On the way to the Hall

Writers: Eimi, Suzee
Date Posted: 2nd October 2012

Characters: Cyradis, R'mer
Description: Cyradis goes to visit the Vintner Hall
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 10, day 1 of Turn 6

Cyradis

Cyradis had carefully packed the crate and padded it very well before
she'd strapped it to Panitath in preparation for her flight. The
Citroncello was several weeks old now and about perfect for drinking.
She just wanted to make sure the bottles all survived intact.

She had an extended family in and around the Vintner Hall and hadn't
visited much when she was in the north. She'd had her own self
contained 'famly' at the Weyr and time had seemed to slip away. But
now that she was here in the south again and established as the
Weyrwoman of Dolphin Cove, she'd decided to pay a long overdue visit.
Of course, she'd sent ahead to let them know she was coming. A gold
dragon arriving unannounced could cause some turmoil to beasts and men
alike.

It wasn't long before they were aloft and she joined her escort.

Hanunth confirmed the image with Panitath before R'mer raised his hand
to give the signal to go /between/. Once they had both popped into the
much cooler air above the Vintner Hall, he pointed to a large clearing
and gave the signal that they should set down there.

Panitath spiraled in behind the bronze and settled down in the
indicated clearing. She had a nice view of the Vinyard from the air.
The vines had been wrapped and protected from the winter snows until
they would begin to bud again in the spring. She was pleasantly
surprised by the extent of Vinyard. It was much larger than the last
time she had visited. The walk to the main hall wouldn't be very far
but she'd have to rely on her escort or some of the Hall's apprentices
to carry her gift.

R'mer had already expected he'd be on carrying duty. After all, who
would dare attack a queen's rider? He was there for show anyway, and he
might as well make himself useful. "More of your citrus liquor, ma'am?"
he asked, reaching for the straps to unhook the crate.

"It sure is," she smiled as they walked. "It's a gift for my uncle.
Have you finished the bottle I gave you?"

"Well, not exactly." A blush colored his face. "It just seems like
it's something meant for a fancy occasion. And I don't have many of
those."

"Oh no," she said with a little lilt. "A nice sipping glass on a warm
evening is a wonderful way to end the day. Even if you're all alone,"
she winked.

"I can try that," he said non-noncommittally. The fact was, it was a
bottle given to him by the Weyrwoman herself. That made it something of
some value, even if the worth was only in his own mind. "Do you want
the Vintners to make this?" he asked, wondering if that was why they had
come today.

Well, well, if there wasn't a mind behind all that blushing. "They
might want to but this is more in the way of a gift," she said. "My
father was a Master Vintner and this was one of his contributions to
the craft. It was always one of my favorite things so when I left he
gave me the recipe. I don't know if this Hall has it so I'm bringing
along a little taste for them." She didn't add that she'd made changes
to the recipe with the help of another Master in her former Weyr in
the north.

"Was he the one that taught you all that..." He struggled for the
correct word. "Vintnering?"

She laughed, "More like I absorbed it with my evening meals. I didn't
study as much as follow him around and observe. Of course I don't know
anything about the actual craft of choosing the proper barrels and
woods and blending the vintages. I was never taught the craft. Father
wouldn't have allowed that. But he did allow me to go to the Weyr when
I was Searched."

"Well, that was lucky. For you and Panitath, I mean. 'Course I don't
mean you just got her out of luck." R'mer quickly added. He cringed
slightly, unsure if that had been too bold a thing to say to the
Weyrwoman. "I mean, _we're_ the lucky ones really. You know. To have
you both. That's what I meant."

"Well thank you R'mer," she said. She ignored his stumbles with an
indulgent smile. "I know I _felt_ lucky when she chose me. Didn't you
ever wonder why Hanunth picked you over every other boy on the sands
that day? I mean, I've often wondered what she could have seen in a 16
Turn old girl."

"I dunno." When R'mer stood on the Sands, he had just been an
illiterate kid from the back of /between/. He wasn't the best, and
definitely not the brightest. But there had been something that might
have made him stand out to the little bronze. "Maybe he just knew I'd
not be afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done. I mean, what
else is a bronzerider supposed to do?"

"You mean besides keeping his lifemate fit enough to make baby
dragons?" She smiled. "Whether or not you're ready to believe it now
R'mer, someday you'll be a leader. There are only handfuls of bronze
dragon pairs on Pern compared to most of the other colors. You ride
bronze for a reason." How many times had she made that speech to a
young rider who doubted himself. But then she couldn't' really take
credit for it. Her own mentor has said much the same thing to her
once.

"Yeah, but every Hatching there's more of us. Can't all be Weyrleaders.
And I don't ever want to be. Chasing Thread and Golds is his job," he
said with a nod back at his lifemate. "I'll leave the hidework and the
politics to them that want it. Don't have to be a Weyrleader to be a
leader. My job is keeping Hanunth healthy, Pern Thread-free, and you
safe, and that's enough for me."

"You have your whole life ahead of you R'mer," she said and stopped
turning to look at him kindly. "Surely you realize the dragons
choose." Her head tilted to one side as she looked up at him. "What
would happen if Panitath chose Hanuth? She does think him rather
handsome." She smiled over to where their lifemates sat waiting. "He's
young and vigorous, in his prime." She didn't really believe her
Panitath would choose Hanuth but she was prepared to accept her
lifemates choice, even if it meant Loseth and N'vanik. She stepped
closer and put a hand on his arm. "You have to be ready to lead
however your lifemate positions you to lead."

R'mer knew it wasn't worth arguing the point. He knew the chances that
Panitath would choose Hanunth were next to nothing. Just because on
dragon chose him didn't mean all of them should. He didn't feel that
was a bad thing. R'mer knew had limitations, but that didn't mean he
didn't belong on a bronze. Just to appease her, he conceded, "I know it
could happen. And if it does you can be sure we'll do our duty in the
skies. But I'd just leave the talking to you."

She nodded with a small smile. That might be a nice change from the
iron will of her current Weyrleader. But such a young one probably
wasn't ready for the stress of a job like that. "I'm sure when you're
ready there will be a time for you to lead." She didn't have to bring
up N'vanik's injury during fall. It was evident in the history of
Dolphin Cove that bad things could happen to anyone.

Last updated on the November 17th 2012

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On the way to the Hall