stats :: candidate :: jr.weyrling :: sr.weyrling :: adult :: dark moon weyr

Though Sirionne had been into the dining hall countless times, Degra had never seen it before and it was obviously all the poor girl could do to hold onto her tray of rolls while gazing in wonder at the hall.

"Hurry it up kid!" one of the other drudges yelled from behind. "We can't get there late 'else we'll be facing the business end of the steward's boot a lot more often."

Degra shot an annoyed glance over her shoulder but at Sirionne's urging kept going. "I've never seen anyplace like it it!" she told Sirionne as they walked. "It's so big and so beautiful!"

"I've never thought of it as beautiful," Sirionne admitted. She'd always thought it was much too busy with tapestries covering every bit of wall and those horrible crimson tableclothes on every table.

"Well I think it is," Degra replied. "I wish I got to eat in here every day! The food all smells so good. How come we don get to ear in here?"

At that moment, Sirionne remembered why she'd sworn she'd never have a child. Who wanted to explain to a child that because they were a drudge, they were on the same level as dirt and were treated accordingly. "There's not enough room."

Degra looked around the cavernous dining hall dubiously. "I think there could be. I bet if they just rearranged some tables..."

"Put it out of your mind for now," Sirionne instructed her. "We've got a meal to serve, and the steward won't be happy if something goes wrong."

As the drudges began arranging food on the tables, Sirionne took the time to look at every guest seated at they high tables. There were a few faces she didn't recognize and among them was a dragonrider, according to her shoulder knots. Probably the "important guest" the steward had been raving about this morning.

It all happened in one horrible moment. Someone bumped into Degra as she was gazing at the tapestried walls. Degra fell over, spilling the tray of rolls across the ground. Before the dazed little drudge could get up, the steward was bearing down on her. "Get up!" he demanded, landing a kick to her side.

Sirionne heard Degra's cry of pain and whirled around to see the steward aiming another kick. She finished pouring the mug of klah she had been pouring and then strode over and scooped Degra into her arms. "How dare you kick my child!" she hissed, knowing she'd receive a beating like never before for that but better her than Degra.

"She's a drudge, as you are, what other reason do I need?" the steward asked with a chuckle. "Now stop coddling her and get back to work before I think better of it and decide to have you both killed for your insolence!"

"I'm taking her back to the kitchens," Sirionne snapped, wondering if she'd live through the beating she'd get for this, "and then I'll come back and work."

"You and the brat will stay here until I tell you to go elsewhere!" the steward snarled and aimed a kick at Sirionne's knees. Sirionne crumpled to the floor. "Now work!"

As Sirionne struggled to her feet, she could feel that someone was looking at her. She turned to see the dragonrider looking at her in the weirdest of ways and quickly turned away. Great. Now she had a dragonrider and the steward mad at her.

"Drudge! You with the klah! Over here!" the dragonrider was calling, ans Sirionne realized that she was the one with the klah. Slowly, she walked over, dreading what would happen.

"Yes mam?" Sirionne answered. "Do you need some more klah?"

The dragonrider looked at her cup in suprise. "What? Oh. No. I just need to have a word with you."

"About what?" Sirionne asked warily, ready to sidestep away from any blow the dragonrider might try to inflict.

"Well first off, are you really a drudge?" the rider asked. "I've never seen a drudge with so much spirit, the way you talked back to the steward."

Sirionne chuckled. "I'm sorry to say I am. Who in their right mind would be in my boots if they weren't a drudge?"

The rider grinned. "I don't know. I've just never seen a drudge like you. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"But that child... is she your sister? She's much too old to be yours..." the dragonrider looked to where Degra was standing, looking a little confused about what her mother was doing.

"She's actually not related. Her mother was killed so I took her in," Sirionne explained.

"You're certainly an exceptional drudge. You should have heard what the steward had to say about you after you told him you were taking the child back. You're in for quite the beating, I bet."

Sirionne shrugged. "I don't much care. I'll live through it, probably. I've been living through it for seventeen turns."

The rider nodded. "Have you ever considered leaving?"

"How could I? I'm just a drudge," Sirionne asked. "But I'd leave if I could."

"Well if you want, you can leave today. My Sveiketh has just Searched you to Stand on Dark Moon Weyr's Sands," the rider announced. "That is, if you want to."

Sirionne couldn't believe what she was hearing. Searched. Her. The steward would get a laugh out of that one. "Really?"

"Really," the rider assured her. "I'm leaving after the morning meal, so decide by then."

"I've decided already. I'll go, but only if Degra can come with me," Sirionne replied quickly.

At the sound of her name, Degra came running up to Sirionne. "Where're we goin?"

"To Dark Moon Weyr," the searchrider told her. "You and Sirionne."