HEADWOMAN DALA

Persona: Dala
Writing Status: PC/Active
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Rank: HeadWoman
Residence: Green Ridge Hold
Birthplace: Northern Continent

Physical Description: Dala is tall and slender with very angular features. Her thin, lank blonde hair and very pale skin make her look as if she were on the verge of some severe illness. Her appearance is very deceiving, and many people think she is frailer than she actually is. Beneath the washed-out surface lies a woman hardened by Turns of desperate times. Her only truly remarkable feature is the large, almond shaped eyes of a deepest sapphire blue. They are like pools of sadness in her pale face, that make men want to sink into their depths and rescue the lost soul within.

Personality: Dala is quiet and self-effacing, never putting herself forward or appearing to dominate the situation. But her constant presence and determination make the work disappear as if by magic! Sometimes the kitchen almost seems to be running itself. But when you look carefully, Dala will be the support that is always overlooked; the hinge-pin which the entire working turns on.

She never shirks work, and her hours may be what keep her from ever filling out her frame since she never seems to take time out to sleep. She can be found scrubbing right alongside the drudges if that is what it takes to get the job done.

Life Story: At the tender age of 14, Dala was returning home from fosterage, escorted by her older brother. The pair were caught up in the broadcast emotions of a queen-bronze mating flight directly overhead, and a few months later, the pregnant Dala was cast out of her family hold. For 14 turns, she traveled from Crafthall to Hold, working at any task she could in return for food and clothing for herself and her cherished son, always moving on before anyone discovered the secret of Cerryl's parentage.

In an attempt to escape her history, she joined the workers travelling to a new Hold in the South and found that both she and her son blossomed in the new surroundings. Her history was revealed to the Lady of the Hold and a few of her close advisors, and to Dala's surprise she was not despised or cast out but was accepted and promoted to head cook.

Since that time, Dala has grown more confident and capable, struggling to overcome her fear of dragons and the transfer of her beloved son to the Weyr. Eventually she proved herself enough to be promoted to the position of Head Woman. She still suffers from occasional attacks of low-self-esteem, but the support of the Lady of the Hold and the love of her new husband, the Master Harper Jaenick, provide all the back up she needs.

Last updated on 18-Dec-00