's fingers curled around the wound on her hip. It was a cut that emblazoned itself horrendously down through her waist to her upper leg. It was held fast by a crude makeshift bandage made from scraps of Onari's clothing, but by then her blood had soaked through, reaching her grasping digits.

It hurt so much it nearly made her delirious. But they had to keep walking.

"Stopping won't do anything," the girl asserted through clenched teeth. "I'll bleed out on the road. It's best if we get somewhere. I can look at it properly then."

"But they took our money, Mama," Nlani objected, the slight warble to her tone making Onari's heart sick. "Where will you get--"

"I'll figure that out when we get there, sweetpea," she asserted with a breathy gasp, reaching her bloodied on the child's shoulder. "It will be all right. This won't take me down. I promise you."

"But--"

A sound halted the two of them in their tracks. Another hailing noise, so familiar that it struck itself against Onari's spine, shimmering a tension up through her muscles like a conduit. At first, they didn't react. Onari's arm tensed around the girl and, immediately defensive, she pushed the child behind her as she turned to face the sound.

She didn't know what to expect to see when she found herself face to face to the person who'd called them -- a lone woman on a small cart, arm in the air to greet their silhouettes on the roadside. To know it was a woman was comforting, but all the same, Onari couldn't let her guard down. Uncertain, she straightened her posture, even though she found herself wilting immediately after to cover her wound with her hand again.

Nlani had no such reservations to potential danger. The child slipped away from Onari's grasp, ignoring the terse bark the woman let out at her departure. Her little legs carried her quickly up the road, and she threw herself toward the cart driver's legs, eyes beseeching. "Please help my Mama," the child cried. "She got hurt. Please help."

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Dessa had crossed paths with a good amount of people in her travels to and from her daughter’s home. She’d seen a lot of reactions, but fear wasn’t usually one of them. Granted, there were renegades all over Pern who would make traveling painful for those who were minding their own business, but since Dessa hadn’t actually crossed paths with any of them, it took her a moment to realise that these two girls probably had. Her eyes widened as she took it he situation, and the way the woman crumpled and was clearly hurt. The sudden appearance of the child at her feet drew Dessa’s eyes from one to the other.

“Hurt how?” Dessa asked, looking for information on the type of wound as she slowly climbed down from the cart, keeping her hands easily visible. She didn’t have any weapons – it had never occurred to her that she could come to harm making the trek – but the woman and child wouldn’t know that. “Knife? Claw?” She could see the blood, so she figured there was something sharp involved in causing it to soak through clothing. There weren’t many feral animals around, but that didn’t mean there were none and certainly even the docile fauna could be rowdy when threatened.

Standing on the roadside, Dessa switched her gaze to the child, giving her a quick once over. Roughed up, dirty, but didn’t look to be hurt or bleeding, though she was covered in blood. Definitely the mother protecting her baby, then. Dessa offered a thin smile, trying to convoy warmth and reassurance in the expression, though her eyebrows were furrowed slightly with thought. “I don’t have much,” she said, loud enough to be heard clearly as she made her way to the back of the cart. “I sold most of it in the last town. I have some spare clothes. They might be a bit big, but they’ll do.” She rummaged around, finding a pair of clean pants and a shirt. Peering around the edge of the cart, she held them out to the child. “Take these, please.”

Turning back to the cart, she rummaged around some more and pulled up a bag. She didn’t have all her goods with her, but she did have her usual odds and ends on hand. She wasn’t a Healer by any means, and most of her knowledge came from plants and their properties, but she’d certainly try to help the woman. If nothing else, they were only a couple of days from Telgar now, and she could make sure the woman got the help she needed there, and the travel would be less harsh if she were to sit in the back of the cart!

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In the breadth of a second, a whole deluge of things appeared to happen. The woman strutting forward, asking questions, rummaging through her belongings, offering help. Onari was much too overwhelmed to answer at once, woozy as she was from the blood loss.

Eventually, however, she did manage to speak, after swallowing back a syrupy breath. "I don't want to impose. You don't have to do anything. We're fine. The next town isn't that far over--"

"They stabbed my Mama," Nlani cut in immediately, petulant, as if she had been reliving the events all over. "These guys--"

"-- farm boys," Onari smoothly cut in, shuddering into a deep breath. "Clearly hadn't eaten for days. They had no idea what they were doing. They were scared."

"They hurt you!"

"They were desperate," Onari corrected her. "They hadn't intended to do it. They were bumbling. Stupid--"

"They already had your money!" Nlani shouted, stomping a foot on the ground. "It's not right!"

It didn't matter what was right. Onari had understood, but explaining such a thing to Nlani was an exercise in futility. How could Onari blame her? She was scared to death. And now her mother was hurt. Had the circumstances been switched, she would have been just as furious.

Onari faced Dessa, slightly hunched over, teeth clenched. "I'm sorry my daughter disturbed your travels. We don't mean to impose."

"You need help!" Nlani bleated, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed and virulent. "Don't talk like I'm not here!"

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Dessa took in the choppy information with a neutral expression, stopping by the head of her horse so she could see the woman in front of her without swooping in and getting in her face. She was rather anxious to take a look at the wound and do what she could for it, but she wasn’t oblivious to the warring sides before her; “You’re not imposing.” Dessa said gently, offering a small smile once more. “It is my pleasure to help.” She paused and considered for a moment. “I was going to offer you to ride with me, before I saw you were injured.”

Stepping forward a few steps, Dessa held her hands out, showing the clean bandages she’d dug up, and the small back of herbs. “I don’t have any fellis,” she said gently, “but I have some numbweed and some other things that will fight off any infection. Can I help you?” The girl was determined to see her mother tended to, but the woman seemed to be just as determined not to be approached. That was okay, Dessa wasn’t off put by difficult customers, she’d dealt with her share of them over the Turns, but she didn’t want to push her too much, either.

“Its no trouble,” she added, eyebrows pulled together almost anxiously. How could she leave them now, knowing they were in need of her help?


Fellis is a painkilling drink, similar to ibuprofen, and can render a patient unconscious if too much is taken. It is likely that it could be dangerous in extreme amounts.
Numbweed is a plant that is native to Pern. It is boiled into a salve and applied to wounds, completely numbing the area; anaesthetic in nature. It is cheap and easily come by, so most everyone has had access to it in life, though quality would be dictated by location and available funds.

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#6
This was already bad. This woman, altruistic or not, had already seen too much. She'd gathered enough details to give a useful account to any guard that found himself wanting to question her. Onari just wanted to leave -- two days out from the village wasn't far enough, clearly. As soon as they slipped away from this woman, she'd need to regroup. Maybe they couldn't go to Telgar. Maybe they had to travel to a further Weyr.

Onari's eyes flickered toward the woman, hesitant. "I can't pay you," she told her, wincing as she tried to stand up straight again. "I don't want to put you out."

"Mom!"

Eyes that would have otherwise snapped in haste to the child lumbered rather sluggishly to her. The warning she held in them must have been just slovenly, as the child didn't seem any more deterred. If anything, she appeared more determined.

Onari's eyes closed. This was such a bad idea.

There was another second of deep consideration before Onari looked at the woman again, this time carefully shifting toward her. "If you're sure. I'll need help with the bandages."

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Dessa frowned at the other woman, clearly irritated by her continuing to fight the need for help. At her insistence that she couldn’t pay, Dessa snorted. “Clearly,” she responded dryly, “Since the child already said you were robbed.” Had she really been so badly treated by whatever community she originated from that she couldn’t comprehend someone helping simply because it was the right thing to do? The thought made Dessa sad, but she knew it wouldn’t be the first time she’d encountered such an expectation, and she doubted it would be the last.

When the young woman stumbled towards her, Dessa swept forward, her usually slow and methodical movements put to the wayside as she slipped up alongside the blonde, and hooked her arm gently around her back, the other hand cradling her elbow. Securely assisted, Dessa walked her to the back of the cart and had her lean against it so she could examine the cut on her thigh to waist, moving her clothing with a clinical detachment. She hummed softly to herself and let Onari’s shirt fall back into place as she grabbed her bottle of water and poured some on a clean cloth. She handed the container to Onari thereafter. “Drink.” She instructed. It was just pure water, but the girl was no doubt dehydrated after losing so much blood.

Carefully lifting her shirt again, Dessa gently dabbed up the blood, and – without pressing or rubbing – cleaned off the dried bits with the damp cloth. It was still bleeding, but clearly attempting to clot and was doing more of a slow ooze than what she was sure had been an awful pouring when it first happened. “I’m no healer,” she said gently, “but I can patch you up until we get to Telgar. I’ll pay for you to visit a Healer there. You will likely need stiches and if I attempt you will have quite nasty scars when all is said and done.” Tilting her head, Dessa winked at the child. She had no doubt that the woman would fight tooth and nail against everything she’d just said, but she didn’t care. It was her duty to help and she was more than comfortable with money to pay for a Healer to help the girl. It wasn’t her fault she’d been robbed of what she had had!

“You can pay me back helping in my shop, if you wish.” She added, deciding to give the woman a way to keep her pride – which she clearly had a lot of – and it would mean Dessa could keep an eye on her until she was well and truly recovered. She refrained from asking where the woman was going, or why they were walking without guards, but instead decided it was time for introductions. “My name is Dessa,” she said gently, wrapping a bandage around the woman’s middle. “I own a small herb store in Telgar. My son-in-law bought it for me,” she couldn’t help the pride and affection in her voice there. She was so proud of her daughter, her husband, their boys! “They just had their second son,” she wasn’t babbling without reason, using the gentle words and the idle conversation to fill the void and relax the blonde as she fussed with bandaging her leg. “You definitely need stiches.” She added quietly.

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#8
Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit!

Like a runaway horse, this one was. Talkative, too. That wasn't supposed to happen. There was too much settling happening -- it put her off the water, so much so that after the first gulp she set it to the side, watching Dessa with some amount of trepidation as she began to sort through her options. Maybe Dessa hadn't meant it, but the offer had been poised like a threat. Onari hated having debts. She hated being trapped, and that's what this offer was. A horrendous trap.

But what else could she do?

She had a feeling when the wound was first inflicted; it was deep, severed most of her muscles on its treacherous path. Even if she somehow managed to bandage it, she wouldn't be able to walk properly for weeks. She could barely walk now. And the amount of traveling she'd done on it probably made the damage more severe.

Fuck.

They'd have to lie low somewhere until she healed. Maybe this woman's establishment was just that. She seemed sincerely kind. A bit verbose and at other times terse and sarcastic, but generous. She had stopped, after all. She'd offered more than just her services -- she'd offered a part of her life, sharing information that Onari wouldn't have dared, even with a friend. Open. Open was good. But it was also dangerous. Especially if she told other people in Telgar about her new employee.

This was too much to consider with a half-full mind. Her eyelids were heavy as she watched the woman for some time, a pregnant pause filling the gap of her last statement. Then, sense stumbled in. She shook her head, closed her eyes, tried to gather herself.

"Stitches," she repeated, word slurred. "That bad, huh?"

What the fuck was she talking about? She knew that already.

Nlani stepped up beside Dessa, staring into the open wound with a frown. "Will Mama be okay?"

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“Oh yes, child, I’m quite confident.” Especially once she got her to Telgar and seen to by an actual Healer. There was a building set up within the Hold for residents to go to when they needed a Healer but weren’t flush with the money to pay for a service. The Journeymen there were payed by an old Master, who also took care of making sure they had supplies and the like. She didn’t know where he got the money from and had always done her best to supply them with herbs and whatever spare Marks she had.

She supposed it was kind of manipulative of her not to tell the woman that she could see that particular Healer group for next to nothing – or even free, really – but she had a feeling that the pair would vanish into the night without a word, regardless of her need to rest and heal, if she didn’t feel she was bound to the spot for some reason. Working off a debt in the store that didn’t really exist would keep her settled until she was healed. Then Dessa could smile brightly and tell her the debt was paid and not have to worry about her injuring herself further in her travels. Maybe she could teach the child something of herbs while they were there?

Finishing wrapping the wound, Dessa stepped back and wiped her hands on her skirts, heedless of the blood and murky water she was leaving smeared there; her travelling gowns had certainly seen worse! “Are you okay to climb onto the cart yourself, dear, or would you like help?” The poor woman looked like she was about to collapse and lose consciousness and that slightly worried Dessa, but mostly because as strong as she was (which was a lot more than she looked) she wasn’t sure she could lift the dead weight of the other woman. “You can lie on those blankets there,” she nodded towards the blankets in question; they weren’t the best out there, but they were warm and sturdy and good for travelling with.

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There was no leaving this, was there?

Onari's movements were sluggish as she glanced into the cart, eyeing the blankets in question with a slight grimace. Not that she was put off by the fabric -- it was the best she'd had for a long while -- but the way her stomach swam at the sudden movement wasn't at all pleasant. Her head was frothy, and with a frown, she stumbled into a stand.

Nlani was there in an instant, tiny little hands grasping her waist. Onari's palm encapsulated the child's head.

"I can do it fine," she insisted, a slow blink punctuating her words. "Why don't you take the blankets, sweetpea? You haven't slept for a bit."

"Mom," Nlani whined.

"I can sleep up against the wall--" Onari urged, using what strength she had to carefully trundle into the back of the cart. It was by no means a graceful climb. She slipped once, bolstered only by the sudden presence of hands she felt at her back, before she collapsed into a heap near the blankets. She punctuated the landing with a slovenly grin, as if to say, See? I'm fine.

Nlani didn't look convinced in the slightest.

Onari's gaze swept to Dessa, and she craned her neck up slightly. "Thank you. This is extraordinarily kind."

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Dessa stood by protectively as the young woman scrambled herself onto the cart, her hands on her hips and her face an expression of patience. She had all the time in the world, and was quite content to let the blonde struggle her way in by herself if that was what she was determined to do. Not that Dessa wouldn’t’ have helped if she felt she was needed, but aside from stepping forward and hovering behind her new acquaintance when she stumbled in her progress, Dessa kept her hands to herself.

Lowering her gaze to the child as the mother settled herself, Dessa arched an eyebrow questioningly and smiled slightly. “Would you like to ride with your mother, or up front?” There was plenty of room for two adults on the driving bay, and Dessa would enjoy the company of a child. She missed the days her own girls were as bright eyed and full of attitude in such tiny bodies! (they still had bright eyes an attitude, but were much more adult sized now!) “I would enjoy the company,” she added gently, but didn’t press the child further.

Dessa turned back to the blonde as she spoke. “My dear,” Dessa said sadly. “There is nothing extraordinary about it.” Was her action kind? Certainly; was she going above and beyond what she thought people should do for one another? Definitely not! It saddened her, though, that she had some idea of the situation the young woman must have come from, to feel that being helped was Dessa going out of her way. Sighing softly, Dessa glanced at the girl to see where she wanted to ride, and then made her way to the front seat and picked up the reins.

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Nlani glanced between the two older women with a frown, her gaze finally settling on Onari, beseeching.

The look Onari gave back said only one thing -- it's up to you.

Maybe the child would've preferred to keep watch next to her mother, but in the end she seemed to figure the best course of action was to keep watch on the front lines, keep the other woman entertained. It broke Onari's heart that the girl could even calculate in such a way, but she understood implicitly. After all, her development had resulted in much the same aftermath. Nlani couldn't be any more than where her path led her.

Onari shifted toward the front herself as well, settling herself at the right side of the cart, back against the wall, hand reaching to grab the child's splayed fingers as she took her place next to Dessa.

Nlani glanced down, albeit briefly, to smile as she squeezed Onari's fingers.

Then, her attention turned abruptly to Dessa. "Mama didn't tell you her name when you asked," the child offered, voice saccharine. "She's Onari, and I'm Nlani."

Onari's eyes closed. Fuck. She should have prepped them with false ones.

Well, too late now.

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Dessa smiled slightly when the child climbed up beside her, and she could hear the woman making herself comfortable behind them. Glancing back to make sure she was settled, Dessa nodded once and then turned her attention forward again, giving the reins of the horse a gentle flick and they were off. The child’s gentle voice had Dessa glancing towards her with genuine interest, and her lips twitched in a small smile as the names were given.

“Well, it is wonderful to meet you, miss Nlani!” Dessa said, pleased to finally have names to go with both of their pretty faces. Dessa studied the child quietly from the corner of her eye, appearing to watch the path ahead of them as she thought. The child was no older than a handful of Turns, and her mother – while clearly haggard from the attack and travel – was not particularly old. Dessa decided they were no older than she when she’d had her first child, if the woman, Onari, were even that old.

Turning her gaze to the child, Dessa frowned at her sadly, deciding to prod, just a little. “Your papa not in the picture anymore?” She asked gently. Clearly the father was non-existent; no man she’d ever known would willingly let his wife and daughter travel alone, without a guard or at least a mount or cart to make the way easier – not even the lowliest of drudges travelled alone. Add to that the lack of carry-items, even though the pair had been robbed they should have had more than they did. Dessa’s assumptions immediately jumped to the father dying, and the woman and her child fleeing an arranged second marriage. She could certainly understand that train of thought.

Glancing over her shoulder at Onari again, Dessa supposed that the woman might well be a drudge herself. Perhaps whomever she worked for had decided her daughter was old enough to be relocated, and she’d stolen away with the child in the night to avoid being separated? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d seen or heard of such actions being taken. Dessa made a thoughtful sound under her breath and decided not to let her mind wander too much. She didn’t believe that the pair could bring any true danger down upon her door; after all, it wasn’t like either of them were big enough to cause harm to someone! Besides, so long as she nor her daughter were the offspring of someone of importance, the likelihood of them being sought after was low, right?

Giving herself a little shake to disrupt her zigzagging thoughts, Dessa tilted her head and peered down at the little girl. It had been so long since she’d had a child underfoot! “Nlani!” She said, her voice cheerful and with a twang of playfulness. “Have you played ‘I Spy’?”

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Written By: ZZZ Archived
#14
Maybe the woman had regretted her question, because as soon as she let it slip, she was already escaping it, trying to distract Nlani with a game.

The damage was already done, though. Nlani's face was directed toward her feet, her hand squeezing Onari's tighter.

There was no use explaining, at least yet. Not in front of the girl. But Onari's mind was already working, frothing over with ideas. Asking after a father was common, and it led to an alibi for their solitary travels. It wasn't uncommon in Pern, unfortunately, for men to act out in ways that left women in dire straits. Escape became necessary in those situations. Escape to places where no one knew who they were or where they were from.

Good. That could work.

"That sounds fun," Onari piped up, a soft squeeze of Nlani's fingers prompting the child to look at her. "Be a nice way to spend the time, huh?"

Nlani didn't appear all that enthused, but she seemed to know when she was being maneuvered. With a soft sigh, she glanced about at her environs, top row of teeth scraping against her bottom lip in contemplation.

"I spy with my little eye something, uhm," Nlani stumbled, head tilting. "Something purple."

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Written By: ZZZ Archived
#15
“Purple, aye?” Dessa asked, looking around thoughtfully. She hadn’t been blind to the prompting from the mother for her daughter to play, or the way in which everyone had gone silent and seemed to wall themselves off when she asked about the father. Well, nothing she could do about that but offer a kind home for her recovery.

Dessa was quite convinced by their actions and lack of words that something had occurred in their family life to send them fleeing. While she herself had never been abused, she’d heard gossip and certainly known those who were. Of course, being tossed aside by your husband’s father because you couldn’t produce an heir was an abuse all its own, in her opinion. But hardly important in the moment.

“How about those flowers over there,” she asked, pointing with one delicate hand, pointer finger extended, at the wild lavender that was growing off to the side. She was tempted to wander off in a spiel about the benefits of the flower and its properties, but refrained, smiling gently at the child as she waited for her response.

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#16
"You got it," Nlani answered, voice dulled and unenthused. Were Onari a proper mother, she would've chided her. But as it was, Onari couldn't help but empathize. It was clear the child was just as uncertain of all of this as she was. Sure, she was relieved to get "mother" help, but...

The child heaved a loud sigh after taking in a deep breath. "Your turn," she bade, eyes focused on the road ahead.

It went on like that for a while. To Onari, it felt like hours. Though her grasp on time at that juncture was tenuous at best. What with the pain and the delirium, ten minutes could feel like ten whole days. Either way, her ears listened to the game that droned on endlessly, child and older woman making guesses of things they observed on the road. To be frank, it wasn't a difficult game to surmount. The road itself was relatively empty and the plains felt more like flatland. What smattering of color that embellished the countryside was novel, easy to pick out, easy to realize that's what the "spy" was seeking out.

Eventually, however, Nlani felt herself drifting. Long after she'd shifted position into Onari's lap, still keeping the game going, even at a snail's pace, the girl eventually nodded off, head placed at the base of Onari's shoulder.

The kid's legs draped over her hip, and one heel was digging ever so slightly into her wound. It hurt, but not enough to make Onari consider disturbing her.

She and Dessa had sat in a terse silence for a while now, nothing but the clop of horse hooves and the rattling of the cart to fill their ears. Eventually, however, Onari's head lulled to the side, and she frowned.

"I really am grateful," she admitted, uncertain. "I'm sorry for being so short. I'm... kind of in a bad way, if you understand."

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Written By: ZZZ Archived
#17
Dessa kept up her enthusiasm and cheerfulness as she played the game with the child, doing her best to be enthusiastic and hopefully pull the little girl out of her shell. It wasn’t working, but Dessa was patient and she didn’t mind; it was clear the child had been through a lot, if not in life, than simply since her mother had been attacked. No one in their right mind could expect the child to be happy and full of beans while her mother was so injured and unwell.

When little Nlani fell asleep – Dessa had been watching her progress towards sleep with quiet amusement – the woman allowed the silence to tumble down around her and her injured companion without contempt. She enjoyed silence, and while it felt a little tight, it didn’t bother her, content to let Onari be alone with her thoughts; perhaps the woman would sleep. She’d certainly need the rest to help her begin to heal.

Turning her head at the sound of Onari’s voice, Dessa gazed down at the woman quietly, considering her and the words she’d spoken. “You are welcome,” Dessa said gently, not for the first time, her small smile bringing added warmth to the sincerity of her words. Brushing some strands of loose hair from her face, Dessa nodded once in confirmation of Onari’s explanation. “I understand,” she said gently, eyes sad but not prodding further. Glancing forward to make sure nothing had cropped up to cause issue to their travels – from potholes to robbers – Dessa shifted her seat and sat so she was turned more towards Onari. She didn’t speak for several moments.

“I have a small guest room where you and your daughter can stay.” She said, watching Onari’s face. “There is only one bed, so depending on how restless a sleeper she is,” she nodded at the child, eyebrows furrowing just slightly before her attention shifted back to Onari’s face. “I can set up a cot on the floor if it will be more comfortable for you.” Her wound certainly wouldn’t heal in a timely fashion if it was being beaten at night by a child’s wild dreaming.

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Written By: ZZZ Archived
#18
It was time for that lie.

Though, admittedly, staring into Dessa's delicate, sincere, ridiculously kind features, she couldn't help but feel a little pang of guilt.

But there was no need for it, right? She wasn't part of this woman's life. In short time, she and Nlani would be on their way. Their paths would diverge, and the two would be nothing more than an amusing memory for the woman in the future. Yet all the same...

"I have to warn you," the words trickled out of her mouth, stumbling and uncertain. The sort of words that seemed to wither only a few inches out. "I don't want to... bring my problems to your doorstep, as it were. My husband -- her father -- he wasn't... he's..." Her eyes closed and, drawing her shoulders back, she grit her teeth against the next sentence. "We had to get away from that."

When Onari's eyes fluttered open once more, she felt the unintended sting of fresh tears at her eyes. She hadn't meant to, but she had reached to something deep. It wasn't a bad touch for the deception, at least. It lent credence to her sense of desperation. "But I don't know if he's looking for us. That's why we're trying to keep moving. I wouldn't want to burden you with that. You've been so generous already."

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#19
“My dear,” Dessa said gently, smiling in a wry, kind of self-deprecating way. “I have dealt with angry men. He will not bother you while you are in my home.” There was an iron strength to her words that took what she said from simple statement to a threat. Dessa had spent too many years doing battle with her ex-husband’s father to be easily intimidated by whatever man it was that might come hunting for the injured woman and her child.

Of course, deceptively strong and resilient as Dessa knew she was, she also knew that if the man in question was truly determined, she herself wouldn’t prove much of a blockage to him obtaining his end goal. None-the-less, she would certainly make it harder and more time consuming than he would probably be interested in; that said, she wondered if he would be determined enough to follow them all the way to Telgar, from wherever Onari had started. Unless she caused him great insult, Dessa didn’t feel he’d give to a long chase. After all, Onari was just a woman and the child was just a girl. Neither of them was a sought after and oh so precious male heir.

Smiling just slightly, Dessa’s expression turned teasing. “What are your skills, Onari? We must find something for you do to occupy yourself when you are not sleeping to heal.” Dessa wouldn’t trust anyone but herself to do things such as the store accounting, but she was sure she could find something for the young mother to do to occupy herself and be of use. Sorting stock while sitting somewhere comfortable or dusting (once her wound was healed enough) would both be rather boring but functional tasks, but Dessa would rather have Onari doing something interesting, if she could find a task to thus suit her.

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#20
She was grateful for the lack of judgement. Though, perhaps that was the boon in relating with other women. Most of the time, they held the same frustrations she had. It made Onari wonder: What monsters had Dessa faced in her time to be so understanding?

Onari's heart slouched over. Hopefully nothing as harrowing as she'd seen in her short lifetime.

Drawing her eyes upward, Onari felt her mouth pulling into a frown. "I'm not educated," she admitted with an edge to her tone. "But, I'm not stupid. I understand things well. I've worked in a lot of different jobs and I can pick up on tasks taught to me very easily. My last job... well, before my husband required my staying at home, was working in a tavern. It's... you know, not the same as a shop, but similar in atmosphere."

The hair on the back of her neck flared. The enthusiasm with which she sold herself to Dessa, it was odd. Why was there such a need to impress her? Getting a job in her place was... well, it wasn't ideal. They couldn't stay in one place too long. Unless...

"Where did you say your shop was again?" she asked suddenly, head jolting upward. "Did you say it was in Telgar Weyr?"

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#21
Dessa nodded thoughtfully at Onari’s given information. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the young woman now, though she supposed if she were uneducated she certainly wasn’t going to be someone important enough to bring down a Lord on their heels. Even if she’d been a peasant that married a high-ranking man, he would have had her educated to at least read and write, probably. Dessa had found that most men didn’t want a well educated woman, but they didn’t want one that couldn’t hold her own when in the company of another man’s wife. Men were so ridiculous.

An eyebrow arched up slightly at Onari’s obvious eagerness regarding Telgar Weyr, though honestly that wasn’t really surprising. Many folks had migrated to the Weyr for the freedom their lifestyle seemed to offer. Or at least, the lack of outright judgement in many areas – such as having a child with no man present to take care of the mother. “Telgar Hold,” she said, emphasising the ‘hold’ part just slightly. “Though the dragonriders come down plenty.” She added thoughtfully, humming softly. “Though its only a short distance from there to the Weyr.”

Dessa turned and looked Onari over carefully, wondering if the young woman would vanish in the middle of the night to complete the journey to the Weyr. Though the journey between Hold and Weyr was not long, Dessa really didn’t want the her traveling on that injury. “Once you are healed, I will take you there myself, if you wish.”

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#22
What was her angle?

Onari hadn't met someone as generous as this in her entire life. To what extent did this benefit her? Onari and the kid were already taking up valuable space in her home, draining her resources. Now she wanted to safeguard their journey to the Weyr? Her gaze grew distant as she felt her hackles raise, defensive. It didn't sound horrible, but it was a lot at once.

One would argue too much. Onari couldn't understand what she was getting out of this.

Her arms wrapped more securely around the child, bringing her close. Her cheek rested atop the child's temple as she blinked once, bringing her back to the present. "Is it as safe as they say?" she asked quietly, eyes flickering up toward's Dessa's again, uncertain. "There was a woman I knew of once, told me how safe the Weyrs were. That's why it was the first place I thought to run to. Does that sound dumb?"

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#23
“No,” Dessa murmured, answering Onari’s second question before she went back and tackled the first. She shook her head. “It is not dumb.” Everyone wanted to be safe and secure, Dessa could understand that. Anyone who couldn’t understand that was either incredibly stupid, or a man. Dessa snorted softly to herself, and glanced back at Onari, smiling just slightly at the way the woman had the child wrapped up securely and pulled snug to her.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, shrugging one shoulder gracefully. “I’ve never been.” She hadn’t actually had any reason to go up to the Weyr, and Dessa wasn’t really inclined to do things when she didn’t have a reason to do them. Travelling to the Weyr could be done to take herbs up there, or to deliver the young woman and her child, but going just because she was curious was… well, it wasn’t in Dessa’s nature.

“The dragonriders I’ve met have been polite,” she said, considering her few communications with the men in question. Of course, being polite in public didn’t mean squat. To counter that, though, Dessa wondered if dragons would choose a human who was… less than humane? Eh, of course they would. Dragons – she assumed – were as wide in personality as their human counter parts. If there were good dragons and good riders, there were bound to be the nasty ones as well. That’s just how the world worked.

Glancing at Onari thoughtfully, Dessa added: “I haven’t met any of their womenfolk.” Women on dragons seemed to be as ridiculously rare as women in the Crafting Halls. Of course, there were the goldriders – everyone knew they were all women – but Dessa didn’t think she’d ever seen one, even from a distance, in Telgar Hold. She wondered if they were locked in the Weyr and not allowed out, or if they just didn’t fancy traveling to the Hold when they could send minions to do their tasks?

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#24
She hadn't met the womenfolk either.

Something about her tone had Onari on edge. It wasn't purposeful, but it felt familiar. Too familiar. It wasn't as if it were possible, but like always attracted like. Wasn't that natural? To be drawn to people who were most like you, even if they didn't know it? That magnetism, that cosmic sort of serendipity, it shimmered through her muscles like a chill. She flexed her fingers against it, glancing away briefly. She felt her cheeks heat.

It was better to keep the topic diverted.

Eyes still toward the other end of the cart, she spoke again. "I've never seen a dragon. Much less a dragonrider," she admitted. "I haven't seen a lot of things, really. We really lived in a place that was like nowhere. Places where you know every single person in your village. I don't know what it's like to be somewhere big."

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#25
Dessa smiled slightly at Onari’s admittance, and nodded slightly. “I’ve been in such places,” she responded quietly, turning her gaze back towards the road and guiding the plodding horse around a pothole that seemed to spring out of the ground to try and snare them. “I enjoy the anonymity of Telgar,” she smiled, and glanced back at her companions, “though there are regular customers who pop by, sometimes just to say hi!” Some of them were elderly, and seemed to be lonely from what Dessa had determined. Forgotten by their offspring and outliving their friends. The thought made her eyebrows draw down together. Growing old was a frightful thought.

“But it is rare to see someone who will actively recognise you, when out and about.” Most people, Dessa had found, tended to look right through you, even when they knew you. She wasn’t sure if they were offering a kind of privacy so that one might go about their life outside the store, or if they were simply so wrapped up int heir own tasks that they legitimately didn’t see her. She supposed, thinking about it, it was probably both. After all, hadn’t she avoided looking at people so as to not invite conversation? Hadn’t she been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she’d glided past people she knew? (she wasn’t sure, but probability said yes.)

“I think you and your daughter will be quite safe,” she said, turning to look at Onari again, her expression thoughtful. Big places were good places, when it came to blending in and not being missed.

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#26
Maybe she was on to something. The enthusiasm by which Dessa attempted to sell the Telgar Hold to her was telling, in a way. Maybe the woman had a truly altruistic heart after all. It wasn't something Onari was all that used to. There had been those few, shining exceptions but...

Onari's eyes flickered up to Dessa's.

There was something there. Distant, maybe, but tangible all the same. A sort of caring that felt familiar to Onari in a way that made her shoulders draw back to resist against another chill. Maybe she was worth trusting. Maybe, just maybe, Dessa was Onari's chance to do what she set out to do. Admittedly, it was a lot to bank on a single person. But Onari's instincts were hardly ever wrong, and she could feel... something... when looking back into Dessa's glowing, kindly gaze.

"Do you think," the girl started, shifting the child carefully in her lap so not to wake her as she leaned forward. "this is the kind of place... you know... where you can just... start over?"

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#27
Dessa smiled at Onari’s hesitant question, the way the words were chopped into little sections with telling pauses. Hesitation, she decided, rather than a lack of knowing what she was asking. Onari hadn’t yet struck her as the type of woman who would speak without thinking through what it was she was going to be saying. The child seemed a little more inspired by the moment, but such was the way of children and Dessa found it completely charming. You simply never knew what was going to come out of a child’s mouth, and while sometimes it was definitely rude, it was almost always hilarious in some form or another.

“I fail to see why not,” Dessa said, though her tone was thoughtful. She smiled at Onari, rather charmed by her enthusiastic displayed as she asked her question. Was Telgar Weyr a place they could truly start over, regardless of whatever had caused them to flee their previous life? As she’d said, Dessa didn’t see why not; it was exactly what she had done and while she hadn’t fled her husband because of the abuse Onari had implied, she’d certainly fled him. Perhaps she’d share that much with the young woman… “I did,” she said gently, glancing at Onari briefly before settling her gaze back on the road. Her personal walls shooting back up after revealing just that much.

Dessa wasn’t prone to sharing her personal life with others, and certainly had not been in a position since she was quite young to actually have someone she felt comfortable confiding in; Dessa couldn’t remember the last time she’d had someone she would call a close friend. Eyebrows furrowed, she focused on the road, though her attention was focused on Onari, listening intently for what she might say or do.

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Written By: ZZZ Archived
#28
Onari recognized that vague slip. Don't dig deeper, it said, and Onari was well acquainted with decorum enough to know better than to pry. Everyone had their secrets. If they were meant to be known, then they would be. But what little Dessa had allowed to slip was bolstering enough. It was possible to start over, because she'd done it. If she'd done it, then many others before her had done so too.

It would just be a matter of time and a matter of resources.

Maybe this run in had been more of a blessing than Onari had realized. Perhaps she could extend this employment in Dessa's shop for the long term. Maybe she'd be able to afford lodging for her and her daughter. Maybe she'd be able to give Nlani the life she deserved. The one she never got to have for herself.

That's what mothers were supposed to do, right?

Absently, her arms wrapped tighter about Nlani's prone, sleeping form. She planted a kiss on the girl's temple, and the child shifted into her, grumbling in her slumber.

"Thank you, Dessa," she murmured. "Really. Thank you. I don't know how I'll ever pay you back for this. But I'll try."

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