Bathing, Thinking, and Preparing [OPEN]

[saidaltam]

Isiloth itched. She was growing so quickly, these days, that she always seemed to itch. Even the twice daily bathing and oiling couldn't quite keep up to the dragon's satisfaction, and so, in the quiet evening, during which time Siten had been hoping to try to meet a few more of her people, she found herself once more at the lake side, giving the dragon a thorough scrubbing and oiling.

Sitting in water that covered her tail entirely and came easily to Siten's waist, Isiloth seemed oddly content, her eyes a soft, comfortable shade of tealy blue as Siten moved from one end of the dragon to the other, washing her thoroughly. A pot of oil, a rag, and a brush, sat up on the shore, waiting for Siten to finish washing the dragon. Other than the splashing of water against the dragon's side or Siten's skin, the evening was quiet and almost peaceful. It was a pleasant change from their generally hectic schedule.

Despite this, however, Siten's mind was racing. With Isiloth growing like this, it was only a matter of time before she was flying and betweening, and then R'lyn's plan would be put into effect, and her time would either open up shockingly or become even more overburdened with duties. While a few days of the former might be relaxing, however, she was almost afraid of what would become of her sanity if it lasted for very long. Without duties to occupy her mind, she was concerned that she might begin to question if she was loosing herself and her ideals to the whims and wills of the Weyr, and of all things, she did not want to do that. Half her reason for standing in the first place had been to bring change to the South. If she let a change of scenery and a change of pace cost her that, what kind of person was she?

The thought only served to further convince her that a myriad of duties would be the only thing to spare her from thinking herself silly, and, shaking her head to clear her mind, she tugged lightly at Isiloth's neck, urging the dragon to lower her head so that Siten could wash her face.

[accelerando]

Moving out from the hold, Ildessmor glanced around herself nervously. This would be the first time that she would be out riding on her runner since the incident with D'mon, and she honestly was still not completely comfortable with the notion. Since the incident, she had often gone out riding with other people, but usually it was not possible, considering that she was one of the few, if not the only candidate with a runner at the weyr. That being said, it was often difficult to find somebody to go riding with her. It was not only annoying, but downright inconvenient. No matter what the situation was, Ekssripitia had to be exercised. Sure, she was a mare, but it didn't mean that she had a low energy level. Rather, she was just as high strung as any stallion, which was both good and bad sometimes. However, Ildessmor had to admit, it would be nice to go for a ride on Ekssripitia, even if she had to stay close to the weyr.

However, even though the ride would certainly be enjoyable, it didn't mean Ildessmor was completely unaware of her surroundings. Rather, she kept a sharp eye out for other people, dragons, and runners. She was ready to flee at the first sight of danger. She knew she had been lucky to escape unscathed the last time, and she was not about to throw herself into the path of danger once again. However, as she rode further out, Ildessmor gradually began to relax. She hadn't seen anybody around, and she was almost positive that it would be safe to head towards the lake, just like last time. It would be a nice stop and while Ekssripitia got her fill of water and grass, Ildessmor could just relax and enjoy having some free time on her hands.

[saidaltam]

The dragon stretched her wings, sending a spray of water out, then lowered her head obligingly. :Make sure you get my brow ridges extra well. They itch very badly,:[/color] she advised, flicking her tail and sending another spray of water to the shore. Siten smiled dryly and sighed.

"You're drenching everything," she told the dragon, setting about giving the dragon's brows a thorough scrubbing. "If you don't stop it, you're going to get someone wet." A glance toward the shoreline showed Ildessmor riding up on her runner and she nodded in the girl's direction. "Probably her. Just imagine what you'd do to her clothing. It's probably expensive. Water will destroy some expensive fabric, you know. I can't imagine she'd be happy about that, and really, I can't afford to replace it."

Isiloth snorted arrogantly. :It is cloth. I don't see how cloth is more important than my enjoyment of my bath.:[/color]

"Only because you don't wear any," Siten replied. "It'd be like someone throwing dye onto your hide. You'd be furious."

:That,:[/color] the dragon objected, :Is very, very different.:[/color]

[accelerando]

Ildessmor whipped past the woods on both sides of her, the trees blurring together into two, solid brown walls on both sides. Her hair flew out behind her as she moved, and she stroked Ekssripitia's dapple gray coat. Honestly, she had no need to be anxious, nothing could really happen to her again. Her karma couldn't be that bad, and fate couldn't be that cruel as to allow the same thing to happen twice. As she was thinking about this, she suddenly broke free of the woods, and she was able to see the lake, the sunlight sparkling off the surface. However, something nearly stopped Ildessmor's heart, and she drew Ekssripitia to a quick halt.

At a first glance, Ildessmor almost froze, thinking that the dragon in the water was a bronze, but after looking back, she realized her mistake, there was no doubt about it, the dragon was Isiloth. Also, with that guess in mind, it probably meant that the dragonrider standing next to Isiloth would be Siten. Relaxing visibly, Ildessmor nudged Ekssripitia back into a trot, leading the runner down the rolling hill. Once they were back on a flat ground, Ildessmor urged Ekssripitia back into a gallop, heading towards Siten and Isiloth. As she drew closer, she realized that Siten was giving Isiloth a bath, and once she was close enough, she began reining Isiloth in. Stopping a few feet away from the two of them, Ildessmor smiled. "Hey Siten, Isiloth." she said, nodding to each of them as she said their names.

[saidaltam]

Isiloth, wrapped up in being bathed and being generally cocky and impolite, anyhow, to say nothing of offended by her rider's comments, ignored Ildessmor, but since she had Siten as a filter, anyhow, that didn't particularly matter. "Hello, Ildessmor," Siten replied for the both of them. "Out riding? Alone, today?" she asked mildly, tugging at Isiloth's snout. "Dunk, dragon," she added to the gold.

Isiloth snorted at her. :Dunk?:[/color] the dragon repeated dubiously, casting a disapproving eye over her rider.

"Yes, dunk. Rinse your face off, you silly thing, so that I can oil you already." Siten rolled her eyes, smiling dryly at the young dragon.

Isiloth did not look happy. She was, however, properly obliging and dunked her head, as she ought to have, before shaking it off. :You may oil me, now,:[/color] the dragon informed her.

Siten smiled dryly and collected the tiny oil pot. "What brings you out here, today?" she asked Ildessmor, gesturing for Isiloth to come out of the water.

[accelerando]

Ekssripitia shifted uneasily underneath Ildessmor, wary of the dragon in front of herself. Using her hands, Ildessmor settled the runner quickly, turning the animal slightly away from the dragon so that she wouldn't be as wary. Hearing the other girl's comment about being out alone, Ildessmor pulled a face. "Well, I usually ride out with other candidates now, but nobody was available today and Ekssripitia was getting a bit restless in the stables." she said, shrugging her shoulders slightly. She still wasn't comfortable with the notion of riding out alone, considering what had happened to her last time, but if the gossip was correct, D'mon's dragon, who had helped her escape, was hurt, which would mean he wouldn't be making any trips out to the waterfront anytime soon.

Hearing Siten's quick comment, she had to giggle. Isiloth looked like she had other ideas, ideas that included not dipping her head under the water. From what Siten said next, she had to assume that Isiloth had said something to her rider, a comment about what she had been told to do. Ildessmor smiled as she watched the exchange between the fiesty gold and Siten. Watching as Siten went to collect a small jar of some sort, she shrugged her shoulders. "Mostly because Ekssripitia needed a bit of exercise, but it is kind of nice to get out of the weyr once in a while." she said, shrugging her shoulders. Moving Ekssripitia so that she was closer to Siten and Isiloth, she asked "So, what have you been up to lately? I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to you since the feast." she said, remembering the hatching feast that had been ages ago.

[saidaltam]

Siten laughed as Isiloth laid her head in the girl's lap to be oiled. "That's because I've barely had time to breath," Siten told her with a dry smile, taking a small oiling rag and rubbing the oil carefully over the dragon's hide. "Up in the morning, feeding and bathing Isiloth, then it's lessons, sometimes cut short by other duties. If I dodge other duties, I get a meal after lessons, but that gets skipped if something else comes up. Then Isiloth gets oiled and I take her hunting. Then it's more lessons. Food. Duties, half the time, or finishing tasks I didn't earlier, if I have any. When I'm actually free in the evenings, I'm skittering around the Weyr, trying to get to know everyone, so that I at least have some idea what's going on before I try taking over."

She smiled and shook her head, patting Isiloth's to get the queen to move so she could reach a different patch. As her hide was beginning to itch, she obliged, for once, though she still ignored Ildessmor. For the most part, humans were beneath her notice. Moving to oil the next patch, Siten continued, "And around all of that, there's planning and preparation and special lessons, plus extra baths and oiling for Isiloth, and not enough klah in the Weyr." She paused to cock an eyebrow at Ildessmor, a weak smile on her face. "And people dream about this," she observed dryly, ignoring the fact that she, herself, had dreamt about it not four months prior.

[accelerando]

Ildessmor pulled a face at Siten's comment. "That's sounds awful," she said, thinking about all the work. And not having a free minutes to just relax either, that would be the worst part. Waking up early, getting everything done in the day. It honestly didn't seem like it was a lot of fun, but it looked like Siten was doing her best to get everything done, if she could of course. And it was the effort that Siten was throwing in that made Ildessmor offer her own services. "You know, if there's anything that doesn't necessarily have to be done by you, well, I could help out." she said, shrugging her shoulders. It wasn't like she had anything else to do anyways, nobody really bothered with the candidates, unless a hatching was going on. Most of the other time, the candidates were left to their own devices, left to find their own entertainment.

Usually, that would be fine with Ildessmor, but honestly, there was only so much a girl could take. Back at her father's hold, her empty days hadn't been so empty, they had been supplemented with dance and music lessons, as well as needlepoint and other activities deemed 'suitable' for a girl of her rank. Sure, most of the time it got annoying but still, it was something to do, was it not? Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she had made a decision, and she had to stick with it. After all, would she rather go back to a life where she would be under her father's control, and married off to an old man as soon as possible? Or would she stay here at the weyr and deal with a bit of boredom and lack of entertainment, while being free to choose her own future? The answer was quite an obvious one, and Ildessmor was not planning on changing her mind anytime soon, unless something drastic happened of course.

Ildessmor had to laugh at Siten's dry comment. "Well, you are in a position of power, one where you could help a ton of people." she said, shrugging her shoulders. "So, when will your training be over?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she glanced at the golden dragon in the girl's lap. Although she had been searched and put down as a candidate, she really didn't know anything about the life of a rider, nor what they had to go through daily. The training period was also foreign to her, and she honestly didn't know anything related to running a weyr. Often, she felt like an outsider, but honestly, she would rather feel like an outsider than somebody being manipulated.

[saidaltam]

"I appreciate the offer, Ildessmor, I really do, but it's all training and similar such things. There's not really anything I can leave to anyone else. Besides, I'll be needing your help for another project, soon." Siten smiled dryly at the other girl. "I still want to change a few things around the Weyr, and the people who help me are going to have to be very, very strong, because not everyone will take it well--starting with the Lord Overholder and running straight on down to a fistful or more of green riders--and those people are going to be very unhappy." She hesitated for a long moment, then admitted, "It could wind up being more than a little bit dangerous. I won't make you do anything you're not prepared to do. There will always be a safer, easier road open for you, if you want it."

[accelerando]

Ildessmor knew that there probably wasn't a lot that she could help with, but she still had to ask, out of sympathy for the other girl. "Figured that was the idea, but I though I would ask anyways." she said, giving the other girl a smile as she shrugged her shoulders. However, the idea of another project grabbed her attention, and tilting her head to the side she asked "Care to elaborate?" She was really curious about what Siten was planning for the weyr, for the girl seemed to have a good head on her shoulders as well as tons of really good ideas for the weyr as a whole.

Hearing the other girl's explanation, Ildessmor bit her lip as she thought. What on earth was Siten planning? Could it really be as dangerous as she was saying? If so, what on earth was it? After hesitating for a moment, she finally looked back at Siten. "Could I know the details first before deciding?" she asked. As she did so, she swung a leg over Ekssripitia and slid off the mare before leading the runner to the water's edge. Letting the horse drink from the water for a few moments, she waited for a response.

[saidaltam]

Siten took a deep breath before explaining. There was more than a little bit to say. "There are things at Southern that are... unacceptable. Women being sent north for the crime of Impression, weakening us while strengthening them. Riders being forced into oaths which cripple the Weyr. Living in fear of our own holds turning against us, because facing the Northern incursions is insufficient danger. I mean to... see these things changed. All of them."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "The Lord Overholder will not like it, and he is neither a forgiving man, nor a kind one. He... I would not put assassination past him. I would not put it past him to use threats, intimidation, or violence against those he doesn't consider worth the time, effort, or risk to assassinate. While I am aware that I and whomever rides the dragon who flies Isiloth will be the greatest targets, I do not believe he will hesitate to try to weaken us by removing those we are counting on to aid us."

There was another long pause as Siten sought the right words. Finally, she continued, however, saying, "I am normally a proponent of slow transitions, because they come more naturally to people than do swift ones, but... it may be necessary to act quickly. I can't be sure, yet. Closeted away in lessons as I've been, I haven't been able to get much of a feel for the Weyr, or for the people within her walls. I have no idea how anyone would respond to anything. I barely know who the wingleaders are. Even if I weren't closeted up, I've never socialized well. I need someone to ... to listen for me, to watch, to tell me what's going on when I don't have the time to see it for myself. It needs to be someone capable. Someone bold enough to accept the risk, strong enough to act despite it, and proficient enough to excel at the task regardless of complications. I do not ask this lightly, Ildessmor, but my options are ... finite, to say the least, and I believe that you are my best choice."