To settle them in

Writers: Avery, Paula
Date Posted: 9th September 2016

Characters: Zelanka, Corran
Description: Corran asks Zelanka about space for his family.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 7, day 17 of Turn 8

Orran took just long enough to wash off any smells from the trading

caravan and change into clean clothes before he knocked on the

Headwoman's door. He wanted to be presentable before making a request.

"Headwoman is not in her office," Zelanka said, walking along the

corridor, her arms full of inventory ledgers.

"Shall I get the door for you, ma'am?" He asked immediately.

"Yes, please," Zelanka replied with a smile. "Hello Corran. I see you're back."

"It was quite a trip, but I am," the guard confirmed as he held the

door open for her.

"Your folks are alright?" she had heard something of what had

happened. As a Headwoman, she had ears everywhere. She put the ledgers

to the table and gestured Corran to take a seat.

"Neither are injured, but their home is completely destroyed and

they're not able to make the winter there," he said as he sat down.

"They've come back here with me. I was hoping you'd be able to find

some free space for them. If there isn't an option, I can talk to my

brother about taking them to a Weyr - but that seemed like a high

level of culture shock."

"Yes, that would be quite a shock. I'm sure I can find a place for

them. How old are they? Still able to take care of themselves?" That

would affect where she placed them. Corran was around the age of her

children, so his parents should be still working, but you never knew.

She didn't know them.

"My father is in his eighties and my mother is in her seventies. They

were independent enough to live in a cot, but if there's more space in

the Hold I'm sure that would be fine. My father Neja retired from

being a guard after a leg injury 10 Turns ago that prevents him from

running or sparring. He's got a bunch of administrative skills from

that, like scheduling, inventories," he said.

They were bit older than Zelanka had expected but still sounded able

bodied. She pulled some charts from her shelf and studied them. "If

they don't mind being out of the way, there's a small three-room cot

available. It's bit distant from the main building, which is why it's

still empty. It's peaceful and quite a pretty place," she told him

after a moment. "The main hold is pretty crowded right now. There will

be more room when summer comes," she explained. "There are crafters,

traders and herders who spend the winter here."

"I think that would be fine. Anything is better than a half-destroyed

cot in the winter, right?" He thought they might appreciate the

privacy.

He took a moment to consider his next words, before deciding to be

blunt about it. Amber Hills had employed a female Technician recently.

Maybe Zelanka would find this interesting and not an issue.

"There is something I'd like to let you know about my mother."

Zelanka agreed that it was definently far better than ruined cot.

"What is it? You know I'm discreet," he had managed to pique her

interest.

"My mother was a Journeyman Weaver before the plagues. She married my

father and settled into domestic life, but she's continued to work her

craft. Living in a cothold was discreet. The money from her efforts

helped fund the place. I know she couldn't wear knots here, but if you

have any weaving-related needs for the women to do that you don't

usually take to the Crafters here, maybe you could ask her? It would

help them earn their keep."

Zelanka was old enough to be born before craft-ban for women.

Admittedly, she had been around ten, but she still remember time when

women crafted. "So she can use the needle. There's always work for

someone with her skills. If you don't mind, I can start spread a word

around, that we have someone new here who can sew well. I'll just

leave the craft knots out of it. Many women have learned to weave

without any formal hall training, so her skills won't cause any

questions."

"Thank you for being willing to share the news and keep it quiet. I

think she'd love to feel useful," Corran said.

"Don't we all?" Zelanka replied with a smile. She prefered to knitting

herself but she could sew fairly well too. So, sounded like she had

things in common with Corran's mother.

"Indeed. I can't imagine if I didn't have some solid work to do," he said.

"I look forward to meet them," Zelanka replied.

"I think they'll really like you. When can I send them your way?" he asked.

Zelanka looked the waiting ledgers on her desk tried to estimate how

long it would take to go thru them. "After fifth candlemark," she

said.

"I'll have them come over then. Thank you again," he said

"I'm just doing my job,"Zelanka said with another smile.

Last updated on the September 28th 2016

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To settle them in