"You're WHAT!?" Teiyr exclaimed, slamming her hoe into the ground so hard that a chunk of dirt flew up. "Why in Faranth's name are you leaving?"
"My father thinks it's not safe for me here, what with Hallon running around and all," Reija explained. "Not that there won't be another man like Hallon at Three Hills Hold."
"Wherry-dung! Except for Hallon, there isn't a safer place on Pern than this Hold," Teiyr snarled, kicking at the hoe and sending another chunk of dirt flying.
"I know, I know, but you'll have to convince my father of that before he'll let me stay," Reija sighed. "Three Hills isn't too far away. I can visit sometimes."
Teiyr looked ready to go use her fists to convince Jaren to let Reija stay. "I'll talk to him, if you want me to."
"I don't think it would change his mind," Reija told her resignedly. "It'd just make him mad at you, most likely. And believe me, you don't want that."
"I know it won't make a difference, but I still want to try..." Teiyr sighed, sounding just as resigned as Reija. "When are you leaving again?"
"Today. After the midday meal," Reija replied. "Way too soon for me."
"And for the rest of us," Teiyr agreed.
Reija spent the time until the midday meal packing. Everything was going with her, Jaren had told her that she would not be returning for some time, if ever, so she'd better take anything she wanted to keep. She sat on her bed, sifting through memory after memory, fighting back the tears. Why was she getting punished for something that wasn't even her fault?
That midday meal was the most emotional one of her entire life. Everyone was crying. Terika tried to joke, but she ended up bawling. Lavikel and Narla were in no better condition, and Teiyr still looked like she wanted to strangle something. "C'mon, it's not like I'm moving across the continent or something," Reija said, attempting to lighten the mood. "I'll come visit."
"Your father won't let you," Lavikel snarled. Jaren was less and less popular with everyone around the Hold since this morning. "Why else would he make you take all your things?"
"I'll make it back here eventually," Reija assured them as cheerfully as she could, though she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach that she wouldn't.
"Yeah, like in thirty turns," Terika scoffed. "When you're father dies and allows you to come back."
Reija wished she had some cheerful comment to counteract Terika's glum one, but she didn't. A heavy silence settled over all five young women as what was happening sunk in. They would probably never see Reija again.
After the meal, Jaren came to collect Reija from the dining hall. Ignoring the glares from Reija's friends, he escorted her out to her waiting cart. Her things were thrown in the back and she climbed up to her seat next to Rajen, who was holding the reins to the family's strongest runner.
"I guess this is good-bye, for now," Reija choked, smiling weakly at her friends, who were just as teary.
"We'll come and visit you if we can," Narla promised, and everyone nodded and murmurred their agreement.
"We've got to leave now if we want to make it there before night," Rajen said quietly, obviously as reluctant to take his sister to another hold as her friends were to have her taken there.
Reija nodded. "Let's leave." As the runner started to walk and then to trot and then canter, Reija turned to wave back at her friends, who became smaller and smaller and then dissapeared over a hill. Suddenly, Reija felt very, very alone.
She slept most of the ride, and when she wasn't sleeping she was crying. Quiet, almost tearless sobs that shook her body but which Rajen kindly ignored.
The small cart reached Three Hills long after the skies had darkened. Reija was leaning against her brother's shoulder, which was wet with the tears that had kept flowing as she slept.
"Rei," Rejan called to her softly, "we're here, wake up."
Reija sat up, taking in the unfamiliar landscape that met her eyes. "Where are we? Why aren't we at home?"
Rejan looked at his little sister with pain filled eyes. "Don't you remember why we're here?"
Reija suddenly remembered, and then broke into a fresh wave of tears. Rajen patiently waited through the tears, feeling much like crying himself.
"Let's go meet Aunt Terihte," Reija said in a choked voice. "I'm sure she's wondering where we are."
Reija got down from the cart almost mechanically. She shouldered the two bags she could carry, knowing that drudges would take the rest to wherever her quarters were.
Reija had not seen her Aunt Terihte in quite some time, but the headwoman was exactly like Reija's memories of her. Short, stout, but with the kind of calming, friendly face you'd want to see when you were scared. She offered both Rejan and Reija mugs of klah and gave Reija a wet hide to wipe away her tears with. "So, I understand you've been sent here to train with me," Terihte began, seating herself across the table from Reija.
All Reija's plans to be rude and disagreeable when she met her aunt dissolved at the soft, caring tone of the headwoman's voice. "That's right," she said, and managed a weak smile.
"I don't understand your father's actions either, but I hope I can comfort you and make Three Hills a good home for you while you're here," Terihte went on. "I really mean that. I hate to see you cry like this."
Looking up at her aunt, Reija felt a bit of hope for the first time that day. "Me too."
Rajen decided to spend the night at Three Hills, not wanting to ride back in the dark. Reija was shown to her spacious quarters by a drudge and the rest of her belongings arrived shortly after she did. Though she missed her friends deeply, Reija felt oddly at home as she drifted off to sleep.
Three months later...
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