proposal -- plot! [tags req, kysseh, sym]

[Avu]

The challenging scream of the northern watchdragon broke the peaceful serenity of midday at Selenitas Weyr, the green flaring both wings widely and arching her neck at the pale bronze who had blinked from between a good distance away from and above Selenitas Weyr. Not familiar to anyone who had spent their lives at Selenitas, the bronze was obviously no longer incredibly youthful, scars lacing his hide, but he was in good health, and made no move to dart towards the Weyr, spiraling on one wing almost idly to survey the Weyr below. A lone bronze typically meant that a transfer was sought, but the bronze tilted his head to address the green whose shrill ululations continued to pierce the air, and she fell silent before turning her head in turn towards the Weyr itself. A low whistle emerged from her throat and she bespoke four dragons only – Millieth, Salenth, Hepaticath, and Ciceroth.

Green Ressyrth reporting from northern watch. Benden Weyrleader J’lorin of bronze Illumiath requests a private audience with the Weyrleaders. They are alone, and wish to know where they should land.

The message was simple, and private, but the tone decidedly wary as Ressyrth shifted on her perch and then flipped both wings open nervously, the young green watching suspiciously as the bronze in question spiraled, a good distance away from the Weyr, waiting for the response. They certainly were alone, though Ressyrth scanned the forest attentively just in case. Any questions bugled from the Weyr were ignored by both Ressyrth and by the bronze – Illumiath, who, after that initial request of Ressyrth, had fallen silent mentally, eyes gleaming with shades of calmness.

You need not worry, the bronze was currently commenting to His, the dark man sitting stiffly upright on his neck, staring out over Selenitas. The proposal will be accepted. They wish to end the war as much as we do, do they not? His wings cut neat, efficient circles in the air; the glittering hides of green and blue, bronze and brown, below, were distinctly visible, but his chosen altitude was intended to be reassuring: Low enough to see him and His, see that they were alone and that he carried but one Rider (something J’lorin had debated over for quite some time), but high enough for any attempt at an attack to be spotted instantly. High enough for him to evade any attacks, too, but since the watchdragon had stopped bawling in warning, he did not expect any. Do not fuss and all will be well. They will see. /You/ will see. The words were calm, confident, and he flipped back to circle again patiently; he didn’t know whether the command to land would come directly to him or through the green, but either one would suffice.

/We/ will see.

[Requiem]

Green Ressyrth reporting from northern watch. Benden Weyrleader J’lorin of bronze Illumiath requests a private audience with the Weyrleaders. They are alone, and wish to know where they should land.

You know him. "Only by reputation." He rolled his neck, finishing the thought with a scrawl. Salenth was sunning on the heights - almost as if he was overseeing his domain, which amused S'rei no end - but he might as well have been right beside the bronzerider. They didn't notice the distance. Sliding his legs around in front of him, he shuffled the papers into something more organized and shot a smile at Shei, who had her own set of important papers she was busily scribbling all over. "How goes it, Red?"

She smiled brightly, getting up and toddling over to plunk down in his lap. The girl waved the papers in front of his nose. "See?" He hugged her lightly, wiping away the smudge of ink on the tip of her nose. "You're such a help." This had the child beaming. "Would you like to go on a trip with me? There's a man who wants to speak to your dad. It's very, very important."
Her blue eyes got wide and she nodded eagerly. Shei loved important!

Take care of the arrangements? Already ahead of you. The bronze directed his thoughts to Millieth. Yours will be best protected here. Mine will make her excuses. He next addressed Illumiath. We shall meet you below the falls, downriver a short ways. There was a spot with room enough. It was in sight of all the ledges of the Weyr, but far enough away to provide privacy. Ciceroth's knows you're coming by to collect him. "Good."

Shei had already draped her arms around his neck expectantly, and S'rei rose with the girl, holding her in one arm. He slipped into the stone corridors, pausing outside the junior weyrleaders' quarters to collect the couple. Shei clung to his neck placidly, silent in her curiosity. For now. "Kaegan's staying here...or, at least, she hasn't protested yet," S'rei commented quietly to the two.

It might seem rather ridiculous to bring Shei with him, but S'rei didn't trust anyone else to keep her safe if anything strange happened. It was unlikely, given they were dictating the meeting point, but things often weren't what they seemed. He stepped out into the daylight, not bothering to mark if Ka'rys and Savitri were following or not. S'rei simply walked out along the bank, keeping close enough to the trees that they could take refuge there if the bronze proved to be a threat.

Couldn't hurt to be too careful.

[glamourie]

Benden Weyrleader.
J’lorin of Bronze Illumiath.

Ka’rys knew him relatively well – or, he had once upon a time. He remembered very vividly the Weyrling Lessons where J’lorin came as Weyrleader representative and later his experiences with the bronzerider as one of the few people at Fort who was… well, respectable if not trustworthy. D’loro he was not, but he wasn’t a horrible person. Far from the worst Weyrleader Fort had ever had, and… Ka’rys was biased. His Illumiath had sired Ciceroth and that alone made the man and his dragon somewhat special to him. Not that he cared about him on a personal level, but part of him was grateful for the fact that his mindmate was hatched. Ciceroth, of course, thought his gratitude ludicrous – of course he hatched and that had nothing to do with J’lorin and everything to do with him because you see, he was quite special and Illumiath didn’t have anything to do with that, he made the choice to be amazing all on his lonesome. Being grateful was silly. Of course, Ciceroth’s view was simple: he thought he was the best dragon on Pern and he didn’t let anyone else take credit for that. Especially not another bronze. His fondness for his own color was decidedly lacking. Really, Ciceroth only got along with Salenth.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stay here as well?” Ka’rys asked as S’rei disappeared from the doorway, but he knew what the answer would be; it was pointless, but sometimes the pointless was necessary. Casually, the bronzerider tucked another knife into his boot before glancing at his weyrmate. “Take the twins to Aliscia before meeting us outside, please. Checkoth is having Kalerary stay in the infirmary with R’wign, just in case. Ciceroth told him to make sure that Jingth and Meira stay there as well.” Better safe than sorry. “Pass me the dirk from under the right side of the bed would you?” Taking the blade from Savitri, Ka’rys slipped it into the sheath along the inside of his right arm. He grabbed a heavy riding coat from the end of the bed and pulled it on, taking his time to straighten the sleeves over the sheath. His gaze turned critically to Savitri. “I can see four of them and I know you well enough to know one’s down your bosom; J’lorin is tall enough that he’ll be able to see it. Baggier skirt, if you’re hoping to succeed in hiding the weapons… I’d go with pants though and not bother. He’s northern enough that a woman who’s actually clad in weapons might surprise him, especially a goldrider.”

You should stay here, Ciceroth suggested to Hepaticath; he knew very well she wouldn’t like it, but… While Illumiath is alone as far as we can see, it is better if you’re not in plain sight. If all of us go down there, it might seem as though we are trying to corner him. I would also feel better if you were far enough back to alert Salenth and myself if others come from the trees. I do not trust them.

Without waiting for a response, Ciceroth threw himself over the weyrledge and glided down into the canyon toward the waterfall. He swept along the river before landing on the shoreline far enough away to not be a threat, close enough that he could see S’rei walking along the trees; he landed on the white sands and watched, the perfect image of his rider’s paranoia, his long tail lashing back and forth anxiously. He was ready to intercede if any other dragons came near Salenth’s. It was awkward, perching there on the shoreline, but he was used to awkward; His liked to run that path pretty regularly, through the trees as morning exercise. For once he was grateful for Ka’rys’s weird tendencies.

Ka’rys counted down. Two blades were in his boots, but they were harder to get to than he’d have liked. The one on the inside of his right wrist was relatively easy to get to, but he also had one in the pocket of his jacket, and that was the first-response weapon. The dirk was his favored one, but the smaller blade would work in a pinch if he needed to react very quickly. Good enough. He walked over and kissed Savitri’s jaw before gesturing toward the river. “I’m going to catch up with S’rei and Shei, and we’ll meet you there. Ciceroth won’t let anything happen to you en route.” He wanted to believe J’lorin wasn’t lying, but… Fort and Benden hadn’t proven themselves trustworthy for Selenitas of late, and Ka’rys didn’t have faith in very many people.

He didn’t wait around for a response from his weyrmate, instead turning and half-jogging to catch up to S’rei. The older man’s longer strides made it difficult, but he managed to make his way to the shoreline of the river; like S’rei, he hung close to the trees, but he was in no hurry to break the silence. He wanted to know what Benden was doing there. It made no sense. None. And he didn’t like it.

[kysseh]

A decidedly feral rumble from Hepaticath let anyone in the vicinity with ears know how displeased the gold was with the current state of things. What the watchdragon had alerted them to was concerning enough, but this… this was unacceptable. One whirling eye fixated on Hers, watching the goldrider scurry around the room. Shirt, skirt, boots… and already Hers was asking her to remain where she was. Infuriating, it was.

“I’ll kiss you later for not trying to force me,” was Savitri’s mild reply to her weyrmate, the first words she had spoken since the announcement of the northern bronzerider’s arrival. To S’rei she had said nothing, but… nothing was required. J’lorin and Illumiath were here. They would meet them. Hopefully, all would leave alive. It seemed a simple enough plan, and Savitri adjusted her skirt, pausing only long enough to retrieve the required weapon for her weyrmate. It was almost amusing that he had to ask her to leave their nearly six-month-old children under someone else’s care, but perhaps he was being thorough. Or… perhaps he thought she would play stupid goldrider and lose her head.

Unlikely, that.

At his critique, the young woman paused, sighed, and leveled a gaze at her own attire. Fine. Hiding weapons seemed like too sharding much work. She stripped off the skirt and unfastened the sheathes strapped around her thighs, grumbling as she had to toe off her boots to slip into pants. What a hassle being female. “Hopefully, this’ll be enough of a surprise for him that he’ll consider behaving,” she muttered rebelliously, replacing the two knife sheathes on her belt instead. Closer at hand, after all. One into each boot, the one tucked safely between her breasts, one on each side of her waist… and one strapped to her torso at the small of her back. All right, so she was a bit overdressed, but who could blame her for being paranoid?

I will stay. Take care of Mine. was Hepaticath’s simple reply to her mate, and it was clear from both her posture and the worry overlaying her mental tones that she was not happy about Hers being out of reach. Protective, the gold was, and SavitriHers was hers to protect. Hers. No one else’s. But Ciceroth was right. From here, she could watch the bronze and the skies and the ground, and it would keep her out of harms way should Illumiath decide to flame. Still, she huffed out a snort and remained otherwise still, perched on her ledge and watchful.

The kiss made her want to shudder, with fear more than anything else. The worry had been gnawing in the pit of her stomach, even as much as she tried to reduce the situation to pure practicality. Action, reaction. Simple. This wasn’t, though. Benden had no business in Selenitas, and she didn’t like the sound of this man. Still, she merely offered a nod to her weyrmate as he headed off. “Shhh, it’s all right. Mama’s here,” she shushed the twins lightly as she scooped them up from their crib, nuzzling lightly at Keravi’s hair when the infant began to squirm. “We’re going to go see Auntie Lish,”

Once the twins were safely in the greenrider’s weyr, Shadow perched comfortably on Samera to dissuade anyone from bothering her, the goldrider followed the men’s example and walked at a brisk pace close to the trees, feeling quite vulnerable, even with Ciceroth there watching over her path. There were felines in the trees, but she would take felines over a northerner any day. Mustn’t let that show in her face, though. Neutral expression, neutral expression. A sudden chirp made her fast pace stutter for a moment out of surprise, and then the momentum was restored with little bother, her short legs working to catch up with the men. Ras had arrived and was perched on Savitri’s shoulder with an obvious look of malice. For once, perhaps the little snot would work in her favor. Maybe she could tie J’lorin’s hair in knots, hmm?

[Avu]

Salenth suggests we meet the Weyrleaders below the falls, Illumiath reported, the bronze idling on the winds again. Nice and warm here, it was; he liked it very much. A little downriver. I expect there will be a clear site for landing there. The bronze’s eyes swept the Weyr, and caught onto Ciceroth. There. At his mindmate’s mute agreement, Illumiath angled his wings to take him downwards, circling widely away from the dragons’ weyrledges out of a sense of paranoia; mustn’t be too close or they’d be given ample chance to attack, and given how Benden’s name was whispered these days, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise. His head tilted, meditatively, but none streaked from the ledges at him. He slowed his descent considerably to examine his landing options before selecting one a good ten dragonlengths away from Ciceroth and the people coming. Unthreatening, close enough not to have too long a walk.

Only three of them, J’lorin noted thoughtfully. Who’s not there? Even so, the man slid off of Illumiath’s shoulder. Common courtesy, that – talking to them without being mounted while they weren’t. And for the moment, with paranoia rising steadily, the bronzerider was very much aware of courtesy, especially since he didn’t want to offend the Selenitas Weyrleaders.

Actually, there are four, Illumiath corrected, sitting down cautiously and winding his tail around his legs, feline-like, eyes glittering nervously. Salenth’s has a hatchling with him. Millieth’s is not there. I suppose you’d better go to them. He didn’t bespeak Ciceroth, though; the large bronze just watched, his posture decidedly submissive. Not something that Illumiath usually liked to be, but he knew the delicacy of the situation. No part of Illumiath was stupid, after all, and even though it was a very human concept, this proposal, it was still one he could comprehend. J’lorin had explained it very nicely for him.

A…hatchling. J’lorin didn’t comment, though it was strange, that. The Benden Weyrleader stepped towards the Selenitas leaders. Not obviously armed to the teeth, any of them, from what he (and Illumiath) could see, but likely they were. He was, even though the knives were all hidden, too. Not polite, but he was going into the Weyr of people who were currently enemies. And the goldrider had a firelizard, too. How…stereotypic. Southerners with firelizards, and all of that. J’lorin stopped a few yards away, cautiously, before he bowed his head respectfully towards S’rei and Ka’rys, and then turned slightly to incline his head to Savitri too.

“Weyrleaders. Weyrwoman.” His gaze flicked up to the bronze, and he added, “Ciceroth.”

His voice was polite enough, if a bit on the stiff side. “I take it that the Senior Weyrwoman is – indisposed at the moment? Or shall we wait for her arrival as well?” Rather unfortunate, if she couldn’t come; J’lorin had been hoping all four of them would show up. Well, no matter, in the end; he expected he was lucky he got to meet with them at all instead of being dismissed or attacked.

[Requiem]

Was he using Shei? Oh yes. The girl was an intelligent little one, and not at all easily frightened - she had complete confidence in her father, and was staring at J'lorin in open curiosity - but the other man didn't know that. Most Fort riders, at least, tended to more sedate around children. It also suggested at a trust that wasn't really there, but even the illusion should make things less tense. Clearly, S'rei - and therefore the rest of the heads of Selenitas on the banks of the river - had no intention of violence, or he wouldn't have brought the young child. The bronzerider was very much aware of what he was doing.

Selenitas's Weyrleader remembered J'lorin as a tall man, yes, but he'd been - well, pretty short - during his time at Fort. He found the fact that the Benden Weyrleader was actually taller than he was a matter of some bemusement. That was a pretty rare circumstance. Not that there was anything really intimidating about the man, in all honesty. He looked like...well, a man of the wars. Mental shrug.

"Weyrleader." S'rei smiled easily, his tone equally soft as Shei cuddled closer against his neck, curious blues still dead center on J'lorin's face. "I'm afraid Kaegan only recently gave birth to a lovely little daughter of her own, and the infant is still too young to leave in the creche very often. She's elected to remain behind. I'm sure you understand." Likely the Benden Weyrleader would see the excuse for what it was, but it was a matter of practicality. S'rei and Ka'rys could both handle themselves if needed, and if they couldn't, the women definitely couldn't. Having Savitri along didn't appeal to him overly much, but at least it made Kaegan's absence less suspicious, and she could get Shei out of here if need be.

Therefore...he didn't protest it.

"You have our attention," S'rei added dryly. "What brings Benden to Selenitas with less than a full batallion of dragons?" His tone made it clear that he found the whole thing highly irregular, if not downright foolish. The likelihood that Selenitas would attack a Benden bronzepair on sight wasn't exactly low, after all, and how realistic was it to expect them to respond at all? But the very foolishness of the action was curious enough to prompt a response. S'rei wasn't a rash person by any stretch of the imagination.

Shei's eyes finally left J'lorin's face, her hand moving up to tug lightly at one of S'rei's short curls. "Daddy, daddy. He's very tall. Taller than you." The blues swung back around to focus on the Benden Weyrleader in awe.

"Yes, he is."

[glamourie]

Next to S’rei and J’lorin, Ka’rys looked positively tiny. Being short was a disadvantage when people judged based on size typically, but it was particularly frustrating when presented with people who dwarfed him: he was lucky to stare right at the middle of J’lorin’s chest. S’rei made him feel tiny under normal circumstances but the Benden Weyrleader actually had him wanting a stool to stand on, just so he looked the part of Junior Weyrleader. As it was, he tilted his chin up, forced the defiant look from his face. J’lorin really was alone. So reckless – not like him. It made Ka’rys paranoid, and he mentally touched on Ciceroth to watch out for anyone else. A Weyrleader going to a foreign Weyr alone wasn’t something that was intelligent. Especially not after what Fort and Benden had done at Selenitas. Despite himself, Ka’rys glanced toward Savitri; he wanted her to stay behind him, just in case, but with J’lorin there, he couldn’t tell her. Physical distance would help give them an advantage. Meeting outside was kind of awkward though. He’d have felt better if they and the wingleaders could have cornered J’lorin in a meeting room where Illumiath wasn’t nearby… though, odds were that wouldn’t be accepted. Ka’rys fidgeted. Why did he have to be so short? It was a wonder anyone took him seriously at all.

He’d let S’rei do most of the talking, but the heavy stare he finally settled with was mistrusting – perhaps understandably so. Rather than offer a word of greeting, he settled for a curt nod that was replaced by a baffled look; he didn’t turn to S’rei though. “Son,” he corrected; it wasn’t intending to undermine but if J’lorin had spies at Selenitas (he probably did), he’d no doubt know that Kai was male and not female. “Kai’s a boy, S’rei – it’s me and Savitri who have the girls.” He was careful to tack on the part about his own children to make it less obvious that S’rei’s mistake was… random; the implication being that S’rei mistook one goldrider’s child for another’s or something. He didn’t know, he just didn’t want it to be obvious that S’rei paid about as much attention to Kaegan as he did.

It was a good excuse, though. One that he wished he’d thought of. The only reason he didn’t fight Savitri on staying back was because he didn’t have the candlemark it would take to convince her that she needed to stay nor did he welcome the headache that would come with her inevitable protest. He knew her well enough to know that she’d never just willingly avoid the situation, even if it was safer for her not to be there. Sigh. Stubborn woman.

Ciceroth did not trust the Bendenites; he took Hepaticath’s words very seriously, though it needn’t be stated. The bronze was lounging and watching Illumiath closely – perhaps understandably. His tail twitched back and forth behind him like an agitated feline, giving clear indication to his discomfort. He’d keep the four individuals safe if it killed him. The most important thing to Ciceroth was keeping His safe, but Hepaticath’s was a close second and he was okay with Salenth’s – he’d gotten hurt protecting their eggs and Ciceroth remembered that. He was grateful, even if it didn’t show. His claws dug into the dirt, the anxiety whirling through his eyes, but he wasn’t hasty. Ready to spring at a second’s notice if needed, yes, but hasty – no. Reckless wasn’t a word that usually applied to Ciceroth, after all.

S’rei’s question was a good one and Ka’rys did not add on anything to his initial correction. Instead he turned to Shei as she spoke and leaned over to whisper to her conspiratorially – but loudly enough to be heard – “That’s what happens to you if you eat too many vegetables as a child. I’m what happens if you don’t eat enough. You should make sure to listen to your papa on the amounts – he knows how many vegetables are too much and too little by now and he can make sure you end up a good height, not small like me or tall like him.” He nodded seriously. While it wasn’t unusual for Ka’rys to talk to Shei or Miguel if they were around (what, he favored kids!) he had ulterior motives for talking to Shei in front of J’lorin – he wanted to reinforce that the Benden Weyrleader was an intruder, an outsider. Besides, little Shei seemed to work excellently at keeping the other man on his toes… and Ka’rys was content to not speak up on the more serious subjects unless he was needed.

[kysseh]

The posture of the green firelizard on Savitri’s shoulder was anything but open and friendly. Ras was not the most intelligent of creatures, but she was far from small or brainless. Instincts told her that her pet was anxious about this bronzepair’s presence, so the green was protecting her pet, as was her right to do so. Nobody touched her Savitri without her permission. Nobody. Or else she would screech their ears into shattering, she would.

Savitri did nothing to soothe her pet, for Ras, despite her malice, remained silent. Instead, the goldrider’s gaze fixed on the bronzepair, tracking their motions as she came to stand just behind and to the right of her weyrmate. His left hand was his preferred one, better to leave that open. J’lorin’s minor delay in acknowledging her was noticed and dismissed. He was a northerner. They didn’t think well of women, did they? Hmph. Their own loss, she supposed. She was no great fighter, but she was hardly a useless lump of human flesh. So the young woman waited, alert and not liking the man’s inquiry after Kaegan’s presence. It made sense for him to ask, but it still unnerved her.

S’rei’s minor bumble was enough to diffuse some of the tension, though, and Savitri let Ka’rys correct him, instead covering her mouth to avoid embarrassing herself with the smirk that spread across her face. Of course S’rei didn’t know that Kaegan’s child was male. The thoughts of children made her want to dwell on her own, but she left that alone for the moment, removing her hand from the lower part of her face once she had composed herself again. There was no need to make a spectacle for their visitor, after all. She wished Ka’rys wouldn’t have mentioned their offspring at all, mostly because she would rather have not had the man thinking of harming them, but… it was hardly as though their twins were a secret. The children of those in rank rarely were a secret to the weyrfolk.

Unless one was S’rei of course.

But S’rei had the role of leader in the situation, and he seemed to have admirably covered the necessary queries for the moment. Instead, Savitri allowed herself to watch and listen to Shei’s antics, resisting the urge to lean into her weyrmate for security. J’lorin did not seem to be making any aggressive moves for the moment. There was no reason to get overly paranoid. Still, she did spare a quiet snort for Ka’rys’s sake. “You had better be as careful in monitoring our girls’ food,” she commented quietly, raising an eyebrow at the man’s behavior. What was Ka’rys up to? One could never tell with him, though it was certainly that he had some ulterior motive in mind. He usually did.

Her gaze moved back to J’lorin, eyes narrowing as she appraised him up and down. Ridiculously tall, he was. How did he fold and unfold all of those limbs to get in and out of bed, on and off his mindmate’s neck? She was not particularly impressed, but she was annoyed by his height, wishing she didn’t have to tilt her head back to get a look at his face. At least the bronzerider was of a near-perfect height for her to jab an elbow or fist into his groin should he cross her. That thought amused her.

[Avu]

If he hadn’t been positively twitchy (inside, where they couldn’t see it), J’lorin might have found it funny how very short the two Junior Weyrleaders were. As it was, Illumiath was amused for him, but only a brief flash before his concentration returned to His and the…situation. The bronze was completely still, silent now, watching carefully, as intently as he could. He’d have much preferred it if Ferilth’s had come, Illumiath would, but apparently it was a sign of good faith to come alone. Hmmph. Good faith to get cut up, fun. His tail twitched minutely before he lowered his head cautiously, to put himself more at level with the Riders, though he was still uncomfortably far away. Cue twitch.

One eyebrow rose slightly at the Weyrleader’s excuse for his Weyrwoman’s absence, but J’lorin didn’t protest it, nodding in acquiescence. Understandable, he supposed, though he was betting they didn’t want to let all four Weyrleaders wander out without bodyguards or something, too. The correction, however, made J’lorin turn to glance curiously at Ka’rys, but it was of no importance. It was good thing to know (the plural on ‘girls’ was not missed, either; did all of the Weyrleaders and Weyrwomen here have babies or something?), but not necessary to here-and-now, and here-and-now was what was occupying J’lorin’s primary focus. His hands interlaced behind his back as he patiently waited for the three to stop talking to the little girl, to whom the Weyrleader offered a slight inclination of his head as well, more out of courtesy since she’d spoken than actual necessity.

“Times have changed.” The words were quiet. Not confident, not nervous, but somewhere in between; he wasn’t comfortable here, even with Illumiath at his back. He just wasn’t. “I’d like to make a proposition.” His gaze flickered between the two men, with an occasional glance at Savitri that was more paranoia than anything else. Just in case. “I think it would be beneficial to both Benden and Selenitas Weyrs if we were to form an alliance.” He left it at that; J’lorin doubted that his meaning would go over their heads. An alliance; they’d provide protection to Selenitas if Fort attacked them (or the High Reaches, but he doubted that, given how…hard they’d fallen), and expected Selenitas to back them up. Obviously they weren’t militaristic, but there were some defects that could help, surely. And, of course, they wouldn’t be attacking Selenitas – and would expect the favor to be returned – as if an attack from Selenitas had ever been expected before.

[Requiem]

"Kai's a boy?" The name sounded far too feminine...oh well. Ka'rys's attempt to mask his ignorance unwittingly ruined - though even if S'rei had realized what he was up to, he wouldn't have cared. The bronzerider wasn't openly disrespectful to goldriders, per se, but he doubted it was much of a secret...his general dislike of the breed. Too much time spent on the Queen's wing before Ka'rys apparently felt he was fit enough to return to a regular wing. Any spies around - and there really wasn't a question of whether they were here or not - couldn't help but notice that particular fact. Pretending was rather silly.

Shei adored Ka'rys. Always had. He always gave her the proper amount of attention, he did, and no, it wasn't as good as when Daddy did, but it was almost as good. Her little hand reached down, brushing the man's face. "Veggies. Veggies make tall people?" She would have to ask. But then the fat one tried to steal away Rys's attention, and she glared past his head at the woman. Bad, bad woman. Why was it always the women who wanted to steal?

S'rei regarded J'lorin steadily, deliberately not making it easy on him. The Benden Weyrleader had come to them, after all, and it was up to him to press forward with his business. He grunted noncommittally at the assertion that times were changing. Perhaps. Maybe. C'leon was gone, but he had yet to see any definitive indication that things were really changing. The war still raged, didn't it?

His face betrayed nothing at the proposition, though inwardly S'rei seethed. An alliance. Wonderful. They were the weaker weyr, and he didn't know J'lorin... They weren't a threat to Benden in the slightest...couldn't be. If they refused, would Benden take that as an insult, an excuse to invade and take over? And if they did accept, Fort would have every reason to attack. Neither option was one they were prepared for, and there was no guarantee that Benden would support them if it didn't suit their interests. He already knew what their answer would have to be. There really was no real option.

Either way, J'lorin had effectively, with just one sentence, dropped the war into their laps. S'rei was not at all pleased by this. Not at all.

All he could do was attempt to probe the man, try to read his motivations so he could better prepare - if preparations were even possible. "Let me be frank. You may not have been in charge of Benden a turn ago, but you were perfectly willing to build your little northern empire on the blood and suffering of Selenitas. Don't think we feel we owe you anything." Perhaps a bit too blunt, but S'rei believed in being up front, if only because most people weren't so they'd likely disbelieve him anyway.

"What, exactly, do you get out of an alliance with us?" Aside from ensuring that Fort wouldn't take over and have two - soon to be three - more queens producing dragons for them.

[glamourie]

Face, meet palm. Ka’rys resisted the urge to twitch at S’rei’s question, instead focusing his attention on Shei – she was safe. She also gave him an excellent reason for not meeting J’lorin’s eyes, which allowed him to analyze the other man’s tone more critically. He detected – perhaps inaccurately, but he was betting he was right – a note of discomfort, a thread of nervousness… justified, too. What he was asking, no matter how prettily he worded it, was ludicrous. Dragging Selenitas into the war was annoying beyond words. The problem was, in some ways they already were involved. See: Fort attacking and Benden attacking. They’d always be involved. The attempted theft of one of Hepaticath’s eggs wasn’t forgotten, either (how could he hope to forget when Ciceroth was scarred so?). While it was unlikely for that attack to have been orchestrated by Benden (they had Baith, a capable clutching queen, even if her kin did come out… deformed), there was no denying that it solidified Selenitas’s participation in the northern wars. Just the same, allying oneself with any Weyr was a mistake. Fort would take it as an act of aggression and attack. And if they refused J’lorin, would Benden then attack? The proposal was more than ludicrous – it was detrimental to Selenitas. And they had no choice whatsoever in the decision. Their choice was made for them. That fact made Ka’rys angry. Focusing on Shei kept that anger from bubbling over.

“Veggies do make people tall, yes,” Ka’rys said with a slight nod, before he offered Savitri a wry smile. “What, you’re not capable?” Conspiratorially whispering to Shei (loud enough to be heard – yes, he was trying to make J’lorin feel awkward), “See, this is why it’s important for you to listen to your papa on what to eat. You’ll either come out short like me if you don’t eat your veggies, or you’ll come out bossy like Savitri if you eat too much candy. That’s what happens when you eat a lot of pie and cakes. So don’t do it. She’s very bossy.” He nodded enthusiastically before putting one finger to his lips. “But don’t tell her I told you or she’ll make me sleep on the couch and it’s really not very comfortable. Imagine sleeping on rocks. Dragons can do that but me – well, it’s not good for my back. I’m getting old, you see.”

S’rei’s speaking made him look up and he turned to look over his shoulder. His gaze fell on J’lorin squarely, “And what do we get out of allying with you.” S’rei might have been right to ask about what Benden got first – he would have, too – but his temperament was more self-absorbed than S’rei’s was in many ways. He didn’t see anything gained for Selenitas but trouble; J’lorin had, unintentionally, thrown them into the war. At least he thought it was unintentional. It was also possible J’lorin was setting them up for an excuse to attack but that didn’t fit with the man’s usual style. People changed though and turns were long – times were rough – and Ka’rys didn’t trust very many people, let alone someone from the north. He didn’t want to undermine S’rei, but his presence was specifically requested and S’rei hadn’t asked him to stay at home – he could only assume the other bronzerider would be okay with him asking some questions. And slicing and dicing J’lorin if he proved to be a threat. It was very tempting to do so.

If he cut him up, at least J’lorin couldn’t endanger Selenitas anymore. Wasn’t that a pleasant line of thoughts?

Turning to properly face the Benden Weyrleader, he gently wove his fingers through Savitri’s; it was meant to be reassuring, though he was silently cursing. He really would have felt better if none of Selenitas’s goldriders came – at least then they could pretend to just be lookalikes; if J’lorin never saw their faces, he couldn’t be sure he had the right people. Reasonably guess, yes, but positive – no, not that. Never that. One problem at a time though… maybe he could explain that point to Savitri in the future. Worthless now though…

[kysseh]

J’lorin was paying far too much attention, to Savitri’s eyes. The young woman did not like how calm he seemed, standing there with his hands behind his back. Aloof. Interloper. She wondered if he was nervous and hoped it was so. It was only fair that if they should all be concerned about his presence, he should be concerned about his situation there. He seemed halfway decent thus far, but that could easily be attributed to tricks. She didn’t like him but refrained from making a show of it, instead just standing near Ka’rys and allowing Ras to posture from the firelizard’s position on her shoulder. Yes, Ras could do the intimidating for her.

At Ka’rys’s ‘whispered’ suggestions to Shei, the goldrider briefly wondered how sleeping on the couch would accomplish anything. The glare from the child was not missed, but that was better left alone. Savitri had more important things to pay attention to--the unmoving hulk of the bronze made her edgy--and Shei was hardly more than an amusing distraction for the moment. A faint smile was permitted at her weyrmate’s antics and S’rei’s obvious ignorance of the weyrwoman’s son, but that was all. Bossy, hmm? “Perfectly capable,” she murmured for Ka’rys’s ears only in response to his query of her. It had probably been a rhetorical question, but she cared not. It boosted her spirits to act so.

When J’lorin finally began to speak, though, Savitri’s attention was abruptly claimed and held, her green eyes narrowing at the much larger dragonrider. An… alliance?! While it might have been in the favor of the current Benden weyrleader to keep Selenitas on his side, Savitri was disinclined to like a weyr that, even under different leadership, had been responsible for the deaths of so many Selenitas folk. Even more so was she inclined to be kind knowing that they could have been behind the rash of poisonings that left her own brother and Shmee dead. She didn’t like it. It made her neck prickle uncomfortably.

S’rei and Ka’rys were covering the questions in the very bluntest of fashions, and Savitri nodded in faint approval. Good. Let him be put on the spot and sweat. She blatantly gave him a good look-over, trying to gauge his mindset. His voice had had a slight edge to it. Not entirely confident, was he? He shouldn’t be. They outnumbered him and were armed. He is an opportunist. The alliance would rest on his word, which counts for little. Hepaticath commented both to Hers and to Ciceroth, obviously not trusting the weyrleader in the slightest. Savitri was in silent agreement and wondered if staring hard enough at the man would make him vanish. She liked this plan. The whole north could vanish into nothingness, and they would have peace.

If only.

[Avu]

They were still talking among themselves, and J’lorin automatically strained to hear every word passed, though a few evaded him; the Weyrleader refrained from rocking on his feet. He wasn’t impatient – not really; he was just nervous. He was alone and that made his paranoia kick up another notch; knowing that words (actually only a few; Savitri’s, to be precise) were being passed without his comprehending them was enough to make Illumiath twitch his tail for him, since J’lorin couldn’t for the moment. One hand rose awkwardly to rub his nose before dropping again. He didn’t quite fidget, and he tried to keep his face relatively impassive, but he was uncomfortable and the fawning over the little girl only made that worse. Why was she even here, anyway…? So much easier if she hadn’t been…

S’rei’s response calmed his nerves slightly; he’d expected aggression. It was tempting to argue nonetheless, but that wouldn’t get them anywhere and it wasn’t his plan to come and get into a petty argument of any sort. J’lorin inclined his head slightly, hands returning behind his back before he tilted his head to one side. The questions were expected, too, and he turned slightly to S’rei to answer his first. “I don’t expect a fighting force to back us, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said softly. “I was hoping Selenitas could help us with supplies. Support, if needed, out of the skies.” Whatever, in short, their Holds couldn’t – or wouldn’t – provide. He’d have to do something about that, hrm. “We’d also be a little more confident that there’s no alliance with Fort Weyr,” he added, honestly, even though it wouldn’t actually appease him too much – but he’d take what he could get.

“As for you…” Now he glanced at Ka’rys, though he was still primarily addressing S’rei. Seniority and all that. “You get the assurance that there will be no attacks from Benden Weyr while Arga and Baith are Weyrwomen.” Which, if he and Illumiath had anything to say about it, would be quite a while. “As well as protection should Fort or High Reaches decide for whatever reason to attack. From what I understand, your fighting force is…not up to par. Correct me if I’m wrong…if you alert us, we certainly will come to your aide.” A slight bow of his head before he turned to include Savitri in his questioning glance. “If you wish to ask your Senior Weyrwoman of her opinion, I don’t need an immediate answer,” he added. He didn’t actually expect an immediate answer – he just wanted to propose the alliance before Fort got a chance to – or High Reaches, though he had never thought the latter was likely anyway.

[Requiem]

Shei listened to Ka'rys aptly, though she asked no more questions. It wasn't that the man had lost her interest. Certainly not. But she could feel the tension, and it had something to do with the tall one. Her gaze turned back on him, face contorting into a frown as she stared. He was making everyone upset, wasn't he?

He adjusted, brushing his fingers down the girl's arm as her weight shifted, a gesture of closeness that wasn't conscious. S'rei's full attention was on J'lorin presently. Or...as much of it as ever was devoted to one thing. Tunnel vision was an excellent way to get blindsided. Ka'rys's question also had S'rei's approval (even if he did find it rather pointless, given they really didn't have much of a choice) but he didn't express it beyond allowing the man to speak without interruption or rejoinder. The ex-Fortian was trusted to know what not to say. S'rei wasn't worried about him.

A brow rose at J'lorin's response. That was...interesting. When he'd been at Benden, the holds had been too frightened not to support the Weyr, but it seemed that with C'leon out of the picture things were changing. Benden was overpopulated as it was, which was its main advantage considering how much more skilled Fort was, both in tactics and on an individual level. Now the superior numbers would be working against them if they couldn't get their holds to cooperate. In that case...it might not be so uneven a union as it had first seemed.

If the state of things as J'lorin intimated was true. He made a mental note to consult Mi'rah, and possibly see if any of his old contacts would still speak to him.

S'rei considered. They had some holds that he needed to spark into life themselves, but Selenitas was rich with its own resources and managed to be far more self-reliant than either of the northern Weyrs, so it hadn't handicapped them really. He'd intended to try to rework those relationships. This might be doable. J'lorin's response to Ka'rys's question was expected. It was fairly obvious what Benden had to offer. The question had always been whether or not they'd go through with it.

He eyed J'lorin for a long time. Really? Since when did northerners consult goldriders? Especially in martial and political matters on this scale. Still, he could work with that. "You and I...we can see the benefits here," he stated, in a tone not unlike the Benden Weyrleader's. "But many here have fled Benden, or have lost family in the many attacks over the last few turns." Not the least of those, S'rei himself. "I think they'd need more than just your word. A gesture of good faith, if you will. Our fighting capabilities are terrible. Maybe terrible enough that you couldn't intervene in time. It would be...to our mutual advantage...if some of your better-trained fighters were sent to help train the wings."

Ka'rys would probably twitch at that suggestion, but S'rei didn't much care. He was probing, seeing how desperate things actually were at Benden. And, anyway, if they did need Selenitas that much, there would be no reason for betrayal. Nor would it be enough people to cause too much damage if they tried to pull something tricky. Selenitas had a few formidable men and women of its own.

He shrugged, then. "Anyway, I think Kaegan would be more likely to consider it if you could provide that. She has...little love for Benden, as you can well imagine."

[glamourie]

Not an acceptable answer, in Ka’rys’s opinion. They didn’t need goods from the north. Most of the northern holds did not produce materials that the South couldn’t acquire just as easily; in fact, produce, fruit and even livestock tended to be larger and more prominent in the South. Ka’rys also knew very well that Selenitas had a very rich agriculture that set them apart; their fruit trees in the nearby jungle were rivaled by none. The offer of trading supplies didn’t sit well with him – it sounded to him like Selenitas did not benefit half as much as Benden did, and he didn’t approve. Especially since Benden had a reputation. The ‘assurance’ wasn’t good enough either. Ka’rys didn’t take anyone’s word for anything, least of all a northerner. From his perspective, it was an uneven trade considering the risks. Selenitas gained, what, the ‘promise’ that Benden would help? And Benden gained resources from the South, as much as they needed, and a weyr that didn’t have all mutant dragons for their aid? (He didn’t consider Millieth’s offspring as good as Hepaticath’s – the part of that was distinctly northern thought that the deformities that many of her babies possessed made them inferior to the stronger, healthy hatchlings Hepaticath birthed, and his fondness for Hepaticath had nothing to do with that belief. He’d felt the same way about Aslath’s clutches.) No, the trade-off was definitely not fair in his eyes.

Not that they had a choice. No, the choice was an illusion. If they declined, they ran the risk of Fort finding out and attacking them, knowing they were weaker, or Benden all-out attacking for the refusal. Worse yet, Fort could think that they accepted without having done so and attack. Or maybe even High Reaches. They really had no choice but to accept, but damned if Ka’rys was willing to just roll over and take it, so to speak; he wanted to make sure that Selenitas came out on top if possible. Part of him wanted to grab J’lorin by the collar and yank him closer (could he even reach J’lorin’s collar?) before demanding that they receive a fleet of Benden fighters solely for their disposal. It wouldn’t quite work and would definitely be an uneven agreement, but shard it, he didn’t like the situation.

Wait, train? S’rei was out of his bloody mind, but Ka’rys didn’t voice that thought. He had a hard time imagining that Selenitas riders would listen to anyone from Benden or Fort – he had enough trouble making them listen to him. Northern fighting techniques did not usually go over well at the Weyr, and S’rei should have known that. But he was Weyrleader, and he’d always been more popular – maybe they’d listen if he suggested it. Ka’rys resisted the urge to scoff before asking outright, “Benden has Baith as Senior Queen – so we know Benden wasn’t the ones who tried to steal Hepaticath’s eggs. I’d bet marks though that you’ve got spies elsewhere. If you want us to consider your offer, you have to give as well as get – you claim you’re willing to fight with us, prove it and let us know what you know of that incident.” He had ulterior motives – he was willing to bet Savitri would balk at the mere idea of an alliance unless J’lorin could prove that they were useful. Winning Hepaticath over was the first step to winning Savitri, and yes, he hated the idea – but… they couldn’t just refuse. His head spun. Part of him was also curious – he wanted to know what J’lorin knew about Fort. Had Liosa died? Was it a secret Fort was hiding…? Would J’lorin even know?

Why in Faranth’s name did anyone care what Kaegan said? Senior Weyrwoman or not, she was a doormat; the woman didn’t deserve to make any decisions. She just sort of… had no spine half the time. Not that Ka’rys missed Shmee, but Kaegan was not a better choice. Particularly with how unpredictable her queen was. He didn’t count on Millieth to make the right choices either. Not that he thought Savitri was cut out to be Senior Weyrwoman – he loved her, but she was not exactly the most practical of entities. Hepaticath, though, was. Sigh.

It will rest on more than just his word, Ciceroth reassured Hepaticath privately. Salenth’s and Rysmine won’t accept just his word. Rysmine doesn’t trust him. But we do not have a choice, Rysmine says; he believes if we refuse this alliance, our likelihood of being attacked is doubled. I believe he is right. Which… was very, very bad, in Ciceroth’s opinion. Not that he needed to voice that thought. He was sure that Hepaticath already knew.