Nerilka's Story - Chapter Nine
Sep. 18th, 2022 12:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kalinara posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
i_read_whatSo last time, Nerilka's healing and administrative skills turned out to be very welcome in Ruatha. She's even been asked to stay, beyond the immediate crisis! I hope nothing happens to make anyone more unhappy!
So, as usual, the chapter starts with the morning. Everyone's still overjoyed by the success of their hard work. Alessan gets to go and inspect the new colt foal, while Oklina and Nerilka rope the fosterlings and stronger male covalescents into helping to put supplies away.
Nerilka's brainstorming ways to help the Hold, and rehearsing how she'll bring them up to Alessan. I admit, the first time I read that, I was a little surprised. Alessan isn't the dictatorial sort and doesn't seem like he'd mind suggestions. But then I remember that Nerilka's used to her father, and he probably wasn't the sort to appreciate someone speaking out of turn. It's a nice touch: Tolocamp seemed more neglectful than deliberately abusive, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't had a negative effect on his children.
And then there are dragons! Nerilka recognizes B'lerion, and someone named Bessira, who is one of High Reaches' queen riders. Six more dragons arrive, and Nerilka picks up on a few overtones:
As Oklina rushed out to B’lerion with his supplies, I could not help but notice the way the bronze rider’s face lit up as he slipped down his dragon’s side. When she reached him, she halted abruptly to gaze lovingly up at him until, smiling a trifle foolishly himself, he took the serum from her.
I felt a touch on my arm. Desdra stood there with the brace of packaged serum bottles for me to deliver to a rider. “Don’t stare, Rill. It has been sanctioned.”
“I wasn’t staring—not exactly. But she’s so young, and B’lerion has quite a reputation.”
“There’s a queen egg hardening at Fort Weyr.”
“But Oklina’s needed here.”
Damn, I love this, I really do. It's the kind of thing I wanted for Brekke, but never really got. The reaction of a "normal" Hold-bred person to Weyr type shenanigans. Because Oklina IS very young. B'lerion has a reputation. And we HOPE that someone's going to fill Oklina in on what queenriding involves, but still.
McCaffrey doesn't usually yet reasonable and sensible characters criticize the Weyr. I like that Nerilka gets to. Implicitly anyway.
And she's not wrong about Ruatha's need. But I'm wondering now if that's why Oklina made a point of complimenting Nerilka's administrative skills. She knows she's going to try for the egg, at least. Perhaps she intends Nerilka to fill her role. And that makes me wonder also, if Moreta survived, might Alessan have still married Nerilka? He DOES need children. Moreta is on the tail end of her child-bearing years, and she can't exactly help with administration of Ruatha.
AU threesome? I feel like Nerilka might go for it. She was really devoted to Suriana, and she seems to admire Moreta a lot.
I like this bit too:
Desdra shrugged, transferred the serum to my hands, and gave me a bit of a push to call me to attention. I rushed off, but my mind was unsettled. Oklina was so very young, and B’lerion so very charming. Yet Alessan sanctioned the alliance? How odd, when he would need her children as well to secure the Bloodline. Oh, I knew perfectly well that Ruathan women often became queen riders and that Weyrwomen conceived and bore children like any others, though not as prolifically. But I wouldn’t fancy such a life. The bond between rider and dragon was too intense, too all-consuming for someone like me. What I envied in Oklina was the happiness, the rapture in her face as she looked up at B’lerion. Nabeth’s rainbow-sparkling eyes were turned on the pair, as if he knew everything that was passing silently between them. Dragons had such powers, I knew. I wasn’t certain I would like having someone know exactly what I was thinking all the time. But I supposed dragonriders grew accustomed to it.
Because dragonriding isn't for everyone. I don't think I'd mind the telepathy, but the sexual politics make the entire idea abhorrent to me. I still resent McCaffrey for creating a universe where bonding with a dragon sounds like hell. Except maybe Ruth. I wouldn't mind bonding with a runty asexual dragon.
So there are more people who we recognize from Moreta's book: Leri, Kamiana, S'peren and K'lon. Leri, Nerilka notices, keeps watching Oklina. Nerilka wonders about that, and tries not to criticize Alessan for supporting sending poor young Oklina off.
We learn a bit more about the logistics of dragon delivery: five minutes for a dragon to land, five minutes to hand bottles over, four minutes to become airborne again. The actual flight between is instantaneous but the deliveries will probably take about half an hour total.
Nerilka can't really figure it out, because she lacks the important information that dragons can time travel. Desdra does know that, and obliquely hints about it, but understandably, Nerilka doesn't understand.
Then suddenly, all the queens roar angrily. The queen riders are furious. Leri hands her last delivery to Nerilka with a bit of a patronizing "there's a good girl", but Leri's ancient and Nerilka doesn't seem to mind. They go between.
There are more plans to send supplies out to Keroon beasthold. Alessan thinks there'll discover a lot of abandoned runners in Keroon or Telgar because there are so many untenanted Holds. That's a depressing thought.
Happily though, the hunters have been successful, so they'll be having a great celebratory feast. They take the big dinner tables out from their "cupboards" (Not going to try to figure out how that works), and clear away the debris from their endeavors.
Desdra and Nerilka have a moment:
“You and Master Capiam must come back soon,” Oklina said, her eyes still shining from B’lerion’s last visit. “You’ll see what Ruatha should look like, won’t she, Rill?”
“Just give me elbow room, and we’ll have the place to rights in no time,” I vowed so fervently that Desdra laughed.
Then she winked so that Oklina wouldn’t see. “You were right to come here, Rill. You were never appreciated at your former Hold. And I’d like to apologize for misconstruing your motive in offering your assistance at the Hall. You’d’ve been a rare, fine help to us there.”
Aw. Anyway, Nerilka's just glad to be able to be useful. And to have the freedom to be able to be useful. And well...other possibilities come up:
Desdra cocked one eyebrow, and I quickly corrected any misapprehension she had of high-flown ambitions.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Desdra. Despite Ruatha’s present state, this is a prestigious Hold for alliance. Alessan’s done himself no harm in anyone’s eyes to pull out of this disaster with so much dignity. Every Lord Holder with eligible daughters will be courting him assiduously as soon as they can wangle conveyance here.”
“You’ve sufficient rank, Lady Nerilka.”
“Hush! Rank to be sure I had.” I emphasized the past tense. “And little joy of it. I am far more satisfied to be part of Ruatha’s future, for I had none of my own at Fort.”
I mean, they can still have alliances without marriage. But Nerilka's been long used to seeing herself as a spinster, so it makes some sense that she doesn't consider the possibility. (Especially since she may or may not realize that Alessan is seeing Moreta.)
Desdra asks if there's anyone she can notify. Nerilka asks her to notify her uncle, Munchaun, who can reassure her sisters. And huh. Look at this!
“Campen was worried, too, you know. He and Theskin searched the surroundings for a whole day, certain you had been hurt out gathering herbs.”
I nodded, accepting what she didn’t say as well as Campen’s attempt.
I'll be damned. An annoying and annoyed brother actually caring about what happened to the sister he doesn't really get along with? By this author?
That's growth, that is! I'm actually impressed!
But...oh...here we go. Timing. The angry queens were undoubtedly because Moreta got turned away from Telgar Weyr. Which means we're leading into other events now.
Oklina suddenly cries out and seems to faint. Alessan screams Moreta's name in anguish and falls to his knees, sobbing and pounding his fists. Nerilka rushes over to help (Desdra has Oklina in hand.)
I couldn’t stand those sobs and ran to him, kneeling so that his already-bloodied fists pummeled my thighs, not cold stone. He gripped my thighs so fiercely I had to bite my lips to suppress a cry, but then he burrowed his head in my lap, convulsed by this grief.
Moreta! What harm could have befallen her at Fort Weyr? I knew that her queen was in the Hatching Ground, surely the safest place in any Weyr.
I think this is the first time that we really have a clear inkling as to why Ruatha's bloodline is so special. Lessa was powerful, of course, but we met her in media res. We were told about how she almost brought her Hold to ruin, but we didn't really see it happen. And the hearing all dragons bit, while impressive, got diluted some with Brekke conveniently having the same talent.
But here: neither Oklina nor Alessan have dragons. Which means that by themselves, unaided by any kind of psychic enhancement, and god knows how many miles away, they both felt Moreta and Holth die.
Jaxom didn't show anything that looked like incredible psychic ability, but his actual connection to Ruatha's bloodline was diluted through Gemma of Crom. I wonder about F'lessan though. I might check out his book(s) someday.
Anyway, everyone's confused and worried, until they hear a mournful howl outside. LATER than Alessan or Oklina's reaction, I note. B'lerion rushes in, white faced. His dragon, Nabeth, is "grayed". B'lerion rushes for Oklina and manages to explain what happened: Moreta and Holth made the Keroon run, went between, and died.
I am sad all over again. And Nerilka's reaction is nice and cathartic in a way:
I held Alessan even tighter then, my own tears mingling with his, my grief as fierce but more for him now than for the valiant Weyrwoman. How could he endure this third ghastly tragedy when he had stood so courageously against the plague, and mourned Suriana far longer than would most men. I burned anew against my father. Why, if there was any justice in the world, was Alessan so grievously assaulted by misfortunes of the most terrible degree while Tolocamp enjoyed health, fortune, and fleshly pleasures that he no longer deserved?
Nerilka has just figured out that Alessan and Moreta were lovers. She wonders a bit about how they found the time, since they would have only had an hour together on that one afternoon they were gone. (Timing it!) I'm not sure how Nerilka knows that they weren't together prior to that, but oh well. She realizes this is probably why Alessan was so okay with Oklina and B'lerion.
She's also glad that Moreta had some joy - she apparently hadn't liked Sh'gall much on the few times they met.
So anyway, Desdra gives Alessan a sleeping drought. He looks pretty bad:
We undressed him and covered him with the fur. His face was prematurely aged, his eyes shrunken in his head, his lips drawn down, his complexion waxy-white. Desdra felt his pulse and nodded with relief. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed, wearily propping her back against the stead, her hands palms up and limp in her lap.
Aw.
So there's an obvious concern here. The Ruathan Bloodline. Now, I'm not one to care about bloodlines and such in general, but this is a prequel and I want Lessa to be born. So Alessan needs to bang. And my theory on Alessan/Nerilka/Moreta as a threesome seems like it might have merit:
“Because Alessan must secure his Bloodline?” In all of Pern’s history, no Weyrwoman had become a Lady Holder, though many Lady Holders had become Weyrwomen. Moreta had been nearly to the end of safe childbearing, but Alessan could have taken a wife as well. A Lord Holder could make his own laws within his Hold, especially to secure his Bloodline. Hold girls were raised with that precept firmly implanted in their brains and hearts.
Polyamory for all!
Desdra notes that any children Oklina had were going to be fostered here. And she tells Nerilka that she must tell Alessan who she is. Nerilka balks, figuring that Alessan needs someone pretty, appealing, clever and charming to rouse him from the grief he's endured.
Fortunately for my tolerance level (I'm not one for a heroine's modest self-deprecation), the chapter ends here.
So, as usual, the chapter starts with the morning. Everyone's still overjoyed by the success of their hard work. Alessan gets to go and inspect the new colt foal, while Oklina and Nerilka rope the fosterlings and stronger male covalescents into helping to put supplies away.
Nerilka's brainstorming ways to help the Hold, and rehearsing how she'll bring them up to Alessan. I admit, the first time I read that, I was a little surprised. Alessan isn't the dictatorial sort and doesn't seem like he'd mind suggestions. But then I remember that Nerilka's used to her father, and he probably wasn't the sort to appreciate someone speaking out of turn. It's a nice touch: Tolocamp seemed more neglectful than deliberately abusive, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't had a negative effect on his children.
And then there are dragons! Nerilka recognizes B'lerion, and someone named Bessira, who is one of High Reaches' queen riders. Six more dragons arrive, and Nerilka picks up on a few overtones:
As Oklina rushed out to B’lerion with his supplies, I could not help but notice the way the bronze rider’s face lit up as he slipped down his dragon’s side. When she reached him, she halted abruptly to gaze lovingly up at him until, smiling a trifle foolishly himself, he took the serum from her.
I felt a touch on my arm. Desdra stood there with the brace of packaged serum bottles for me to deliver to a rider. “Don’t stare, Rill. It has been sanctioned.”
“I wasn’t staring—not exactly. But she’s so young, and B’lerion has quite a reputation.”
“There’s a queen egg hardening at Fort Weyr.”
“But Oklina’s needed here.”
Damn, I love this, I really do. It's the kind of thing I wanted for Brekke, but never really got. The reaction of a "normal" Hold-bred person to Weyr type shenanigans. Because Oklina IS very young. B'lerion has a reputation. And we HOPE that someone's going to fill Oklina in on what queenriding involves, but still.
McCaffrey doesn't usually yet reasonable and sensible characters criticize the Weyr. I like that Nerilka gets to. Implicitly anyway.
And she's not wrong about Ruatha's need. But I'm wondering now if that's why Oklina made a point of complimenting Nerilka's administrative skills. She knows she's going to try for the egg, at least. Perhaps she intends Nerilka to fill her role. And that makes me wonder also, if Moreta survived, might Alessan have still married Nerilka? He DOES need children. Moreta is on the tail end of her child-bearing years, and she can't exactly help with administration of Ruatha.
AU threesome? I feel like Nerilka might go for it. She was really devoted to Suriana, and she seems to admire Moreta a lot.
I like this bit too:
Desdra shrugged, transferred the serum to my hands, and gave me a bit of a push to call me to attention. I rushed off, but my mind was unsettled. Oklina was so very young, and B’lerion so very charming. Yet Alessan sanctioned the alliance? How odd, when he would need her children as well to secure the Bloodline. Oh, I knew perfectly well that Ruathan women often became queen riders and that Weyrwomen conceived and bore children like any others, though not as prolifically. But I wouldn’t fancy such a life. The bond between rider and dragon was too intense, too all-consuming for someone like me. What I envied in Oklina was the happiness, the rapture in her face as she looked up at B’lerion. Nabeth’s rainbow-sparkling eyes were turned on the pair, as if he knew everything that was passing silently between them. Dragons had such powers, I knew. I wasn’t certain I would like having someone know exactly what I was thinking all the time. But I supposed dragonriders grew accustomed to it.
Because dragonriding isn't for everyone. I don't think I'd mind the telepathy, but the sexual politics make the entire idea abhorrent to me. I still resent McCaffrey for creating a universe where bonding with a dragon sounds like hell. Except maybe Ruth. I wouldn't mind bonding with a runty asexual dragon.
So there are more people who we recognize from Moreta's book: Leri, Kamiana, S'peren and K'lon. Leri, Nerilka notices, keeps watching Oklina. Nerilka wonders about that, and tries not to criticize Alessan for supporting sending poor young Oklina off.
We learn a bit more about the logistics of dragon delivery: five minutes for a dragon to land, five minutes to hand bottles over, four minutes to become airborne again. The actual flight between is instantaneous but the deliveries will probably take about half an hour total.
Nerilka can't really figure it out, because she lacks the important information that dragons can time travel. Desdra does know that, and obliquely hints about it, but understandably, Nerilka doesn't understand.
Then suddenly, all the queens roar angrily. The queen riders are furious. Leri hands her last delivery to Nerilka with a bit of a patronizing "there's a good girl", but Leri's ancient and Nerilka doesn't seem to mind. They go between.
There are more plans to send supplies out to Keroon beasthold. Alessan thinks there'll discover a lot of abandoned runners in Keroon or Telgar because there are so many untenanted Holds. That's a depressing thought.
Happily though, the hunters have been successful, so they'll be having a great celebratory feast. They take the big dinner tables out from their "cupboards" (Not going to try to figure out how that works), and clear away the debris from their endeavors.
Desdra and Nerilka have a moment:
“You and Master Capiam must come back soon,” Oklina said, her eyes still shining from B’lerion’s last visit. “You’ll see what Ruatha should look like, won’t she, Rill?”
“Just give me elbow room, and we’ll have the place to rights in no time,” I vowed so fervently that Desdra laughed.
Then she winked so that Oklina wouldn’t see. “You were right to come here, Rill. You were never appreciated at your former Hold. And I’d like to apologize for misconstruing your motive in offering your assistance at the Hall. You’d’ve been a rare, fine help to us there.”
Aw. Anyway, Nerilka's just glad to be able to be useful. And to have the freedom to be able to be useful. And well...other possibilities come up:
Desdra cocked one eyebrow, and I quickly corrected any misapprehension she had of high-flown ambitions.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Desdra. Despite Ruatha’s present state, this is a prestigious Hold for alliance. Alessan’s done himself no harm in anyone’s eyes to pull out of this disaster with so much dignity. Every Lord Holder with eligible daughters will be courting him assiduously as soon as they can wangle conveyance here.”
“You’ve sufficient rank, Lady Nerilka.”
“Hush! Rank to be sure I had.” I emphasized the past tense. “And little joy of it. I am far more satisfied to be part of Ruatha’s future, for I had none of my own at Fort.”
I mean, they can still have alliances without marriage. But Nerilka's been long used to seeing herself as a spinster, so it makes some sense that she doesn't consider the possibility. (Especially since she may or may not realize that Alessan is seeing Moreta.)
Desdra asks if there's anyone she can notify. Nerilka asks her to notify her uncle, Munchaun, who can reassure her sisters. And huh. Look at this!
“Campen was worried, too, you know. He and Theskin searched the surroundings for a whole day, certain you had been hurt out gathering herbs.”
I nodded, accepting what she didn’t say as well as Campen’s attempt.
I'll be damned. An annoying and annoyed brother actually caring about what happened to the sister he doesn't really get along with? By this author?
That's growth, that is! I'm actually impressed!
But...oh...here we go. Timing. The angry queens were undoubtedly because Moreta got turned away from Telgar Weyr. Which means we're leading into other events now.
Oklina suddenly cries out and seems to faint. Alessan screams Moreta's name in anguish and falls to his knees, sobbing and pounding his fists. Nerilka rushes over to help (Desdra has Oklina in hand.)
I couldn’t stand those sobs and ran to him, kneeling so that his already-bloodied fists pummeled my thighs, not cold stone. He gripped my thighs so fiercely I had to bite my lips to suppress a cry, but then he burrowed his head in my lap, convulsed by this grief.
Moreta! What harm could have befallen her at Fort Weyr? I knew that her queen was in the Hatching Ground, surely the safest place in any Weyr.
I think this is the first time that we really have a clear inkling as to why Ruatha's bloodline is so special. Lessa was powerful, of course, but we met her in media res. We were told about how she almost brought her Hold to ruin, but we didn't really see it happen. And the hearing all dragons bit, while impressive, got diluted some with Brekke conveniently having the same talent.
But here: neither Oklina nor Alessan have dragons. Which means that by themselves, unaided by any kind of psychic enhancement, and god knows how many miles away, they both felt Moreta and Holth die.
Jaxom didn't show anything that looked like incredible psychic ability, but his actual connection to Ruatha's bloodline was diluted through Gemma of Crom. I wonder about F'lessan though. I might check out his book(s) someday.
Anyway, everyone's confused and worried, until they hear a mournful howl outside. LATER than Alessan or Oklina's reaction, I note. B'lerion rushes in, white faced. His dragon, Nabeth, is "grayed". B'lerion rushes for Oklina and manages to explain what happened: Moreta and Holth made the Keroon run, went between, and died.
I am sad all over again. And Nerilka's reaction is nice and cathartic in a way:
I held Alessan even tighter then, my own tears mingling with his, my grief as fierce but more for him now than for the valiant Weyrwoman. How could he endure this third ghastly tragedy when he had stood so courageously against the plague, and mourned Suriana far longer than would most men. I burned anew against my father. Why, if there was any justice in the world, was Alessan so grievously assaulted by misfortunes of the most terrible degree while Tolocamp enjoyed health, fortune, and fleshly pleasures that he no longer deserved?
Nerilka has just figured out that Alessan and Moreta were lovers. She wonders a bit about how they found the time, since they would have only had an hour together on that one afternoon they were gone. (Timing it!) I'm not sure how Nerilka knows that they weren't together prior to that, but oh well. She realizes this is probably why Alessan was so okay with Oklina and B'lerion.
She's also glad that Moreta had some joy - she apparently hadn't liked Sh'gall much on the few times they met.
So anyway, Desdra gives Alessan a sleeping drought. He looks pretty bad:
We undressed him and covered him with the fur. His face was prematurely aged, his eyes shrunken in his head, his lips drawn down, his complexion waxy-white. Desdra felt his pulse and nodded with relief. Then she sat down on the edge of the bed, wearily propping her back against the stead, her hands palms up and limp in her lap.
Aw.
So there's an obvious concern here. The Ruathan Bloodline. Now, I'm not one to care about bloodlines and such in general, but this is a prequel and I want Lessa to be born. So Alessan needs to bang. And my theory on Alessan/Nerilka/Moreta as a threesome seems like it might have merit:
“Because Alessan must secure his Bloodline?” In all of Pern’s history, no Weyrwoman had become a Lady Holder, though many Lady Holders had become Weyrwomen. Moreta had been nearly to the end of safe childbearing, but Alessan could have taken a wife as well. A Lord Holder could make his own laws within his Hold, especially to secure his Bloodline. Hold girls were raised with that precept firmly implanted in their brains and hearts.
Polyamory for all!
Desdra notes that any children Oklina had were going to be fostered here. And she tells Nerilka that she must tell Alessan who she is. Nerilka balks, figuring that Alessan needs someone pretty, appealing, clever and charming to rouse him from the grief he's endured.
Fortunately for my tolerance level (I'm not one for a heroine's modest self-deprecation), the chapter ends here.
Well, it doesn't go into detail,
Date: 2022-09-18 04:54 pm (UTC)https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167830
= Multi-Facets.
Re: Well, it doesn't go into detail,
Date: 2022-09-18 05:55 pm (UTC)