A New Member of the Family

Writers: AL, Anaria
Date Posted: 9th August 2011

Characters: Rignaer, Zarene
Description: Rignaer and Zarene pick out a kitten
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 2 of Turn 6

Rignaer had heard from on of the Assistant Headwomen that one of the
women of the Hold had recently been blessed with a litter of baby
felines. They felines were weaned from their mother, and were ready to
be placed in homes of their own. Since one of the few things that
Zarene had shown interest in was the prospect of a pet, he spoke to
the woman, and set up a time to take Zarene over to see them.

He headed back from the nursery for the midday meal, curious to see
what Zarene had been up to in his absence. He didn't always come back
to their rooms for lunch, but on this occasion, he thought it would be
worthwhile.

"Zarene?" He called out as he entered the room.

"Y...yes?" Zarene hadn't expected her husband - occasionally he would
show up, but not usually. Most of the time he was busy with his
craft, so it caught her off guard when she heard him enter. She was
seated upon the couch, one of his shirts in her hands. It had just
come from being laundered along with a basket of clothes. Several
other articles of clothing were set into small piles, but there was
still plenty left to do.

"I found a lady at the Hold who has a litter of six felines that she
needs to find homes for. I hear they're about 10 sevendays old, and
that they're very cute. Did you want to come with me and we can pick
one out for us?" Rignaer said. He had been trying to use the words
"we" and "us" more. They were a couple now. His decisions effected
both of them.

"Oh!" Zarene's eyes brightened and she finished folding the shirt,
then stood. "Y...yes. I w...w...would." Her hands came together and
then released one another as she angled around the couch. "Now?"

Rignaer nodded, extending an elbow to his wife. "Unless there is
something else that you need to do first? The laundry can wait for a
bit, I should think." He smiled reassuringly at Zarene.

"Oh, y...yes. It can wait." Laundry didn't really get up and move
around on its own. Zarene slowly slid her hand into her husband's arm
to allow him to lead her. She had to admit she looked forward to
getting a feline. The creature would keep vermin out and keep her
company.

Rignaer walked with Zarene towards the direction of the woman's room,
keeping a somewhat slow pace to give him time with her. "So how've you
been today?" He asked. "Things at the nursery are going pretty well, I
should have some flower plants for you by the end of the sevenday."

"I've b...been all right." Zarene wasn't sure really want to say.
She wasn't great, but she wasn't horrid either. The wedding had only
been pretty much the signing of a contract and since then her life had
been as mundane as it had since before she had gotten married.
"Just...trying t...to...stay busy. What kind of f..flowers?"

"A lot of fragrant ones," Rignaer said. "The blue bells are probably
my favorite of all of them because they remind me of the Harper Hall.
The moonflower plants are blooming as well, as are some of the
decorative rose plants. Those smell the best."

"Those all sound really n...nice." Would Zarene really be able to
grow some? Or would she managed to kill them off? Oh she hoped not.
She did like flowers quite a bit. "What...what else do you like?"

"I actually really like the new strains of barley that we're working
on, although some people find them boring. But with the Vintner Hall
being here, much of that barley is getting made into beers and ales
that are getting traded with all of the Southern Continent. The
Vintners have seemed really impressed with the initial batches, they
should be ready for tasting in a few sevendays. I was invited to the
tasting, you're welcome to come if you'd like to," Rignaer said.

"Oh? Sure." Zarene actually liked ale, which her father had found
interesting since a lot of women didn't seem to share such a taste.
She didn't drink it often, but she did enjoy it when she did have it.
"When?"

I think it's the first rest day of Month three," Rignaer said, after
thinking about it for a moment. It's in the early evening." He slowed
down and stopped in front of a door. "I think this is the one," he
said, knocking quickly. An older woman opened the door. "We heard that
you had felines to give away?" Rignaer asked.

"Oh certainly!" She said with a smile that was short a few teeth.
"Just follow me!" She lead them to a corner of her room that had a
calico feline, surrounded by seven kittens. They varied in color from
white to black with nearly every possible combination in between.

"See one you like?" Rignaer asked.

"They're all so cute!" Zarene's face lit up when she saw the adorable
fuzziness that were the felines. She crouched down and listened to
the squeaking that marked a kitten's meow. With a new arrival, the
young felines tumbled over each other to sniff at the strange person
who had come to hover over them. "I don't know...which would should I
pick?"

Rignaer crouched down, petting a few of them to see how they responded
to him. "I think the pure white one and the black and white one are my
favorites. Although that orange stripe-y one is pretty cute as well."
As if knowing that it was being talked about, the black and white one
nuzzled up to Zarene's hand, purring happily.

Zarene's fingers found the nice sensitive place behind the ears of the
black and white feline. He leaned into her and his purr was so loud
she wondered if she would have been able to hear it all the way
outside. "He's sweet."

"He is. I like that one, and it looks like he's picked you out. Would
you like to get him?" Rignaer asked, scritching the feline above his
tail. Zarene seemed much more calm with the feline around, and that
made him happy as well.

The kitten certainly seemed to take a shine to Zarene. All he wanted
to do was sit there and be scritched whereas the other kittens were
constantly in and out, some taking nips and playing. Not that he
didn't seem playful, just currently content. "I like him."

"We'll take this one," Rignaer said. He paid the woman the requested
price, and she put him safely in a small woven basket for ease of
travel back to their room. As they headed back to their own quarters,
Rignaer asked, "So what should we name him?"

>From within, Zarene could hear the squeaky voice of the little
creature and she opened it to peer inside. He pressed his nose
through the gap and then against the fingers which she was glad to use
to scritch him. "He squeaks rather than meows." She commented with a
giggle. "M...maybe Squeaker?"

"Hmm, I fear he'd get teased by the tunnelsnakes though if they heard
us calling him that," Rignaer said. "And hopefully at some point he
will start mewing a bit better." He paused to consider for a moment.
"Maybe Blacky?" He suggested lamely. "I'm not very good at naming
things."

"Let's think about it." Zarene suggested as she gave the young feline
a scritch before closing the basket, only to hear him pawing at it
inside. "Maybe something will come to us."

"That sounds like a good idea," Rignaer said, glad to notice that
Zarene had calmed down enough for her stutter to subside somewhat.

Last updated on the August 26th 2011

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A New Member of the Family