27.Aug.12, 01:56 AM
"You aren't?" her voice was light, lilting, belying her confusion. She considered Talian a peer, certainly, for all that he was of Master equivalent. "I suppose not, given that you're a Master, and I just made Journeywoman a few Turns ago. Still, we're close enough it was a rather nice thought." It would have been nice- and would be, when she managed to wriggle her way past his barriers- to be his friend. Tal was a smart fellow, and she had heard nothing to make her dislike her. That, mixed with Krypth's overwhelming approval and the fact that he had saved her life put him high on her priority list for friendship...
Her mind roiled with thoughts of the day, and what a tragedy it had been. It was times like this, more than any, that she wondered what her life could have been like if she had chosen a different path. As a child she had contemplated being a Healer instead of a Harper, but sometimes people just knew what they were born to be. She had been a teacher, even as a child. And Cerisa had been a Healer, so it would have been no better than it had been at Harper Hall. Little sister of 'X' person,m following in her siblings footsteps. She probably would have been a mindhealer, given her traits, if she could have handled the pressure.
'What could have Beens' would make a body ill. Daydreams and fancies did little enough for a person in the long run that they really only made it worse. It didn't stop her from trying, from dreaming about it. She could have gone home. Could have tried for her Mastery. Could have met a handsome young man, given herself to him, gotten married, gotten a child. She could have lived her entire life a happy person, in her pre-planned, pre-packaged destiny. Could have gone her entire life without knowing that the Dragons still lived. Without knowing that one day they would rise again to defend Pern.
"I didn't think she had," his voice was thin, gentle. "It's my understanding that dragons don't harm humans."
Jada lifted her head, gave him a faint smile, a nod of confirmation. that was what she'd been told, too... but it was the dragon riders who were doing the hurting. Ahh, that wasn't a fair assessment either, however true. Jada could have suffered through the dream of Thread-ravaged Pern, without the hope of waking up. Krypth may have found someone else. She may not have. The Gold may have gone Between seeking that which was too far away to reach. How much of it was 'Meant to Be'?
The Harper blinked at Talian's apparent panic and reached out with her hand, unthinking, ignoring the pain that shot through her wrist. The Healer was drawing away from her, sinking into his sheets like a frightened child, and she didn't understand why. Surely after so long he didn't think no one had heard about it? "I think everyone knows," she told him gently, pausing before she touched him. "Look, I just wanted to say that... I mean, whatever caused it, you have options. People you can talk to? But you know that- B;jin is so close to you... No one wants to see it happen again. People care about you."
She gave him a wry smile. "Even I'm here, for all the good it does you. You're always patching me up- I can return the favor. If there is anything I can do for you..."
Her mind roiled with thoughts of the day, and what a tragedy it had been. It was times like this, more than any, that she wondered what her life could have been like if she had chosen a different path. As a child she had contemplated being a Healer instead of a Harper, but sometimes people just knew what they were born to be. She had been a teacher, even as a child. And Cerisa had been a Healer, so it would have been no better than it had been at Harper Hall. Little sister of 'X' person,m following in her siblings footsteps. She probably would have been a mindhealer, given her traits, if she could have handled the pressure.
'What could have Beens' would make a body ill. Daydreams and fancies did little enough for a person in the long run that they really only made it worse. It didn't stop her from trying, from dreaming about it. She could have gone home. Could have tried for her Mastery. Could have met a handsome young man, given herself to him, gotten married, gotten a child. She could have lived her entire life a happy person, in her pre-planned, pre-packaged destiny. Could have gone her entire life without knowing that the Dragons still lived. Without knowing that one day they would rise again to defend Pern.
"I didn't think she had," his voice was thin, gentle. "It's my understanding that dragons don't harm humans."
Jada lifted her head, gave him a faint smile, a nod of confirmation. that was what she'd been told, too... but it was the dragon riders who were doing the hurting. Ahh, that wasn't a fair assessment either, however true. Jada could have suffered through the dream of Thread-ravaged Pern, without the hope of waking up. Krypth may have found someone else. She may not have. The Gold may have gone Between seeking that which was too far away to reach. How much of it was 'Meant to Be'?
The Harper blinked at Talian's apparent panic and reached out with her hand, unthinking, ignoring the pain that shot through her wrist. The Healer was drawing away from her, sinking into his sheets like a frightened child, and she didn't understand why. Surely after so long he didn't think no one had heard about it? "I think everyone knows," she told him gently, pausing before she touched him. "Look, I just wanted to say that... I mean, whatever caused it, you have options. People you can talk to? But you know that- B;jin is so close to you... No one wants to see it happen again. People care about you."
She gave him a wry smile. "Even I'm here, for all the good it does you. You're always patching me up- I can return the favor. If there is anything I can do for you..."