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Z'fer laughed, giving her another tight hug. He wasn't about to argue over the attractiveness of her posterior. He felt lucky to have gotten away with what he'd done. He could forgive her... maybe not Devith... but he could forgive her if she was willing to do the same for him.

It was alarming really, and probably would be for a while, that he felt this way about her. Maybe it was because he hadn't immediately tried to bed her? Had he missed opportunities like this in the past? And if he did... did he really care? He searched but couldn't find anything he really regretted about the way he'd lived his life. Nothing that he'd had the power to change anyways.

He didn't expect her to like it. That's how it was when you were a bronzerider though. He at least knew it wasn't always an easy adjustment for those new to weyrlife. He may have slipped into his role with a natural ease but some, especially women, seemed to find the sexual paradigms of the weyr hard to swallow. He didn't expect what came next at all. Z'fer couldn't stop himself from physically tensing up as she laid out her deal. To promise himself to her... that was asking too much wasn't it? She was practically proposing marriage! He'd been adverse to the idea of settling down before he'd Impressed, if she thought she could tie him down NOW then she was crazy.

Then again she was willing to let Calanoth and him fly other dragons. Maybe that's not exactly what she had in mind. Still... to promise something so serious so soon... Z'fer hesitated. Could he? He couldn't really see himself leaving her for any rider he flew. It was never really about emotions during a flight and while Calanoth had yet to win a queen's flight... he doubted it would be any different. He'd rarely used stand-ins... only when the green's rider had her own had he claimed another willing woman.

...But what would happen when he went back to Malvren?

Hekate's eyes held him as he thought hard about his answer. He stroked her gentle hands in his. "I don't know if I can promise you all that you want. I can promise I will be honest. I won't throw you into anything like that again without some warning. I'll promise... I won't leave you purely for a dragons hide." His serious demeanor broke for a moment as a flash of mischief crossed his face. "Anyways, Devith is the shiniest sharding thing I've seen this side of between." He turned her hands and rubbed his thumbs into her palms. "I... doubt I would ever leave you for any other rider. None that I know or have known hold more interest for me than you. If duty demands it though... I have a responsibility to Malvren. One that I can't easily ignore."

Z'fer didn't bother to hide his warm smile this time. He held her again as she leaned against him. "Shh. Don't frown like that. It's not like I fly out tomorrow. Unfortunately for us northerners we're subject to Abigail for now..." Trine's weyrwoman was another unpleasant thought. She was strange... He'd of course never been in a coma or even sick for terribly long himself but something was off about her. Moreso than he could just blame on her illness.

He banished the thoughts and met Hekate's kiss tenderly, glad for once to simply appreciate it's sweetness instead of yearning for more. "I agree." He reached up and touched the clip in her hair. "I find I'm in no hurry to leave." Not entirely true... but true enough. He didn't want to leave Hekate even if he did want to go home to Malvren.

~ That was easy. ~

~ Speak for yourself. You're still in the wher's den Calanoth. ~ Z'fer cocked an eyebrow as he bespoke his dragon. There was a sense of languid, pleased, stretching from his other half.

"Do you want to go continue your meal?" He recalled suddenly that she had left a rather full plate to the mercies of her flits only minutes ago. He himself had only nibbled at a couple meatrolls, having been on the lookout for her the entire midday meal.

His smile spread into a grin as he turned them back in the direction they'd come. "Your stomach betrays you." He tucked her arm against his side where it rested on his. His other hand covering hers. He'd had rather flung his arm around her shoulders but that position was taken yet again by one of her flits. "Don't look at me. I've been breaking my back for this place. I haven't even had proper time to set up training for my wing, or what's left of it."

They hadn't gone too far from the mess hall and as they approached it was plain that the meal was winding down. The hall was emptying and Z'fer was pleased to note those boys were no where to be seen. It didn't hurt to reclaim his territory as it were, especially after what had just transpired. She really was his territory now! Just as he was hers...a fact he would have to remember and be careful about apparently.

Z'fer bent down to kiss her hair...and stopped. Right. Flit. Always with the sharding flits. "I think you're getting to big for that." He commented to the silver Prince with only a little irritation. He realized he had no idea how many she had... He knew she had the silver and brown obviously but the amount of greens around her seemed to change every time he saw her... either that or he'd never bothered to count. Before they'd fought it had seemed his two were about ready to join her faire. At least, Klah was. "You know... when you were avoiding me Klah was acting like his world was ending. Mind you that flit doesn't do much other than sleep and eat, but I've never seen him so mopey before." Z'fer took the moment to catch the eye of a passing drudge and signal for two plates for them. They'd probably just get the remnants of the meal this late but food was food and if she's skipped breakfast, she needed to eat.

Z'fer took the opportunity to nuzzle her hair once the silver had moved. "So that's what he's been up to? He might have more brains than I gave him credit for. Well thank you for taking care of him, and no Fellis wouldn't. She doesn't leave Cal or I alone for long." Just now he knew the two were curled up with Calanoth. With what had just happened he wasn't surprised. "I think I'd go insane if I collected them like you do."

As they waited for their food he sat beside her, turning on the bench to face her while they talked. "I noticed you've been doing more than your share of the work too. It's admirable but I wouldn't tax yourself. There's plenty of manpower to go around and you should be focusing on your lessons. Devith is going to be full grown soon enough and last I saw you'd just got your straps?" This weyr was seriously lacking in discipline. Hekate's little escape had amused him when it'd happened but he'd heard of the trouble Mercy had had with her and another of Trine's weyrlings. The fact that only two of the clutch had shown up didn't bode well on their abilities when it came time for them to join wings. It was worrying. Right now they needed able riders not half trained wildlings.

Well that's what he gets for waiting to eat. No matter, food was food and it was obvious Hekate wasn't going to complain about it. "I wouldn't quite say Trine is vulnerable. There's over a thousand riders here and most of us would love the excuse to get our claws into a wher or two. I'm with you on the overcrowding though. It's why I spend most of my nights with Calanoth rather in someone else's weyr."

He paused with another bite halfway to his mouth when she mentioned Mercy. His brows came together in concern. "Hates you? I doubt she hates you. From what I understand you two took off before she had a chance to check herself." He probably would have heard through the grapevine eventually but Z'fer kept a close ear out on the doings of Malvren riders. Same for Hekate, what she wouldn't tell him he hoped to learn from rumors around the weyr. Sure he took them with a grain of salt but it wasn't to hard to separate fact from fiction.

"You probably scared the crap out of her honestly." He smirked. "I don't know why anyone would think you couldn't do it. It's not like Trine looks down on atypicals like Benden does. As for not having candidate lessons before hand, that's not exactly unheard of either. Some of us are holdborn as well." He meant it as reassuring. Z'fer couldn't remember if he'd mentioned his own past before Calanoth to her before. He'd barely had enough time to get a rundown of what to do on the Sands before he'd Impressed Calanoth. Coming from a fishercraft family he hadn't expected to be Searched at 20 let alone a sevenday before the clutch actually Hatched.

Z'fer grimaced and nodded. He did not look forward to seeing what Trine's rainy season looked like. "As odd as it sounds, Thread may actually help is in this case. I have serious doubts as to how well the whers are going to be able to protect them during a Fall. The beasts are nocturnal. Even if they force them out to fight during the day by the time it falls close enough for the whers to attack it, however they do that, there will be too much to handle. There's a reason riders stack wings. Plus, the effort of getting whers out to where a Fall happens and what if it falls over a forest? We haven't exactly kept Pern free of greenery as the Ballads tell us to. Whers won't be able to stop Thread before it hits the tree tops. They're sharding idiots if they thought they could do it without us." His points were emphasized by hand gestures, his plate forgotten for the moment.

"As for the dragonlights those were just a trick. They worked for a few minutes to cover a sharding stage. Did you see that fool Archimonde? He knew what was coming. I nearly got my hands around his neck before that dragon rescued him." Z'fer closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We have so many dragons here though... Thread is covered. We did well the last Fall."

Her talk of the Weyrling lesson brought forth an odd feeling of fond amusement in him. "I get the feeling you need exact instructions. I'd caution you to play on the safe side, at least until you graduate. After that you're your wingleader's problem." And Mine. He grinned and gave her knee a quick squeeze. "You don't need to defend yourself to me Hekate, or to any rider worth his knots. They should know that anyone chosen by a dragon is strong enough to preform the duties required of them. If they doubt you I'd say it's because they doubt themselves. Hard work doesn't hurt though." He raised an eyebrow and winked. "You keep showing up those weyrlings and we'll see who's better than who."

Z'fer laughed at her jest. "You could say that! Cal was first out of his egg and high tailed it straight for me. I thought I was a goner! Stupid dim glow should have stayed on the ship! Didn't even touch me though." Z'fer's gaze softened at the memory. It was one a rider never forgot. "He's a good bronze. I couldn't have been luckier in that moment."

"Not as many as I bet they think they have..." Without draconic leadership Z'fer couldn't see anyway they'd be able to survive the first few Falls intact. He was sure that Keller had made some grave oversights. They could plot all they wanted. Thread would do the Weyrs a favor in this case. Especially once the Holds beholden to them realized they were no longer as safe. A moment of worry furrowed his brow as he thought of Marsitas... He still had family there after all.

It was gone just as quickly. Her struggle with Mercy's teaching methods making him chuckle. "No matter Hekate. I've told you before, if you need any help just come to me. If Mercy teaches your lessons again in the future I would do exactly what she says. Don't read between the lines even if it's implied. Worst case, you stay out of trouble for just a little longer. Best case? You get to annoy her at the same time." It was a game he'd played before to his own great amusement. Sure, he felt a little bad recommending she do it to Mercy, but If Hekate hadn't already thought of doing it herself then it might be something she'd enjoy.

"If you want any extra practice or tutoring we could set something up." Z'fer offered with a grin. "So long as you give me warning I can work in the time." He wanted to see her succeed. The sooner her lessons were finished the better. "I'm not about to teach a whole class. That's not my job but I don't mind giving you a hand."

Z'fer didn't really want to get into an argument with her right now. Not minutes after he'd got her talking to him again, but he was bothered. He propped his elbow on the table and leaned into it, rubbing his jaw pensively as she spoke. How was he supposed to deal with this? He couldn't have her go skipping weyrling lessons, and he couldn't be teaching her himself. Tutoring sure, training and sparring? Maybe. But he was no teacher and didn't intend on being one.

Z'fer watched her in silence. Mercy was still somewhat new to her position but she had done a fair job with Malvren's weyrlings. He respected the whiterider and anyways, he'd never seen this sort of trouble in his nine turns of riding. He'd have to talk with the other leaders, see what if anything could be done to help Trine's weyrlings get back on track. They'd been left floundering and for the health of the Weyrs fighting forces that was bad. With Malvren's weyrlings grown and ready to join wings they'd need Trine's to be flying and able to ferry firestone. He really didn't want another responsibility on his to do list but it came with the territory.

After some time he heaved a sigh and straightened. A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "So sparring huh? What exactly did you have in mind?" He'd decided to not even touch the subject of Mercy again for now.