eyes to the skies [s'rei~]

[glamourie]

There were several good cliffs, and they overlooked most entrances toward the Weyrs. Not all, but most. The line of the jungle and the river, the clearings where a large group of dragons would have to land if there was an all out ground attack. At sunset, it was hard for Ka'rys to see clearly most of the areas the cliffs overlooked, but he was not designed for night vision, either. He was betting (though he did not know for sure), that Adith and Uu'n would have an unusually impressive line of vision from that particular perch, and so would the whers. It would be good to have a watch dragon put on that particular cliff during the day, too, if only because it offered a perfect view of the river and the jungle. Anyone wanting to sneak in to Selenitas unannounced would likely use one of those paths. The way the Weyr was set up, there weren't too many things to hide behind, but it was a lot less protected than the stone-built Weyrs of the north. They had an advantage in protecting their homeland, but Selenitas was by no means crippled. Small though the Weyr was, they had something of an advantage in that they knew how to fly Thread over dense greenery, and had a lot more experience in the layout of their home. It would have to be used to their advantage. They also had a lot of very good whers. The northerners would not likely think to use them most of the time.

The problem wasn't really with the idea of a night watch. Adith and Uu'n were competent enough to organize that themselves and he was betting they'd enjoy it. More over, he liked working with Uu'n, who seemed to be capable of handling himself. No, the problem was not at all with the idea. The problem was presenting the idea to the Weyrwoman. Yes, that was a very big problem indeed.

Ka'rys leaned back and looked up at the sky. There were a few stars beginning to show themselves in the darkening hours, and from dragonback the skies were flawless. A splash of amber, melting perfectly into shades of red, and on the far horizon, deep blues. He'd spent the bigger part of the evening looking over areas, prospective places a wher could look out and keep a close eye on things without anyone seeing the wher, and a perch big enough and suited well for a dragon. He'd skipped dinner to look over the different areas, making sure that there was nothing he'd missed. It wasn't hard. Ka'rys was a creature born of war. All it took was a very simple thought: If I was going to attack Selenitas, what would I do? Although, his first response was Kill Shmee; she's helpless but that was disqualified, because there was nothing he could do to fix that. Instead, he'd settle for fixing the things that could be fixed. The weyrlings needed to be safe until they were older. They needed to learn how to protect themselves, both on dragonback and alone. More over, they needed to learn how to tend basic wounds. He'd have to talk to some of the Healers about that, but first... the basic safety. They needed to have advance warning in case of another attack. The night watch would do that, if he could get Shmee to accept the idea.

Ciceroth crooned as his rider made himself comfortable. Unlike Ka'rys, who subscribed to the philosophy of It's not paranoia when I'm right, he was a generally easy-going creature. Tempered by years of having to keep his rider in check. His eyes whirled and he made himself comfortable, resting on the clifftop as if he owned the place. There was no reason not to relax.

Salenth, Rysmine asks that you and yours come to the Drumheights when you are free. It was meant to be polite; giving them the option of waiting until they were no longer busy if they were. It was Ciceroth's wording, not Ka'rys. While the brunet was rarely rude, he was not nearly as ... friendly, or kind, as his dragon. Ciceroth was the nice one of the pair, always had been, probably always would be. Ka'rys kept to himself too much to be considered abundantly friendly. We will be waiting as Rysmine has something he would like to discuss. Thank you.

[reqqy]

It grows late. I'm capable of picking my way back to the weyr in the dark, the wingsecond returned dismissively. Aslath's won't be happy. Salenth. This isn't a debate. And I don't appreciate how you seem to think I'm controlled by that child. You are whipped, the bronze returned drolly. No. I merely choose my battles. Now, either go or stay, but I've got more to do.

Though the work itself went slowly. To say that S'rei was annoyed with Shmee was something of an understatement. He had absolutely no problem being a wingsecond. Ambition wasn't exactly something the bronzerider possessed in great abundance. What he did not appreciate was where she'd placed him. P'nor and Cyanth hadn't so much as seconded a wing before in their lives, and yet now they were playing at Wingleader? He remembered the day of the massacre and Cyanth's mishap, remembered how slight the wound had been, and yet, though the Flight itself came under attack, neither bronze nor rider had returned to aid their wing. It was hard to respect a man like that. A dragon like that. And without respect, it was immensely difficult to play the game of subordinate, while trying not to cross that invisible line that moved from helpfulness and into impertinence.

S'rei knew he should have nipped this whole thing in the bud last time Shmee pulled this, but he'd been confident in his own ability to roll with what was put in place - and far less confident in his standing with the Weyrwoman. Stepping on eggshells. Or whipped, as Salenth would put it. He grimaced slightly at the acknowledgment, even as he cast aside a sketch he'd been making. If he'd simply impressed upon her then that she was the domestic head, that the Weyrleader was the military head, and that she had considerably far less experience with this sort of thing than almost any other rider in the weyr at that point, they might not be looking at it again with Ka'rys. How do you fight a public announcement like that? Shards, but the woman knew how to make things complicated.

Speaking of complicated...Mine. Ciceroth's requires our presence. Salenth didn't bother to add the niceties. It was different at Selenitas, and no, they didn't have to hop to like they would have elsewhere, but they both were fairly determined to not cause any waves. Life was just getting back to normal, after all. Might as well call it a night, I suppose. Did I eat? That caused the bronze some amusement. No. And you're no further than when you started. So productive, Salenth teased. "I can't really concentrate much, for some reason," S'rei responded, far more seriously, as he stepped out onto the ledge that led into the cluster of offices.

Maybe Ciceroth and His will have a direction for us to go? "That would be nice," the bronzerider commented dryly. Faranth knows Cyanth and P'nor seemed to be off in their own little world. Wherever that was. We'll join you shortly, Salenth relayed to Ciceroth, and if his tone was cold, there was nothing particularly antagonistic about it.

The great bronze settled onto the heights shortly thereafter, S'rei's dismount betraying his many turns of practice; it was casually graceful. It was kind of strange to find the bronzepair lounging about when he arrived, and neither Salenth nor S'rei knew whether or not they should be relieved or worried. At least as far as Ka'rys went, there had been little contact between the two bronzepairs. While Salenth opted to sit and coil his tail about him, not quite in the mood for a sprawl, S'rei walked to where the younger man stared at the stars. He settled easily on his heels and draped his arms over his knees, tilting his head back to see if he could make out what it was the Weyrleader was staring at.

No such luck.

"Kali told me about your illness," he commented. "She was none too pleased to be out of the loop." This last statement was accompanied by a chuckle, before he glanced over at Ka'rys. "Salenth said you wanted to see us."

[glamourie]

Ciceroth swiveled his head toward Salenth to offer a quiet, half-crooned greeting to him and his rider; a show of equality. Ciceroth didn't speak to any but His, even under dire circumstances. He just did not do it at all. However, that didn't mean that he didn't respect S'rei on some level. That was, in part, run-off from Ka'rys. On a personal level, Ka'rys did not like the former Weyrleader at all; on a 'professional' level he could respect him and Ka'rys was quite exceptional at separating his feelings. Ciceroth didn't separate. Ka'rys respect S'rei, so too did he. For Ka'rys to acknowledge anyone was a rare occurrence; he usually just sort of nodded, or talked about things of no consequence. He was... secretive.

S'rei's arrival merited Ka'rys's full attention and he turned to look at him, his head tilting to the side just slightly. His expression was guarded, though a curiosity flared up within him that he found hard to ignore. He hadn't intentionally kept anyone 'out of the loop'; he'd simply been trying to avoid dealing with the Weyrwoman and accusations. It would be his luck that she'd forbid the Healers from helping him at all. Was it improper for him to form such harsh, quick judgments against Shmee? Maybe. But then, she'd made it painfully clear she disliked him for what he was sure were irrational, self-absorbed reasons. Not that he cared, but if it became a detriment to his health, he'd have to deal with it accordingly. Kalierre was, to his knowledge, a very gifted healer... but he did not know her on a personal level, he only knew that she seemed to be friends with S'rei, and therefore, may well have also been friendly with Shmee. He did not want to deal with that.

"It was never my intention to offend the Dragonhealer."

Should he hunt down Kalierre and apologize? He thought about it for a moment, then decided against it. If she wanted to check on his health she was more than capable of doing that herself without him burdening her with his presence, and he was a busy individual most of the time. When he wasn't busy with responsibilities, he was busy hiding from Shmee. He didn't even eat in the dining hall when she was there. It was easier to just completely avoid the Weyrwoman than try to argue logic with a creature who did not possess any of it. The woman seemed quite convinced that if she hated him enough he'd somehow disappear. It didn't work that way. If she wanted S'rei as Weyrleader, she was always welcome to ask him to listen to all of S'rei's ideas. He would have anyway. Being obnoxious just made him want to ignore her. Avoidance was easier than facing off against someone who made him want to throttle the life out of her for existing. He had a disproportionate amount of patience for most things, but not weakness. Shmee had a target painted on her head and it was in his nature to fire.

Which was exactly why he'd called someone who wasn't, from his understanding, so much of a survivalist. S'rei, for all of his behavior that Ka'rys knew of, was not a believer in "survival of the fittest" as he was. He seemed to get along well enough with the people Ka'rys deemed weak, like Shmee. And Shmee actually listened to him ... some times. Most of the time, from what he'd seen. It was an option.

Mine thanks you for delivering our message, Ciceroth said to Salenth alone. Ka'rys did not address dragons if he could help it, especially not with their riders present. It struck him as rude, and Ciceroth had long since accepted that unusual quirk of his. So, he thanked the other bronze for his rider.

"I did," Ka'rys admitted with a light nod. "I wanted to ask your help with a... project. Help only you can offer." His head tilted to the side and he watched S'rei for a moment. Even though he didn't know S'rei, he trusted he was intelligent enough to register exactly what Ka'rys meant by help only he could give. There were a few very skilled bronzeriders at Selenitas, but only one of them managed to make the Weyrwoman act like an adult instead of a spoiled, overgrown infant. "I want to set up a night watch in this hills - led by Uu'n of Adith, and comprised of the Wherhandlers and a few good drummers." His head tilted to the side and he looked over toward S'rei. "These cliffs and hills overlook the river as well as the jungle, and most entrances to the Weyr are visible either from this one - or that one." One hand lifted to indicate each cliff as he spoke of it. "The one on the far side overlooks the largest clearing nearby -- big enough to comfortably allow an entire wing to land..."

[reqqy]

Ah, so he wasn't being ignored. That was - nice to know. Not that it would have bothered S'rei, but that brought a whole new meaning to Ka'rys's posture. Clearly, the Weyrleader was displaying a certain amount of trust to be that lax, or appear to be that lax, around him. The wingsecond had spent enough time in the North to recognize that much. Southern and Northern body language was distinctly different, and while rumor had it that this particular bronzepair had come to Selenitas young, it was fairly obvious that, at least with the rider, there were still some very Northern tendencies floating about.

Now, Salenth was not nearly so quick to read into any behavior of Ciceroth's. He didn't know what to make of the half-croon, of the way this other bronze seemed set on treating him as an equal when clearly they were far from it. This time. To say that he was rank-oriented wasn't entirely true, but he'd certainly expected something a little less - friendly. They were rivals. Plain and simple. Thus far, only Ciceroth and Salenth had Flown Aslath. But how could he approach this situation any differently than the casual bronze who greeted him? His own croon was far more tentative, and the tip of his tail twitched. A nervous habit.

His pride almost got in the way. Again. Ciceroth's - or perhaps his rider's? - phrasing seemed to suggest that Salenth somehow wouldn't relay the message to His. There was no need to thank him for something he - or anyone else - clearly would have done without thought. He could perform the simple duty of one of the firelizards ReiMine so hated, thank you very much.

He didn't snap, but he couldn't resist the huff. You're both welcome. I suppose you often have dragons disobeying you? Okay, that was downright nasty. He couldn't bring himself to care, though. Even when he felt S'rei's eyes boring a hole in his shoulderblade.

"Kali?" S'rei still wasn't used to referring to her by her title, despite how much she'd withdrawn from him since coming to Selenitas. Besides, this was the first place he'd been to with only one dragonhealer. Very odd. "She'll get over it pretty quick. Phremath's probably one of the sweetest greens in the weyr, which does wonders for the woman's temprament." His eyes flashed with amusement. If only Kalierre had been here to hear that comment...Truthfully, she wasn't one to hold much of a grudge, anyway, at least outwardly. Just seeing her annoyance would have pleased him. He loved to tease people on occasion.

The man's brow rose mildly, however, as Ka'rys drew the topic away from that venue and got on with business. Something only he could do? Now, S'rei wasn't exactly a fool; he knew there were other capable bronzeriders about. This had to be something - specialized. He actually knew little about the deep antagonism between Shmee and Ka'rys. Oh, she'd said they hated each other, but she always seemed to dwell in extremes. He hadn't put much stock in it. Still, it had to be the Weyrwoman. There was no other explanation, nothing else that really separated S'rei from the others aside from being something of a weyr-hopper and - arguably - a rather high-profile traitor.

He supposed it was natural that Ka'rys might think he'd have better luck pitching the idea?

And it wasn't a bad one, either, truth be told, S'rei following the line of cliffs with his eyes, a mild frown denoting his concentration. Hmm. Yes, that sounded like as good idea as any. Probably better than the clearing he'd done along the banks when he was in office. They had plenty of wherhandlers now, and Kalierre respected Uu'n's abilities. She was a hard one to impress. "I'll see what I can do about that," he replied, with a nod. "We wouldn't want to make it easier than it has to be." But something was needling at the back of his mind.

Something out of place.

The wingsecond stared at Ka'rys a long moment, his gray eyes narrowing. "You know, I think I saw you just recently. Yes. But it was at Fort Weyr." He watched for the reaction.

[glamourie]

I wouldn't know. I don't make a habit of making orders, simply requests, Ciceroth replied amiably enough. He sensed and understood the implied insult in Salenth's statement, but Ciceroth did not respond with anger or pride. He was hard to make angry, for one, and for two, he wasn't fool enough to assume Salenth viewed him as anything 'friendly.' There was no love lost between them and thus no hurt was spawned by the comment. If Ciceroth had meant his request as an order, he wouldn't have worded it as a request. Plain and simple. You have every right to refuse a request made of you, as much as anyone else. But if he did Ciceroth would have made it an order. He always tried asking first. It garnered better results, both of riders and of dragons. Rank was 'new' to him and he wasn't exactly attached to it any more than his rider was. And Ka'rys didn't like the title he was stuck with.

Which, of course, made it neatly ironic that he insisted on using people's titles when he addressed them, but Ka'rys had another reason for that. Calling someone by their title rather than their name was a distancing technique he was fond of. It erased familiarity. He didn't mind people calling him his name, but given a choice, they would always be known as their titles. The Weyrwoman was rarely, if ever, named. He had even taken to the draconic way of expressing his dislike by referring to her as That Female from time to time. Funnily enough, most people also seemed to recognize exactly who he was talking about when he said that. Evidently the Weyrwoman was not shy in her dislike of him. Goodie, just proved how unprofessional she could be.

Ka'rys offered a slight nod in response to the Dragonhealer's name, but otherwise did not reply. He was not sure what he should have said. To imply he knew Phremath was to be insulting, as he knew only that the young green had some trouble with flight thanks to her birth defect. At the time of her hatching he'd been thoroughly repulsed by her and many of the other hatchlings with deformities, and his outlook had been that it would be more merciful to kill them than force them to live with such weakness. Though his views had changed some, he still stood by that assessment. But they had made the most of it and Phremath and Adith were probably the best examples of overcoming weakness. He could respect that in a person and dragon alike, even if he didn't understand why they were allowed to live when they had been so badly deformed at the time of their hatching. Not that he'd ever voiced that idea.

"I would ask her myself, but..." Ka'rys motioned as of to brush the idea away. "I will be forward: I believe it is more likely that the Weyrwoman will consider the idea coming from you than she would, should it be me who gives voice to it." He did not finish that thought, which was merely that Shmee would likely decline it without listening if he suggested it. Besides, speaking to her was like trying to bash his head into a stone surface. He was fairly sure with every conversation he came out with brain damage.

--- What was with that look? Ka'rys turned to look at S'rei, meeting his eyes evenly enough. His entire posture changed in a matter of seconds and he moved so that his back was toward Ciceroth. It was a defensive posture, and also habit. While he didn't think S'rei would attack him, that look was unpleasant, and the words that followed sent off a loud ringing in his head akin to whers screaming before an invasion. His head tilted to the side and he feigned a thoughtful expression before bringing one hand up to rest thoughtfully against his chin and lips. Ciceroth swung his tail around to curl in front of Ka'rys; half-defensive, but mostly affectionate. Ciceroth tried to always be touching Ka'rys. Showy affection wasn't unusual for them.

"You're mistaken. I've been here since before Aslath hatched." His head tilted to the side, and let the confusion show on his face. "What were you doing at Fort at all? To be completely honest, I thought everyone there would have enjoyed seeing you roast." No love lost between them indeed.

[reqqy]

Salenth eyed Ciceroth skeptically. That might work here at Selenitas, playing around with requests, but it definitely didn't work anywhere else. Dragons quickly learned that nothing was a request, no matter how politely phrased it might be. And he truly didn't believe that this last with Ciceroth was a true request. After all, if it was something that you were going to make happen regardless, there really wasn't much choice in the matter. Salenth wasn't following the conversation between the two riders too horribly closely, but he was listening well enough to know that this was something rather important. It was a conversation that was going to happen regardless of how many frills Ciceroth cared to couch the 'request' in. Why was it so difficult just to be direct? Instead of playing 'circle around the point' games? If that is how you choose to look at it. Clear enough that Salenth didn't agree, but he certainly wasn't going to argue such a ludicrous point.

At Ka'rys's clarification, S'rei merely nodded again. He'd come to that conclusion himself, though he revised his opinion a little on just where Shmee and Ka'rys stood with each other, if the Weyrleader was willing to pass an idea through the Weyrwoman's weyrmate. No, not everyone was arrogant or proud. Not every bronzerider. But most were, and he was fairly certain that if Ka'rys could reasonably expect that his request would be honored should he bring it to Shmee himself, he would not be bringing this to S'rei. Again, the wingsecond wished he'd been firmer at the outset. The fact that Ka'rys needed Shmee's permission at all was rather bothersome.

Elongating his spine, the bronze dragon quite deliberately did not move to protect His. Or comfort him. Or whatever it was Ciceroth was presently doing. S'rei was capable of handling himself, and there was nothing of fear or apprehension in the man. If anything, all Salenth could sense was morbid curiosity. He therefore wasn't about to either make the other bronzepair more defensive, or annoy His. We saw them? Indeed. They were a lot younger then. But not, I think, fourteen and newly hatched. Oh, Salenth commented, both bothered that he hadn't noticed and rather curious now. That would mean they're lying. A spike of amusement from His. Yes, I suppose that's the heart of it.

The wingsecond tilted his head to one side, trying not to laugh at Ka'rys's discomfort. It wasn't lost on him, the switch in stance, even as the Weyrleader played at mulling over his comment. If he was mistaken, which was rather unlikely, clearly Ka'rys was either still involved with Fort or he had reason to believe that some other part of his past might be enough to warrant aggression from S'rei. You don't realize how much your posture gives you away, do you? No, the wingsecond was mostly amused. He might have been more concerned if anything had happened during the time Ka'rys had been Weyrleader, but it hadn't. And, anyway, Fort was now a different weyr. Most old ties were probably severed.

S'rei truly had no right to condemn the actions of any other bronzepair - within reason - given his own history, and he recognized that. Nor was he the creature he'd been in his youth. Perhaps softer. Who could say? Definitely less confused.

A brow rose. Ah, Fort-bred to the core. S'rei had the good grace to look contrite, though he was not about to apologize for a decision he'd made on less than complete information when he was still struggling with amnesia and the world was a tangled mess. It wasn't an excuse he'd voice. Wasn't even one he really thought of as valid. But it had been his state of mind, and that was true enough. "They would have. They still would. You're right to say the North isn't particularly safe for me, but Salenth and I went there to find Shmee." Of course Ka'rys knew this. He was just trying to throw the topic off track. "We didn't see you at Fort then, though. No. I'm talking about eight to twelve turns ago. How old did you say Ciceroth was again?"

[glamourie]

"He hadn't hatched yet," Ka'rys replied with a raised eyebrow. It was a lie - one he was used to spitting out. His story was that Ciceroth was only seven. While it wasn't terribly hard to prove the story a lie, particularly if someone had access to Fort's records, it was one that most people hadn't questioned. In fact, no one had. No one until S'rei after four turns. He hadn't questioned it when they first met. What prompted it then? Ka'rys glanced back at Ciceroth as though in thought. "Ciceroth is nearly eight turns old. He hatched within that time period, though I'm not surprised you don't remember. You likely did see me there, though, considering I do remember seeing you." An odd dragonpair that couldn't communicate right, if he recalled correctly. He hadn't paid much attention. S'rei and Salenth at the time had not been anything of interest to him. Rather he'd been quite busy with training and reviewing the records because unlike what he said, he hadn't been just a candidate, he'd been one of the few bronze riders who bothered to peruse the information in Fort's archives very often. A massive oversight it was on his part to ignore the bronzepair then, but the past was not something to dwell on. Learn from one's mistakes. He was not ignoring S'rei and Salenth anymore.

One hand moved to run along the side of Ciceroth's tail affectionately and he shook his head, a slow and thoughtful gesture. "I have never made any secret of where I am from; why are you questioning this now after so long? Weyrwoman Sera knew the full story of my arrival here. If she did not choose to share it with you, then that is not my problem." It was such an odd question, and sent off too many warning bells in the back of his mind. Like drummers beating, he wondered exactly what S'rei was playing at. Surely the fact that he'd been born at Fort was no longer an issue? -- Although, S'rei bringing it up did present the problem of the fact that S'rei was there when he'd been young, and, if he was suddenly remembering, he likely had figured out his story wasn't true. Or had something in the north reminded him? Did he have a contact at Fort or something? -- No. No one at Fort liked S'rei of Salenth. No one. Not even those who hated Fort liked him. He was a creature who generated an unnatural amount of hatred. A traitor. Ka'rys was secure in the fact that he was not alone in his disapproval of the other bronzerider. It was just... such odd timing...

I do not believe they are intending to be a threat to us.
You are eager to see them as trustworthy. He's proven he can't be trusted. Not to Selenitas, not to Benden, and not to Fort. There isn't a Weyr he hasn't betrayed.
But that doesn't mean they intend to be a threat to us.
Intentions don't matter, only facts. I want to know why he suddenly cares.
It may not be sudden. You've never really spoken to him much before.
Pessimism is my trait, not yours.

Whether or not it was imagined was irrelevant. While Ciceroth may have been eager to see the best in S'rei and therefore find ways to explain his actions off as simple curiosity, Ka'rys was not so easily swayed. He distrusted S'rei intensely for numerous reasons, the most important of which was that he did not believe that the other bronzepair understood loyalty at all. Was he in any position to cast stones? Likely not, considering the most recent turn of events, but that didn't stop him from feeling distrusting. The other big factor was the Weyrwoman. She hated him for reasons he didn't understand nor care to explore, and the other bronzerider was her weyrmate. Hard to ignore that. For all he knew, Shmee may have put him up to trying to discredit Ka'rys. Not that it was necessary. He was perfectly willing to give S'rei back the position of Weyrleader if he could. He was not attached to it in any way. The fact was, he wanted to know honestly what had prompted that question... and S'rei's answer would probably be believed to be a lie instantly. Ka'rys wasn't known for trusting people.

He needed to find Ophelie...

[reqqy]

Man was he getting defensive! That only made S'rei more curious. Why was this particular man so worried about being found out? Who cared, truly, as long as Ka'rys acted within Selenitas's best interests? Maybe that was just the wingsecond's wish for himself, though. He already stored up enough guilt in some remote corner of his mind for his own role in prolonging the war - even though the man had had pretty much every reason to believe not only that Fort would have destroyed both him and Salenth if they realized they were truly of Benden, but that the attack on his person originated with Fort as well. Now he found that last to be rather ludicrous. Why would Fort Weyr arrange for an assassination attempt on a mere wingsecond within their own hold? It had merely been the act of a disgruntled brother. No more. That didn't change what he'd thought at the time, though. It was survivalist, selfish, and he could do nothing but regret it now - particularly given his more or less open rivalry with C'leon - but the past was past.

No one could truly know what would have been, if he'd played his hand differently. Maybe better. Maybe worse. And though he'd done things he regretted, he certainly wasn't the only one to blame. All S'rei could do now was attempt to do right by Selenitas and keep it from falling into northern hands.

Nevertheless, the bronzerider laughed openly at Ka'rys's statement about Sera. What had that to do with anything? "Her. Talk to me? Shells Ka'rys, there's a better chance of C'leon and R'anatar sitting down at the same table without trying to kill each other than there ever was of that. Sera was the one who packed us off to Benden to begin with, and she died before we returned." Truly, S'rei and Salenth had only been reintegrated into Selenitas for two turns, and no, they hadn't paid much attention to a bronzepair that had both been there longer and seemed not to care to take the spotlight. It was unlikely he would have remembered them, anyway. S'rei had been pretty self-absorbed while at Fort. Obviously.

I told you we needed to leave, Salenth interjected, not liking the way S'rei seemed to be blaming himself for an entire war. In fact, that was probably the essence of Northern arrogance, for any man to think he was that important. You didn't tell me to sell out and become the advisor of Morsrath's. No. But you had little choice. He would have handed us right back to Fort, otherwise. Silence. Though S'rei had to wonder if that was truly reason enough to behave as he had.

Not the time for these contemplations. Though S'rei had left Ka'rys's initial reply hanging, he wanted - needed - to address it. If only to see where the Weyrleader would go from here. "I doubt I noticed you at all when Salenth and I were first at Fort. Admittedly. But we just came from there. More, we arrived in a time twelve turns past, and it seems quite strange to me that a dragon who is supposed to be eight turns of age was alive at that point in time. Am I somehow getting my math wrong?" The story itself was just outlandish enough that it would take a supremely paranoid person to believe it made up. A lie would have been far more feasible.

[glamourie]

"Well I never said she was intelligent," Ka'rys replied with a raised eyebrow. The confusion he felt was pushed aside in favor of mild fascination. S'rei seemed to contradict himself, at least in Ka'rys's eyes. On one hand he'd brought up his presence and that he was from Fort, which could mean only that he was up to something. What that information proved was beyond Ka'rys's guess, as he'd never lied and said he was from anywhere but. It was pretty ridiculous to try, really. Ka'rys spoke and acted like a Fort rider too often to lie about that. If it was a matter of interest, why hadn't S'rei inquired earlier? Why then? The timing was suspicious. Some part of him wondered if it was because of his 'rank' but Ka'rys brushed that aside. Surely S'rei was intelligent enough to recognize that Ka'rys hadn't wanted that any more than any sane person would. The other bronzerider had to be aware that his weyrmate was near unbearable to other people, enough that the glamour of 'power' would not outshine her flaws. Although, Ka'rys didn't want to be in a position of authority, either. He didn't like the spotlight. Tilting his head, he added, "Merely that I have never made a secret of my reasons for being here, and if you wanted to know them, you likely should have asked when I first arrived. Or is that not what you meant by your questions?"

There. That was fair enough, wasn't it? Gave S'rei a chance to clarify if that wasn't what he meant. In truth, Ka'rys wasn't sure what S'rei could hope to gain by those questions, except to make things even worse between him and the Weyrwoman. Unfortunately for the other bronzerider, Ka'rys was pretty sure they were past the point of no return as far as getting along went. So if that was his goal, really, he was wasting his time. Yet no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand a real purpose to the question. He suspected ulterior motives in everything and it unnerved him that he didn't understand S'rei enough to guess what his might have been. He didn't trust S'rei as far as he could throw him, and the last thing he wanted was for him to be poking into his personal affairs and history. Some of the skeletons in his trunks were better left undisturbed.

What he didn't expect was the explanation, which must have resulted in a comical expression on his face, as Ka'rys's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline and his head cocked to the side slightly. His initial reaction to S'rei's words was to refuse to acknowledge them as anything more than the ravings of a madman, the result of whatever had happened to him while he was gone, but mad or not, the story was too... interesting to totally ignore. Unless S'rei had the creativity of a harper, it was also not likely concocted by his own mind, and he did not believe that a bronze would ever look to someone who was completely out of their mind. Salenth seemed stable enough which meant no matter how far-fetched S'rei's tale was, it had to have some truth to it; that or S'rei genuinely believed it was true. He wasn't sure how he felt; some part of him was convinced that he had misunderstood what the other bronzerider said. So, to clarify, he stepped away from Ciceroth (who rumbled at him curiously) and tilted his head with obvious interest showing on his face.

"You said you just came from Fort twelve turns past. Explain?" Yes, he decidedly dodged the question about Ciceroth, but for once the avoidance wasn't intended. True enough was it that Ka'rys tended to dodge any topic about himself, but once his interest was piqued, it was hard for him to focus on anything else. Tunnel vision to some extent. Besides, S'rei had to have had a reason for bringing it up in the first place. "As in... you somehow traveled through time?" He had to confirm. The story was too far-fetched to believe without asking twice...

[reqqy]

Sighing, he let himself sink into the grass rather than remaining in the crouch that was quickly growing uncomfortable. What an utter pain. Did the man have to be so evasive? It was a simple question, no more. He was only curious as to why someone would even bother to lie about their age - or their dragon's. Maybe they did something a long time ago? Salenth offered helpfully. No. Nothing big, anyway, because too many people would know of them. That's one of the reasonswe didn't bother trying anything like that. You can't lie. A mild smile touched his face. Well, I suppose there's that. Too hard to keep track of everything. Truth makes life simpler. Even if the truth isn't very good. I don't know, ReiMine. We don't really lie at all. Other than when we didn't want people to notice we were the same as ourselves.

That statement might have sounded strange, but S'rei followed it just the same, and something came to mind. Maybe it suited the purposes of Ciceroth and Ka'rys to appear younger. Youth certainly tended to be regarded with less suspicion - and less scrutiny. Come to think of it, this bronzepair, though efficient, had never done anything whatsoever to draw attention to themselves. Until Aslath's Flight. And he wasn't really convinced that any of that was intentional, either, as they hadn't been involved in her Maiden Flight, which would have been an ideal time.

As Ka'rys pressed him, S'rei shook his head. Why did he keep on focusing on the fact that the wingsecond hadn't been concerned with this before? Did that truly matter? Ka'rys and Ciceroth definitely fell under the category of 'out of sight, out of mind.' He'd had enough to be concerned with without questioning their presence overly much. More than enough. "Wasn't here - was it four turns ago?" he replied, rather dismissively. As if that were enough to explain everything. Did Ka'rys really think he was important enough to be noticed when he wasn't doing anything whatsoever noticeable during the upheaval of Selenitas?

Salenth turned his head to Ciceroth, momentarily breaking his silent promise to himself not to talk to the upstart. I don't remember what ReiMine is talking about, the bronze commented, rather ruefully. He hadn't noticed Ciceroth at Fort twelve turns before. Then again, S'rei hadn't consciously noted it at the time, which more or less guaranted that if Salenth wasn't interested, there was no way in Pern he was about to recall that piece of information. But you were there twelve turns ago? We always thought you were younger. Mine's just curious. He gets that way sometimes. A touch of exasperation. Yes, His could get something into his head and worry it forever for no better reason than curiosity.

Great. He probably shouldn't have mentioned the issue of the time jump. Ka'rys was very obviously interested now. It was not something S'rei particularly enjoyed talking about, for the very simple reason that he still hadn't made much sense of it. And, with surprising ease for a man used to leading men, he responded to Ka'rys's command. "We were startled." That was true, and one of the few facts he could be sure of. "In a sweep, a battle erupted practically right on top of us. We Betweened to get to a higher vantage, and all I can think is that the surprise caused us both to have less of a grasp on where we were jumping than normal; when we came out of Between, it was a different season, and there was absolutely no one there."

He glanced down at his hands, which had clenched slightly with the memory. Then he shrugged. "It took us a few days to realize we'd gone back twelve turns. Selenitas was out of the question. We were sent from there, and my family would be sure to recognize me. Benden...I was at Benden at the time. Who knows what happens when you interact with yourself. Fort was far less suspicious then than it became later. We changed our appearance somewhat and integrated ourselves in until we could figure out a way to get back to the right time."

[glamourie]

We were there; I was hatched Fourteen turns ago, Ciceroth replied with such utter simplicity, but Rysmine does not trust curiosity, particularly from that woman's weyrmate. He does not trust her, and anything tied to her. He is - and has always been - paranoid, my Rys. Snorting, Ciceroth turned to nudge Ka'rys. In truth, he knew Ka'rys would resent him for revealing that tidbit of information when he figured it out - if he managed to (Ciceroth had no intentions of telling him). Unfortunately, the bronze did not see any virtue in avoiding the question. The days when their place at Selenitas was a danger were gone. Before, they had a reason for hiding everything -- their real identities could be a danger. But their loyalty truly was to Selenitas, whether Ka'rys was willing to come to terms with that or not. His Rys wanted to believe he was loyal to nothing, but his actions had proven otherwise. Every day he started thinking more about how to keep Selenitas safe. Ciceroth recognized what he saw. While Ka'rys might have tried very hard to deny it, he'd grown fond of the southern Weyr, and there was no reason for him to be so paranoid anymore, at least not from the people at Selenitas. His former allies could be a danger, but they hadn't realized fully yet that Ka'rys jumped ship. One problem at a time, really.

While Ciceroth addressed Salenth, Ka'rys listened to S'rei, head tilted to the side in a very obvious show of interest. Once he latched onto something it was often hard to get Ka'rys's mind off of it, and what S'rei spoke of sounded... ludicrous; at the very least it was a near impossible feat. The other bronzerider had essentially just stated that more than once he'd managed to jump not only from one place to the other, but also through time, something unheard of. Ka'rys checked records regularly, he'd never heard of such things done. It merited research at the least. Questions only got one so far. Back to the records -- although Ka'rys had little faith in the archives of Selenitas. It was a pretty secluded Weyr. Fort would have been preferred, except that Fort was completely out of the question. He didn't want them to know that such a thing was a possibility... which brought up another complication in his mind: how was he going to keep it a secret if S'rei was so casually talking about it to others? If such a thing was possible, it needed to be researched and analyzed thoroughly before allowing others to know of it, and the north had to be kept out of the loop. Giving them access to traveling through time, if they could do it, was simply a disaster waiting to happen.

That thought prompted his next question, which was very quietly asked, as though noise itself could carry it away and to enemy ears, "How many people know of what you did? This - jumping between times?" Please, please, by the Egg, he hoped that S'rei hadn't told Shmee. He doubted very seriously that the woman would be capable of keeping her mouth shut. She was likely to go bragging about it thinking it made S'rei look good and really, discovering something so abstract - if he'd done it at all (Ka'rys had some lingering doubts, and likely would continue to until he'd tried it himself) - was something to be proud of. The problem was that it needed to remain a secret and bragging would not help anything. He kept that thought to himself as he was unlikely to gain anything by insulting Shmee's intelligence to her weyrmate. With any luck, S'rei foresaw the potential problem. Hope sprang eternal. He was eager to know how it had been done, though...

And Ka'rys's curiosity prompted Ciceroth's next statement, Rysmine does not make sense. He mistrusts curiosity from others but is bursting with it himself. Did going back hurt you? Unlike Ka'rys and his lingering doubts, Ciceroth had none. He merely wondered how it was done, but not enough to fixate on it. His rider might have been eager to attempt it but Ciceroth was quite happy right when and where he was, thank you.

[reqqy]

Salenth growled softly, though not at Ciceroth. He was beginning to fervently wish His had never fallen for Aslath's. The bronze didn't mind sharing a weyrledge with a dragon, but he hated being separated from His, which forced him to cater to the gold's moods. If she'd just been less determined to latch onto him as surely as Hers did ReiMine, it would have been more easily endured. He'd formed of Aslath a sort of idol during his turns away - likely partly influenced by that expressly human emotion called love that His held for Aslath's. It was one she could never hope to measure up to. Worse, she'd fallen so short that he quite nearly despised her. He certainly hated the idea of being any dragon's pet. Salenth was utterly convinced that she saw him as a playtoy.

We were hatched at about the same time, then Salenth commented, bemused. It was interesting. At virtually the same time (maybe offset by a few weeks or months) the hatchling Salenth bonded to a young S'rei while Ciceroth bonded to Ka'rys halfway across Pern. It wasn't important. One did not influence the other. But it remained an intriguing notion. A simple shift in location, and they might have been clutchmates. That also had to make him wonder about Aslath in pure abstraction. Was it just coincidence that, presented with a choice, Aslath had accepted a dragon virtually the same age as her first mate, even though she wasn't cognitively aware of it? Of course, now they weren't of the same age, but they had been.

Contemplating the origin of the world again? ReiMine commented, recognizing the feel of Salenth in deep thought even though he was not actively monitoring the bronze's thoughts or conversation - which he had become capable of to a surprising degree given their past history. Not today. Ciceroth's my age, he added. No, not quite right. I mean, he hatched fourteen turns ago. Which means His is probably older than he says he is. Yes. That would have made him ten upon Impression. There was a moment's pause as the man seemed to puzzle over the information. Don't know why they'd decide to say they were so much younger. Salenth didn't know, either.

S'rei's eyes met Ka'rys's, a mild frown on his face. "No one. Maybe Shmee, but she would have had to get it from Aslath, who would have had to have gotten it from Salenth - which means I'm sure it got lost somewhere in translation. Salenth has trouble with the concept still." The bronze hissed softly at any suggestion of him having 'trouble' with something, but otherwise made no protest. He actually spoke up, too, not having Ciceroth's issue with addressing another person. The male had done it often enough when he and S'rei were just communicating through emotions, after all. Aslath knows next to nothing, and she doesn't understand any of it. You won't have to worry about either her or Hers telling anyone.

But then Ciceroth was addressing him again, and he returned his attention to the other bronze. No, it did not hurt. It was just confusing and frigthening for awhile. Then very lonely, because no one could know us, and know one could be allowed close enough to recognize us.

[glamourie]

No one. The thought reassured Ka'rys, as his immediate worry was relatively easy to understand from his point of view. The idea that it was possible to jump between times was not something fully understood, not even by the one who had done it, as evidenced by S'rei's awkward and vague answers. If they didn't understand it and the knowledge was provided to the enemy Weyrs, it could possibly become a danger. He didn't want them having knowledge of anything he didn't fully understand; it could be used against them. That S'rei had kept silent about it made him feel better than he was willing to admit. S'rei was sensible; he felt sure if he explained his reasons, that the other bronzerider would understand why he didn't want it made public. The Weyrwoman on the other hand was likely to go blabbing it to everyone nearby if she suspected Ka'rys wanted it to remain quiet, the spiteful woman.

While S'rei's response was expected, Salenth's wasn't, and Ka'rys immediately turned toward the bronze. He was accustomed to typically looking at the people to whom he was speaking, or who happened to be speaking to him, and if that individual happened to be a dragon, well, so be it. The surprise painted itself over his face, from the raised eyebrows to the slight tilt of his head to the side, a nervous habit. As soon as he was done, Ka'rys addressed him directly; it seemed only right, since Salenth had spoken to him first.

"Thank you." His gaze flicked toward S'rei, his explanation meant for both rider and dragon alike. "If it would not inconvenience you or put you in an awkward position, I would appreciate it greatly if this remained something between us - at least until we understand it better. I don't fancy the idea of ... others finding out about something that no one here seems to have a firm comprehension of." The fact that he explained at all was, for Ka'rys, almost a miracle. But he recognized what he was asking of S'rei. While he was not fond of emotional commitments and did not, in any way, become attached to people very quickly, he knew enough about relationships to know secrets were not something that helped them grow. He was, essentially, asking S'rei to lie by omission to his weyrmate, and that was a hefty request. Ka'rys knew that. He didn't know how S'rei felt about such things, but the fact that he of all people recognized the weight of his request merited that he give S'rei a proper explanation of his reasons. Fair was fair. Besides, Salenth had given him a proper explanation of how much was already shared. He did try to treat people with a level of fairness most of the time.

"As for Salenth having trouble with the concept -- it's probably because you seem to. Or at least, from your explanation you do." Ka'rys shrugged; it wasn't an insult, simply an observation. "How did you get back? When you came back from Fort of twelve turns ago, you had to have some way to return you to this proper time. Do you have any idea of how that was done...?" If he had an idea of how he'd done it, there might be a key to understanding it, though getting stuck in the past was not an idea Ka'rys relished. He wouldn't go trying it unless he had a firm idea to how it was accomplished and that he could get back easily enough. But he did think understanding was the most important part.

I imagine so. Fort at that time was confusing and frightening in general. I don't remember much except that. Not that he'd been 'scared.' No, Ciceroth was more... realistic. He'd recognized how dangerous the place was, even then. Not that he would have changed anything. Like Ka'rys, Ciceroth was not without a certain amount of pride in where he came from and who he was. He was just a lot more content with life, and thus less inclined to state it.

[reqqy]

It seemed that Ka'rys wasn't used to being addressed by another rider's dragon, and that amused S'rei. To say Salenth was talkative when it came to humans was a lie. He wasn't. The infromation either had to be of enough immediate importance for him to dispense with the formality of going through his rider or another dragon, or the bronze had to respect the human enough to do so. In this instance, respect and 'like' were anything but synonymous, however it was there. As to why? Shells if S'rei could figure it out.

Salenth rumbled softly at Ka'rys's thank you, even as his rider fixed the man with a probing stare. "You don't want me telling Shmee, you mean." No question at all in the words. His eyes flicked toward the weyr the two shared, even as his hands came up to tap against his lower lip lightly. Oh, he knew Ka'rys likely meant just what he'd said, but he also knew that the only one anyone who observed him might expect him to mention it to was Shmee. Maybe Laurie, but there was really no one else. If the issue was the information getting out...he could understand the request. It still didn't sit well with him. S'rei had little problem omitting things - he'd never directly brought up the details of her poisoning and Trenlor's involvement, and he certainly hadn't brought his role in the northern wars to her attention - but he wouldn't lie to his own weyrmate. Not if she asked him directly.

Sighing, he let his hands fall. "I won't bring it up or call attention to it, Weyrleader, but it's only fair that you know I won't lie to her." He shrugged. Then he smiled, and if the expression was partially bitter, there was nothing ostensibly unfriendly about it. "I have many faults, but deception isn't one of them. I've always been a terrible liar." At least insofar as he understood the truth, at any rate. S'rei didn't deliberately lie. If he did, people would likely be able to pick up on it right away. He certainly didn't have Ka'rys's...expertise. Glancing sidelong at the Weyrleader, his expression turned a tad serious. If someone was lying, they were likely hiding something - more than just their age. Still, though, he found it didn't bother him, because the fact remained that if they were a danger to Selenitas, they'd had plenty of opportunity.

The bronzerider immediately recognized that the Weyrleader was a much more rational creature than he'd ever been. S'rei tended to be instinctual. Oh, he wasn't stupid...as evidenced by the fact that both he and Salenth still lived. But he didn't typically spend a lot of time thinking about things from point A to point B and dissecting them. Instead, he had a sort of overall grasp of the concepts, which in turn allowed him to react without thinking to most situations in a way that - if not ideal - was at least effective. It certainly didn't make him much of a planner, though. Sure, he could design drills and formations with relative ease, and that sort of planning was well within his grasp, but it was more his experiences that he didn't bother to analyze. Rash. That's what he was. And he was quickly coming to the age where that specific trait was particularly unbecoming.

S'rei opened his mouth and began his explanation and, just as it always happened, his thoughts fell into place as he spoke. "We had no idea how we'd managed to jump back in time. It was a normal conveyance of imagery, at least so far as we could tell. Trying to reproduce the exact circumstances surrounding it would be stupid. For two turns, I attempted to come up with some idea, some random inkling, that would allow us to jump to a specific time, but that would mean there would have to be some sort of marker. Most of our tentative experimentation only managed to displace space. Once, I bribed a weyrbrat to hang a strip of cloth from one of the weyrledges at a time just before sunset. Salenth and I went Between in the middle of the day - and arrived that evening with the image of that colorful cloth as our guide. It had worked. But...I had no cloth I could use to help guide us forward twelve turns.

"That was when one of the harpers mentioned that the heavens were not alike, from one day to the next. That, turn after turn, each night was different. Unique. It took nearly a turn to progress the charts foreward to a point where I could have at least a general idea of where everything was, and the rest of the time was spent memorizing. Just a few degrees off, and we could be hundreds, maybe thousands of turns off our mark." He grimaced. "I suppose it was just lucky that my mistake only shot us forward an extra few months; I'd intended to return the same night we left."

We just couldn't let anyone know that we were - us. Especially when we were already there. Salenth shook his head, feeling a pressure building behind his eyes. He never explained any of this very well.

[glamourie]

Ka'rys raised an eyebrow slightly as S'rei spoke, and his head tilted to the side. He waited, silent as the grave, patient, and kept his expression schooled to a perfect calm. He was privately amused at his remarkable ability to be misunderstood by others. Whether he was perceived as malicious, rude or simply aloof was irrelevant. The simple fact remained that evidently none of them were able to understand him. On some level he was proud that he was not very easy to read. On another, it was frustrating, as going around explaining his meaning to people to constantly reassure them was about as nerve wracking as spending more than five minutes in the same room as the other bronzerider's weyrmate. What he saw in her was anyone's guess because Ka'rys certainly found nothing good about Shmee. But then, Ka'rys was a judgmental individual in his own right. He'd never claimed to be nice.

"I am not asking you to outright lie to your weyrmate," he stated with a slight shrug. Outright being the key word. Lying by omission was different. "I am... asking you to not go and tell her everything you know on the spot with no real provoking, or prodding. In other words, I'd rather you not bring it up. If she asks you, by all means tell her what you think she should know, and you are entitled to do so anyway if you feel so inclined. I simply feel that... this is information better kept.. secret, for now, until it is better understood. And my apologies, but I expect your weyrmate would tell all of Pern if she knew I felt that way, considering her immense dislike of me." It was mutual, but Ka'rys had tact enough not to outright say it. The implication that Shmee acted without thinking was insult enough. "No, I won't ask you to outright lie to her if she comes to you with a question. I'd just rather you not put the idea into her head..." He shook his head. He'd said it; let the marks fall where they may. If S'rei didn't like it, well, he'd go tell Shmee, if he did, he wouldn't. There was no way to stop whatever was inevitable.

Or... was there? The logistics of jumping between times was all so foreign, such a... bizarre concept. A concept his mind was having trouble recognizing. Stars; yes, the sky to get back... back forward... Well, if the sky worked to go forward, it probably worked to go backwards, too. The amount of work it would take to come up with a backwards-forwards project was ... doubtlessly vast. He'd need help if there was any virtue in attempting it. Ka'rys kept those thoughts to himself. He'd discuss it with Ciceroth some other time. S'rei was very serious and doubtlessly for good reason. If what he said was true, it was a definite risk - dangerous - ooh, headache. Ka'rys frowned and brought one hand to his face, and massaged his eyelid with his fingers ever-so-gently. It was probably very obvious he was beginning to form a massive headache but he'd brought it on himself, and he didn't complain. Thinking about things so complicated was... difficult. Difficult and unnerving. He could feel Ciceroth's discomfort and it bothered him.

"It's good fortune you're back, then," he said quietly, and it wasn't an entire lie. He didn't want to be Weyrleader. Never had. And S'rei being back made Shmee ... somewhat tolerable. Though, the fact that S'rei being back completely undermined him with most of the Weyr wasn't something he could ignore. He had virtually no say, thanks to Shmee and the fact that no one really respected him. He was torn. On one hand he didn't mind it since none of their opinions mattered. On the other, it was very difficult to do his job, and if he slacked he got yelled at. He couldn't win. "The stars are a clever choice for how to get back. It was a good idea to use the skies for a chart..."

Ciceroth rumbled, but otherwise chose not to respond. The idea of attempting what Salenth had done didn't sit well with him, only because he could feel the confusion his Rys had in response. Once Ka'rys cleared some of that up, he would likely feel better. Maybe.