Dangerous Thoughts [Tags: Roi]

[Ruby]

Piden was out front of the Wherhandler's brand-new apartments, leaning against the wall and staring at the midnight stars. He was fiddling halfheartedly at his fingernails with a very small dagger, a new addition to his wardrobe since taking off two turns ago. Pidesk was curled at his side, tail switching restlessly as he furled and unfurled his wings. His restlessness was infectious, making Piden shift every few minutes, too. After two turns of lurking and hiding and moving all the time, being safe and still was very, very strange. Piden had chased down rumours of his family, and had discovered that they had only come to congratulate him, not to take him home. That realization was welcome, but strange- what was he supposed to run from, now? He truly was safe at Selenitas, forever.

That realization awoke something else in him, something that surprised himself and the sandy bronze next to him equally. As it crept back into Piden's mind, Pidesk sent him the familiar questioning thoughts, the bronze's pacifisitc nature clashing with Piden's new... protectiveness. That was the only way he could think of the new feeling- all he wanted was to protect the place where he was safe, and make it safe for others. The Benden attack still rubbed him the wrong way, especially the fact that he couldn't be there to help. Pidesk was less involved, loving his fellow Whers and unhappy that they were in danger, but also not quite willing to put His and himself in danger to protect the others.

Piden wanted to re-start the Nightwatch. He just didn't know how to start on his own- what he needed was someone to pitch the idea to, someone who would listen to his ideas and support him. As a Bronzehandler, Piden felt that he should do something for the Weyr- what better than protecting their sleep? Pidesk, however, wasn't sold, and got up to stretch and pace in front of his rider, continuing to express his opinion with feelings of uncertainty and discomfort, and images of the nighttime peace they now sat in.

[Rowana]

Roivao was a little surprised to see Piden when he came outside. Seeing another wherhandler was not that unusual, especially at this time of night. But Piden was a new face for Roi. He must have been from Selenitas though, to be here. Roi nodded to him in greeting, but didn't stop walking. He still wasn't one for talking much with people he didn't know.

Roisk sized up the other bronze with polite respect. He saw Pidesk both as an equal and fellow bronze, and respected him as a senior wher. He rumbled a greeting before continuing after Roivao. He considered all the whers under his protection, but His got priority. He would not be caught by surprise again.

[Ruby]

Pidesk was not nearly as reserved as Roisk- he was an adult Wher now, but had never lost his hatchling's energy. Normally, the Bronze would still never go out of his way to meet someone, but tonight... well, his was restless, and so was he. Leaping forward, Pidesk nipped playfully at Roisk's heels, answering the larger Bronze's growl with a friendly rumble of his own. Pidesk would like to play, if Roisk would let him.

Piden bounded to his feet only seconds after he saw what his Wher had done. "Pidesk! Come on, be polite," he pleaded, embarassed at his usually shy Wher's forwardness. The jump had woken Red, who stuck her head out and frilled once and Roivao's blessedly blonde hair before returning to Piden's collar. "Sorry," Piden told the much older handler, barely containing a 'sir'. They were both Bronzehandlers, and the man's knots said wherling, not full handler. Which meant that Piden ranked this man, who had to be at least a decade older than he was. Strange. "He's not usually this... outgoing."

Stepping around Pidesk's tail, he offered a hand. "I'm Piden, and this is Pidesk. Are you a Selenitas handler, too?" He left off his suspicions about the man's wherlinghood, still uncomfortable with the whole idea. Piden generally did well with authority figures, but he had never really BEEN an authority figure before. Pidesk's color had mattered very little at holds and halls without Whers at all.

[Rowana]

Roisk turned back to look at Pidesk with some surprise. He concidered for a moment, before flicking his tail playfully at the other bronze. His eyes swirled with amusement. Even a wher as serious as Roisk liked to play occasionally. Roisk barked and trotted a little ways away from the handlers, before turning to see if the other would follow. Whers could play rough, and he didn't want to bother the humans.

Roivao stopped and turned to look at Piden more closely. He seemed to be debated whether he wanted to respond or just keep walking, but Roisk was making the decision for him. Finally, Roi nodded. "Roivao of Roisk," he said simply. He was a little curious as to why he hadn't met this handler before, but he seemed a talkative one. He would probably explain himself before long. Roi wasn't in the mood to talk with strangers most of the time, but he was getting better about it. Roisk was doing his part to help the former rider return to his old self.

[Ruby]

Pidesk flicked his tail back, settling into a crouched play-stance as Roisk led him away from the humans. He was excited to have more Whers to play with again, particularly Whers his own age. No matter what problems His had with the handler, Pidesk was only a year or two older than Roisk, and he was ready to play. Snapping at Roisk's heels again with a playful growl, he darted around to the left, growling playfully.

"Nice to meet you," Piden responded, considering a handshake but realizing the moment had passed. He supposed the other Wherhandler had things to do, walking as purpousfully as he had been, and was about to say that he too had something to do, but as he looked around for Pidesk he realized that the Whers had their own ideas about that. "Oh... I guess we're stuck here until they're dne playing... once Pidesk makes a friend, he doesn't like leaving," he said, slightly embarassed. "Would you like a seat?" he asked, gesturing vaguely at the wall he'd been leaning against. How hospitible.

[Rowana]

Roisk reared and flared his wings, before he spun around to chase Pidesk. He growled and nipped playfully. It was so good to have a playmate. Sometimes he spent so much time protecting His and the smaller whers, he forgot what fun was. No worries about Pidesk though. He was a fellow bronze, and a fine one at that.

Roivao nodded politely, glancing over at Roisk. Looked like he was stuck. Part of him suspected that his wher was doing it on purpose, trying to get him to meet more people. It was sometimes hard to fathom what he was thinking, even if they did share a bond. It had never been as close as Roi and Iloth's at any rate. He leaned against the offered wall and slid down next to Piden. "Thanks," he mumbled. Tiida poked her head out to glare at the stranger briefly, before diving back into his shirt. As long as they did not bother Hers, she didn't care what they did.

[Ruby]

Pidesk took off into the trees around the Wherhandler's Apartments, staying in sight of his Handler but still running top speed. As a smallish Bronze, Pidesk was quite fast, and with his wings flared out he moved well too, but he only took a few steps before turning on one foot and tackling the trailing Roisk, tumbling over Roisk's head to land on the ground behind the larger Wher. He was enjoying himself immensely- as much as he enjoyed spending time with Piden and keeping in shape alongside him, it just... wasn't the same. Trilling his delight, he pounced at Roisk again and then darted away into the trees once more.

Piden stayed silent for a little while, watching the Whers play. He felt bad about keeping Pidesk away from other Whers, although he'd never done it on purpose- he just didn't know any of the other Handlers, and most of his Wherling class seemed to have transfered away or been killed in the Siege. This realization only annoyed Piden further- it was his own fault that the pair had been away during the Siege, but he'd never forgive himself for that, and he certainly didn't have to LIKE the idea that he'd lived while his friends had fought and died for the place that was now his home.

As the silence stretched on, Piden recalled what he'd been thinking about before. It seemed as good a topic as any to ask Roivao about; as an older man, even if he was a younger Handler, he would certainly have had more experiance with these types of things. Looking down and fiddling with some sticks on the ground, he started, "So, I guess the Night Watch isn't around anymore? I was never old enough to participate before I... well, before it dissolved, I guess." He paused briefly to give Roivao a chance to answer before continuing, almost as if he hadn't heard anything the other Bronzehandler had said. "I was thinking it should be started up again. Did Whers help at all during the Siege?" That might be a touchy question, especially if Roi had helped a lot, but Piden figured it was important to find out these sorts of things before he approached Weyr leadership with the idea.

[Rowana]

Roisk ducked his head as Pidesk tackled over him. The smaller bronze was certainly far more agile. Roisk was impressed and pleased. There was nothing like a challenge. He whirled his head to snap at Pidesk, but he was too quick and had vanished into the trees again. Not to be detered, Roisk bounded after him. He rounded a trunk and pounced lively on Pidesk's tail.

Roivao nodded briefly. There had been talk of reviving the nightwatch, but some how that's all it ever was, talk. The idea itself was a good one, but without motivated handlers, it always fell through. He often thought he should do more about it, but his own communication skills were still lacking. He wasn't sure he was the leader a new nightwatch would need.

"We were the first to hear the attack," he answered Piden's question softly. And the first to be attacked, but that much was probably obvious. The old apartments were gone after all. "We sent out warnings and helped defend the weyrfolk." Paid dearly too, he remember all too well. His first wherling master had died that night, as had many others trapped in the burning apartments. He himself had come out unscathed, though Roisk still had a small scare on his wing. Roi didn't really want to go into details. He had done what had been necessary, but that didn't mean he didn't regret the killing.

[Ruby]

Pidesk might be more agile than Roisk, and possibly faster over short distances, but the larger Wher was certainly stronger. Expecting to be able to easily outrun the bigger Bronze, Pidesk frisked off through the trees, paying little attention to the other Wher. Until Roisk pounced on his tail, that is. With an indignant squwak, Pidesk continued forward a few inches before flopping to the ground. No matter how he wriggled and twisted, he simply couldn't figure out how to get his tail away from Roisk! He rumbled lightly, sounding almost as though he was laughing, and twisted around to bat at the other Wher's head.

Piden, however, wasn't laughing. When Roivao mentioned that the Handlers had been the first to hear the attack and alert the Weyr, Piden shoved himself off the wall and spun so he could face the other Handler. "See?" he exclaimed, clearly excited. "If not for alert Handlers, the Weyr would have faced much worse than it did. We're awake at night anyway, what if pairs were stationed, alert and ready? With some sort of alert system in place? Even after this Siege, hopefully the North will think twice about attacking in the night again, and we-" here he paused, swallowing, clear that he'd slipped. "Well, you all, I mean, weren't even prepared. Right?"

He sat back, leaning on his hands, and let his eyes drift up the wall of the Apartments. A ways down the wall was one of the posters for Ka'rys' defense lessons. Piden hadn't gone, having learned all he needed to fight for himself during his wanderings, but... what if Whers were trained in Wings, just like Dragons were? Fighting wings, never meant to go against Thread, but rather against nighttime intruders? "Roivao..." he began, still staring absently at the poster, "I know this might be difficult to explain, but can you tell me anything about the actual attack? I know the hit the Handler's Apartments first, but what formations did they use? Where else did they target? Was it simply chaos, or an orchestrated attack?" He had more questions, so many more, but he decided that for now, that was enough. He didn't know Roivao that well, and the man certainly didn't seem talkative at best. He didn't want to scare the man off, but... he did want to know what he wanted to know, and Roivao was a good person to ask.

[Rowana]

Roisk rumbled in amusement as Pidesk tried to get free. His grip was firm, until the other wher swiped at his nose. Roisk dropped the tail abruptly. Nice trick, he thought with approval. He should have seen that coming. Eyes sparkling with enjoyment, he moved around a tree and away. Time for Pidesk to give chase!

Roi was a little surprised by Piden's reaction. Excited was hardly the emotion he would have attributed to the events. Still, he had to admit the younger man had a point. If they had been better prepared, maybe this wouldn't have happened. He took a deep breath and began. "We weren't prepared," he confirmed. "Bendan had surprise and skilled tactics on their side. They targeted the whers first, probably because we could give warning. We were lucky not all of us were inside when the fire started. The main two wings attacked the infirmary and the weyrling barracks. The dragons kept to the skies, keep ours from leaving their weyrs. It was well planned." Luck had been the biggest reason they had survived. And they couldn't always rely on that.