Silver-Tongued

Writers: Estelle, Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st February 2021

Characters: H'run, Ashela
Description: H'run visits Ashela on the Sands
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 26 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, Lanniya, R'ehn

H'run

Ashela

}:She will see you now,:{ Calcifeth said softly. }:But do not keep her waiting.:{

H'run huffed in annoyance. As if he'd be late when he'd been kept waiting at the entrance to the Hatching Cavern for a quarter of a candlemark already. The chilled bottle of white wine in his hand was getting less chilled by the moment, but broody gold dragons - and broody goldriders - would have their little moods.

Still. He took a moment to smooth the irritation from his face before striding into the Hatching Cavern. "Hello? Ashela?"

"H'run! Darling!" The goldrider crossed the sands to meet him, immaculately dressed in an embroidered blouse and skirt. Her hair
gleamed, slightly damp from the bathing pool and freshly scented with sweetsand. Really, visitors did turn up at the most inopportune times. She could not possibly receive anyone, even so old a friend, with streaks of Aglayath's hide oil on her clothing. But none of that showed in her dazzling smile. "You've come to rescue me from absolute boredom again. What would I do without you?"

"Wither to dust, I'm sure." He kissed her cheek in greeting. "You look fabulous, as always."

"This old thing?" Ashela plucked at the neckline of her blouse. "Oh, I just threw it on, now that I'm immured on the Sands with Aglayath and can't go anywhere. Speaking of which, you must come and admire her clutch before you do anything else." She took his arm and led him up into the viewing stands, where they'd have the best view. "And be at your most effusive, or she'll sulk for days."

"Naturally." H'run turned his attention to the Sands where the pale golden queen brooded over her clutch of eggs. Two queens-- he could see Chioneth as well from where they stood. Such a rarity, two queens on the Sands at the same time. Still, he was here to visit one rider, and his Harper training could woo a dragon as well as a crowd. "Such a fine clutch, and so many eggs! I expected a clutch so fine from such a queen, but my expectations are far surpassed! Do you know," he said, turning to Ashela. "I don't think that I have seen such beautiful eggs. Look at that one there, all speckled-- have you ever seen such a lovely thing, and laid by such a lovely golden queen?"

Aglayath lifted her head to look at him and preened herself, then gently nosed the speckled egg he'd picked out to show it off to its best advantage. Her eggs were, of course, the finest on the sands, and here was proof.

"It seems you've passed the test," Ashela said, laughing. "She says you are worthy to look upon her clutch. I hope the Candidates are half as silver-tongued as you."

"I highly doubt it," H'run said. As if a bunch of half-grown Candidates could compare to a full Journeyman. The bluerider bowed again to the gold dragon, then followed Ashela to a nearby set of seats. "How have you been, darling? Happy sharing the Sands?"

Ashela gave him a look. "Ecstatic." She brushed away a few particles of sand from the stone seat beneath her and sank down, eyeing the bottle in his hand. "I think I'm going to need that."

The bluerider hid a smile as he handed her the bottle and withdrew a pair of small mugs from his jacket pockets. "It is unusual to have two goldriders sharing the Sands."

"I'm sure it's all very exciting when you're not the one trapped here with a gold dragon who's twice as irritable as usual and the Weyrwoman breathing down your neck." Ashela poured out a generous measure for each of them. "I'm positive I'm getting grey hairs from the stress." She shook out her hair. "It's awful."

H'run sipped the wine that she'd handed him. "Mmm. I can't imagine that sharing the Sands has been particularly good for your relationship with Saibra."

"It's not been so bad as I expected. Half my attention's on keeping Aglayath from hissing and spitting at Chioneth and I imagine she's the same. And it could be worse." She sighed, enjoying the delicate flavor of the wine on her tongue. "At least it isn't Little Lady I'm-So-Perfect. To have her chatting to Aglayath on top of everything would be unbearable."

The bluerider laughed. "That would be absolutely unbearable! Thankfully she hasn't reached out to Calcifeth yet. I am a jealous partner."

"Give her time," Ashela said darkly. "She'll get to you eventually. But enough about other goldriders! I want to hear everything that's been going on outside while I've been immured in here." She turned to him, cradling her wine glass in an attentive pose.

H'run thought for a moment. "Hmm. Well, I attended an excellent party at a greenrider's weyr the other night. Lots of people, dragonpoker, the usual. There's lots of chatter about the upcoming Hatching. I think that most of the Weyr is excited to have two parties so close together." He pursed his lips. "I'll have to find something to wear."

"Two things to wear," Ashela reproved him. "I shall be most upset if you wear the same outfit to my Hatching celebration and the Weyrwoman's. Oh, I can't wait!" Not only would she and Aglayath be liberated from the Sands, but there would be a party in their honor. And the new weyrlings, of course.

H'run looked aghast. "As if I would do something so low brow! You wound me!"

"Oh, H'run, I am _so_ sorry. Blame being trapped in the Hatching Grounds with no company but two broody queens," Ashela said contritely. "I know you'll look fabulous. The best-dressed bluerider in the Weyr."

"Hmph." He sniffed. "Well, yes. Obviously. What will you be wearing?"

Ashela had spent quite some time considering that very question. She'd had a new gown commissioned from the Weaver Hall some time ago, while she'd still been at Barrier Lake and had hopes that she'd wear it for the first time as their glorious new Weyrwoman. Could she settle for using it on a second-best occasion, or should she save it for the future? But fashions might change...

"Oh, I couldn't possibly tell," she said, coyly. "I don't want to spoil it for you."

He arched his eyebrows. "You have no idea, do you."

"H'run! How _could_ you suggest that I wouldn't have the perfect outfit prepared for my darling Aglayath's Hatching..." She tried to look affronted, then sighed. "Is it so obvious?"

"Only to me," he said, sounding a bit smug.

"I should have known there's no fooling a harper." Ashela shook her head gloomily. "I do have a gown, you see. It's the richest, most lustrous crimson fabric you ever saw and it's cut to fit me like a Lady Holder's glove, but... I was saving it for a special occasion." Aglayath huffed and turned her head to look at them. "Oh, I don't mean your clutch isn't special, dearest, but - let's say it was for a particular occasion, then. At Barrier Lake."

"Ah." For when she became Weyrwoman, which wouldn't happen now. H'run pursed his lips as he studied her. "I see the dilemma. It's hard to waste a glorious dress, but if it isn't going to make you feel your best..."

"Yes. I don't want to be reminded of - past events every time I look in a mirror." The image of what might have been, if only Aglayath had risen a little earlier. "On the other hand..." She shook her head, as if to clear her downcast mood. "Why should I go about in some dowdy outfit as if I was in eternal disgrace? Perhaps in my new dress, I can make some new memories." Her lips curved upwards as she remembered Aglayath's mate Mnoranth and his rider. She wondered what he'd be wearing.

H'run pretended to deliberate. "Definitely wear the scarlet dress."

Her smile was dazzling. "You know, I think I will." And all those tiresome people who disapproved of her could go /between/. The night would be hers and Aglayath's. She raised her glass to H'run. "Thank you, darling. I knew I could count on your advice."

"Sartorial excellence is my specialty." H'run clinked his glass against hers. Either way, he won. If she dazzled, he could claim part of her victory as his own, but if she suffered a bout of insecurity mid-way through the Feast... that would be most entertaining too.

Ashela took a delicate sip of the wine, enjoying the pleasantly light-headed feeling it gave her. "Of course, I'm relying on you not to tell a soul what my plans are. If I'm going to wear this dress, I want to make a sensation."

"Of course! You know that I am the soul of discretion." The bluerider batted his long eyelashes at her. "But if I am to be sworn to secrecy, you _must_ tell me all about."

"I'll show you, if you like," Ashela suggested. She set down her glass and rose. "Sometimes a gown is beyond the power of mere words to describe. At least, for those of us who haven't a Harper's eloquence."

"Too true. I'd be delighted to explore the contents of your closet." H'run stood as well. "But I'm taking my wine. I promise I won't spill. Harper's honour!"

"You'd better not, or I'll feed you to Aglayath," Ashela promised, not entirely joking, as she led the way up from the stands to the temporary quarters she was using while her gold was on the Sands. She wasn't too worried, though. There was no-one she trusted more to respect a stylish piece of fashion than Bluerider H'run.

Last updated on the February 19th 2021

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