Pacing

[saidaltam]

T'rel rubbed his temple and kicked the wall for the third time in five minutes. It wasn't getting any softer this time, either. Sighing, he wheeled around, picked up one of his more abused riding jackets and sat down work on repairing it. This was his fourth attempt in under an hour. Like every attempt before this one, he huffed, shoved the jacket aside in a rumpled pile, and stood again after only a few stitches.

"I know you and Brennanth had no choice, Vijaith, but this is not acceptable. What's being done?" T'rel's brow furrowed and he made a sharp, frustrated sound, bordering on a growl. They'd been back for almost two candlemarks, now. Surely B'oone had spoken to Ilayria by now. "Vi, contact Astoth, will you? See if hers is free and would mind overmuch if I intruded for a bit. She's Weyrwoman. If anyone knows what's to be done, it's her."

:Of course, mine,:[/color] the dragon replied as soothingly as he could. Truly, though, he was worried. It was rare that T'rel became this agitated, and Vijaith did not like it. :Astoth? Is yours free? Mine wondered if he might ... intrude for a bit.:[/color]

[stolenhart]

Astoth was busy nosing about her new weyr. With her promotion in rank, Ilayria was currently moving into the Senior Weyrwoman's quarters. It had four distinct chambers and was nearest the Hatching sands. One chamber was a recieving room, where she could meet with whomever she liked. Another was her personal bedchamber which was seperate from her dragon's weyr and the bathing chamber. She had her own bathing chamber with hot water running up ancient pipes from above. It was large, as large as the Hatching sands and absolutely perfect. Astoth enjoyed it as well. Her weyr was large enough for three dragons with a couch fitting for that many. Oh?, she was slightly suspicious about this, she wanted her rider to get attached to B'oone before anyone threatening saw her. He may intrude but not for long. We are busy, she told the bronze dragon where they were and proceeded to curl up on the outer ledge to sun.

Varous hallways lead off from the Weyrwoman's sitting room. One went to the Meeting chamber which further lead onto the Weyrleader's quarters. Another to the Records room which emptied into the Lower Cavern and yet another ended directly on the Hatching Sands. It was literally the center of the entire Weyr. Ilayria was at the moment, carrying a pile of clothes into her bedchamber, preparing to hang them up in the ancient wooden closets that had served countless Weyrwoman before her. It was hard work moving everything she had into this weyr, which had lain dormant for the last few months. The bed frame was empty, the mattress in the process of being restuffed. The chairs were liekwise empty, their own cushions being restuffed, their fabrics being brightened. It would be a day or so before the weyr was back to being it's resplendant self. Vijaith's own comes.

Ilayria paused, throwing her clothes on the table. She had not seen hide nor hair of the wingleaders, wingseconds and Weyrleader for the last two candlemarks. She had thought she would be sought out but no. She knew they failed, they had not put a gold egg on the sands but dragons and humans alike were being close-mouthed about the whole thing. "Well I will get the story out him at least", she muttered, running a hand through her short hair so that it stood on end.

[saidaltam]

Vijaith relayed this, then relayed his rider down to the hatching sands, finding that to be the shortest, most direct route. T'rel patted Vijaith gently, sending him a wave of affection and gratitude, and then headed up the hallway to the Weyrwoman's sitting room. Vijaith winged back out and took up his post on his own weyr ledge, stretching languidly and settling into the sun. :He comes, lovely Astoth,:[/color] the bronze said, laying his head down.

T'rel made his way up the hall, pausing at the entrance to his Weyrwoman's sitting room to tap lightly on the wall. "Weyrwoman?" he called quietly. Her renowned touchiness was sufficient that T'rel intended to proceed with all caution, and he just hoped he'd given her enough time to calm down.

[stolenhart]

Astoth had relayed the news to her rider that T'rel was on his way up through the Hatching Sands so Ilayria was prepared for him. She heard him call for her as she had just put some clothes into the closet. "Coming", she called back, straighening her midnight blue shirt. Her boot heels clicked on the bare stone floor as she entered her sitting room.

Countless touches of various Weyrwoman had conspired to make the sitting room cold and inpersonal. None of the women had felt they could remove their predessesor's personal touches and so the room had barely any warmth to it, since the original decorater was long dead. "Hello T'rel. Don't bother telling me the outcome of the raid. What happened there? All the dragons came back sullen and unhappy. B'oone hasn't shown up to help me move much less tell me what happened. So spill", she ordered him, taking a large chair for her own. "Sit, I hate having to look up at people talking to me".

[saidaltam]

Startled, T'rel blinked. "He... hasn't? I thought he'd have come here, first." Sitting down as requested, he furrowed his brow. "I waited, so he'd have time to come talk to you." For a long moment, he considered this, then shook his head. "When we arrived, most of the eggs had already hatched. Brennanth made a few declarations to the local dragons, demanding the return of our egg. A blue charged him, and one of the browns--I don't know his name, I'm sorry--interfered. The blue's neck was broken. In the middle of all that, the gold hatched, Impressed, and demanded that we all leave." He kept his voice as level and emotionless as possible as he explained, meaning to keep the account as to-the-point as he could manage. He wasn't entirely sure it was his place to be telling her all of this, but she had issued an order, after all, and she was his Weyrwoman. Besides, she did need to know.

As he spoke, he let himself remember, vividly, the events of the failed raid on the Southern hatching sands. The death knell of the blue, especially, struck a painful chord with the bronzerider, but the furious hatchling and her equally angered young rider agitated him. There was no reason they should have to have been left, and especially no reason that they could not go back for her at some more opportune hour. During his reflection, something else struck him, too.

"Weyrwoman... while we were there, I noticed a boat setting off from the shore, laden with beasts," he added pensively. "And there were only seven hatchlings on the sands... do you suppose they've sent another one north?"

[stolenhart]

As he spoke she could feel her lips getting tighter and tighter as she pursed them in displeasure. She should have been told this sooner rather than later, and from her own Weyrleader. Did he think that winning her flight meant she could be shoved aside and forgotten at any old moment? She was not one of those weak-willed Southern riders, she rules this Weyr and B'oone better learn that or he would not be long in holding his current position. Why do you have to be so mean? Perhaps he got side-tracked. He has to keep up the moral of the other riders, Astoth sent her, disapproving her rider's vicious thoughts. Still. This is more important. Really? In the large scheme of things? A dragon is killed at a Hatching. Are you as important as that to the brown who did it?. Well when it was put like that. Still Brennanth should have told Astoth as soon as he was in the air above Northern. Ilayria would not hear information second hand.

"Excuse me?", she asked, then remembered what he had said, "A boat you say with beasts?", she mused. Another thing she had not been told. "It's probably one of those female green riders. In a sevenday, go with Ille and Minirith to Ista, see if you can find the boat and it's cargo", she added quietly. "If there is a dragon Ille can stay while you fetch a boat to pick the dragonet up. Ille will know what to do in this case, she was the last Southern rider we picked up". Ille's appearance in the North had been a few turns before Ilayria had Impressed Astoth but she remembered the woman's appearance on the half grown dragonet. They barely knew anything but Ille had quickly become an asset despite the fact she wouldn't turn traitor on the Southern Weyr. Still one could not expect a Southerner to give up that absurd code of honor just because they came North. Who had ever heard of listening to a Holder over your own Weyrleader? Absurd.

[saidaltam]

T'rel nodded, running his eyes over the Weyrwoman's face. "When the hatchling ordered us to leave, Brennanth told us to go--had to. Vijaith wanted to, too. She is a gold, after all, regardless of how young." He paused, then continued tentatively, "We aren't dragons, though, and... well, just because Vijaith has to listen doesn't mean I have to, too. There... might be a way to get the queen and her rider both up here." He spoke tentatively, concerned how she'd take the idea, but he wasn't satisfied with the outcome of this, and he could not bring himself to believe the fiery Ilayria would be content to lose so resoundingly, either. He just hoped he wasn't pushing his luck or overstepping his bounds with the suggestion.

[stolenhart]

The hatchling would have ordered them away from the Sands, gold dragons were an imperious lot at best and downright unlivable with at worst. No Ilayria had no problem with believing a newly Hatched gold would have ordered the wings from the North away. "It is hard for the dragons, especially the bronzes, to disobey a gold", she agreed with a nod. It was why the gold rarely went into battle unless that talent was a part of the strategy. The greens would often ignore a gold's orders unless they were singles out individually, as would the occasionally blue. But the browns and bronzes always listened to the golds first, then their riders second.

There might be a way to get the queen and her rider both up here, he said. Ilayria looked at him, studying him for a moment. She sighed and pulled her legs up, sitting on them as she thought about his suggestion. "Go on", she could not just roll over and let the South win this battle. That was a Northern gold they had, whether or not she had Impressed a southern girl. The gold could be kept from betweening, the girl held captive. Or perhaps other ways could be used to coerce the girl to the Northern way of life. Such tactics had been used before, though admittedly not for a gold rider.

[saidaltam]

"The girl is young, Weyrwoman--younger than you, by a few turns, if I had to guess, and unlike you, she has not had a dragon in the back of her mind for the past several turns. Even if she is a paradigm of craftiness and wise beyond her years, with a hatchling that young and as imperious as a gold hatchling is, she is bound to be confused, overwrought. A dragon may not disobey a queen, truly enough, least of all a bronze, but if we send in nonriders, or riders without their dragons accompanying them, I see no reason, during the confusion which will undoubtedly ensue following this hatching and the untimely death of the blue, why we cannot extract the girl, and if the girl goes, her dragon WILL follow." He paused to consider, then added, "We would have to move quickly, though. If we wait until the dragon is old enough to carry her rider, we'll never be able to hold them. It would also be best if she were still very, very young. She'll be less likely to think to call for help, then, and less likely to know how best to respond. The effort that would have to go into co-ordinating something like this would be tremendous, and the number of people involved would have to be pared down to a bare-bones minimum, and the significance of silence impressed on any dragons involved, directly or indirectly, but, with enough klah..." He furrowed his brow, then said, "I believe it could be done."

[stolenhart]

She heard him out and knew it would fail. There was no way a gold dragonet would allow herself to be taken, be seperated from her rider. Something along those lines could cause the young dragon to between and what good would that do. "I am sorry T'rel but how would you get the gold here? Put her on a ship?", she asked shaking her head. "Hide her in the south? She will not be able to fly for some months yet so a ship is the only option we have. Before you left the harbor the ship would be attacked", she explained, "And a sling, what dragon would consent to carry the gold in a sling? None. And you couldn't go between with her". She sighed, the basic idea was good, stealing away the gold, but the method was dangerous.

"We had agents in the South trying to Impress that gold but they failed. I would not worry so much about the gold, we have agents who will let us know when she rises. We will take her then. Three turns and a Northern will be Weyrleader in the south", she explained, the South would not increase in three turns time. But the North could, that was three clutches worth of time. "Find me someone you trust, someone who is willing to do something very bad", she asked him. "I will speak with B'oone and see what he is thinking. But for me, find me this person. I will speak with Ille maybe she knows a rider who would be able to feel out the new goldrider for us. I would have her come North of her own volition. Less chance she'll return South", she gave him a smile though she was still gently rolling with anger. "How is the Weyr at least? Moral wise? Are they content with B'oone?".

[saidaltam]

T'rel nodded. If she wished it be let alone, he would let it alone. A flight would serve just as well. "There is some disquiet, I think, among a handful of bronzeriders who wished to be Weyrleader, themselves, but by and large, I've heard no complaints. Then again, it was only a day ago that Astoth flew, so nobody's yet had time to appraise him." He paused, then added, "I trust him with the duties. Beyond that... well, beyond his duties to the Weyr, only you have any right to judge."

As he spoke, his mind was running over those he knew, seeking some option. Someone who would do something very bad? For what reason? And bad in what way? There were options, he knew that, but selecting one... "May I ask what sort of 'bad thing' we're talking about?" he asked. "I may know someone, but without knowing what, or why, it's difficult."

[stolenhart]

Trust him with the duties, wow. So Ilayria could trust B'oone with the duties. What about him personally? Was he a good man? How was when he didn't have any duties? What was the man like, not the Weyrleader? "I want to send someone in after R'lyn", she said softly, afraid someone might overheard her. "He is the only one who knows what a goldrider should be taught and he is in power to see she is taught correctly. If he were to die, quietly, it could help us. Especially since they would not have a leader. If they are fighting themselves, they will not be stealing my eggs", she explained her plan to him. "Not a one of my eggs will Impress Southern idiots".

She took a deep breathe, realizing she was being sterotypical but she didn't care. She would not have one of Astoth's eggs hatch in an unknown place and Impress some Southern idiot who would get the dagon killed over honor. "As for B'oone. I wanted to know what kind of man he is. You've served with him for Turns. Is he a good man like you?", she asked wistfully. T'rel would have been her first choice in the flight, she liked him, always had. B'oone, for all that they had been riders for Turns, she did not know that much about him.

[saidaltam]

T'rel nodded. "I'll find you someone," he replied, then bit his lower lip and considered. He had, indeed, known B'oone for years, but he'd never had to make an assessment of the man as a man, only as another rider. It was no easy task for him.

After a long moment, he said, "B'oone... has a good heart. He's got the best of intentions in almost all aspects of his life. He does try, almost without exception, whether it's necessarily the wisest decision or not, when a situation is pressed upon him." He considered for a long moment, and then said, "B'oone is smarter than he lets on. Don't let him fool you." He pursed his lips, thinking about other aspects of the other rider's life, then blushed very faintly. "I'm afraid I've never really followed the outcomes of any flights he's won. I've... enough trouble with my own. I just don't know how he handles things of that nature."

[stolenhart]

She nodded. She wanted to ask him why Vijaith did not win the flight, but thought that might be rubbing salt into the wound. "I have high hopes for our clutch, the one on the sands and Astoth's future one as well", she smiled brightly. "Twelve hardened eggs will reveal themselves in a sevenday or less and in three months another set of eggs will grace the Sands. We will have to begin Searching soon for the next clutch", she added, almost to herself. Then she stood up.

"We'll have a Wingleaders meeting tomorrow after I have talked with the Weyrleader, we will decide further on what to do about Southern and the Holders. I have been told by Lady Ruatha that she is hosting a Gather in honor of our new Weyrleader soon but I do not want it known just yet. No sense in overshadowing our own Hatching Feast with such an auspicious occasion from Ruatha". A Gather at Ruatha would be great fun indeed, with wine flowing, runner races and the best Harpers in the North. But the riders were needed to attend the Hatching Feast first just in case they occured on the same day. She moved around the room to sit next to T'rel. She was silent for a moment, then she leaned over and kissed him.

She jumped back as if she had been burned and blushed a bright red. "I'm sorry", she apologized, "It seemed like the thing to do. I wanted to see if Astoth would let me", the dragon in question was beginning to make a racket in her weyr, upset about it. Ilayria stood back up, "There isn't anything between B'oone and me", she left the yet hanging, wondering if there ever would be, or if T'rel would keep the yet from happening. What kind of man was he?

[saidaltam]

T'rel blushed a rather striking shade of scarlet, looking up at her for a long moment, his already wide eyes opened even wider in surprise. After a heartbeat, however, he replied softly, "There's nothing to apologize for, Weyrwoman." Astoth, however, didn't seem to agree, from the sounds of things, and T'rel glanced out toward the dragon's weyr. "Though... Astoth certainly doesn't seem to think all that highly of me," he observed dryly. Dry sarcasm and cool wit were the only things that ever helped him through these awkward situations. Not for the first time, he wished some of Vijaith's charm would rub off on him. "Vijaith will be disappointed. He's always thought Astoth particularly stunning," he mused. Despite the moment's distraction, however, his blush didn't fade.

Abruptly, T'rel stood and reached for Ilayria's hand to squeeze it lightly. "If it can be said that I trust B'oone to do what's right for the Weyr, then it can be said that I trust you to do what's right, period. For the Weyr, for yourself, for Pern... everything. You're a strong woman, Ilayria. You're capable of doing about anything you set your mind to, and you have more resources than I think even you're aware of. We're going to be alright. All of us." The more he thought about it, though, the less even T'rel understood what he had told her. He supposed that was probably because his words were as conflicted as he himself was.

[stolenhart]

Astoth could have cared less what Vijaith thought, he hadn't won her flight. Until she grew tired of Brennath, the gold would not allow another rider near her own rider. It was that simple. She had always been that way, would always be that way. Ilayria met his eyes and looked away. She wasn't ashamed of the kiss, B'oone hadn't asked anything of her, nor she of him, and the Weyr was known for its loser morals. But she was conflicted as well. She'd always rather liked T'rel and Vijaith, he was what she had always pictured a Weyrleader should be. Not some man who joked as often as he blinked. A serious man who took her seriously.

"I am not worried about me, I am worried about my eggs", she had a crisis of faith, one could say, about B'oone. She didn't trust him to protect Astoth, who was more precious than life to Ilayria. After this morning, she just didn't trust him. T'rel would do what she asked because he would protect the Weyr and Astoth. That is what she wanted. "T'rel", now would be the time for B'oone to walk in before it was too late.

[saidaltam]

"The eggs will be fine," he assured her, squeezing her hand lightly. "Vijaith, Brennanth, Erusth...there isn't a dragon in the Weyr who wouldn't do anything to protect Astoth, and I... we... will all be there to do anything that needs doing to protect her, the Weyr, you." He paused, then, growing momentarily very thoughtful. He was very, very concerned about where this was going--and very concerned that he liked it far more than was prudent for a man in his position. His perpetual fondness for strong women was going to be the death of him, some day.

Rather than continue dealing with the troubling thoughts, he diverted his mind back to an earlier part of their conversation, casting around for anything else he could possibly discuss, any possible safer subject. After a few moments of groping for a solution, his mind latched onto something, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead softly. "I'll find someone for you," he assured her. "And soon--very soon."

[maiwolf]

B'oone came in at the wrong time. The completely wrong time. He had just finished grasping his emotions, trying to figure out what to tell Ilayria without letting his opinions get in his view when he winged in with Brennanth. Was it too bad that he had deliberately asked Brennanth to go down to the lake before telling Ilayria what was happening? Was it too bad that Brennanth had gotten a scare when the blue started to charge right for him? Was it his fault that they did not retrieve the egg? He knew they should have timed it--yes, B'oone knew about timing it. They should have, so that there never would have been the dratted hatching. They should have done it!

Brennanth, fully forgotten of his fears, shivered as the two winged toward the new Weyr Ilayria had moved to. Was it only yesterday I mated her? Brennanth asked, showing his near excellent memory... at least for a dragon. 'Yes, dragon, it was only yesterday.' B'oone said. Fear clenched at his stomach, but he could not keep it from what he was needing to do. He would go and talk to Ilayria, his Weyrwoman. Vijaith is here. Brennanth remarked before he winged into the Weyr. That meant T'rel was here. That meant T'rel had beaten him.

B'oone dismounted from his dragon, and walked purposefully into the room. Only to see T'rel end his small kiss with Ilayria. 'It was only a goodbye kiss...' B'oone thought to himself, but the fear came back. What if Brennanth wasn't meant to catch Astoth? I was, don't fret. But it is human nature to fret, and fret he did. "Hello, T'rel." B'oone said, walking in, smiling lopsidedly. He was surprised that he sounded so... calm. "And Ilayria. I was just coming to speak to you."

[stolenhart]

Astoth gave a happy chirp at seeing her mate. Finally someone who could talk some sense into her rider. She went straight to him, wrapping her neck around his and giving a happy contented sigh. There was no need for words, she might forget him a turn but right now she loved him. Her rider would be made to see that, her rider would have to deal with B'oone because Astoth was not kicking Brennanth out of her life. I am very glad you are here. I should have gone with I'd have told that hatchling a thing or two.

Why had she read more into that soon than he had promised, why did she look from B'oone to T'rel with a type of sadness. Now she understood what Astoth faced thousands of dragon lengths in the air with bronzes chasing after her. She hadn't thought to face a choice like this, ever. Astoth and she were usually in complete accord but this once, this once, damn the dragon. "Good. Have someone by the meeting tomorrow", she said softly, mentally cursing B'oone between. She stepped back from T'rel and glanced to B'oone, giving him a studious look. She could have fainted, he almost looked serious for once.

"It couldn't have been that bad?", she asked him stepping towards him. What did Astoth see in this man's dragon that Ilayria should be finding in the man? The man who won her first flight had wanted a relationship with her and Ilayria had been glad to give it, until she found him sleeping with the greenriders. The second one, well he had instigated the fight thinking he was helping. Both of them had been grounded for Astoth's flight. She could backstab with the best of them, but she couldn't bear it being done to her. Still she had not heard that he was a womanizer. "Brennanth is not hurt is he?"

[saidaltam]

T'rel nodded to Ilayria, then bowed his head respectfully to B'oone, stepping back, out of the way, and toward the hallway that led down to the hatching sands. He hesitated, unsure whether or not he ought to be leaving, but it had seemed an efficient dismissal, and he did have work to do. Still, too hasty an exit might seem suspicious, and he didn't want that, even if he wasn't altogether sure what sort of suspicion he ought to be worried about raising. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong... had he?

'Vijaith? Meet me in the sands? I should be there shortly.'

:Of course.:[/color]

"If... there's nothing else...?" he prompted tentatively, unsure whether it was entirely safe to interrupt but suddenly feeling very much like a third wheel.