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"Well?" S'raid raised an eyebrow at the Greenrider. "What is it?" The Bronzerider had been caught up in his own thoughts, veering back and forth between extremes. Ordinarily, he did not allow his thoughts to distract him when others were about, but this was a special occasion. An ancientcrafter had proposed a solution to their problem-- their ongoing problem-- and there were some very compelling arguments in his favor. Unfortunately, there were also some very compelling arguments in the opposite direction, a point which Galvanth could not avoid making, and one which he had thought of himself.

He had been arguing those very things out with himself, well aware that he would need some solidification if he was to present them to an outside source. "You seem troubled, B'tar." He fell into the position of authority and advisor with ease, though he was rather used to B'tar's elaborate conspiracy theories. He was just as used to dismissing them. Still, the rider had an active and creative mind, and such a thing could be turned to his uses, if carefully (and properly) handled.

I do not like this, S'raid, Galvanth stressed, his tone rife with concern over his rider's comparatively cavalier toward the discussion that had been going back and forth. This 'mystweed' was never mentioned in the records, was it? S'raid would have snorted if he hadn't been in company. Ah, but that is where you are wrong. It has been mentioned, and on more than one occasion.

Still, he could understand why the Bronze was somewhat less than trusting. It seemed illogical that the lack of something that had not been a part of their diets for Turns should suddenly be affecting them now. But what if it hadn't been lacking? What if there had been some remaining sources, however acquired, and that had kept their fertility up for a time? Hmmn, it was odd. From the way that events had played out, observation told him that it must have been a relatively recent thing, this loss of mystweed.

If we can cultivate enough of the stuff, you won't have to worry about it, S'raid soothed, turning his attention back onto B'tar. "What about the weyrlings, exactly?" Was this about Aislin? It was always about Aislin. Ah, Aislin... his tool grown into her own, seemingly. But was she ready to stand on her own two feet against nearly every rider in the Weyr? That might well be what was required. And yet... and yet, with new and pressing concerns, in some quarters Crimsons were being hailed as their salvation.

"I am aware of the problem," S'raid said, a single eyebrow raised in eloquent inquiry. Trust B'tar to point out something that seemed obvious to the Bronzerider. Yet... perhaps it was not so obvious to the rest of the Weyr's population. Hmmn. The man might well have a point, in bringing it to S'raid. Standing at what was the equivalent of a military parade rest, the Bronzerider mulled over it. "Her potential for fertility is not something Benden should ignore, as want as it is to do precisely that. We have few enough fertile females to simply discard one of them on the basis of an irrational fear and dislike. A prejudice, B'tar, that will not serve us well in the future." While the Greenrider had dismissed the subject as being unimportant, he felt the need to point out its true significance.

Aislin is in danger? Galvanth warbled at his rider, whose answering frown was very telling. No, Galvanth. Not as of yet. And if she ever was, the offender would have him to answer to, as much as he loathed the idea of doing for Aislin what she should be doing for herself. And perhaps she would do it. But he was not an enemy to be ignored. "You are right, of course. It would be a significant blow to the Weyr's reputation if our very own Crimson were endangered, even hurt." He did not say killed, but they both knew that if she was, events would be most dire indeed.

"That fool of a Bronzerider who dared harm Alumanth's rider will not have a shot at Aislin and her young dragonet." He said that firmly, and distinctly, allowing B'tar to see how determined he was on that point. "If any of the other should... decide to follow in his footsteps, they will find that they have chosen very poorly indeed." The threat was unspoken, but very, very present. "Proud Benden cannot afford to harm one of its own. No, I doubt that anyone would choose to do such a thing, as riled as the Tradionalists are. You will have noticed that even the Weyrwoman has not spoken out against our Crimson?"

Even Kestril. But she was not stupid. She knew that it was her Queen who had spawned the little beast. If anything, her behavior was an effort to save face. Any shame brought on the Weyr because of that very dragonet would reflect upon the Weyrwoman herself. "It is true that my time at Trine was... enlightening, shall we say. But I have never been of the opinion that Atypicals should be culled." And that was exactly what B'tar was suggesting in his claims. Surely the Greenrider knew better. Surely. But S'raid's reasons for not wishing this culling were simple: he felt that the Atypical dragons could be used in his, and Pern's benefits. Therefore, they were not to be discounted.

"There are two sides, at least, to the suggestion of the Ancientcrafter. On the one hand, it has been proven in our past that utilizing our ancestors' technology can be harmful and damaging, and at the very least ineffective. We risk our very last hope by subjecting it to that technology. It is unlikely in the extreme that mystweed is harmful to dragons. We have seen its effects in the enormous clutch at Trine. You and I both watched a Queen hatched on those Sands." And how long had it been for Benden since a Queen was hatched on her Sands? Too long. "There is a very slim possibility that it could be harmful and if so, as you say it could be very easily dealt with."

He paused, fingers tapping idly against the leather of his belt. "But if we were to utilize the farmcraft that we know, and keep the mystweed in a controlled location, we could destroy it just as surely as if we looked to the Ancientcrafter for help." A faint tug of his lips indicated a smile-- no more than he ever showed, genuinely. "That is not an argument for or against the use of that technology, B'tar, and surely you recognize that. However, we have already trusted in our own skills, and they have proven for naught. Should we risk all in pursuing them? Or risk it in another approach entirely."

It was true that if they were found to be useful, they could be used for Pern's (and specifically the dragonriders') benefit in the future. "We would have to first test the constructs to determine their usefulness. I understand the theory, I think. There are many things that our ancestors did that worked very well for them, many of which our society has dismissed out of hand because of AVIAS's failure. We perhaps should contemplate why it is that somewhere along the line, such constructs were abandoned. Why did farmcraft not continue the use of the technologies at its disposal?"