Tell Him to Stop

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 4th December 2020

Characters: H'riv, Yasha
Description: Yasha confronts H'riv
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 7, day 24 of Turn 10
Notes: Takes place at Jade Harbor Hold
Mentioned: Jalodwyn, Thayde

Yasha's dark eyes followed Jalodwyn as she left the brownrider.
Another visit from the man, but she wondered if the visits were
actually making the situation worse. There were always more whispers
after he left that Jalodwyn tried to pretend not to hear, but she
certainly did. Anger set in her cheeks as her eyes followed her
friend, seeing the rolled, then stiffening shoulders as she went back
into the main hall. She was seeing that more often as well, that
tension that constantly expected a blow to fall.

Unable to remain silent any longer, Yasha strode forward the
brownrider, her steps jarring as made her way through the sand of the
beach. "Brownrider." She had to pause to remember his name. "H"riv,"
She moved through the sand with clear purpose. "Wait."

H'riv turned against the wind, causing some of his brown hair to whip
in front of his green eyes as he looked to see who had called his
name. He recognized the woman as the one who shared a room with
Jalodwyn, the dolphineer spoke of the other woman sometimes.
"Journeywoman," he gave her a polite nod, wondering if this was Hall
business or something involving Jalodwyn.

The tall, dark woman strode to face him, then immediately put her
hands on her hips. Yasha didn't start with introductions, but met his
eyes with purpose. "You need to stop coming here. You're making it
worse on her." She pointed after Jalodwyn. "Every time you come people
talk. She won't say anything, but _I_ will. It's bad enough that your
brother and Master Mertin are making her life absolutely miserable,
but now every time you visit she has to deal with people snickering
that she's somehow involved with you now too or that she's bedded your
entire family! Can't you all just leave her alone?"

The dragonrider's brow furrowed in confusion. "I ..." It was in
H'riv's nature to defend himself against whatever it was that Yasha
was accusing him of, but he didn't know how to respond. He visited
Jalodwyn because he thought it was helping, giving her a friend to
talk to, but... Was it making things worse? Would she be relieved if
he quit showing up? "Does she.... do you think she doesn't want me to
visit and is too nice to say so? I'm not trying to make things more
difficult for her." As for his brother and this 'Master Mertin' he had
no idea what part they were playing in Jalodwyn's life at this point.

"No," Yasha readily admitted. "And it's not like she doesn't need
friends besides me. But you _are_ making it harder on her. Besides,
I'm not really sure that it's not some horrible game you're playing
between you and Thayde and Mertin. Thayde and Mertin make sure she
knows how horrible her reputation is, refuse to allow her to try to
prove herself and keep her on shore. She does _salvage_ and she's
watching dormitories or is on shore duty! She's not even allowed Fleet
duty like everyone else, and gets swimming with the pod dangled over
her head everytime she objects. Then you come like you're giving her
some hope that it'll get better, but instead, it just gets _worse_.
Mertin's made shaffing sure that the pod will never accept her, so
tell your brother to knock it off! She's had enough!"

H'riv held his hands up, placatingly. "Look, I don't know half of what
you're talking about. I haven't spoken to Thayde in a fortnight and
even then, he never mentioned Jalodwyn. It was my understanding that
when he came to see her and left, that it was the last communication
he would have with her unless she reached out and needed something."
H'riv didn't think that Thayde would be in contact with Mertin to make
things harder on Jalodwyn... Unless it somehow involved Enamra. He had
seen a look in his brother's eye on more than one occasion that
suggested Thayde would do anything if it involved the protection of
his young wife. "Who is this 'Mertin' guy, anyway?"

Yasha scowled at H'riv, crossing her arms over her chest. "Master
Mertin runs the Hall here. He reports to Thayde, probably about
everything Jalodwyn does. How else do you think he found out that she
finally had her or where she was or when to demand that she speak to
him when he visited? Jalodwyn was sent here _by Thayde_ and they've
made sharding sure that she's paying for what she did. No one likes
her, everyone talks about her like she's the most disgusting person in
the Hall. And they act like Jalotha's going to be neglected or
mistreated. Jal's been trying so hard to prove herself, but your
brother and Mertin are making it impossible. She's starting to get it,
you know. She knows she's never going to be a Master or partner here.
Their plan worked. She's been punished. So tell him to stop." She'd
also received some personal mockery, but unlike Jalodwyn, Yasha wasn't
above privately breaking a nose or splitting a lip.

H'riv didn't think that Thayde was in some conspiracy against
Jalodwyn, but he couldn't say that with certainty. "Look, I will talk
to Thayde and see what is going on. I mentioned to Jalodwyn already
that she could come to the Weyr where no one would think anything of
her raising a child on her own, but being a dolphineer is her craft
and that's not something she could continue at Barrier Lake. I'm not
sure how to make the situation better, but I won't quit visiting."

Yasha's head jerked back at the suggestion of Jalodwyn leaving. "She's
not going to go away from the sea or dolphins. This is her whole life
and she has _me_ here. She doesn't need to go to the Weyr with _you_.
You can make this better. You and your family leave her alone."

"I will talk to Thayde," he reiterated, even though he had promised
Jalodwyn that he wouldn't 'report' on her to his brother, "but that's
all I can promise."

"Humph." Yasha sniffed. "Well, if something doesn't change, I'm going
to get her to go north with me. Away from all of you. At least there,
she'll be appreciated and Jalotha might actually grow up with a happy
mother." She turned on her heel and stomped away, head held high.

Last updated on the December 14th 2020

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Tell Him to Stop