Post by Zen on Dec 3, 2022 3:27:02 GMT -5
Between the Hatching and the Feast for the Winds of Change Clutch
The candidates who did not impress had the rest of the day free to deal with the disappointment of not impressing in whatever way they wished. Podrell wasn’t terribly disappointed. It was only his first standing, and plenty of people didn’t impress their first time on the sands. Of course he would have rather impressed, but it would give him more time to learn about dragons and being a rider, so it wasn’t all bad. Instead Pollifa and Rellirra had met him after the hatching was over, with Polli’s children in tow.
Rellirra huffed unhappily, “You didn’t even impress! You gave up on being a Lord for no reason at all!”
“Rellirra!” Pollifa tried to scold her sister but Podrell only laughed.
“You do know I can stand more than once?” he reached out to pluck a lock of hair out of his little sister’s neat updo that set her to flailing at his hand angrily.
“Podrell,” she hissed, reaching up quickly to fix it and looking entirely aghast that she had been so violated in public, “Polli, does it look alright? Did I fix it? Oh… help me!”
Pollifa shot Podrell a look, forcing her son into his arms before reaching up to help fix her sister’s hair, “Stop squirming, it’s a simple enough fix.” And after a moment, “There. It looks just fine.” She took Tollasken back into her arms, shushing him softly as he fussed.
“Honestly, Podrell! You used to be much more a gentleman, you know. Is it the Weyr that’s made you so… so… just, rude?” Rellirra glared at him, still reaching up to touch the place he’d mussed as if afraid it was still out of place, despite her sister’s help and reassurance.
He couldn’t help but continue to tease her, “Perhaps it is. Who’s to say? Maybe it’s getting you too. How tragic. No lord will want to marry such a bad tempered lady.”
Rellirra puffed up at that, “Well it’s not like you would know. You’re no Lord!”
Pollifa cut in before Podrell could escalate things further, using that motherly tone of scolding that would put an end to any argument, “Rellirra, that’s enough. Comport yourself like a proper lady if you wish to be one so badly. It’s hardly your place to continue to question and judge your brother’s decisions. No more of this.”
Rellirra let out a soft gasp as the sharp scolding, folding her hands in front of her and looking down at them as Pollifa spoke. She nodded when her sister finally finished, offering only an obedient, “Yes, ma’am.”
Pollifa sighed and looked at Podrell, “And you. You should know better.”
He held up his hands in surrender, grinning sheepishly, and then cleared his throat and took on a more solemn tone, looking down at Rellirra, “My deepest apologies, my lady. Perhaps I could make it up to you with a dance at the feast tonight?”
He knew very well how that would pique his little sister’s interest and wasn’t surprised when she looked up and nodded quickly, “Oh, yes please!” She looked back to Pollifa, “I can go, can’t I? I’ve never been to a hatching feast.”
Pollifa frowned slightly in thought, shifting her son in her arms, “I don’t know… I won’t be able to be away from the children for that long to attend with you, and taking them to the hatching was one thing but the feast….”
“But… surely I can go with uncle Asirikai then? He’ll be going, won’t he?” Rellirra asked desperately.
Pollifa sighed, “Asirikai has better things to do than look after you all night.”
“Does he?” Podrell muttered, annoyed at the turn in the conversation. His sisters both shot him a reproachful look, which he ignored, instead swinging Tasi up onto his shoulders for the walk back to the holdside caverns. The girl giggled at being so high up, and something in the childish laughter of his niece soothed some of his irritation. So he offered, “I can take her.”
Rellirra looked up at him, barely daring to hope he wasn’t kidding just to mess with her, “Really?”
“I did ask for forgiveness via dance,” he told her with some amusement.
“Are you sure, Pod?” Pollifa tilted her head at him, “It won’t be a bother for you?”
“I promise I’ll behave properly,” Rellirra put in hurriedly, “No more arguing, or… or anything!”
“I wouldn’t have made the offer only to take it back,” he replied simply.
“If you’re certain… but only for an hour or two. I don’t want you to have to keep an eye on her all night. That’s plenty of time for you to enjoy the food, music, and some dancing,” Pollifa told her sister as she was gearing up to protest, “Take it or leave it.”
Rellirra very much looked like she wanted to argue, but she quickly schooled her features and simply gave a nod, then looked up at Podrell, “Thank you so much, Pod.”
“Hm, not that you deserve it after all the berating you’ve put me through,” he teased, and she had the grace to look ashamed.
“I’m terribly sorry for my horrible behavior,” she told him softly after a moment.
Podrell wasn’t sure if she really meant it or not, but he decided not to poke at it now that she seemed content to behave herself. “I’ll accept your apology if you accept mine.”
“Oh, of course,” she agreed hurriedly, perhaps afraid he wouldn’t take her to the feast after all if she was anything less than agreeable.
Podrell shook his head lightly and let the matter drop, asking Pollifa, “How much longer do you think until Taskent arrives?”
She smiled softly at the mention of her husband, “Soon, I think. Perhaps early next month? So his last message from Stormy said.” The flit had been a gift to her husband from her father on their wedding day, so he would always be able to contact her when he was out at sea, to reassure her that he was ok in stormy weather and lessen her worries. It had been a most thoughtful gift and the little blue had very much become part of their family. She sighed softly, “It has been hard to be away from him for so long. Unfortunately his ship could hardly be transported by dragon.”
Pod mused on that, only half joking, “I don’t know, I’m sure a bronze could have carried it.”
Pollifa laughed, “Perhaps, though I hardly think Taskent would want to risk any possible damage.”
Tasi suddenly let out a delighted squeal from his shoulders as a dragon flew low overhead, reaching up as if she meant to pull the beast from the sky, “Fly fly draggy!”
Pollifa smiled up at her, “She’s become quite enamored with the dragons since our move. I feared she might be afraid of them, having never been around them before.”
Pod laughed softly, “Perhaps she’ll be a rider.”
Pollifa frowned at that, “Please don’t joke about that… I don’t know if I could handle it. I’ll worry enough for you, but if she had to fight Thread?” She sighed, “I’ll already have to worry about Taskent and Tollasken when he starts teaching him his craft. Let me have at least one child safe at home.”
He might have asked why Tasi wouldn’t get the chance to learn her father’s craft if he didn’t know better. Pollifa may have allowed it, but Taskent tended toward traditional, and he also knew plenty of sailors had a strange superstition about women aboard ships being bad luck, Taskent being one of them. He’d never allowed Pollifa aboard his ship, she’d told him with some exasperation after they’d been married for several months. She hadn’t even wanted to go out to sea on it, just to see it for herself, but he’d been adamantly against it. The fishing vessel had belonged to his father and he claimed no woman had so much as touched the boat since it was built, and he planned to keep it that way. It was a bit ridiculous to Podrell, after all women sailed as passengers at least regularly enough and he’d not heard of every single ship carrying one of them coming to harm, but there was no use arguing with a man that set in his beliefs, especially when Pollifa wasn’t at all upset about it. It amused her more than anything at this point. And well… she was probably grateful for it now, knowing her daughter’s life would never be at risk at sea.
“I wish that I wouldn’t need to add to your worries,” he told her instead. It was the first time she’d voiced any hint of concern over his choice to, hopefully, become a rider.
She heaved a great, dramatic sigh, the slightest of smiles quirking her lips, “It seems to me a woman’s lot to worry for the men in her life. I am resigned to it. A small price to pay to be protected and provided for.”
A soft laugh escaped him, “Somehow I don’t think Dirrexa would agree with the sentiment.”
Rellirra huffed, “Well she’s something else.” Though she didn’t go any further when Pollifa gave her another warning look.
Shaking her head, Pollifa let out a short laugh as well, “Dirrexa has always been wild at heart. Our paths were never meant to be the same.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, “Have you seen her lately? Or her work? She seems to be progressing quite well. Father says she has a real talent. She’s really thriving at the Hall.”
Pod could only smile at that, “I’m glad to hear it. She’s always been far more interested in the glasscraft than I ever was.”
“I worried for her at first… there aren’t many women in the craft, and I’ve heard male apprentices can be quite cruel to their female peers in crafts where men dominate, but she does seem genuinely happy, and her work is just beautiful. I’m sure she’ll make journeywoman in no time,” Pollifa informed him confidently.
Podrell really admired his sister’s ability to support the ones she cared about without bias or judgment. She truly just wanted them all to lead the lives they wanted and be happy and successful in whatever they chose for themselves. She didn’t think any of them should be doing one thing or another, she just let them all be. As long as everyone was getting along, at least. He’d like to be able to say the same about himself, but he couldn’t. He did want his family to be happy, but he rather thought Rellirra’s fixation on becoming a Lady was a tad ridiculous at her age. Pollifa simply accepted it was what she wanted and was doing her best to support her in her dream when their grandfather hadn’t at all taken her seriously. She didn’t treat it like childish nonsense.
“I’ll have to see about trying to visit her at the Hall,” he said after a moment, wondering if he might be able to get Siorreya to take him. She had said she’d known his sister, after all, and that she had enjoyed spending time with her. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind visiting with him. It was good to know she already got along with one of his sisters. Rellirra was likely to be the most difficult in that respect. Which had him thinking ahead to the feast and wondering if his offer to take his sister along had been a good idea after all. Rellirra would only be there for an hour or two, surely it wouldn’t be that bad, even if the two did end up interacting.
Back at Pollifa’s home, Rellirra hurried to her room to take up the arduous task of deciding what to wear for the feast while Pollifa put her son to bed and Pod entertained Tasi, who had fetched a two wooden dragons and shoved one into his hand so they could play at some game he had to half guess at. Perhaps they were meant to be fighting Thread, he wasn’t sure. He was sitting on the floor with his niece when Pollifa returned, chuckling at the two of them as Tasi’s dragon came in for a landing on his shoulder and then proceeded to walk across his back, or hop really. Pollifa took a seat in a chair like an adult, sighing softly, “It is so nice to be near you again. I want my children to know you, Pod.” Then she chuckled again, “You are my favorite brother.”
He rolled his eyes lightly at that, “Jays, thanks Polli.”
She watched the two of them play for a quiet moment before a slight frown pulled at her lips, “Pod… I have a bit of a favor to ask, and it would be nice if you wouldn’t get cross about it.”
He shifted his attention partly to his sister, still keeping an eye on just where Tasi was planning to land her dragon next, “Why would I get cross?”
“Because it concerns Asirikai,” she spoke softly, and watched the instant grimace pass over his features before he’d schooled his expression again, “With Vanisha’s impression, I’m sure he’s disappointed, and I just… if you can’t be civil with him will you at least avoid him tonight?”
“Vanisha?” he was surprised to hear her name in relation to his uncle, “What… why would he be disappointed?” He turned his attention fully to Pollifa, his brows drawn in confusion.
One of her own brows rose with her own surprise, “You… don’t know?”
He blew out a somewhat exasperated breath, “I don’t really care to know what Asirikai has been… doing….” There was really only one answer that made sense, and it was dawning on him even as he spoke. Why would his uncle be disappointed about Vanisha’s impression? Vanisha, the daughter of Lord Divano, a well bred, well mannered young lady. “Was he… he intended to make her his Lady?”
Pollifa nodded shortly, “He had been courting her. I suppose he hadn’t expected that she would actually impress. So can you do that for me, Pod? He can’t be very happy to have had her stolen away by a dragon, and I know he can have a bit of a… temper. I just don’t think the two of you would mix well at all tonight and I would hate to hear about either of you getting into some sort of… altercation. Especially if Rellirra is with you.”
Shells. He’d had no idea Asirikai had an interest in Vanisha. And yet… she had continued to stand. If she had truly desired to marry him, wouldn’t she have given it up? And she hadn’t even mentioned it. One would think if she was excited about the prospect she might have said something. The more he thought about it, the more something just seemed off about it. He considered his sister’s request thoughtfully as he reached out in an attempt to balance his dragon atop his niece’s head. Surely it would be all too easy to rile his uncle up tonight. It depended how invested the man had been in Vanisha, but…. He sighed. It would bring him some sweet satisfaction to make him lose control at the feast over it, for all that Asirikai had tried to do on the matter of him and Siorreya, but he was better than that, tempting as it was. It also helped to think he was doing it for Pollifa. No, he wouldn’t sink to that level… not unless Asirikai was the one who started it. “I’m all too happy to avoid him, Polli,” he promised her, “But I can’t promise anything if he approaches me.” He wouldn’t be his uncle’s punching bag if he decided to try to take any frustration he was feeling out on him. He sincerely hoped the man had better sense and that they could simply avoid each other tonight, so he could uphold his promise to his sister.
She sighed as well, “Well… you can only control what you do. I’m sure he’ll be more than aware that he’s in public and how it would look if anything… escalated.”
He quickly caught the toy dragon as Tasi shook it off her head with a giggle, unsure if he agreed with his sister. He knew all too well about his uncle’s temper. Who knew what he might do. He did have an image to uphold, but if his temper got the better of him Podrell didn’t know if it would matter. He made a soft, displeased noise, “I’ll steer clear of him, if he manages to make an ass of-”
“Podrell!” Polli scolded, “Watch your language around Tasi.”
For what it was worth, the girl was too preoccupied with her dragon to be paying much attention to the boring conversation the adults were having, but he did feel a flash of shame at having cursed in front of her. “Sorry, Polli,” he murmured genuinely, raising his dragon high above the girl’s head and watching her leap up with her own, unsure if she was trying to make her dragon attack his or if she had something else in mind as she swiped hers through the air at the one he was holding. She was having fun, whatever she was doing, because she was giggling rather incessantly. “All I meant to say… is that if he makes a… a fool of himself, it won’t be my doing, but his own.” He didn’t add that he would love to see it happen. Pollifa would hardly be pleased to hear it.
She sighed again, “That’s all I ask…. I wish I could attend to try to be some comfort to him, a buffer perhaps….” Her gaze settled on Tasi, “But I could hardly do that properly if I brought the children along, and I can’t leave Tollasken for long periods.”
He might have said he wished he could help, but that would be a lie in this instance. He had no desire to offer any assistance to his uncle, even indirectly. The most he was willing to offer was what he’d already promised Polli. He would do his best not to interact with him at all. Tasi finally managed to catch his dragon with her own, whacking the two into each other and sending his flying several feet across the floor. She ran after it and then began playing with both, apparently no longer inclined to share with him.
Rellirra poked her head into the room then, looking a bit panicked, “Polli I can’t decide what to wear! And I need to redo my hair. It needs to be… more…” she flailed her hand around her head as if that would better explain what she meant, “Just, better! It’s too simple! Will you help me? Please?”
With a soft laugh, Pollifa stood, “I’ll be there in a moment.” She looked back to Pod then, “Shall I take Tasi with me?”
He shook his head, “I’ll keep an eye on her. It seems you have a crisis to avert.” He grinned, casting a look back the way Rellirra had gone.
“It’s important to her, Pod. You shouldn’t make light of it,” she chided softly, “But thank you. It will be easier without Tasi under foot.”
Maybe his sister was right, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to care about what Rellirra’s hair looked like. It seemed a ridiculous thing to be so concerned over. Pollifa’s ability to take it seriously baffled him. As Pollifa left the room, he turned his attention back to his niece, thinking that Mavros felt much more like home with his sisters here… even Rellirra. He wondered if they would have come, if Asirikai hadn’t won his Lordship. Rellirra, certainly not. Pollifa though? It was hard to say. It would be difficult to justify moving their family here if it was only because he was choosing to be a candidate. He may not even impress. Though he didn’t like to entertain the possibility, it was still there. And if he didn’t? He wasn’t sure what he would do then. Moving back home made the most sense, but… Siorreya would still be here, at Mavros. It was some turns away from worrying about, but it didn’t hurt to have some sort of plan. Only he didn’t, for the first time in his life. And now that Polli was here he wanted to leave even less. He would have to figure something out, if no dragon found him. He grimaced at the thought of working under Asirikai in the Hold, doubting his uncle’s feelings about him would change. If only he could figure out why the man seemed to dislike him so much.
“What do you think I should do, Tasi?” he asked the little girl, amused.
She ran back over to him and held out his dragon for him again, insistent, “Fly!”
He laughed as he took it back. That was the hope.
