After The Glamour (tags: open!)

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All of the excitement was over, the decorations for the Hatching Feast swept away, and Rhiannoth was back lounging comfortably on her ledge as if nothing had ever happened. Just like that, life for Suynie was back to normal, well, as normal as it could be for a goldrider at Refuge. Suynie would lie, she did miss some of the attention that having a gold egg on the Sands had brought to her and Rhiannoth. She'd better not here any snide remarks about her wonderful lifemate being "late" to to rise and mate, because if Rhiannoth hadn't proved herself with this clutch then nothing ever would.

Having all of her nice Hatching attire packed away, once again, Suynie was back to her normal wardrobe which consisted of a pair of riding breeches, a sleeveless tunic, and her trusty, worn-in riding boots. Since Rhiannoth would be returning to the air to flight Thread, Suynie's first duty was to check and mend her riding straps and get them back into working order.

Dragging the strips of leather out to her ledge, Suynie deposited them unceremoniously on the ground before retrieving a chair from inside as well. Might as well enjoy the weather. She thought simply as she took a seat and began running her hands over the strips of leather, fingers searching for weak points, eyes also scanning for signs of distress.

I do not miss the Hatching Sands at all. Rhiannoth's voice was streaked with languid satisfaction from where she lounged on her weyrledge, stretched to her maximum length, wings folded demurely against her back.

You just love the warmth from the sun. Suynie accused.

Rhiannoth merely sent back the equivalent of a mental purr.


ooc: anyone want to come by and chat?

[parallel]

Marlaey took a deep breath. It was time to go find Suynie and speak with her about becoming a junior weyrwoman at last. She was nervous about the whole thing, the ceremony, the title, the responsibilities and most of all her dragon's maiden flight! Elynth had tried to calm her rider, explaining that it was all perfectly natural and that instinct would take over. But Marlaey wasn't reassured. She needed the advice of another gold rider, and though she technically had to have a meeting with Sakorai as well, she felt much more comfortable with Suynie.

Stroking her large gold's orange tinged hide, she prolonged the moment when she'd have to leave. Pressing her bare feet together she squirmed in place before Elynth pushed her over with her tail. Go on MarlaeyLove, now is a good time. Rhiannoth and her rider are resting on their ledge. From the floor Marlaey looked up at her golden queen. "Will you ask if it's ok for me to go in? I don't want to disturb them.." Elynth hummed a yes and reached out to the other gold.

Greetings Rhiannoth, I hope you are well after the hatching? My rider wishes to speak with yours, she will be outside your weyr shortly.

Marlaey bit her lip, no turning back now. Standing up she pushed against Elynth's side, wondering how large Rhiannoth's ledge was and if her drahon could join them. She always felt more confident with her queen around. Fixing her hair and straightening her simple shirt and trousers she took a bottle of wine from her table and headed to Suynie's weyr. She knocked on the door gently waiting for a reply.

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Elynth's rider is here to see you. Rhiannoth informed her rider just before Suynie heard the knock reverberate from her weyr door. Sitting out on the ledge as she was, Suynie didn't bother getting up to answer the door, but instead called back inside, "Come in!" She knew that it was about that time for Marlaey to be coming by to visit and talk about her pending graduation. Suynie was more than pleased that the younger goldrider would be joining her in the ranks of Junior Weyrwoman. Marlaey, unlike another goldrider that Suynie could name, knew the proper etiquette of how a weyrwoman should act.

The only trouble that Suynie saw, however, was that Marlaey was so shy and soft spoken that she would be no help at all when it came to the goldrider meetings with Sakorai. Suynie knew without a doubt that the Senior Weyrwoman would walk all over the younger woman.

Try to be more optimistic, hm?
That pitiful excuse for a queen, not intelligent enough to go /between/ without going forward one hundred Turns, took your rightful place as Senior Queen, Rhiannoth.
We all live to preserve the Weyr, yes?
...Yes..
Then let it go.

It was so easy for dragons to let things go and simply go with the flow. Suynie sometimes wished that she could be more like her dragon.

[parallel]

Marlaey was waiting outside when she heard Suynie invite her in. Pushing the door open gently, she made her way inside and discovered that the older goldrider was out on her weyr ledge. She padded carefully over, her bare feet making barely any noise. She offered the wine to Suynie as a gift before greeting Rhiannoth with a graceful nod. She sat down on the ground beside where Suynie was and slumped a little. She would have gotten herself a chair, but she liked the ground better, it helped her relax, and when she was relaxed, she could think.

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Suynie, I hope you are both doing well after such a successful hatching!" she smiled at the thought of the golden egg Rhiannoth had produced, and wondered if Elynth would do the same...

"I'm sure you know why I'm here", she said, a little nervously, "The graduation is coming up. We-" You. "I'm quite a bit nervous about the whole thing..."

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"Thank you." Suynie responded with a smile, still quite proud of the hatching herself.

Suynie regarded the younger woman as she came in and sat down on the ground. Her eyes traveled to Marlaey's bare feet and then to the hunched position of her shoulders. Marlaey resembled a child in an adult's body in many ways; her sweet disposition, her shyness, her carefree nature when it came to padding around barefoot.... Turning her attention back down to her riding straps, the Junior Weyrwoman considered Marlaey's statement.

"Why are you so nervous?" She asked, wondering if it was the flight or the thought of having more responsibilities once weyrlinghood was over.

[parallel]

Taking out a simple bronze chain from her pocket, Marlaey twirled it in her hands to give her something to do. She glanced up at Suynie, who since she'd come back to the weyr had been an inspiration for Marlaey. The older goldrider felt like an older sister to her, someone she could look up to and call on for advice. Nothing like Sakorai at all. Marlaey wasn't fond of the senior weyrwoman, though courtesy prevented her from openly disliking her.

Taking a deep breath Marlaey pondered the question Suynie put to her. What was really making her nervous? The Flight is a strong part of it Little One, Elynth whispered to her and Marlaey nodded. "I'm nervous about failing... Elynth's Maiden Flight is coming up and though I know she will do well, I'm afraid that I won't be good enough. And the Graduation! That's really important too! I want to do my best for the other riders and their partners, but what if they don't think I'm worthy? What if they don't like me like some people don't like...." her voice trailed off again, not wanting to say Sakorai's name outright. But it was a great fear of hers, she didn't want whispers of her unsuitability to be a weyrwoman behind her back!

[hbk]

Suynie studied Marlaey's face intently as she listened to the younger woman talk. In many ways Marlaey reminded Suynie of the girl she had been when she'd first Impressed Rhiannoth and how quickly she'd grown up once she'd been sent to Haven after the queen had been murdered. Marlaey's concerns about the mating flight were not unjust, every Weyrling, regardless of their dragon color, had those same doubts and fears when it came time for their maiden flight.

"As easy as it seems for me to say this, try to relax and not get overly nervous about your mating flight. It's a natural thing that's been occurring for hundreds of Turns. Elynth will know what she's doing in the air, and most of the bronzeriders that will be chasing you are experienced themselves and will treat you to a nice flight." Suynie could really only speak from the experience of having been with D'seus, since he'd won Rhiannoth's flight, but she'd heard enough about the other men from lower caverns women, and from Zaylee, to know that they were good lovers.

"The way they talk about me?" She tried to finish the girl's sentence, "Or the way they talk about Sakorai?"

Suynie held up a hand, "Really it doesn't matter who, as a goldrider people will whisper behind your back. I know that plenty of people talk about me behind mine, saying that I'm too young, although I'm nearly thirty, or that I'm not experienced enough, even though I was sent to Haven to help pick up the pieces after the tragedy of a queen dying. People even had snide remarks about Rhiannoth because she waited so long to have her first flight. Because of the dragon you ride, and the position you maintain, people are going to judge everything about your life. You have to just accept that and go about your life the way you want to. As long as you and Elynth are happy that's all that matters. Rhiannoth and I work hard daily to make sure that Refuge succeeds, whether people want to see that or not. Just because people choose not to believe it doesn't mean I can quit."

Reaching out, the Junior Weyrwoman lightly touched a strand of Marlaey's hair, "You'll do fine, I promise."

[parallel]

Suynie speaks wisely, you should listen to her council Love, Elynth whispered to her rider, trying to give her the support she needed right now. The golden queen wasn't worried about her flight. It would happen when it happened and she would be glorious on that day. She knew Marlaey had feelings for Or'yn, but she would not let that sway her judgement when it came to who would catch her. Humming to herself she listened in through her rider to what Suynie had to say.

Marlaey clutched the bronze chain in her hand and looked up at the other goldrider, smiling a little, "I hope they're nice about it" she said with a small voice, "I'm quite... inexperienced..." She laughed at her own embarrassment, some of her carefree attitude returning.

At the mention of whispers behind her back she nodded gravely. She should know that she couldn't please everyone out there all of the time. She smiled again, "If you're too young then I'm just a baby!" She was nearing her 21st birthday now, why was she still so shy? Her training with the other weyrlings certainly boosted her confidence, but only around them it seemed. The rest of the weyr still held a certain foreboding air to it. People older than she would look up to her once she became a Junior Weyrwoman. She wasn't sure she was ready for that, that was the main problem. It was fine among her peers, but those she considered above her...? In rank, you are above them now MarlaeyLove, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still respect them.

Marlaey nodded at both Suynie's and her dragon's words of wisdom.

At the goldrider's touch she let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "Do you think I'm ready?" she asked genuinely, without looking up.