Stats Story Hatchling Weyrling Adult Ryslen Flurry 2003 Tripaldi Weyr “Aaaaiiiii!” A shriek cut through the silence in the room and Jorian’s good-natured grin fell from his face as his gaze turned toward the door and the direction the sound had come from. He turned back to the young woman in front of him, a torn look on his face. He knew that shriek and knew he should follow it, but there was Orlya... “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” “Rats, don’t go anywhere,” he muttered and took off out the door. He ran down the hall toward where he had heard the sound, his footfalls loud. Another shriek pulled him down a hallway to his right and he skidded on the carpet as he turned, his big frame hitting the wall and bouncing off without notice, though the wall shuddered in response. Down the end of the hall he had two choices on which way to go. He looked to the left and then to the right. This time a scream pulled him to the left. He ran down the hall, finally recognizing where he was and threw open the door of one of the rooms. Inside a young woman sat by the window looking out in awe at the snowfall and Jorian looked around in confusion as he saw no one else was there. The young woman turned to look at him, a delighted smile on her face as she saw him. “Come, come! Look, look!” she exclaimed gesturing wildly at the window. Jorian walked into the room, his heart heavy as he did so and walked over to the chair in which sat the young woman with child’s eyes. He looked out and a gust of wind blew the window open, spilling snow into the room where it swirled around them in all its frigid glory. The young woman gasped and shrieked with delight even as Jorian rushed forward to secure the window. “Fun-spoiler,” chided the young woman with a look of child-like innocence and amusement on her face. “Snow is fun.” “Jina, what are you doing? Did you unlatch that window?” Jorian asked ignoring her childish comments. Jina nodded happily and repeated her comment about snow. “What were you thinking? You could catch a chill, and why were you screaming like that. I thought something had happened to you!” “Jor-jor needs to lighten up; Jina was just having fun with snow. Snow is fun,” she repeated firmly as if he’d denied it. “Yes, but snow is not fun when it gets inside and drenches the carpets. Look at you! Your skirt is soaked!” She looked down in surprise and immediately burst into tears. Jorian bent down then, he couldn’t bear to see her cry. He wrapped his arms around her and held her head to his large shoulder while she sobbed. Eventually her tears stopped and she pushed away from him. “I need change. You go, Jina does not need you,” she said as she wiped the tears off her face. Jorian stood, looking down at her, she was so small and fragile; he hated to leave her. “I’ll be outside the door if you need me, Jina,” he replied, turning to go but she shook her head furiously. “No! Jina takes care of herself. You go!” Jorian sighed and left, his head hung low as he exited the room, closing the door behind him. He walked back up the hall and his head came up as he remembered where he’d been. “Orlya!” he whispered and rushed back to the room he’d left her in. When he got there she was gone and he sunk down into a chair that creaked and groaned under his weight. What had he been thinking? Orlya would never accept him and even if she did what sort of life could they have? He was bound to Jina tighter than he could ever be bound to another woman and he couldn’t expect a woman to be content with that. Jorian hung his head in defeat and let the tears trickle slowly down his cheeks and eventually drip onto his pants. Continue...