Refuge (For Dreamer)

[iradial]

Weyrlife was not what she imagined it to be, although a cooler climate probably would have helped; The South was unbearably hot and the fact that Nerilan was used to much colder weather made it all the worse. Already her pallid skin was reddened from sun exposure; luckily, most of the chores she was assigned to were indoors. She was not suited for the tropical climate; she hoped she would adjust. To add to her problems, Nerilan knew not a soul here and, as it turned out, she had no interpersonal skills. People at the weyr were so... different than the holders she knew. She wasn't sure how to talk to them.

Fortunately, Nerilan found solace in the kitchens. Although it was just as uncomfortably hot, it was a familiar environment; Nerilan could immerse herself in her work and forget about her troubles. The buzz of conversation and the smells that constantly hung over the kitchen were pleasurable to the senses, allowing her to relax.

Her gaze flickered to the left, resting on the pot she had begun to fill with the tubers she had already cleaned and skinned; eyes drifting over to the right towards the tubers she had yet to skin, she noted that she still had much more work to do--not that she minded. Snatching another one up from the pile and bouncing it a few times in her palm for amusements sake, Nerilan washed the dirt off of the tuber, then began peeling it with quick knife strokes.

[TheDreamerLady]

Hysiae enjoyed working in the kitchens. Kitchens, with large sharp objects, and big fires usually meant no children. Kitchens also always smelled good, had friendly women, and was one place that she rarely needed to bring down the staff of punishment onto. People who worked in the kitchen almost always had a vocation, or were candidates to afraid to anger anyone. Kitchens were a pleasant place, all in all.

And when she spotted a problem, Hysiae was already working to fix it, before she realized she'd spotted it. Nothing was to mar the peace of her kitchen, and certainly not a sick girl, who looked like she might faint.

"You're flushed." She said to the girl who had to be a candidate, her hands automatically taking another knife to work on the tubers. "Are you feeling quite alright?"

[iradial]

As she was working, she heard someone approach. However, she thought nothing of it, expecting the woman to simply pass by or to stop, get what she needed, then flit off without a word to her. But when the footsteps stopped, Nerilan peered up from her work and found herself looking up at an older woman, who had taken up a second knife to help her with the tubers. At the woman's words, Nerilan sent her a quizzical look. Flushed?

"I feel just fine," she assured the lady, slightly confused. She then realized the older woman was speaking about her sunburn, and held back a chuckle. I would have thought a woman of the south, assuming she has been here for a while, would know a sunburn when she saw one. That was what Nerilan thought, but to say that aloud would be terribly rude. So instead, the young woman meekly replied, "It's just a mild sunburn." She could have added that her skin was sensitive and that she was new and unaccustomed to the sweltering heat, and that so far she hated it here, but she kept her thoughts to herself. No point in boring the woman with her chatter, or giving her other reasons to disapprove of her.

[TheDreamerLady]

Sunburn? Hysiae's eyes narrowed for a second, then widened in recognition of the affliction. It was something the Riders and spare population of Igen knew and understood. It, if she remembered correctly, occurred here, where the sun was harsh, and on sunny days when the snow reflected brightly.

"You should speak to one of the Healers." Hysiae said clearly, dumping the outer shells of the tubers into a woven basket that would be left outside in the compost later. "They have some sort of cream that makes it harder to receive a sunburn."

Several tubers later, Hysiae actually made an effort to speak, merely because she couldn't justify simply peeling tubers unless it had another motivation, and getting to know a candidate was reason enough.

"What should I call you?"

[iradial]

Nerilan nodded and resumed working, hiding her relief; a cream that would protect her from the sun would be a blessing, for the burns were terribly uncomfortable, itchy but painful to the touch, and they made her stay here all the more unpleasant. Though, Nerilan was not sure where to find a healer, having no knowledge of where the infirmary was; none of her chores had required her to go there just yet. "Where is the infirmary?" she inquired meekly, embarrassed at having to ask.

She continued skinning the tubers, and a silence hung over the two as they worked. But after a while, the woman spoke, asking, "What should I call you?"

Formally, Nerilan replied, "You many call me Nerilan," and fell silent again, unsure of how to continue. She opened her mouth to try and say something, something interesting that would strike up a good conversation, but nothing came to mind, and there was the possibility that the woman might be peeved at conversations in the kitchens. She floundered awkwardly there for a moment, then closed her mouth and ducked her head to continue working.

((sorry it took so long. T_T graaaaah.))

[TheDreamerLady]

"Infirmary is located on the other side of the lake, down the first hall to the left. Just tell them you need the sun lotion." Hysiae said with a hint of a smile. She herself, with fair skin, and a need for authority that peeling skin might disrupt used a midge more than her own fair share of the cream.

"If you haven't lived in a warm place like this, you should also ask about tips for living here. It does make it easier." Hysiae added after a few more tubers were completed. Only a few seconds after that, she put her knife down, sighed, and wiped her knife and hands off with a handy rag.

"It was nice meeting you, Nerilan." Hysiae didn't think to introduce herself, as she'd grown to expect people would know her on sight, what with being the Headwoman and all.

"But I must be off. Work to do." And with a swish of brown skirt, and a smile, the Headwoman was off.

(Want to try this again with a different one of my characters? R'ko perhaps?)

[iradial]

Nerilan nodded again, almost mechanically; she noted that she had been doing a lot of nodding since she had come to the weyr. Of course, she always nodded when people were telling her something, and since so many people were telling her this and that at the weyr... it was a wonder she had not strained her neck yet. While listening to Hysiae's advice, Nerilan pictured herself listening to one of the healers at the infirmary, head bobbing up and down wildly as the healer listed tip after tip about hotter climate. Nerilan frowned lightly. She must look like a dimglow. Shaffit.

Nerilan peered up at the older woman, waiting for her to name herself. No introduction came, and she swept up her skirts and strode off with a quick farewell, and was off doing whatever she had to do. The woman watched her go and sighed, then resumed skinning the tubers. Nice to meet you to...

((A thread with R'ko sounds good! :] ))