A Rank Above (Zi/Open)

[phlysolo]

So this is it. This is what it felt like to be at a Weyr. This glorious open maw of the Weyr "face" was where knew he would be spending most of, it not all, his time here until those wonderful Eggs Hatched. There would be no chores for him - he was sure he'd think of someway to get out of them. Kamarit couldn't remember a scenery so beautiful in his life, he thought, gazing out across the wide plains that ended neatly at the Weyr's massive lake.

It was much warmer here than he expected as well. He had been beHolden farther to the north, almost on the boards of the Southern Continent where it was slightly cooler. Here at Southern Weyr, he was going to be quite content, he knew. With a tired yawn, he settled himself down on the grass just as a small, round little brown firelizard flicked out of /between/ over his head.

"Lo, Livro," He said, smiling as he looked up at the lizard. Livro chirruped a greeting, landing neatly on the Candidate who was now laying flat on his back. The sky was an amazing clear blue color and above him he could see a couple of dragons swooping around, gaining altitude until they were dots in the sky before they winked /between/. Ah, someday that would be him, he knew.

All he had to do was wait this Hatching out. Rumor had it that it would be any day now. Any day now and he could be a dragonrider. He really hadn't given much consideration to the signs of war that had become more and more apparent in the Weyr the last couple of days. For some reason, he really didn't think that the North had the guts to go on an all out assault on the Weyr. Sure they had the man power, but come on! Disturbing a Clutch that was about to Hatch? Whatever.

He pushed the thought out of his mind and tucked his arms behind his head, getting cozy on the ground. Too bad he hadn't seen too many ladies around. Kamarit would have thought that with all the gossip that shinny golden Egg was getting these few days he'd been at the Weyr, he'd see more gals his age. Ah, well, just as long as he got a roll with one or two before the Hatching. He'd been told that once a Candidate Impressed they couldn't have any sort of naughty interactions with those they found attractive until their dragon was mature. What fun was that?

Shaking his head at this backwards thought (for the Weyr, after all, was supposedly home to the most promiscuous women on Pern), Kamarit closed his eyes, hoping to maybe catch a few winks before someone came along and pestered him into doing something that they felt was important.

[stolenhart]

R'lyn, leaning heavily on his cane, limped out towards the beach. With no natural springs, Southern relied quite a bit on the sun's heat to keep the Weyr warm. It worked though, the black sand of the Hatching sands were as hot if not hotter than anything found in the North. Castogath was just returning from visiting the herd. Hold Lidal only gave the dragons their bad stock but there was always plenty of it and a dragon could have as much as he wanted. As he got older it was harder and harder to scrub even the small bronze. At least his leg only ached in the wet season, which it mercifully was not at the moment.

He was continuing on his way, hoping for a moment of free time without some meeting, some contingency plan being discussed. The entire Weyr was on high alert for strange dragons and worried about what that half wing had done and the consequences that would come of it. R'lyn figured Northern would not come fighting until a Weyrleader had been chosen. He himself had seen the old Weyrleader die and news had not reached the Weyr that another had won the position. That gave the Weyr some breathing room. He was lost in his thoughts until he saw a young man and flitt laying about on the beach.

That was half the problem. Too many men in the south were lazy but when you pricked their honor they would get angry and hot-tempered. It must be the sun. "What are you doing out here?", he asked Kamarit, looking down at the boy with an expression of disbelief on his face. "Don't you have something to be doing?", if the boy wasn't careful he'd find himself cleaning out the latrines.

[phlysolo]

The hot, moist breeze of the Southern Weyr whipped through Kamarit's hair and he smiled in contentment. He wasn't really one for cold weather at all and this new climate was much more suitible for the likes of him. Now instead of having to wear a light vest or jerkin on a cool day, he could simply camp out under any rock or tree he saw fir for an afternoon nap. Livro seemed to agree with his sentiments, the moist atmosphere working wonders on his hide; Kamarit was having to oil it less simply because it was absorbing more moisture than normal from the more humid climate.

He hadn't heard the heavy steps from behind him in his blissful state of half slumber. half wakefulness, but the brown firelizard on his chest had and perked up immediately. Sensing what he thought was anger radiating from this older and important looking human, he sat up, his paws pressing against Kamarit's face. The Candidate gave a muffled complaint and jerked his head, trying to get the now hissing firelizard off of his face.

"Off, off, Libro, off! My face is not a take off post for you!" He grumbled, his eyes closed, but trying to push the firelizard away weakly.

With an angry chatter, the small brown firelizard swiped at his lifemate and Kamarit yelped in surprise and pain. He sat up unhappily, rubbing his cheek and finally noticed the shadow looming over him.

"Well, I was trying to take a nap, sir," He said, adding the last bit because, while he didn't know what the knots stood for, he understood that anyone who had them as extravagant as this guy was probably important. "Until this heathen decided he should whack me in the face."

Kamarit sized up the old man, noticing the cane he was leaning against a cane he had for dear life. His eyebrows contracted, his gaze flickering over the man, trying to decide if he had some kind deformity or if he'd been injured. Well, he wasn't about to ask this geezer to undress for him or anything, so he finally flipped his gaze back up to the man's face.

"And I'm out here because no one's assigned me a chore section," Kamarit shrugged, looking mildly puzzled. Strangely, and luckily, it was the truth. The Searchrider had dropped hm off and led him to the Candidate Barracks, but the Candidate Master was MIA and the Headwoman was busy and had no time for him. So he'd been around for a couple of days with nothing to do. He was surprised that no one had said a sharding thing to him about it the whole time except for now.

[stolenhart]

R'lyn watched the boy fight with his flitt, it would have been humorous, shards it was funny, but he'd long ago learn to school his expression to one of polite blandness. Then the younger man addressed him and R'lyn almost smiled, he couldn't help the eye twinkling but he did keep himself from cracking a smile. Riders did not expect to see their Weyrleader smile. He did almost frown when the boy studued his case though, it was what drew most people's attention second, after the knots of course. Those two things were enough to confirm his identity to anyone who knew about him.

"No one has assigned you chores is it?", he'd have to talk to the Headwoman bout that kind of thing, it wouldn't do to be having the Candidates lazing about in the sun. It would addle their minds, make them thing riding a dragon was easy work. "Well I can certainly fix that", he murmured rubbing his chin with his free hand. He usually kept his face clean shaven and it was fast getting time to go about shavin ghis face again. "First though", it didn't take more than a second to wake up his dragon who came flouncing out of the Weyr like he owned the place. Well technically he did. "You can help an old man take care of his dragon then we'll go visit the Headwoman", he said softly heading for the water as his bronze glided in.

Who is the young pup?, Castogath asked his rider as he glanced at the two of them. Some lazy candidate, he's going to give me a hand bathing you, then we'll go find him a chore or two[/c], R'lyn mentally replied, heading for beach at a slow pace. It wasn't a request he'd made of the lad, it was a command, though it might have lacked teh forceful tone behind it. Good. You miss spots old man. R'lyn snorted, I'm old? I'm old?, the dragon only chucked.

[phlysolo]

This guy...was so...boring. He had no facial expression at all. No smiles, no frowns, just that same old politely indifferent stare that was boring into Kamarit. What kind of weird old fart was this, anyways? It was all Kamarit could do to keep an annoyed frown off his face, but by distracting himself with Livro, he managed it. The firelizard crooned happily under his attentions, rubbing his face into Kamarit's hand and then moving so he could arch in such a feline manner that he seemed nothing more than a brown hairless house-cat. Amused, Kamarit momentarily forgot that he was keeping some rather exaulted company and when the man spoke to him, he nodded dumbly and quickly, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah, that's right. When I first got here, we tried to talk to the Headwoman, but she was busy and told us it could wait," Kamarit replied with a shrug, using his free hand to run through his hair.

But perhaps...he should have held his tongue. This old fart presumed to put him, Kamarit, to work! Who did he think he was? He wasn't going to be put to work by some no named rider who was high off his dragon's flame. Kamarit opened his mouth in a snarl that never escaped him. Wha-wait! Wash his dragon? Just as the offer - no command, was on the table, he could see a bronze monstrosity swoop out of his weyr and angle down towards him. He recognized that dragon! It was Castogath! The Searchrider had made a point to show the Weyrleader's dragon to him while the beast was out doing...something when Kamarit first arrived. Wow. The Weyrleader...

"You're R'lyn?" He asked, baffled and feeling quite irritated that the man hadn't made it more clear who he was. How could this old geezer who could barely walk by the looks of it command an entire Weyr? Granted, the South was a little short on riders, but still!

Kamarit climbed to his feet and hurried off after the man, Livro swooping idly behind him, whistling contentedly. "H-hey! How come you're asking me? I'm sure someone else is assigned to...dragon washing...duty." He whined, unable to help himself. He was having such a nice time...

[stolenhart]

R'lyn nodded, "The Headwoman usually is busy. She has quite a few people and dragons to oversee and it has been so long since we've had candidates", several Turns if he was remembering correctly. Had it really been that long? He shook his head and continued onwardly. The cane was such a hinderance but R'lyn had long ago learned to live and deal with pain, even becoming one of the finest swords in the Weyr. He rarely practiced his sword work anymore, no use with a bum leg, but he still had that air about him.

"Of course I am. Did you think I was the MasterHarper of between come to preach Thread to you?", he scoffed with a smile. How had the lad not known? The poor dragon who Impressed the lad had a lot to deal with. "And you needn't be so disbelieving, I am well aware Castogath and I will be retired when our new gold rises", he wasn't upset about it. The vote against him to steal the gold and proved just how much the Weyr wanted a leadership change, whether they were ready for it or not.

"You have nothing better to do, I have nothing needing doing. Why not you? It's just one dragon, Castogath won't take that long, not with us two and the flitt", he shrugged, leaning against a rock to shuck his boots off. He rolled his pants legs up and pulled his shirt off. He was that faded brown tan that older people tend to get, back covered in old burn and fight scars and still muscled despite his age. Come along old man and bring your new friend, this comment was cast lound enough that Kamarit should have heard it. "Besides", R'lyn added, wading into the warm water, "Castogath might call you Searched if you spend some time with him, if you aren't already".

[phlysolo]

Kamarit frowned; been a long time since they had Candidates, huh? Well, that was no shocker since that old queen hadn't laid a good Clutch since...since...since before he was born or something like that, the Candidate considered. Still, though, it couldn't be that hard to say, 'you Candidate, go do this with your free time.' Yulk, no wonder his old man had tried to talk him out of heading off to the Weyr. Instead of voicing a rather insolent reply, he merely followed on, watching as the Weyrleader struggled to walk, even with his cane. The boy thought he looked so decrepit that it was actually sad. From what he'd heard this R'lyn was a great rider and a great Weyrleader, but how could that be so if he couldn't even walk right?

"No, but, I always thought the Weyrleader was supposed to be at the top of their game, sir, not looking like-" Kamarit blurted, speaking without thinking, as usual. Realizing how insulting he sounded, he clapped his hand to his mouth, his eyes begging forgiveness. "Not to say...not to say that you don't look all commanding and stuff, sir."

"But still, why would you be stepping down? I bet Castogath could Fly any queen her first Flight," The lad continued, hoping that this comment would stroke the man's pride...if he was the egotistical type like he assumed most Weyrleaders were. As R'lyn stopped to strip himself down to the articles of clothing he wouldn't mind getting wet, Kamarit did as well. In spite of himself, he looked the old man over, his eyes darting quickly across the scars on his back and seeing with some surprise all his muscle.

"How'd you get all banged up, sir?" Kamarit asked, forgetting momentarily what R'lyn had brought him out here for. He was so intrigued by the bronze dragon, in any case, that his laziness was forgotten, at least for the time being. "And I thought bronzes couldn't Search!"

[stolenhart]

R'lyn laughed, grabbing a handful of sand and working on Castogath's shoulder, rubbing the sand to the hide quickly and efficiently. "No. The other riders will push for a younger, less crippled rider to win. Sometimes Weyr sentiment can make an influence on the flight", he said. It was just a theory, but it seemed in a few of his past flight she'd seen it happen time and time again. Castogath swung his head around his rider and regarded the young man thoughtfully. The intelligence in those eyes was almost frightening, it wasn't a human intelligence but something else.

"How I got all banged up?", he smiled, remembering a few events. "I used to be a halfway decent swordsman when I was growing up. Fought a few riders in my day, and invading holders", he remarked. "The leg well, it was extremely lucky I suppose. I could have died", he added more sand to Castogath's hide. "The straps broke and I was flung out. The banners caught me by the leg and jerked the leg out. The Healer was inedept at bones and it never healed right", he laughed, and the sound wasn't bitter, it was actually warm and genuine, "Needless to say, my sword-fighting days were over. Still I can ride and walk and I am still alive and with Castogath", the dragon pulled his head back and nuzzled his rider warmly, then dipped his nose in the water and splashed him. "Though why I bothered", R'lyn retorted.

You love me, Castogath was letting Kamarit in on the conversation, just because he could. "True I guess. As for Searching, no I don't think he can actually. But I suppose he can feel the potential in you. He can have one of the greens or blues come down here and make it official if you want", R'lyn offered, "Or the Weyr will take my word for it. Especially if you Impress". This young man was very impressive in his own right, despite his lazing about or unthinking words, both traits could be fixed with a bit of hard work.