All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are copyright © Anne McCaffrey 1967,2000, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited. For more information, visit the Worlds of Anne McCaffrey.
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15-10-01: Chased
You enter Thunder Wagon. Raisha looks up as she hears someone entering her wagon, then grins as she recognises Relian....
You enter Thunder Wagon.
Raisha looks up as she hears someone entering her wagon, then grins as she recognises Relian. "Hey, long time no see!" she greets him, putting the music box she's working on to one side, but making no effort to stand. What's the point? Not hold-bred, remember?
"Er, hey!" Relian, if anything, looks a little shy. "Someone told me this was your wagon; I hope you don't mind that I came visiting?" He apparently doesn't mind her failure to stand, instead adding, as he digs his hands into his pockets. "It has been a while, have you been busy?"
Raisha shrugs, pushing her hair back as is her habit. "Nope, don't mind," she smiles, then adds with a laugh, "Well, I /am/ the only trader based here, and this /is/ the only wagon here, so..." Glance is given around the not-too-neat wagon. "Busy? Nah, been pretty slow lately. Not had a trade in a while."
Relian, apparently making himself quite at home, snags the second of the chairs for himself, sitting, his hands resting in front of him. "Good." Because he isn't leaving? "Yes, that's true," he admits, "But I didn't want to burst in, without knowing that, just in case. Slow?" He adds, nose wrinkling. "Not good for business, then."
"Ya could say that," the trader girl nods, smiling. "But then, I'm not in trading for the /business/. Just in my blood, I s'pose." Raish starts, then stands and begins rummaging through a couple of cupboards. "Shards, I forgot to offer you somethin'. Want any klah, or stuff to eat?"
Relian gives a short, considering nod. "I suppose that these things are," is his comment, made in muted agreement. "The same as Holdership is in mine. I'm just a throwback, for a cause." Prideful of this statement, apparently, he shakes his head almost imperiously. "No, no thank you. I'm fine, as is."
Raisha nods, almost imperceptibly. "Nothing for ya? All right then... ya sure? Oh, by the way, how's ya tree comin' along?" The round one, yeah.
Relian shakes his head to confirm his statement, responding, as he leans back in his chair, firmly making himself at home. "No luck, as yet, I'm afraid. I've got some people scouting out for me, but no one seems to have any trace of him." Brow furrows, as he notes, "As if he never got here, or simply disappeared."
Raisha raises an eyebrow at that, fingers flicking back long fringe. "Disappeared? I doubt it," she says bluntly. "How could someone jus' disappear? Could've changed his mind and gone somewhere else, maybe."
"Or changed his name," agrees Relian, brow furrowing further. Evidently, that thought hadn't occured to him. "Maybe he did, go elsewhere, I mean. I don't know. May never know, I guess."
Raisha's eyes light up as another idea comes to her. "Traders might know," she suggests with a grin. "Always travellin' round, and the older ones like to tell stories... Man from the South travellin' North'd be a story to 'em, I reckon..." Her voice trails off as she pauses to see if Relian knows what she's getting at.
Relian raises his right eyebrow, considering Raisha after a long pause. "So you think you might be able to ask around, for me? He'd've been 20ish, when he came...You won't ask for a trade, will you? One service for another. Too many people here think that's the only way to do business." Disgruntled, although not heavily so, he adds, "But do you think you could?"
Raisha grins, shaking her head. "I'll do it, as a favour. Not much likin' the business side of trading, though people say I've a fair knack for it," she smiles. "His name again? Hard to keep names straight when ya know many people, like I do."
Relian positively beams, his expression changing to something of relief. "Wonderful. Thank you, awfully. I'd worry, else, that I'd be owing favours to *everyone* in the Weyr." Cryptic, but at least he's honest. "Togidun. My father says that when he was a child, my great-great uncle was referred to us Togo, if that helps."
Raisha nods slowly. "Togidun, eh? I'll ask the Istan traders first, I s'pose, and get 'em to spread the word 'round. Traders do travel lots," she adds, impish grin on her face. "Those who were here 40 years ago might've moved South, or somethin'."
Relian nods, "And my uncle was here *eighty* turns ago, apparently, so that's even further. It'd be the really old ones that'd remember, I guess." His brow furrows, as he comments, "Does it sound as though I'm on a wild wherry chase?"
Raisha says, "Old would be about right, I reckon." Black locks are pushed back again as she shakes her head emphatically. "Oh, no... If'n he came North, there oughta be /someone/ who would've seen him, or somethin'."
Relian again nods his head, using one hand to tousle his hair thoughtfully. "At least ninety turns, I'd guess. Are there many traders live that old? -- Maybe the sailors, too, if there are old ones. I could try them." He straightens, face lifting again.
Raisha nods. "Traders live to pretty old, sometimes. There was one, back in Telgar... he was a fair hundred, I believe. Old Bandemar," she recalls fondly. "Sailors? That's a thought, but not one I could help with, much," she smiles.
"One hundred," Relian all but breathes, impressed. "My Father's father hardly lived to fifty; he came down with Firehead, and that was that. I'll have to try the sailors myself, then. Unless I can find someone with contacts."
Serafa enters Thunder Wagon.
"Firehead. Must be a pretty bad thing to have," the trader notes idly. "Don't know any sailors, myself, though you /could/ ask 'round." Her attention is momentarily diverted as another enters the wagon. "Hello, can I help you?" she calls cheerily to the stranger.
Relian nods sagely, keeping his voice lowered -- respectfully? "I believe so. Long before my birth, of course, and we haven't seen it since, but it's apparently very bad." Serafa's arrival brings a half gasp, and a flush, to his face. Ignore the red-faced historian.
Serafa bursts through the small wagon doors at a frantic pace. "Ok where are they?" She asks pawing through her 'sack urgently. Taking a look about her air of hastily roused emergancy medical technican fades to one more sheepish. "Oh this isnt the wagon with the babies?" You know the babies that are sick. Taking yet another closer look she notices the flushed face of her new friend. "Oh nevermind its probably not important anyways" she says as she flops down very close to Relian.
Relian's reaction gains a raised eyebrow from Raisha, but she makes no comment. "Well, 's a good thing ya haven't had any cases of it since, then." She wouldn't really know, though, would she? Serafa gets the benefit of her other eyebrow going up. "Babies? Nope. Actually I don't think there's.
Raisha says, "Actually I don't think there's another wagon 'round here... Could be wrong though," she shrugs. "I'm Raisha," the trader adds with a smile, extending a tanned hand. "Well met."
Relian recoils, uncomfortably, blinking at Serafa. "Er, no. No babies, here." Thank goodness; smelly, screaming things. He adds, for Raisha's sake, "That's Serafa."
"You sound as if thats a bad thing Auri" Flutter-simper. And yes she randomly assigns nick-names to those people she likes. "Well met Raisha, and yes I'm Serafa, senior healer apprentice." As if that explains everything. Wrinkling her nose she adds. "I guess I'm the victim of yet another appy prank" She offers by way of apology for her rather dramatic entrance.
Raisha laughs appreciatively. Glad she never joined a craft; never could understand much of it... or wanted to, anyway. "Since you're here though, wouldja like somethin' to eat, or drink? Neither of us have had anything," she smiles.
"Auri?" repeats Relian, flushing. "Er, Serafa -- I'm *Relian*, here." Brow furrowing, he shifts in his seat, more uncomfortable than ever.
Serafa flops even further into her seat clutching her stomach. "Oh if you dont mind, I'm positively famished!" She declares, before assuming an air of complete ignorance. "Oh silly me" She smacks one dainty hand to her forehead. "I forgot! will you ever forgive me Auri?"
Raisha grins, rummaging through cupboards to bring out some spiced rolls on a plate and a small mountain of cookies in a bag. "Will these hold ya?" she jokes, settling them on the table in front of Serafa. "Help yourself," she offers, setting the example by reaching for a cookie and taking a huge bite.
Poor 'Auri', who sends a pained grimace towards Raisha -- out of the side of his face, as much as possible, of course; wouldn't do to offend the healer. "Er, um, okay, Serafa," he mumbles, sinking into his chair. As the food is brought out, he glances at it, but makes no move to take any for himself.
"Oh please call me Seffy /all/ my friends do" She chatters amicably while reaching for a handful of cookies. "So...." She starts after her first mouthful. "What are you up to this lovely evening?" Her klah-brown eyes twinkle with assumed innocence, or irritation you decide. "I hope you are feeling better Relian? You looked rather sickly last night"
"Seffy, then," the trader smiles, polishing off her cookie. "Up to? Oh, not much... just discussing some stuff with Relian." She dusts her hands of cookie crumbs, then emits a sharp, short whistle. From behind a chest emerges first a white furry face, then a brown one. Grabbing two meatrolls from an open cupboard, Raish tosses the rolls to the ferrets, then turns back to grin wordlessly at the other two.
"I'm fine," Relian agrees to 'Seffy', giving her a haphazard smile, if ever there was one. He's rapidly distracted by Raisha's ferrets, his eyes lighting up; "They look well, Raisha. Very cute. -- Er, yes. We were just talking."
"Thank you," Raish smiles at Relian, then tosses another few more rolls to the said cute ones. "No more, you two. Settle down.
Serafa quirks one brow, her eyes glittering just that slightest bit more. "Well dont forget we have a date, and you better be feeling very well for it" Or else, not that she's threatening or anything. With a tiny squeak of delight she ignores Relian for the moment to watch the two little critters. "They are adorable, where'd'ya get 'em?" she asks of the trader.
How could Relian forget? "Of course," he agrees -- smoothly? Almost -- as he sits back in his chair. "They're lovely things, indeed. Raisha, what are their names?"
"Got them from the Herder Hall in Keroon, when I was up there for a stint," Raish grins. "Shuriken's the dark one, Kenshi's the albino." Proud, adoring eyes watch the ferrets attack and finish off the rolls, as she chuckles softly to herself. "Ya got yourself a /date/, Relian?" she asks interestedly, mischievious glint in the same hazel eyes.
Serafa's eyes widen. "Oh I'm from there originally, well not the main hold, but one further up in the hills" Its a small world after all. She turns to watch Relian's reaction, He deserves teasing in her estimation. "Are they both boys?" She asks vapidly while waiting for his answer.
"Beautiful," decides Relian once more, focusing his gaze upon the pair of ferrets for a moment longer. Then, blushing, he turns his head away. "Er -- it was a bargain. One favor for another." Rapid nod. He's gone all shy. "Er, would you both excuse me?" So shy, in fact, that he turns on his heals and escapes. Men, who can understand them? Yes, now he deserves *more* teasing.
You leave Thunder Wagon.