N'mol stared at the wall for a moment longer, then stood from his chair and left the room.

Suunath's is by the lake, oiling Suunath.

N'mol didn't question how Tyeth knew his destination, because, really, after the announcement of the Dragonlights and N'mol's long period of consideration, the next thought on his mind was Kindra. Her opinion never drove his, but she would want to talk about it if she was as opposed to the idea as he was imagining she would be. And, this time at least, their minds would be one on that matter.

It was hard to miss Suunath, even from half-way across the Weyrbowl. Even as a small Gold, she was easily the size of a Bronze and that was still a large dragon. It took a little more time before N'mol saw Kindra and the man standing with her, however. He knew at least the man noticed him as he approached, because his head turned N'mol's way. N'mol's body relaxed, and he slid into charming mode automatically.

"I can take over from here," N'mol offered as he reached the lakeshore, smiling at the Brownrider who was leaning against a rock nearby, clearly playing guard for Kindra. "You can take the afternoon to actually enjoy your spare time."

The Brownrider glanced at N'mol, at the shoulderknots N'mol was wearing, and then back to N'mol's face. He did not look impressed. "The Weyrleader asked me to escort the junior Queenrider. If you want to talk to her you can, but I'm not abandoning the post the Weyrleader set me to."

N'mol stared at the rider, his smile gone and his face blank, but almost stony. Tyeth, sitting high on the rocks of the sides of the Weyr, slowly began to rise to his feet, eyes whirling orange as he focused on the Brownrider's dragon partner. He rumbled slightly, banded neck beginning to arch with menace. Whether it was Tyeth's actions sparking common sense in the Brown or the Brownrider realizing that N'mol meant business, the man finally backed down.

"As you say, Wingleader." The Brownrider didn't look happy, but he went without any other outward signs of disapproval. N'mol didn't even watch him go; his eyes had already moved on to Kindra. Let the man report to W'lin if he wanted. N'mol was already likely on W'lin's list for being an ambitious Bronzerider and the youngest Wingleader ever, to boot.

------

Kindra had been in a mood ever since the revalation by the 'madman' as she put it. She didn't like his idea ONE bit and she liked W'lin's support of him even less. The sharding man should have been left to rot. At the same time she was conflicted, Benden as a weyr supported him and his crazy idea so if it went wrong everyone would be laughing... yet... maybe there was something she could do about W'lin..... her thoughts were interrupted by Suunath emerging from the lake and shaking herself dry and Kindra glared again at the Brownrider that accompanied them, curse W'lin and his continued need to have her 'guarded' along with her fellow Goldrider.

Kindra grabbed the rag and the oil and started on scrubbing the entire hide of her Gold, she wasn't about to miss the tiniest fraction of her dragon's hide. Using the time spent to clear her head a little... but it made her wish she were a Hungry dragon and Archimode a snivelling Herdbeast. The Brownrider didn't even offer to help her and that pissed her off too. She rubbed the oil in hard but not so it would hurt her Beloved, in fact it was more like a massage than an Oiling. Suunath in her enjoyment didn't even notice Tyeth until he was almost at them. Kindra turned her head to eye the Brownrider's discomfort, despite the man not showing it and she smiled smugly. That'd teach him. "N'mol ... better you than that arrogant Wherry" she said while Suunath only rumbled a sleepy greeting, enjoying herself immensly, she hadn't been this pampered since she was a hatchling.

------

N'mol didn't rise to the bait, instead approaching Kindra and Suunath, looking up at the clearly pleased Gold.

"I was looking for some company. I thought you would be interested. Would you like a hand?" It looked as if she was managing on her own, but he thought he would offer anyway.

They had been awkward with one another in the days following them sharing a bed, but they had eventually worked out their own emotions on the subject-- or pushed them aside, at least-- and had moved beyond it. Kindra had returned to her old ways, the incident with the unusually aggressive rider forgotten (at least in open discussion) and they had returned to spending time with each other in the odd hours of free time they had. With his Wingleader duties and her filling the office of Weyrwoman without actually being the official Weyrwoman, they didn't have much time to simply sit around anymore. Still, they seemed to manage to find time when Kindra or both of them needed to discuss something heavy. Like the current topic buzzing about the Weyr.

N'mol glanced up at the excited firelizards looping about. The pets reflected the attitude of the weyr, and flits were known for being overly enthusiastic about things.

------

Kindra listened as she oiled, a little more gently than before, reminding herself that Suunath had eaten only a few hours previously, hence why she was here with Suunath, the Gold liking to have a bath and an oiling after she'd eaten.

When N'mol turned the talk to practice she relaxed more "I'm glad, the less scorings we have coming back, the better boost for morale but I'm glad that those I, and the healers, treated are being more cautious" she agreed, pleased that they were practicing well. She and Suunath barely got time to just fly together for the fun of it, in fact, she somewhat envied the riders that got to Drill, she and Suunath would never be able to fly with THEM. Oh she understood why ... and there... her thoughts turned to that blasted machine and she began rubbing harder again.

Suunath turned a lazy eye onto N'mol and rumbled happily again, to him, to both of them oiling her, this was how it should be.... she thought.

Kindra almost flinched at N'mol's question but she didn't "Suunath is doing great, i think she finally stopped growing" she said, dropping her rag into her lap "Do you think Archimode is going to succeed? .... i mean.. the whole thing is wherry s**t but ... " she sighed and began rubbing the oil in once more, thankful that she'd already done Suunath's other side before N'mol showed.

------

N'mol didn't even raise his eyebrows at Kindra's language, just kept up his steady motions on Suunath's hide.

"I don't know if the machine works or not. I think if it does we're looking at a very different Pern, but as long as dragons are breeding Pern has protection. The machine, if he can make it work, isn't guaranteed to work forever. They break. That was the problem with Aivas, and the problem with this machine in the first place." N'mol frowned very faintly as he dipped the cloth back in the oil.

"If he succeeds, Benden has already put their support behind him, at least officially. We will have to abide by whatever outcome results." N'mol paused, and then very quietly added, "But either way Benden isn't going to come out on top."

------

Kindra gritted her molars together angrily, "exactly N'mol .. we've lost no matter what, what the shards was W'lin thinking supporting that maniac...." she spat, "his crazy machine isn't going to work... just like Aivas .... didn't work... " she said, her words dripping with annoyance and anger and just a little bit of fear "if it fails, Benden's the laughing stock..... if it works Benden supported the thing that made ....that made Dragons redundant" she said, throwing her rag on the floor and getting up, pacing "Damn W'lin and his sharding support.... I'll be damned if Benden gets blamed for this .... this....this....... GRRAAAAAH" she yelled the last... not having words for the idiocy of the Wyerleader at this moment, sure she'd never say it to his face.... not until Suunath rose and.... well .. she didn't want to think about certain dragons catching her wonderful Suunath.

------

N'mol stopped his movement, but stayed where he was, his gaze fixed on Kindra. "There's nothing we can do now. All we can do is wait and see what Archimonde offers us. If the machine fails, Benden might be laughed at, but it will blow over." A Gold Flight would help with that also, especially if it meant W'lin lost his position, but that was a thought N'mol would keep private. "If it succeeds, we may gain some dubious prestige for the moment, but in the long run..." N'mol shook his head and looked out at the lake, leaning against Suunath's side as his thoughts again rolled along the repurcussions of the actions of Archimonde-- and the wherhandlers. He couldn't forget that Keller had had a part in all of this.

"The Holders might applaud us." N'mol looked back at Suunath's hide and began saving dripping oil and working it back into the sections of hide that hadn't been oiled yet. "The Weyrs, I think, will remember Benden's name with venom. ... Of course, the chance of there being multiple weyrs at that point would be slim, so maybe we would only have good press."

That would require dragonriders being turned into an extinct or nearly extinct profession, however. The Golds, if their offspring weren't needed, would not lay as many eggs. Slowly, the population would dwindle, as fewer parents were interested in their children becoming Candidates. Eventually, the profession would die out. Their way of life would be lived in scrolls only.

There was no good answer. No good path to take, because they were already locked into their course. All they could do was wait to see what the other Weyrs decided and if Archimonde's grand claims bore fruit.

"We have to wait. And prepare."

------

Kindra sighed "I'm sick of waiting for OTHER things to happen around me N'mol, i have to wait for one thing or another and shards N'mol i might be junior weyrwoman but i also have barely a clue what i SHOULD be doing, the only other woman i could talk to is Kheth's rider and THEN we're both in the same situation ... we have no clue what to properly prepare for ... W'lin only knows so much" she said, pacing again, "Holders will applaud not having to tithe... the weyrs... if Benden is the cause of dragons no longer being needed? ... yet i can't go against W'lin... he's the Weyrleader, Goldrider or not, N'mol ... I have no CHOICES," she said, completely frustrated. "He still treats me like a damn child... I can barely have peace... I certainly don't get the freedoms almost every other sharding dragon has to enjoy for the time being."

------

Now N'mol did abandon his oiling and he moved over to where Kindra was pacing. He stepped into her path and only clenching his fist prevented him from reaching out to put a hand on her arm. It was an instinctive reaction, one he used with the members of his wing on occasion, but he wasn't sure it would be well received here. Yet he and Kindra shared a comraderie that was older than his relationship with his wing members and was unique to them, since the two other Bronzes from their dragons' Hatching had never tried to hone in on Kindra. N'mol had never really bothered considering why, because it meant he had the monopoly on Kindra's time and thoughts and that was what was important. After so many months of knowing her, of growing as their dragons grew, that had become important for more personal reasons than it had been initially.

"You always have a choice," he said, voice firm and gaze direct. He kept her dark eyes captured with his light ones. "Sometimes it might take a longer wait to get to it, but there is always the chance for you to choose. The particular color dragon you ride doesn't stop that. Yes, W'lin is in charge-- for now. But you will be the Weyrwoman one day, and then it will be your choices leading us. Yours and your Weyrleader's. Not just his."

Kindra might even will Suunath into early Flight just to make it to Senior Weyrwoman. She was certainly strong enough. Distantly, N'mol felt Tyeth rumble with amusement and hoped his partner didn't share that particular comment with Suunath.

"No, you don't have the level of freedom we do. That is something your dragon affects. But." He paused to be sure she was listening to him. "Part of that is also Kestril's murder. You wouldn't have nearly as many restrictions if it hadn't taken place. When that has moved into the past or the people responsible for the murders are caught--" Assuming it wasn't the murderer acting alone, "-- Some of those restrictions will go away. I know you don't like waiting." He smiled faintly. "But sometimes that's what we have to do."

After all, N'mol himself was waiting. He was willing to wait for a long time to get what he wanted.

Yes, but we are planning, Mine. Always planning, Tyeth pointed out, pleased with how well the day was going.

------

Kindra stopped in her tracks when N'mol moved in her way, he was lucky he hadn't grabbed her because she'd have slapped him for the grab. As it was they stood, looking at each other for a moment before he spoke. "If you say so N'mol" she said, partway between a sarcastic comment and defeat, "for the moment i'm like a leaf borne on the wind, i have to go where it takes me .... but you're right... someday it won't just be him... i wonder if that's why we had no senior brought from one of the older Weyrs.... i never thought much of it but i think he likes running things on own, having his pick Suunath and Kheth.. having us under his control... well ... mostly" here she smirked, oh she was dutiful but she never once showed interest in the man in anything other than a teacher, if he thought he could influence her, he had another thing coming, the other Goldrider, she wasn't so sure about.

Kindra was many things but she wasn't going to rush her dragon into anything, especially THAT, luckily Kindra didn't know N'mol's thoughts or she might go beyond slapping and the young man might have founf him nursing a bruised cheek. She had taught herself how to swing a punch, after Kestril's death. She shuddered a little at the thought that the slain murderer might have had help, she'd made herself forget about that and had been sleeping better. His last words and the faint smile made her stomach churn a little, "I didn't wait on some things" she said, a smile playing on her own lips, amused. She reached out a tendril of thought towards Suunath but was interrupted by a rather loud draconic snore and she burst out laughing. "well.... I'd say she's happy enough with waiting" she managed to wheeze

------

N'mol smiled as Kindra's mood shifted, loathe to bring it back to the other topic now. Still, the problem was there, and N'mol was sure he and Kindra would have plenty of time to talk about it later, hopefully when Kindra was in a better state to control herself.

His hands relaxed. "Let's finish oiling her, then. Best not to leave the job undone."

He moved out of Kindra's way and went back to retrieve his rag, knowing Kindra would follow.