¤ Brotherhood ¤
part 2: at Cathair Utopian

by Neishai

On the day of the hatching Piosa and Sumuru, along with the family, found themselves at Cathair Utopian. The crowds come to see the event -- or as with Piosa's parents, to socialize -- were thick and cumbersome to anyone with a specific destination. The girls split off from the rest but were careful to stay close to one another. Sumuru had one hand on her hilt the other on Piosa's arm, as Piosa traveled with purpose half a pace ahead. As they made their way slowly through the hot press of bodies, Sumuru became aware of the fact that they were traveling to a specific part of the Cathair. Suspicious, she questioned her friend. "Is this where you 'ere gonna to meet that 'someone?'"

As they passed into the shadow of a rather large portal, Piosa bid them halt. She sighed and twisted her lip. "In a way. The real reason I wanted to be here today is I want to watch the hatching from the sand." She paused to allow the last part of her admission to sink in. "I'm to be married soon. I don't know when, but likely as not I'll be betrothed by tomorrow." Her expression was bitter, as if she was gnawing on a sour piece of fruit. "But that won't happen if I end the day with a hatchling by my side!"

"Oh, Piosa." Sumuru felt compelled to embrace her friend, but that would be highly improper in public, so she crossed her arms instead. "What about your duties to blood and Keep?"

"What about them? I have siblings aplenty to carry on the bloodline. One less daughter will hardy make a difference." Piosa appeared wounded, but realized that Sumuru was only looking out for her. There was no hint of reproach in her tone, just the low, husky quality of her voice laced with concern. "I've thought about it, Su. I've had plenty of time to think with all those needlepoint projects I've been working on lately. I don't want to be like my mother, I don't want to go to parties and raise herds of children."

"Not that she ever did the raisin'," Sumuru interjected.

"Right," Piosa agreed with a cheerless laugh. "And ... I don't want us to be separated. If I am married, I don't know what will happen."

Sumuru nodded, tears threatening to betray her. "But," her voice cracked before she cleared it, "how do we even know it'll work?"

"Well we could always run away, far, far away..." Sumuru looked at her sharply, for both her cowardly words and her abruptly sarcastic manner. She smiled, "Don't worry: I have a feeling, the dragons have a feeling."

Sumuru's expression lightened. "Is that so? Well, good then. I'm so glad." She smiled too, but the expression was only a hint of how she really felt. She desired only Piosa's happiness, and was willing to go along with whatever scheme that Piosa should dream up. Her final duty was to see that Piosa came to no harm; Sumuru did not care what happened to herself, and would take the blame if Piosa's parents became unreasonable when the truth was finally revealed. "So where do we sign up?"

"Well, ah, in here." Piosa blinked in confusion as she stretched a slender arm to point inside the doorway. "You're signing up too?"

"Well I'm not watchin' you from the crowd!" Sumuru grinned and tapped her softly on the arm. "Like you said, we're not about to separate now, so I guess I'll become a candidate too."

And so, the wealthy young girl and her dark-haired, presumed-male guardian signed up for the clutch of blue Chielath and red Charnath. Later on, they observed the eggs from afar with several other candidates. They watched from behind the scenes as people filed in to watch the miraculous event. Piosa pointed out her family, some of whom seemed agitated. "I wonder if they're looking for us yet," she whispered with a grin.

Beside her, Sumuru, retaining the appearance of a young boy, muttered, "They're about to be surprised."

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