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Liloran
“Lilo! How you been? I haven’t seen you in a while, Ronil tells me you’ve taken to moping under the trees like a girl,” Korin said and Liloran’s eyes narrowed as he saw his brother try to suppress a wince. “I’ve just been given some rather interesting and disturbing news,” Liloran said coldly, staring angrily at his brother. “Mother’s worthless, so I’m forced to come to you for confirmation.” “What’s that?” asked Korin, looking very nervous and concerned. He shooed his children deeper into the cavern to go help their mother. “I was outside, ‘moping under the trees’ when a dragon landed nearby.” “A dragon?” exclaimed Korin in shock. “What was a dragon doing here?” “Apparently it was curious about me. He and his rider landed to settle a discussion they were having. Apparently the dragon thought he was right.” “About what?” “About my not being a boy,” spat Liloran accusingly. “He even went as far as to say that I’m a girl.” Korin was obviously shaken and he sat down hard, almost missing the chair behind him. But Liloran didn’t let the silence linger for long. “Well, brother? As I said, Mom’s useless, her brain seems to have deserted her. You’re the oldest, surely Mom told you why I needed protecting all these years. Is it true? Was I born a girl? Did Mom just decide she didn’t want any girls and the best thing to do would be to torment me all my life by making me think I was a boy but I was horribly deformed? No that’s right, it was all okay because no one ever called me deformed, no I’m just ‘special.’” Liloran stopped, tears flowing down his, no, her cheeks. She knew now, her brother’s face said it all. She turned to go, furious and betrayed, but Korin stood and held out a hand. “Wait! You’re only partially right. If you’ll sit down I’ll tell you the whole truth.” Liloran turned, regarding her brother in a new light, but sit she did. She looked up at him from her seat as he took a ragged breath and launched into the explanation. “Mom didn’t do this to torment you Lilo,” said Korin, his voice strained. “I was twenty when you were born and she did explain it all to me. Mom had me when she was only thirteen turns old and she knew how dangerous these caverns we live in are for a woman. Most of the families in these caverns have several children that come from unknown fathers. Mom didn’t want that for you. She didn’t want you to live in fear as she had. So she asked me to help her conceal you. It was for your own good.” “If these caverns are so dangerous why didn’t she move? Why are you still here, raising your children in this danger?” “Because I know I can protect my family, Mom never had a husband who could protect her. Your brothers and I tried once we were old enough, but we weren’t always strong enough. She did it for your own good, Lilo...” “My own good? Perhaps, but she still could have told me. I can understand not wanting anyone else to know, but you can’t imagine the torment it was to grow up thinking you were a boy and being told you were a boy and looking around and knowing that you’re not like anyone else around you!” Liloran’s tears started flowing again and she got up, leaving her brother’s company. He didn’t try to stop her and she left his cavern and headed back towards the exit. About halfway there she ran into the dragonrider again. He looked relieved to see her, but a bit nervous about how to approach her. She stopped and looked up at him, eyes red and puffy from crying, tears still staining her cheeks. “There you are, Liloran,” he said uncomfortably. “Girth was worried about you.” “I know,” was all she said and his eyebrows shot up. “You could hear him?” “Some, only what he wanted me to hear though,” she said and looked down at the ground. “Tell him I said ‘thank you.’” “Why don’t you tell him yourself,” said U’mlt with a smile and Liloran looked up at him in surprise. “Girth seems to think you’d make a good candidate for a dragon. Care to try?” Liloran’s eyes got big as she thought of that possibility. Though she knew now that she was a girl she didn’t know how to act like one. She still felt decidedly boyish. Perhaps going to a Weyr would be the perfect thing. Surely a dragon could help her to figure herself out. She’d heard stories of people who’d been saved by Impressing a dragon. Perhaps that was what she needed. She was nodding her head before she finished thinking it through. She turned to find Ronil standing not far off, looking very confused. “Tell Mom and the others,” was all she said and she followed the dragonrider out of the caverns to where Girth waited. She smiled as the dragon crooned at her and quickly mounted with U’mlt’s help. They took off and Liloran waved at her brothers, most of which were gathered outside to see her off. She knew her mother would probably be upset at first but her mind was such that she would probably soon forget she ever had a daughter. Before Girth went between though she memorized the lay of the land so that should she Impress she could return. |