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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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 Posted: Fri Dec 03, 2010 2:32 pm
Home. It is good to be home. Sakneth had been repeating this sentiment and variations on it every morning they woke up at their old Weyr.
B'shir, not quite awake, smiled to himself. When he wasn't fully conscious his face was actually expressive, but he was unaware of this fact. If Sakneth had ever noticed, he'd never mentioned it.
"Glad you're happy," he mumbled sleepily. "Is it time for practice?"
No. That's this afternoon. Unless you want to go early?
Ordinarily his dragon's solicitude would have made B'shir nervous, but Sakneth had been pleasant like this ever since they returned to High Reaches, and B'shir was beginning to fall into a sort of complacency when it came to his dragon's behavior.
"Not really. But food would be good."
I'll fly you down, then.
Shortly B'shir was making his way through the corridors of the Weyr to the dining cavern, and then sitting at one of the long tables with a bowl of porridge, breakfast of champions and dragonriders who slept in too late to get eggs.
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:20 am
"...Mine, if you want breakfast I think you're late."
C'mor, who had been totally absorbed in a hide full of scribbled notes about Ghenza, jerked upright in his chair and looked out of their weyr. The sun was a lot higher than it had been when he'd started reading. "Shards," he muttered, carefully rolling the hide up and slipping it inside a scroll case for safety, "all the eggs are going to be gone by now." He'd really fancied bread and a couple of eggsfor breakfast. Well, that was what he got for getting distracted. Shaking his head at himself the dark-skinned young man located a shirt, a belt, and boots; if he hurried now at least there might still be porridge.
Before too long he was on the ground, and moving swiftly through the familiar twists and turns of the Weyr's corridors. On arrival in the dining hall, he gave a slight sigh of relief; apparently he wasn't too late to get something hot. Once he had collected a large bowl of porridge and a large mug of klah, the bronze rider looked around for a place to sit... And his eyes alighted on somebody he hadn't spoken to in a very long while.
Bashir, B'shir that was, had been a good friend of his throughout childhood; they were almost the same age, and had a fair ammount in common. He remembered talking about dragons with the other weyrbrat, about actual lore rather than just 'yea, I'm certainly going to Impress aged tweleve' or anything like that. He had Impressed in the end of course, at the age of seventeen. That had put and end to any free time he might have had to spend with his friend, and had put a divider between them too. Much as people might not like to admit it, there were difficulties in friendships between riders and non riders who still hoped to Impress. B'shir himself had then Impressed, of course, but then there had been the Ghenzan incident and... And all in all it must have been about four turns since he'd really spoken to B'shir.
Well, no time like the present.
Nodding decisively to himself, C'mor headed over to the other bronze rider and plonked himself down opposite him. "Long time no see," he smiled, "and belated congratulations on Impressing."
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 3:31 pm
"C'mor!" B'shir exclaimed, genuinely pleased to see the other bronzerider.
It was true that they'd not had a lot of time to socialize in the past four turns due to C'mor Impressing his Naedreth at seventeen and then going into a wing, and B'shir only Impressing Sakneth at twenty and then going off to Ghenza. B'shir didn't hold it against C'mor that they'd not spent much time in each other's company during those turns. Events had conspired against them, as sometimes happened.
"Thanks. How are you?"
As usual, his face was expressionless, giving no sign whether he was pleased to have is solitude interrupted. All such cues would come from his voice, which was actually quite expressive when speaking, though useless for singing. Tanda had teased him about that when they were younger. At Ghenza, once, Ara had teased him for it when she'd overheard him singing as he worked. Sakneth still teased him about it. The singing. Sakneth didn't like to think about Ara, or Ghenza, really, except to complain.
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:33 am
"Mmfh," said C'mor, because he'd just taken a mouthful of porridge. Once he'd swallowed it he elaborated; "Pretty good thanks. Busy with drills as ever, and reading up on some observations made by one of the folk who just came back from Ghenza. From what I've read so far, he hated it, but had to respect their efficiency. How did you find it, and how are you come to that? It must have been strange to be sent off to a new place not so long after becoming a rider."
An awful lot of upheaval in a short space of time, but B'shir looked as though he'd coped with it well... How was he coping with his bronze though? Although he hadn't had time to speak to him C'mor had tried to find out a little about his old friend's life, and gathered that Sakneth was not the sweetest fellow ever hatched. If Naedreth ever met the younger bronze (okay, probably make that when), he had a feeling that egos were going to clash. The best that he could really hope for was Naedreth finding it funny and laughing it off.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:05 am
B'shir was surprised that someone from High Reaches had been keeping a diary, or at least had been writing down observations. Given how precious writing materials were, B'shir had always tried to be as economical as possible when it came to the written word. He could read and write, of course, but his handwriting was small and cramped from an ingrained habit of making the most of the available space. It had been difficult for his harper tutor to decide whether he should praise his thriftiness or scold his handwriting.
"Whose observations would those be?" B'shir wondered.
You should have kept observations, Sakneth said. Then it would be your words that are immortalized instead of that other person's. Why didn't you think of it?
Why didn't you? B'shir countered without venom. The bronze hadn't actually been critical in his tone, and B'shir preferred not to start anything with him if he didn't have to. The day was sure to hold at least one future disagreement, and he didn't need to bring it on himself at this hour.
"Well, I didn't mind it there, actually. There was a very strong sense of community, and everyone had a craft that they were skilled in, even the dragonriders - which you probably know. And they use whers a lot more frequently than we do, and for things I never would have thought of, like assisting people with physical infirmities." In the back of his mind, B'shir could feel Sakneth's ire rising. He was being too complimentary.
"Of course, to be fair, the feeling of community didn't really extend to those of us from High Reaches. We were outsiders, and those who weren't afraid we carried plague or display open animosity were still not exactly welcoming us with open arms. I do wonder what sort of incentives were offered to those who took us into their homes..."
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:14 am
"One of the three that Impressed there can came back," C'mor informed his companion, taking a sip of klah and letting out an appreciative sigh, "F'al I think? The one with the brown." Ghenza had to be pretty steamed over the loss of those three.. Though perhaps not as much as other Weyrs would be; it seemed they had far less colour prejudice even than High Reaches, so perhaps they wouldn't be any more angry on principle about losing a brown and two bronzes than they would have been about a blue and two browns or similar.
"It sounds like a fascinating place though," C'mor went on, "I wouldn't want to live there by any means by the sounds of it, but a visit would be interesting. Can't see it happening though, so I'll content myself with those notes, and whatever I can squeeze out of the rest of you who went there too." A different point of view would be useful if he was going to get any real understanding of the place. Detailed and interesting though the hides he was reading through were, they were also rather... clinical.
"Still," the bronze rider shrugged, "at least you're back now, eh? Just in time to see the end of this whole mess; the Weyr's exploding with gossip about what might have been done with K'ban, nobody seems to know anything for sure." The Weyrwoman and Weyrleader at least must know what had been done with him, but they weren't talking.
"Does it matter?" Naedreth rumbled from the ledge of their weyr, where he was enjoying the morning sun. "The man is gone and won't bother us anymore. Maybe we'll find out one day, but if we don't, is it really important?"
"I just like to know things," C'mor responded, taking the chance to eat some more of his porridge, "you know that."
"Yes, yes," the muscular bronze acknowledged, "I know you do, but you're very odd sometimes."
"Oh, thanks."
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:04 am
B'shir nodded. He remembered F'al. Specifically, he remembered F'al and his newly-Impressed behemoth of a brown coming across him and Sakneth in something of an embarrassing position. He'd not been particularly friendly toward the new brownrider at the time. It still ate at him a little that he'd demonstrated such poor manners. It wasn't as though he didn't know any better. It was mostly that he'd been embarrassed and Sakneth had been furious and they'd still been working through matters of which of them was in charge. Shells, they were still working through that particular point.
"A smart dragon, Dith, with an intelligent rider, too," B'shir remarked. "I'll be interested to see how he grows up and what wing he's placed in. I don't doubt that pair could make wingleader easily."
B'shir chuckled. It might have seemed a little odd coming from someone who was not also smiling, but C'mor probably remembered that B'shir's face simply was not expressive. At least, B'shir hoped he did, otherwise he knew his mirth without matching grin would come across as unusual, even unnerving. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about the place, but I'm not much good at just launching into narratives."
"My sister wrote to me a bit while I was in Ghenza, so I have some idea of what I missed. I'm just as pleased to have missed all that. It seems like it was an enormous mess."
There will probably be positions opening in wings as a result. You should ask if he knows anything about that. After all, he and his dragon are in a wing, are they not?
"Sakneth directs me to ask you what the situation with wings is like here, since we've only recently returned and thus have yet to be assigned to one. Have there been a lot of changes to go with the change in leadership?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:52 pm
C'mor gave an evil chuckle, and grinned across the table at his friend. "You may regret that offer," he said in an overly ominous manner, "I'll ask you more questions than a five turn old... Yes though, changes." C'mor paused then, and looked down into his klah. He didn't want to compete with B'shir over this chance; the close contact the other bronze rider had enjoyed with riders probably made him as good a candidate as he himself was...
He couldn't fight his honesty, though.
"I've heard that they're going to be accepting applications for wingleader posts," the dark-skinned young man said, meeting his friend's gaze once more. "We've had some retirements along with all the political upheaval; I believe there are going to be three or so new wingleaders. Nothing's confirmed yet, but I've drafted an application a couple of times already; when the weyrleader puts out the word I want to get in quickly... I imgine you will too?" If B'shir decided not to go for it, he would frankly be relieved. Sakneth was only just an adult after all, and the pair had spent so long in Ghenza that perhaps they would not feel ready... No. That wasn't B'shir, and from what he knew it wasn't Sakneth either. He would be competing with his friend, like it or not.
Up on his ledge, Naedreth gave a rumbling chuckle. "Why worry, Mine? We are better than they! Maybe it is quite close between you and your friend there, but I am stronger and more experienced and better than Sakneth. Either we shall all achieve our dreams, or it shall be just you and I. There will be other chances for them, perhaps they could even be our wingseconds or something," the large bronze suggested magnanimously.
C'mor couldn't help a slight grimace at that suggestion. "I... don't think that would work too well, 'dreth."
"Well, they can be in another wing then," the bronze gave a mental shrug, "but either way, the point is that we are a better choice to lead, but that they too have a chance, either now, or some time in the future. Don't trouble yourself with it Mine."
That was easier said than done. He knew he was good, and he knew Naedreth was good, but that didn't make their appointment a certainty by any means... Maybe he'd have another look at his latest draft this evening.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:01 pm
"I look forward to it," he said.
He really hadn't been sure anyone would want to hear about the time he'd spent in Ghenza, but he felt as if it was his duty to tell people. But only if they wanted to hear it. He didn't want to be a bore, after all. He just thought it would be better for everyone to know as much as possible about the world they lived in. Or something.
They should be briefed, since it seems we'll be having more dealings with Ghenza in the future, Sakneth suggested, putting the right words to his rider's thoughts.
B'shir listened to C'mor carefully, a little surprised that there were so many open positions all at one time. The weyrleader must be ready to pull his hair out, with all this upheaval. He certainly didn't envy the man having to read through all the applications and make the appointments. For someone relatively new to the position, it would be a careful balancing act between choosing people who were right for the job and choosing good political appointments.
Or, you know, if there are openings for wingleader, you could put our time there down as experience as some sort of special knowledge or skillset that you have. Very few others would be able to make that claim. Sakneth's musings in the back of B'shir's mind weren't far off, which made them much harder to ignore.
If I apply, I'll think about it, B'shir said.
What's this 'if'? Sakneth demanded. This is our chance!
"I don't know if I'll apply. Sakneth's barely fully grown and our training was a bit irregular at Ghenza. Not to mention, it would just seem uppity for us to try, I think." It occurred to him that C'mor hadn't been a rider for too much longer than he had, and he added, "You've had more experience, and probably stand a much better shot at it."
You'll apply, Sakneth said ominously.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:00 am
C'mor swirled his klah again, studying the dark liquid that reflected the colour of his eyes. Difficult... "I think... I think you should apply," he said eventually with a slight sigh. "I'm not going to lie, I don't like the idea of competing against you, but... I do believe you'd make a good wingleader; you've been learning not just about dragons themselves but about formations and drills since you were how old? Yes, Sakneth is young but... Well the worst that can happen is getting turned down. Who knows when a chance like this will come up again? I think that if I were you, I would regret it if I didn't try."
"...I thought you didn't want to compete with him?" Naedreth said, his mental voice bemused. "Why do you do these things, Mine? You could have talked him out of it, and then you would not have to worry about losing to him."
"It wouldn't have been right," C'mor replied, poking at his porridge in a distracted manner. "He's inexperienced in practice, but in theory he's my equal, might even have an edge. I read the scrolls from youth, but he was really taught it, it's as natural to him as breathing... He could be a good wingleader, and the Weyr needs that."
"Well, I suppose that's true," Naedreth gave a mental shrug, "but I still think you shouldn't worry one way or the other; when I fly the senior queen, you may give him whatever rank you choose. I trust you not to choose him just because he is your friend; if he really is good, with a turn or two to get real experience he would be a truly excellent choice for you to make."
C'mor shook his head slightly and took another mouthful of porridge; no sense telling Naedreth 'if'. The bronze was as sure that he'd be weyrleader one day as he was that the sun would rise tomorrow, if not more so.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:06 am
Just because he wasn't very good at evincing emotions didn't mean B'shir couldn't pick up on them. It was fairly clear that C'mor would have been happier if B'shir decided not to apply for the position. As he'd said, it would mean they were in competition with each other, which B'shir didn't much look forward to, either.
But he considers us worth worrying about, Sakneth pointed out. And even if we're inexperienced, he's right about those other points. I think that if he's reluctant to compete, he has good reason to be, and we should definitely make the attempt.
It could be he just doesn't like competing against friends, B'shir argued, but he knew Sakneth would ignore that. Sakneth didn't have friends. He had followers or enemies, and all enemies were just future followers who would need careful supervision.
"You're right. There are worse things than being told No, and I can probably think of all the reasons why my application would be rejected, anyway, so it's not like I'll get any world-rocking surprises."
B'shir wondered a bit at what Naedreth had said to C'mor to cause him to shake his head, but didn't ask. If a dragonrider chose to share his dragon's conversation, that was one thing, but B'shir had been raised never to attempt to violate the bond between dragon and rider by asking to be let in on their conversation.
Have I ever met Naedreth? Sakneth mused.
I'm sure you have, B'shir replied, thinking that it would probably be best if Sakneth never did, and wondering how that could possibly be arranged.
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Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:21 am
Right. So he'd successfully gained some serious competition... Great. "Maybe... Perhaps they'll be looking for some younger blood," C'mor suggested after a moment. "Having just lost some to retirement... Mmh, well, we'll have to wait and see I suppose; we might not even be eligible to apply, so I suppose there's no point thinking too much about it." Nor was there any point to all the drafts he'd gone through; seemingly endless scratching of charcoal onto slate, parts erased, altered, the whole thing rewritten differently onto a new slate. He didn't even know if the format he was working in would be what was requested. He didn't even know if they would be asked to submit applications in writing, or if they would just be asked to speak their piece aloud.
"It will be fine whatever the format," Naedreth assure him, shifting into a slightly different position and yawing hugely. "You write well, you speak well, and you are superior to others, as am I. There is no need to think so much about this, Mine."
Personally he disagreed with that, and he knew Naedreth was aware of that. Where his dragon excelled in the moment, in snap calls of judgment, he preferred to have a plan. He could cope without one if he had to, but really he preferred to have that plan to refer to. Usually this meant several plans, or in this case several different drafts of application. A wordy on, a very concise one, one in between, and a silly one just for his own amusement.
"I liked that one," Naedreth chuckled, " 'I would make a good wingleader, because Naedreth is the mot handsome bronze ever to live'. I am very handsome, yes, but probably not the most handsome ever, and even if I was that has no bearing on my ability to lead! If it did, you would be in trouble."
C'mor chocked on his porridge; "Oh thanks Naedreth!"
"See," the bronze rumbled deep in his chest, "I can be funny too!"
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:42 pm
B'shir resorted to one of the gestures he'd developed over his life to convey certain emotions that his face really couldn't. He tilted his head to one side and spoke with as much skepticism as he could put into his tone:
"You really think, if they're looking for young blood, I'd be the first choice? I'm flattered, but I don't think it very likely."
Nevertheless, he knew he would be spending his free time in the coming days working on drafting an application. He wished that A'ram was there to help. A'ram always seemed to know what action B'shir should take to make the most of his future, and while B'shir had grown accustomed to making his own decisions and doing what he felt best while in Ghenza, he still heard his grandfather's voice in the back of his mind sometimes when he wasn't sure in a given situation. Usually the voice advised the most traditional course of action, which was also the safest in most cases. For that reason, B'shir had been known to ignore him.
"You're right, of course. No point thinking too much about it. The weyrleader will make decisions as he sees fit."
He began to work on his porridge once more. Not an ideal breakfast to begin with, it would be even worse if allowed to become cold and congeal into a sticky, semi-solid mass that could neither be cut nor chewed. Or, rather, it could be chewed and chewed and chewed, but with no appreciable effect. He'd had this happen to him before, though not recently. Good food was a perquisite of having a mother who had worked in the kitchens nearly all her life.
He looked up from his porridge when C'mor choked, unguarded and thus briefly evincing concern before the expression faded into his usual blankface. Something Naedreth had said, clearly. B'shir shrugged and went back to his breakfast, poking it experimentally with his spoon. Was it just him, or was the porridge getting tacky?
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Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 4:22 am
"Well," C'mor prodded thoughtfully at his steadily solidifying porridge, "not the one and only best choice, there's plenty of talent out there, but a good choice, and being prepared for it could put you at the top of the list. Worth thinking about, not worth obsessing over." He was trying not to obsess. It was arrogant to think that he should be chosen to lead a wing, and yet he knew very well that he and Naedreth would be good at it. What was the point in false modesty? It was just lying to try to make yourself look good, and he hated lying for any reason, even to protect other people's sensibilities.
"Well exactly," Naedreth gave a rumbling chuckle, "there's no point in trying to hide how good we are. Obviously people can't miss the fact that we'll be great leaders one day, but if we deny it then they might think we're not quite ready for it yet." He was ready. More than ready. He was bursting with readiness, with energy, with... with everything! They were going to succeed, he was certain of it.
Well, Naedreth's conviction was certainly nice, even though he didn't share it. They were not as green as B'shir and Sakneth, but they were hardly veterans... Still, they had what it took, it was just a matter of hoping that they got the chance to prove that they could do it... And hoping for an experienced wingsecond (or wingleader if they were chosen for a second post) who could back them up with turns of knowledge when they needed it.
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Princess_Feylin Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:08 pm
"Surely not," B'shir agreed.
We should really put in an application to be considered for Wingleader, Saknet was saying to him. I would not like to miss the opportunity just because we heard about it too late. You don't think it's too late, do you?
I don't think C'mor would have mentioned it if it was. He's not that kind of person, B'shir said, seeking to reassure his bronze, who was beginning to think that maybe C'mor and his bronze were plotting against him. That was the sort of thing B'shir really wanted to n** in the bud right away. And Sakneth? I would take it very badly if you tried to start any trouble with Naedreth.
I? Start trouble? That would hurt our chances, would it not? His dragon's tone bordered on offended innocence, which didn't convince B'shir that he would never do something like that, but it did reassure him that in this case he wouldn't do anything.
"Other than the possibility for advancement, is there anything else worthy of note?" he asked. He added dryly, "Tanda's idea of what's important news and mine don't exactly line up perfectly."
Which was to say that his sister was a bit of a gossip and tended to tell him more about who was having sex with whom, and who had lost a lot of weight and looked so much better now, and which greens had been flown by which dragons, and what kind of drama that had caused. All sorts of bits and pieces of things which were probably good to know, but not really of much interest to him, particularly not when he was living in Ghenza, which might as well have been another planet for all the effect it had on him.
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