Haircuts

[nike]

Malenie sniffed and looked up. The Candidted wipped tears from her cheeks
and sat up. Her knees were pulled up under her chin and she looked down into the valley.
"I'm sorry! When I came here, I was so happy to get away from Southern Boll to remember to be nice. I was just too stuck as my oldself. I am sorry to everyone I insaulted. I really didn't mean it. I want to stay here in the Weyr, but if I am still treated like this, after I change my ways, I will leave. I don't really care what with you do with me. Just don't send me back to Southern Boll. You can send me to an island, all by myself, I will still be happy. Just not Southern Boll." The Candidate said, with her eyes closed.
Her arms were rapped tightly around her legs. The pack she had takedn was laying by her side. Nakum was perched on her shoulder, not even making a noise.

Nike glared at G'han. "I did say that you did need a hair cut. After T'rin and D'ran are done, you can go." The Healer said.

Sh'iron stood by Kaith's head and watched after Christae.
"I wanted to give Malenie a second chance before this would happen. This is all my fault." he said, more to himself but he was sure the queen could hear him. The Weyrleader sighed and walked back to his weyr, where Myranenth was perched on the ledge.
You did the right thing. You fixed this, and you did not cause this. He said, nudging his rider when he came up to him.
"Thanks Myran." The bronze rider said stroking his dragon's large, man sized head.

[Spirithawk]

Christae looked at her. "Get Tikka to straighten that out. It shouldn't take too long to grow your hair out." Her voice was softer than she had intended. She hated that she felt sorry for the girl after the way she had acted.

"I will accept your apology if you accept mine. This will not happen again. We were wrong to treat you in such a manner. I suppose we have forgotten how to give people second chances. I thank you Malenie for reminding me of that." Although Christae was still mad at her dragon and weyrmate she could not help but pity the girl sitting in front of her. With an effort Christae lowered her cumbersome body so that she was nearly eye-level with the Candidate.

"Things will get better. Miya was rude when she came here. She was reprimanded and changed for the better, at least on the outside. We will not send you back. You can stay here. I will not have this Weyr known for sending away people who come to us just because we have a conflict. In the future, I will think before I act. I take responsibility for what happened. I could have stopped it but instead I encoraged it. That was a terrible mistake."

She knew better Sh'iron. She should not have done what she did. Kaith launched herself and returned to her weyr. She must learn to put aside her petty greivances. She is Weywoman now. She is not allowed the luxuries of a normal person. Kaith spoke to her mate and his rider.

Christae got to her feet with a groan. "Once again, I am sorry. Now if you will forgive me, I am going back to the Weyr. I need to get some work done. Christae walked up the stairs, still too angry with her dragon to open her mind. She climbed slowly to the weyr she shared with Sh'iron. She saw him and the two dragons there but did not speak. She walked to the desk she kept there for her own use and began going over charts and papers that needed her attention.

[nike]

Malenie looked at Christae when she spoke. "I do. I just don't want to leave." She said sniffing.
Her blue eyes followed the Weyrwoman as she walked away. The Candidate sighed slightly, and stood up.
She passed by Kia, her head was down, and her eyes were on the ground.
Malenie didn't look up as she walked back into the group around the table.
"Christae told me to get my hair fixed up by you." She said softly, not looking up.

Nike looked, slightly amazed, at Malenie as she walked in.
"What's she doing here?" She asked, leaning towards K'dan.

Sh'iron nodded, when Kaith spoke to him. He glanced at Christae, then back down to the bowl where everyone else was.

[Spirithawk]

Christae looked through the papers some more and then said in a clipped voice. "You are right. We cannot afford to alienate those holds who still tithe to us." She fell silent.

Tikka looked at the girl. "I can straighten it up. It will be very short but at your age it will grow back rather quickly." She finished the rider she was cutting and sat Malenie down. "There." She finished and brushed off the extra hair. The Candidate's hair was unbelievably short but it was straight now.

[nike]

Sh'iron turned around and walked ito the weyr.
"If we did let her go, not only would our tithes be gone, but we wouldn't be able to Search for Candidates there.
And the other Holds in the North really won't let us. Well only for your hatching." He said, standing behind her.

Malenie sat down, and looked down at her lap. Her clothes were dirty and dusty from her fall.
Her face was also dirty. She was embaressed of herself. As son as Tikka was done she would go back to her Barracks, and get herself clean, and then unpack. When the woman had said that she was done, the Candidate stood up and walked away.
She said a soft, thank you to Tikka as she passed the woman on her way to the Lower caverens.

[Spirithawk]

Christae ran her long hands over her face. "Why can't they just tithe like they are supposed to. We will have a hard winter Sh'iron." She said softly. "I was silly to let my anger get the better of me, but Malenie has chosen to stay."

"The holders have a fit when we take the young people to be Candidates. They say we have no morals and that Thread is gone. They don't see the signs. The golds are clutching more often and their clutches are becoming larger. The Red Star draws ever closer to the Finger Rock and the Star Stones. Before I became official Weyrwoman, I took a trip to High Reaches to star watch. We will be lucky if this Interval isn't short."

~

"You are welcome lass." Tikka told Malenie and watched her go before turning to the others waiting for haircuts.

[Akki]

[glow=blue,2,300]Was it worth it? Was your revenge worth her tears?[/glow]Ebbeth asked quietly to his mine who quickly set him straight. Ebbeth, you know it wasn't worth it. Revenge is sweet in planning but it should only stay in that stage Sargon cherped curiously, inrigued by Malenie's firelizard now that it was cherping furiously like it was the first time, flew after Malenie leaving behind his bonded who watched with a blank expression. She shrugged, he'll come back eventually.

[nike]

Sh'iron sighed and walked up to Christae.
"Listen to me love. This Interval will not be over in 60 some Turns! But well, it may be sooner too.
The Norther Weyrs are saying that the Red Star is just above the Star Stones. It may be sooner. But
no matter what, we will be prepared. The Holds will have to tithe to us as soon as all our Weyrlings now are full riders.
I have a plan." The Weyrleader said, resting his hand softly on Christea's shoulder.

[Spirithawk]

She turned to him abruptly. "What plan Sh'iron? You never mentioned a plan to me." She rose and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his strong chest. "I am so sorry for my actions earlier. I realize that I went into that blind and Malenie deserves another chance." She paused. "I was having trouble getting tithes before because I was not official Weyrwoman but I always thought that once I had the authority of full Weyrwoman, that they would listen to me. Rhia told me that one of the holders spat at her when she asked for the traditional tithes."

She looked up at him, fear in her eyes. "I was always told that I would have to train the dragonriders who would fly Thread in the future. Now I fear that we may have to lead this weyr through Thread itself. We are both young Sh'iron. We may live long enough to see Thread. We must prepare. P'ren MUST return and in the meantime we must train our Weyrlings and the riders. I want them to start the games immediately. They must train daily. We could say that we want to keep the dragons fit and prepare so that future generations can be trained so that we don't cause panic. We must do something." There was a plea in her voice.

[Dragon]

K'dan looked at Nike and answered her question, "I haven't a clue". He was still playing with her hair a bit. He stopped and looked at the candidate. He then looked back to Nike and held any hand that was free. He wouldn't want her pulling a knife on her or something and he figured she would think of it as him wanting to hold her hands, which wasn't far from the truth.

[Spirithawk]

Rhia walked up. "Mneith said that there was a bit of a ruckus here today. I came to get my hair trimmed but it looks like more than just haircuts happened."

[Dragon]

G'han saw his weyrmate come. He would have gotten up and held her but with Nira standing right there demanding he get a haircut he decided against it. He never saw Nira get roused before and he didn't want to see it happen because of him. He looked over to his weyrmate, "Hello Rhia. Glad you could join us".

[Miki]

Kia allowed Malenie to walk and waited a bit before she went herself.
The Weyrling spotted Akki and thoough normally she would make a comment like, "Were you spying on us," she said nothing and walked back to the Weyr Bowl in complete silence.
The only sound from her was the slight pit pat of her boots hitting the dirt.
Tokagae rested wearily on her shoulder and realized not to chip or make any sounds.
Kia was deep in thought, trying to understand something.
It was something about human psychology, perhaps.
To say the least, she could not figure it out.
When Kylath saw her she came running to her bonded.
[shadow=red,left,300]Hello[/shadow]Kia did not respond.
Kylath shrugged it off and walked with her Mine.
It was not long before they reached everyone and Kia quietly stood.
She hunched her shoulders over and if she were to wearing a coat it would cover her face, that was the position she stood in.
She was pretty inconspicuous.

~-~

D'ran held a lock of Nike's hair.
"My hair is almost as long as yours.
T'rin will get his cut, i guess.
Then G'han can, K'dan, perhaps, then me," the Weyrling said.

[Dragon]

K'dan smiled at his friend, "Quit trying to put off getting your hair cut. I already got mine cut. If you keep trying to put it off I will call Nira over here on you". He looked back and forth from Nira to D'ran then looked back at Nike and smiled, still holding her hands.

[Akki]

Akki cocked an eyebrow, now this was odd. Normally her friend would make some haughty comment, which she would happily reply too but now her friend just walked back to the weyrbowl not saying anything at all. She shrugged to herself and walked back, hearing Ebbeth's confusion with every step. He knew Kia enough to know something was wrong, and now he was concerned. Do not say anything, this is not your expertise She cautioned before hearing her reply, [glow=blue,2,300]Nor is it yours. Do what you must though.[/glow] Do what you must? She mustn't really do anything, this was something her friend needed to think over herself without any of her comments.

[nike]

Nike smiled as her friends played with her hair.
She liked the feeling, she felt loved. Her father was the only one who could really do that. But it didn't matter.
When K'dan took her hand, she smiled at him, then turned to D'ran.
"K'dan is right. You get your cut after T'rin. PLus this will make you look more like a rider and not a Harper." She said with a nod.

Sh'iron took Christae into his arms. "The Hold will tithe to us soon. You must trust me. The Red Star is coming in quickly. Too quickly, some of the Weyrleaders say. They think that the the Tenth Pass is upon us, and we must train out hides off. I agree with them. That is why I have been traing the Wingleaders, Wingseconds, and Wingriders as hard as I can."

The Weyrleader sighed, then closed his eyes. "I am just wondering what we will do with Nike, and Ruanth. I mean, Kia and Kylath can fight Thread, but what about our Dragon Healer. She is stubborn about this. When she was still with Tirith and a messanger, she told me that if Thread came early, she would fight to her own death to save Pern. She's not going down without a fight. I am also worried about Ruanth. The dragon is healthy, but growing too small. BY the time Thread comes, she won't be able to fight. I just don't want those two to cause trouble. After all, none of the Holders, or Weyrleaders know about our white and copper."

[Dragon]

"Hm I don't know who should go first. G'han or D'ran", he said to her. G'han was just out of spite but D'ran did need his cut. He let go of one of Nike's hands and ran his hand through his own black and blonde hair. He gave it a brief look and returned his hand to Nike's. He sighed, perhaps it was for the best that he didn't let it grow.

[Tenma]

At first Nira was too shocked by the events to move away from G'han. Then finnally her body came back to her. ~I knew this was a bad idea.~ She said to her bonded, running to her weyr. She jumped on her bed and burried her face. Some would say she was too weak but her life never prepared her for this much drama. She didn't know if she could handle it. She didn't know if she would just fall apart.
Hush mine, everything will be ok. Siarath said quietly as if talking to a baby.

---------------------------------------------

There is such a fuss dealing with Melanie and the haircuts. Reinath told her rider.
"I forgot about the haircuts." Miya said, sitting up from her bed. "Melanie... this must be interesting." Miya said leaping up from her bed. She dashed out of her room and headed for the candidate barracks.
Reinath ran behind her rider, gradually slowing. Mine, slow down, I can't keep up. Reinath complained.
~We need to excersise you more, you are lazy." Miya replied.
I am not you are just over active. Reinath defended.
Miya sighed and stopped running, waiting for Reinath to catch up. She then started up again, this time at a walking pace, Reinath following behind, thankful for the chang in speed. Miya knocked on the Melanie's door, not in the mood for the same argument as the last time, when she bursted into the room.

[Dragon]

G'han watched as Nira ran off. He gave a puzzled look but then decided maybe he should talk to her and see if everything was ok. K'dan was too busy with Nike to notice him so he slipped away and went to Nira. He stood outside her weyr but asked to where she could hear, "Um Nira are you alright?".

[Tenma]

Nira stood up, tears streaming from her eyes. She walked over to where G'han was. She paused, just standing there. "Oh G'han I can't take it!" Nira almost screamed throwing her arms around G'han in a childish hug. It was a hug of distress and need, not passionate.
Nira mine is distressed. Do you think she is to weak to be in Dark Moon Weyr? She feels she cannot handle it. Siarath said sadly not sure of what to do.
Nira rested her head on G'hans shouler, crying with many tears.