Getting Ready?

Flynn nervously bit at her nails, pacing back and forth in front of the grand, monstrosity of a bed in the room she'd been left in. After her silent pledge to Lord Rihan, she'd been brought back to the Hold to 'clean up properly for the dancing', as the Lady had said. She'd been too stunned and embarrassed to resist: plus, what could she do but follow their bidding? They were her masters now, and she need go where they go.

The bathing room had been more elegant than anything she'd seen in her life, and she'd worried for far too long that she was too dirty to even be in it. But finally she had shed Drien's coat (she still needed to give it back to him, she thought, eyes straying to where it lay across the back of a chair) and the remains of her dress. There was more blood than she'd expected: knicks mostly but someone had gotten a good slash in on her right thigh. A little fumbling around and she found a rudimentary medical kit, enough to bind it so it wouldn't bleed further. There had been a robe awaiting her after she'd washed the blood and dirt away, and the next room had been...

This room. She continued her pacing, so nervous that she would have fled out the window if she'd had anything to wear. Her's and Tashin's packs had been taken from them and 'put somewhere safe', as well as her bow. Her hands itched for it, the comforting curve of the wood.

What was wrong with her, she thought, shaking her head to force the thoughts from her mind. She should be thrilled... she had found a Lord willing to accept her on as a servant. Tashin would have a home. But instead of relief she felt crushing anxiety and something she wouldn't admit was fear. Part of her longed for the comfortable, normal tent outside the Hold, the only home she had known her entire life.

The creak of the door opening shook her from those thoughts and she spun, not sure what to expect.

The bathing room that Flynn now stood in was one that had been designated for the private use of Eolyn and her Maid. Though not an exceptionally large space, the bathing room was large enough for two tubs and along one wall, a couple of tables with mirrors and stools that the girls might sit to brush through their hair and care for their teeth and skin after washing. Small pedestals were situated sporadically throughout the room with glows to share their romantic light. The entire floor and the back wall of the bathing room had been tiled in a mosaic of artwork depicting a broad scroll-work of oceanic waves and scenes of Pern's ancient lore regarding shipfish and mermaids. All in colours of white, gold and every shade of aqueous blue, the mosaic helped create a rather mystical setting throughout the room. Diaphanous swags of delicate blue and golden fabric were draped from the corners of the room and between each set of Romanesque columns that surrounded the great bronze tubs of hot water at the center of the room. From ceiling to floor, luxuriant lengths of fabric and rising steam, became like the gentle eyelid of sleep and the curtains of fog in a beautiful dream.


There came a light gasp from the other side of the door just before it opened all the way, also to be preceded by the words, "Unbelievable! I can't believe she fought off all of those ruffians! How brave!" When Courisse came bustling through the door, a gather-fine gown was laid across her arms. It was a green shade, similar to that of Flynn's previous dress but the style was different.

"Ah! There she is! The heroine of the day! I hear you are one for the Harper's Tales. I can't believe such a slight thing could fight off such brutes! Truly?! If my Lady hadn't told me the story herself I would have insisted it was a lie!" There was so much liveliness and curiosity in Courisse's eyes as she crossed the bathing room to hand the gather dress to Flynn, it was apparent that she had hardly taken notice of the other woman's nervousness. As she came to Flynn however, her expression melted into one of mild concern, "Oh, now, no need to be shy. Here. This is my gift to you. For helping save my Lady! Put it on. Let's see it. Or do you need me to help you? It's alright if so; I help Lady Eolyn into her dress all the time, and she does the same for me."

As Flynn took the dress from her, the talkative young woman began wondering aloud, "Hmmm.. And what shall we do with your hair? Well! For now, let's just get you dressed! We need to hurry if we're going to be on time for the Gather Feast!" Courisse's hands went to help Flynn disrobe and assist her in getting the dress on over her head.

Eolyn stepped in behind her talkative cousin and sent a reassuring glance Flynn’s way. When Courisse finished going on and on about the shy and modest young woman, Eolyn spoke kindly, “Courisse, why don’t we lend her my hair net with the emeralds? I think it would go well with the gown, don’t you?” She was totally in agreement that Flynn should not be shy around them. While Courisse continued to prepare the other girl for the Gather Feast, Eolyn had to do some washing and freshening up herself. She slipped out of her gown and draped it on a chair so it would not wrinkle. Her undergarments kept her from appearing entirely naked but it was obvious Eolyn was not bothered by the other two girls being around while she got herself ready.

“I hope you like dancing Flynn.” She laughed in amusement, “Cause Courisse is going to make you so beautiful men will be falling over themselves to dance with you.” Meanwhile the young lady had taken a sponge and dipped into a bowl with scented water, and began to sponge her neck, arms, chest. Her arm pits she addressed last, trying to scrub the sweat smell out of them. Actually to a normal everyday person, her arm pits didn’t smell but Eolyn believed she needed to be extra careful with all the dancing coming up. The less smelly she was the better. And she was trying to impress a certain someone.

“Shells… I need to finish up!” She could hear her sister’s door close. Combing her hair through to make certain there were no tangles, she quickly set it aside. Drying her hands more efficiently with a towel, she walked back to her gown and put it on mostly by herself. Though she had needed a little help from Courisse, she was trying not to distract her from Flynn. “Zahir’s down already too.” She said as she headed for the door, “Alright, well I have to leave. Umm, Courisse you’ll both have a place at table. So I’ll see you at the Gather. I just can’t wait to dance!” She was so happy and more than a little bit excited to see her betrothed.

Flynn had become completely frozen while Courisse swept into the room, her throat completely frozen. The other young woman was just a flurry of activity and cheerfulness. Her arms were full of green dress before she knew what was going on, and then it was being pulled over her head.

She got a brief glance of the Lady Eolyn while Courisse was fussing over her, but still couldn't find an opportunity to speak up. She tried her best to protest when Eolyn offered up a... hair net, whatever that was. It sounded expensive. And this dress... she had thought the gown she'd worn earlier had been luxurious. It had been nothing but rags compared to this.

"Th.. thank you," she managed to murmur before Eolyn had swept out of the room, leaving her alone with the talkative one once again. Not that she wasn't glad of Courisse's assistance... there was no way under the moons that she would have been able to get into by herself. And the hairnet proved to be a lovely thing, the emeralds the pretty green stones she'd seen some of the women of the camp coveting. She was still swallowing, trying to get the nerve to speak up.

"... what can I do to help you?" she finally asked, voice barely higher than a whisper. It still seemed far too coarse and loud compared to Courisse and Eolyn's lilting voices, though.

"Alright. M'lady, just be careful. You best stay with Lord Rihan and not leave his side else some brute come at you again, though I'm sure they have all of them locked up now." Courisse'd called after Eolyn as she was about to make her way down to the Gather Square.

Smiling back at Flynn, the young woman's hands returned to work. "Help? Oh, dear girl, no need for that. You just hold still. We'll have you gussied up in no time. Which is good, because we haven't much time!...Oh! And my name's Courisse. I'm sorry, I got in such a rush I didn't even properly introduce myself. Forgive me. And I do hope you like green; though I was assuming so since the previous dress was green. I still can't believe what happened earlier." Her chipper voice trailed on, her expression being all smiles still since she was getting to play dress up with someone new.

Taking a few minutes to brush through Flynn's hair she was finally able to somewhat tame the blonde mass. It seemed that in no time Courisse had Flynn's hair in a spectacular twisted up-do that looked much more complex and time consuming than it really was. The delicate netting was pinned into place so that the emeralds were placed in all the right angles to accentuate Flynn's twist of hair. Soon there were curls to go with it, left down about her face and neck.

"Ah! There!" The young woman stepped back, clapping her hands together with elation as she appreciated Flynn's new look.

"Oh! One more thing! How could we forget?" Turning to the makeup table, when Courisse faced Flynn again, it was with powder puff in hand. With a dusting the soft face powder, the oils of her skin had been diminished in appearance and there was a new fairness about her. Once more, Courisse went to the makeup table, this time returning to lightly rouge her cheeks and lips. Next, a few dabs of elegant rose oil, and Flynn was set!

"Now, then! Why don't you take a look." A hand mirror was handed to her. Courisse stepped out of the way of the larger mirror over the makeup table so that Flynn could see herself fully there, but then she'd show her how to turn around with the hand mirrior in order to look at the back of her hair.

"Oh! You! Are! Just! Gorgeous!" Clapping her hands again, she let Flynn appreciate the handy-work she'd just put her through before they would fit her into some shoes that matched her new dress and then make their way downstairs.

Flynn fell silent again, giving a little nod when questioned about the color: green was her favorite color, the only reason she had claimed the original gown in the first place. She remembered when the crates had been opened... there had been hoots and hollers from the men, the other captains who got first picks, as she had taken the gown carefully. Some of her girlish delight had been marred, but after over a Turn she had finally gotten a chance to wear it. And only hours to ruin it. She had to fight to keep her face neutral. It hadn't been her's, not in right, but it had been the only dress she'd ever owned. And after tonight, when this beautiful gown was returned to it's owner, she would be back to the girl with no beautiful dresses.

Courisse's clap and exclamation snapped her out of her depressing thoughts. She hadn't even noticed the other young woman's deft hands in her hair, and now suddenly she was coming at her with powders and colors and all sorts of potions. She froze while Courisse worked her magic, terrified to move for fear that she would accidentely get poked in the eye.

And then she was steered towards the large mirror, with the smaller one in her hand. The hand mirror was forgotten completely, though, while she stared at herself. "That's me?" she whispered, reaching out a hand and touching the reflection lightly before snatching her hand back. She had never even seen a hand mirror before, let alone a full length one. The only glimpses of her own reflection had been in poor surfaces, distorted. And she was always dirty... this woman in front of her was as pretty as many of the ladies she had seen about the Gather today. Slowly she raised her hand to her cheek, marveling as the reflection did as she did.

She was thinner than she had thought, though the gown was cinched tight to show off a tiny waist. And her face... she traced the jagged scar above her right eye. It felt much worse than it looked, she thought. But her cheeks were sunken in, despite the rouge that Courisse had applied. It was something she had seen in the face of every person in her camp, something she saw in Tashin's face every day. But Lord Rihan... he must be a kind master, she told herself. Tashin would no longer have that, she thought with a smile.

"The back?" she asked Courisse after a long time, turning and doing as she was shown. She gasped again... seeing her stringy, dusty hair clean and so elegantly styled was almost as big of a shock as her front side reflection. Once again she was slightly dismayed at how gaunt she appeared, but natural girlish delight brought a huge smile to her face.

Unsure of herself, she grasped Courisse's hands and bobbed her head. "Thank you so much," she said, still keeping her voice quiet. She may sound like a barely literate bumpkin, but at least she could keep her voice quieter. "I... I don't know what to say."

Courisse

Rather pleased with herself, Courisse watched Flynn as the woman took several long moments to appreciate her new look; she could only imagine that the poor young lady must be in some shock considering all of the day's exciting events and now, must not even recognize herself.

When Flynn took her hands, giving them a shake, Courisse was still smiling. She couldn't help but do so when the other girl seemed so pleased with the look she'd been given.

"Well, no one will recognize you from before. We'll just tell everyone that Lady Eolyn has a new Lady in Waiting." Courisse hurried then to bring some soft green slip on shoes with a low, 2 inch heel, that matched Flynn's new dress. After the woman put them on her feet, Courisse was eager to take her hand, and lead them to the door.

"Come on! If we don't hurry, we'll be late, and all of the food will be gone by the time we get there and all of the best dance partners will have already had all their fun." Winking at Flynn, she rushed them from the room.


[phase out to end scene]