A Harvest of Tubers (Adobe)

[E]

It was mid-afternoon and as usual the Southern sun refused to let anyone walk across the stone courtyard without realizing it. The wind, blowing up from the cove, gave respite at least as it brushed against the sweaty backs of the four boys unloading yet another wagon. No, it had been a few turns since Star Hold’s original children could be considered boys. They were young men now and it was becoming more obvious with each harvest.

Chedest caught another homespun bag stuffed full of tubers. Bending his knees to help absorb the shock of the heavy crop, he turned and added it to the pile that they would later divvy up between Hold and Weyr before moving it into the store rooms. Turning back, he spotted his brother Risran wiping his brow beside him before catching his next bag.

“How many more is up there?” he finally turned up to ask the two other young men who were dropping the bags to them from the high wagon.

“Not too many. Maybe another two or three dozen.” It was a blonde haired youth who spoke as he heaved up yet another bag and dropped it the few feet into Chedest’s waiting arms. The blonde was not envious of the brunette having to catch the heavy d**n things. There was an obvious size difference between the two, thus the arrangement.

Nodding, Chedest added that bag to the pile while Risran took his turn catching from the other boy in the wagon.

[Adobe]

It should have been a simple task for Nashira. She was to fetch her mother's good needles and bring them directly back to the older woman. Since her mother helped out the Headwoman, Amalira was usually all over the place. Nashira came back to her place in the courtyard and her mother was gone.

Amala came up next to her sister and with a smirk replied, "How convenient. Next time we should tie her up so we know she'll be there when we get back." The fourteen-year-old waited for her sister's scolding remarks, but they never came. What was wrong with Nashira. She looked up suspiciously at her sister and prompted, "This is the part where you say, 'Ama, that's no way to talk about your mother. You'll shame the family.' Nashira, what are you looking at? Oh."

Nashira saw the boys unloading the cart. She had noticed them before, but in the last turn or so, they had grown into young men. And she had grown into a young woman. Naturally, young men and women notice eachother, and Nashira was no exception to the rule. She had grown a tender spot for one young man in particular. She had seen him since they were children, but she couldn't remember ever saying anything to him in turns. Probably no more than hello, she couldn't bring herself to speak in his presence. She was brought away from her daydreaming by a peal of laughter, the distinct chiming of her sister.

Amala grinned, "Oh, Chedest has filled out nicely since we last saw him, hasn't he? Mm, Nashira look at his arms, how well defined! And that face! I prefer a little more definition but he's a looker." She gave a horrified Nashira a nudge, "Why don't we go say hi?"

Nashira was blushing now, her eyes wide at the terribleness of her younger sister, "You wouldn't. You couldn't. He wouldn't remember me."

"Heh, I'm sure he would. Maybe you weren't good friends in the last how many turns, but sister, you are kinda pretty, in a shy woman way. Although, maybe you are right, maybe you are forgettable. How bout we find out?" "Ama, no-" But her protest was too late, as the younger girl shouted across the busy square, "Hey Chedest! How goes the harvest?"

[E]

Catching another home-spun sack, Chedest heard his own name reach his ears. Turning, he looked around to find the voice in the girl Amala. Setting down the sack on the pile, he glanced back into the wagon. There were only a handful of sacks left.

“It goes well enough Amala. The better it goes the more work we end up with and I swear there was more work this year.” he shouted back across the courtyard. Feeling Risran move beside him, Chedest turned around in time to catch yet another sack and add it to the pile before turning back to the younger girl.

Shading his eyes, he caught sight of who was standing next to her. Chedest was well enough with names, especially since the Hold was still growing. After all, the children of Star Hold were a closely knit bunch growing up. The farmer boy seen Amala enough around the Hall that he instantly recognized the resemblance in her older sister next to her.

Nashira. Thinking back, Chedest was surprised to find that he could not remember exactly the last time he had spoken with the girl from his childhood. If there was an obvious difference in Chedest from when he was a boy, there was a similar difference in Nashira and it did not go unnoticed.

“And what are you and Nashira up to, Amala? I hope you’ve something good over the hearth this afternoon, we missed lunch loading this last wagon.”

[Adobe]

When Chedest awknowledged them, Amala's grin grew wider and Nashira's blush grew deeper. Amala took her sister's dress sleeve and dragged her sister across the courtyard, trying to avoid people in their passing. Nashira could not explain her extrordinary shyness and embarassment, only that it was there. Nashira looked down at first, then found her eyes wandering up. The older girl smiled softly.

Amala clapped her hands, "Of course! You must be hungry, what, with toiling in the sun all day. Did you know Nashira is a good cook? I'm pretty good myself, though Nashira does well as we can expect." She nudged her sister, teasing. Of course she wasn't lying, though in her opinion, Ama was the better cook. "You will come and eat with us then? That would be lovely. Wouldn't it, Nashira?"

Nashira nodded and spoke softly, "Yes, yes it would." What else could she say, 'gee, Chedest, you've grown up nicely.' Hardly. That would make her seem like all she noticed was his firm, young, body, with those, nice, strong muscles. She blinked away her infatuous thoughts when with horror she heard her sister say:

"Wow, Chedest, you've grown up! I suppose my sister and I have too, it's been a while since I've been 4 and we used to play all day, you know. Nashira's nineteen turns old already! Wow." Amala was clearly enjoying all of this, and in Nashira's mind, the girl was enjoying it way too much.

[E]

Chedest watched the two sisters make their way across the court yard, his eyes finding their way to Nashira more than was probably necessary. He noticed the blush on her face and it made him tilt his head a little confused, though a glance over to her sisters wide grin left him with no hint as to what was going on.

“Well I certainly would not turn down an offer of food.” he said with a smile, once again his eyes lingering on Nashira. She had never struck him as a very outgoing sort of girl and while it was never a bad thing, it made the whole situation a little surprising.

“Yo, Chedest, we aren’t done yet.” The blonde said impatiently from the wagon, though a glance up at him would tell any onlooker that he was enjoying the view from his position. Dropping the bag a little more roughly than usual, he smiled at the ladies. He could read their reactions better than Chedest and couldn’t help but want to nudge this friend along. “Sorry ladies my lunch is already called for so I hope Chedest will be enough to satisfy you.”

Catching the sack, Chedest glared up at the blonde. “You’re not done yet.” He said simply. The blonde laughed before turning around to grab another bag.

[Adobe]

Amala was triumphant! She both made her sister face her endearing crush, and she got Chedest to come over for lunch. That meant that Amala would be cooking, not Nashira. Ama couldn't allow her sister to step into the kitchen-the poor girl wasn't bad, but she wasn't a prodigy, not like Amala! However, the younger girl would let Chedest think it was Nashira's cooking, or maybe, she could cook and let her sister entertain! How delicious!

Amala said softly, "I bet you like fish, don't you?" She smiled for a moment thinking of what to make. She watched them a bag down. She continued a normally, "They are easier to get than herdbeast about now, so I can cook that. Bread was just baked this morning. Wasn't it, Nashira?"

"Yes," Nashira gazed at her sister and wondered what the younger girl thought she was doing.

Amala continued on excitedly then, "You heard the dragonriders moved into their great mountain then? I did, that's what the other kids are buzzing about. They say they'll come here first to look for candidates. I guess that's why we were brought down here in the first place. Not that I recal, since I was 2. What do you think of dragonriding, Chedest? Doesn't it sound exciting?"

[E]

Chedest listened to the younger girl rattle on about food with a half smile on his face as he continued to work. He didn’t understand why she was making such a big fuss over it, honestly he was not a picky eater. Did the girls – another glance at Nashira had him correcting himself – Did the young ladies really have nothing better to do than to worry about what to cook for lunch? Well he wasn’t going to complain… Amala was certainly making his stomach growl at the sound of a warm meal.

Putting down the last bag of tubers onto the pile, he helped gate the back of the wagon before finally clapping his hands together as he turned to face the ladies in hopes that most of the dust would fall off. “I had heard that they had come. In fact I have been hearing it all season what with the adults pushing to have a large harvest this year so we can send our contribution to the store caverns at the Weyr.”

Chedest watched his brother Risran sit down on the edge of the pile of tuber bags, making sure that the man was not overly tired. Everything seemed okay so he turned back to the ladies. “Candidates? You know, a few turns ago that might have been the first thing on my mind. Even so, how do you know that they did not bring some with them already? I don’t know… I guess I just wouldn’t put all of my eggs into one basket, Amala.”

Glancing over to Nashira, he gave her a friendly smile. “Were you hoping to be searched as well Nashira? The two of you would certainly be at the prime age to be searched if a queen egg was clutched.”

Another grumble from his stomach had Chedest looking down at it for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Let’s go get that food shall we?” he asked the ladies before turning to find Risran already handing him his loose black shirt he had taken off earlier. “Thanks Risran.” Shrugging it on, he paused for a moment in realization “Say, it’s okay if Risran eats with us too right?”

A slight frown came over Chedest’s lips – he didn’t want to impose, but he didn’t want to leave Risran to find his own food even though that would have been one thing the young man was capable of.



_{(((Sorry it had taken me a few days to get back. I was called to dog/house sit for some people so I was without much internet access over the weekend and had an exam this morning. BUT I should be back in the swing of things now. ^_^)))}

[Adobe]

"Why do you think they sent us back in time if they didn't have candidates? I think it's our duty to stand." Amala gave him a playful wink, "See? Brilliant and beautiful. I am a gift to Pern."

It was almost hard for Nashira to concentrate on her sister's silly prattle as she watched the young men work, though finally they were done. She looked away in case any one would notice her staring. She couldn't help it. More and more boys were on her mind, especially right now, especially with Chedest right in front of her.

"Oh, me, stand? Of course if they ask me I will. Though I am not sure I'd be any more suited for a life of dragonriding as the next person. I think living at the Weyr would be interesting." Nashira was much to humble to voice her desires to ride. She wanted more than anything to have a companion who read her mind at her side. Of course, there were many things to consider when riding. Thread was very much a threat-and the reason they were back here. Saved perhaps from a fate of plague, only to thrown into threadfall. She was braver than people gave her credit for, she would do fight if she was called upon. However, for now she was content was learning and the prospect of raising a family. She shrugged, "I'd be happy enough settling down and having children. One moment could change all of that, too. I am open to anything."

"Risran is always welcome, Chedest," Amala smiled and then started to walk away, "Come, we can get something to eat. Hey Risran, how are ya?" Amala shot a look over her shoulder to Nashira and Chedest.

[E]

Chedest could not help but laugh and shake his head at Amala’s remark of being a gift to Pern. She sounded nearly as thingyy as some of the young men in the fields. After all, there was not a single one of them who would impress anything lower than a big bronze. Buttoning up his shirt, he gave his attention over to Nashira as she answered his question.
“I don’t see what sort of quality would be needed to make one person better at riding than the next. Besides, from everything I understand it’s the dragon that’s got all the hard work to do.” Giving Nashira a smile he continued, “What with flying and betweening and chewing the firestone. Why, from the looks of things the riders are simply that – along for the ride.”

Risran had been off in his own little world until his brother spoke his name. Obviously listening carefully, he stood up with a smile when he heard his name and welcome in the same sentence. Following the younger of the two sisters, he nodded to her happily. “Risran is good.” He said simply. While he was a dimglow, he was not the worst case to live on Pern. As long as things were kept simple, he was able to keep up well enough. His memory was surprisingly pretty good, it was expressing himself he had more problems with. Even so, he was better at names than most people. “Amala is good?”

Watching Amala and Risran make their way toward the Hold, Chedest waited for Nashira to follow before falling into step beside her. He didn’t think of it as so much escorting the young lady as he considered the placement a good one to continue the conversation and keep an eye on Risran. “Children, Nashira?” Chedest said half jokingly. “You won’t be having many of those if you were ever searched. I don’t think riders get pregnant.”

[Adobe]

"I suppose," Nashira said thoughtfully, because if he was right, then why shouldn't she be a rider? That opened new doors to her that she previously thought would not budge. If she could be a rider, what color would she ride? Of course, she had no choice in this, but it was fun to fantasize. If she was a rider, she wouldn't be held down by family obligations, and up until this point, family had been her life. Not that anything was wrong with that. She would be a warrior, she would be looked up to, by some, at least, and most importantly, she'd have a companion for life. She'd never be alone, and she'd never be lonely. She'd had to leave all that she knew here, her life here would cease once she went to the Weyr. Nashira was brave, she could deal. Besides, a new life was kind of exciting.

Nashira looked sideways at Chedest, "Would you want to go along for the ride? Or would you want to stay here, at Star?" Maybe he desired just to stay and grow food and children. It was a life she more or less assumed she would continue. That life was good, it was sturdy, but dragons were fascinating. Not to mention, dragons provided a title, a rank, something else that interested her now more than as a child. Right now, Nashira had nothing, she was just another girl, nothing to offer, but as a rider, well, she could only imagine that must make a difference in how people saw you. Yet, some where she wanted Chedest's reassurance in one direction or another.

Amala smiled kindly at Risran, "Good to hear. And you're a pretty good helper today, I see. I'm doing well, I am learning how to be a cook now, isn't that fun, Risran? You'll eat my food, won't you?" Amala was gifted with multitasking, she was trying to keep Risran talking with her and trying to eavesdrop on her poor shy sister.

There was a damper on her plans to be a rider. Chedest said that riders didn't get pregnant. Well, Nashira wasn't stupid, but she hadn't heard of many girls on dragons these days, either. And Nashira was pretty sure one day she wanted children.

"They don't? Well, now I have something to think about. Where can I hide when the searchriders come?" Nashira teased him. Maybe she didn't want to be a dragonrider, why did her future have to be forked so? To be a happy mother or a happy dragonrider, and it was not her choice at all! "Oh well, then, who says I would be picked over any one else. I could be incredibly happy here. Are you still content with hold life? My brothers are eager to be searched. I think Amala is too."

To which the younger girl looked over her shoulder and stuck out her tongue, "And why shouldn't I be? What dragon would not want such a beautiful and smart girl as myself? I shall charm the Weyrwoman's dragon away and make the gold my own upon our first meeting. And that is why I am eager, sister."

"You jest, surely!" Nashira's eyes lit up, she didn't think her thingyy confidence/humor were flattering on a girl, and certainly not appealing to those with rank. Some one might take Amala seriously.

"Of course I am jesting, Nashira, you do not think it's really possible to Impress an already Impressed dragon, do you? I mean, if it is, when is the next wagon train going to the Weyr?" Amala joked, and then she turned to Risran, "Do you like fish to eat, my kind gentleman? I shall make the best fish you have ever eaten."

[E]

Chedest looked forward again, a thoughtful look on his face as he stared at the air between himself and Risran. To be honest he had never given much thought to the idea of dragon riding since he began working in the fields with his brothers. Yet here he was, with the very obvious fact that Nova Weyr was not inhabited. They had worked hard this turn as proof that they would be sending their very first Tithe train to the Weyr within the sevenday. It was now very real that dragons were among them once again – and not just the little lizards that had become popular around Star Hold.

Chedest was never one to complain about his lot in life, in fact he was quite happy and content with his family and working in the fields. Yet when the topic of Dragons comes up, it leaves every person on Pern asking the “what if’s” as the hold boy was now asking himself. What if he was invited to stand? What if he did impress? Could he ride one of those magnificent beasts and protect Pern from Thread? Wasn’t that what they had all been brought back to do? To support the future Weyrs? To strengthen them?

“You know Nashira, It has been a while since I gave serious thought to the matter. I think Amala is right though. We were brought back in time to Star Hold for a reason. To support the Weyr who will, in turn, support the Weyr’s we left in the future. If I were asked to stand, it would be my duty to accept.” He paused, turning the next thought over in his head. “I do not know if I would wish to impress or not, though. There would be a lot I’d be leaving behind for a future I’d know nothing about.” As he spoke this last part, he gazed contently at Risran before turning his attention back to Nashira, his eyes softer and more thoughtful than they had been earlier.

“Amala cooks? Risran will tell good food or bad.” Risran replied happily to the younger sister in his own way of offering his opinion on her cooking. To add to the reply, he lifted a large hand and rubbed his stomach as if he was already telling her the food was delicious.

Hearing Nashira’s reply to his statement about children, Chedest laughed whole heartedly. A smile spread wide across his face as the conversation continued between sisters. “Ah well that settles it Nashira.” He finally added his voice to the fray. “You’ll have to go simply to keep an eye on your sister and make sure she is stealing no queens attentions.”

Laughing again, he patted Nashira lightly on the shoulder before giving her a wink. “Now I wonder what Amala would say when you impress the gold right out from under her own nose.” Hearing the comment of fish, he looked at Risran and laughed as he found the man already nodding vigorously. “Oh I think fish would be perfect, it is Risran’s favorite next to sweetened Klah and bubbly pies.”

[Adobe]

Nashira nodded, "I suppose you are right, Chedest. Who am I to refuse a dragon?" She laughed, "I've never really seen a dragon, or I should say the last time I saw one was really little. I don't remember how big they are! If they are too huge, I imagine I'd go with them with out a word! Though, I suppose you could make a comfortable life at the Weyr. We are young enough to adapt, if we are chosen, that is."

If Chedest were going to be there, it made her feel a little better. People she knew always made her transitions a little easier. Like when they moved to Southern in the first place, she was very attatched to her younger siblings. She followed his gaze to Risran, and felt a drop in her stomach. If Amala were searched, at least they could go together, but Chesdest would loose his brother. She didn't know what that'd be like. She was seven turns old when they left her two eldest brothers. She actually hadn't even known them since one was a weyrling and the other was an apprentice. She looked back at her sister giggling with Risran.

"Good, because I need your honest opinion. I want to be the greatest cook that Pern has ever seen!" Amala smiled to the boy, though her next words were more meant for the other two behind her, "Unless of course I find something better to do, like dragonriding."

Nashira gave a soft snort, "Or rather make sure she doesn't get us exhiled in her efforts." That sister of hers would never settle down! Maybe a dragon would help in that respect. Maybe Amala would Impress a dragon even more confident than herself! She looked slyly out of the corners of her eyes to Chedest, "Don't speak so fanicifully. I could never dream to ride a gold! But, it would be nice, wouldn't it? Maybe the secret fantasy of every girl. Then I wouldn't be just the mother of a few children, but a whole Weyr." She smiled just a bit, a smile more mischeivious than her normal, symetrical grin, "And what would your father say when you Impress a bronze?"

[E]

Chedest laughed whole heartedly again as Nashira gave her snort toward her sister along with her reply. At the mention of speaking fancifully, he shook his head, his good hearted smile still on his face. Ah these two were putting him in a good, playful mood.

“Ah Nashira. For as long as I can remember you have been far to serious and always with the adults. Your almost as much of a workbeast as I am. Tell you what, if you give in and dream a little I will too.” He replied, also in response to the idea of him on a bronze. Tilting his head as if to make a show of him following the deal, he considered the idea of him impressing a bronze.

“In all honesty I think my father would be very proud if I were to impress a bronze. In fact I think he would be proud even if I impressed the littlest green. I don’t think he’s ever considered the idea of any of his sons standing on the hatching sands as farming has been the only life he’s ever known.”

Shaking his head, he gave a half smile. “I admit though, it would be quite a change to our worlds if we ever impressed any dragon let alone a ranking dragon huh?”