"I don't see why I have to sit in on weyrling lessons Mother." Isolde said, and scowled up at the Headwoman, Jelle. Isolde's birth mother, Zacia, was far too busy to deal with raising a child herself, and so, had found the best possible foster parent in the Weyr. Isolde hated Jelle, found it hard to believe that the woman was Headwoman, incompetent as she was.
"Because baby, you live in a Weyr..it's customary for children of your rank to set standards for the candidates...."
"I'm not a child! And if the candidates want standards, they can set them for themselves. I have more important things to worry about than how to pull a dragon's sore tooth." Isolde glared at her mother, angry that Jelle should suggest she play the good little "weyrbrat" who was interested in nothing more than learning about dragons, for the sake of the fardling candidates.
"Oh?" Jelle raised an eyebrow. "What's more important?"
"Well, for one, I've been trying to get that position in the lower caverns..."
"And I told you no, you're too young for that kind of responsibility. You're young, enjoy it. I'm letting you waste enough time as it is, in a few turns you'll be glad for it."
"But I'd be so good at it Mother! I don't mind that it's only cleaning duty, I can work my way up. Just think, if I start now, I could be headwoman by the time I'm twenty five. What an accomplishment."
"Twenty five?" Jelle laughed. "I don't think I'll be quite ready to step over by then sweetie. But if you want a position that bad, there's an opening in the kitchens..."
"I heard of no openings." Isolde said. "All four of the management staff are still there..unless Yuirai is pregnant again, and has stepped down as she ought..." Isolde stopped, her mother was shaking her head; and a cold sense of dread covered her. "But you don't mean a management position do you, you mean to put me to work with the drudges." Isolde's voice was distant and cold. Her own foster mother would do this to her? What gave her the right to say her daughter was no better than a drudge? Jelle knew Isolde as perfectly capable of managing a small staf...she should at least let her try! She'd never get anywhere if no one gave her a chance.
"My word Izzy, one would think you were the daughter of a Lord the way you're carrying on." Jelle paused, and patted her foster daughter tenderly. She was about to pass on one of her infamous life lessons that Isolde hated so much. "My own mother was a drudge, and I lived like one until I was fifteen. That's almost your age you know."
"I'm eighteen Mother..." Isolde didn't see how fifteen and eighteen were anything alike. How could they be? So much changed during that time..
"Close enough when you get to be my age. Anyway, listen, then, when I was fifteen, I was sent to tend watch-whers for another Hold, and then they shipped me to the Weyr after that. I was twenty-five then lovey, and a drudge. I didn't make a position of any worth until I was nearly thirty, and now, I'm nearly fifty and Headwoman."
"Beautiful tale Mother, it really was, but why should I wait because you had too? If I'm Headwoman by the time I'm thirty say, then think of where I'll be when I'm fifty."
Jelle smiled. "Doesn't get much bigger than Headwoman unless you've a mind to become Weyrwoman."
Isolde scoffed.
"What's the point? It's hardly as glamorous as everyone says. I've seen Amera lately, she'd practically ruined and she's so young. Lady Holder of a major stake is much more my taste. But unless I'm already in a position of wealth, no one will notice me enough to make me one." Isolde paused, her mind seeing the excellence of her well thought-out plan. "Picture this, I'm twenty-eight, still in my prime." Isolde smiled sweetly and tossed her raven dark hair out behind her. "I'm Headwoman, and so young, and there's a hatching feast going on. One of the candidates relative is there, a well bred man with a charming place all his own-and he needs a wife. Why, I'm perfect. I've already proved I'm ambitious and efficient. I'm attractive enough to produce good looking children for him, and I have good ties with the Weyr-I can weasle us out of heavy tithes and all. Tell me that's not a story to tell my children Mother, please." Isolde twirled in a circle, to demonstrate her points. Jelle just smiled and roughed up her hair.
"Children should have big dreams, and yours are at least realistic, and not filled with nonsense thoughts of romance and love. But you discredit yourself lovey."
"Oh really? How?" Isolde wanted to know how becoming Lady Holder was discrediting herself.
"You forget how strong your ties to the Weyr are. You discredit your dragonrider blood by saying you'd rather be a Holder."
"Dragonrider blood? Is that supposed to impress me? What good does it do me unless I want to be searched?"
"Do you?" Isolde knew Jelle wanted nothing more than for her foster daughter to be a dragonrider, but Isolde had higher wants than that.
"No." But Isolde lacked conviction when she told this to Jelle, because she suddenly seemed to feel alone, the way she sometimes did, and only longed for true companionship, and not any of these fake relationships between herself and everyone else.
"Ah, I see. Well then, I'll make a deal with you child. Work in the kitchens for two months, attend some of the weyrling lessons, and make an effort not to interefere with anything else, and..."
"And?" Isolde lept upon the word, tearing into it and trying to force Jelle to speak faster.
"And I'll see what I can do you for you." Jelle finished with bravado, and Isolde frowned, again.
"What you can do for me? What's this, some kind of trader's deal? What can you do for me? Get me into Yuirai's position?!" Isolde piped up, and Jelle only shrugged.
"We'll see how it goes..." But Isolde was already thinking of exactly how to tell everyone she was going to be one of the four kitchens managers in only two months! Let's see who ignored her advice then!