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 Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 7:42 pm
The older trader's eyes snapped open wide, his teeth bared; "You're accusing us of accosting children, are you?" The man's voice was low and snarled, and a bit of spittle clung unnoticed to his bottom lip. Taking a threatening step forward, he shrieked, "You, who steal away our young to make the whole of Pern beholden to you? And for what?!"
A hand caught on the man's arm. Jaenel looked at him evenly, and shook his head. "Said enough. Caravan first," he informed his companion quietly. The words seemed to resonate through the small group, but not to their new spokesperson.
"Stop the Thread," the man was jeering, mockingly. "Doesn't matter if there's Thread falling or not, you're there to protect us, right? Fardling convenient, when you can hold that over anybody who doesn't want their hard work going into your pockets! Know what I think of you riders? D'ya?" He shoved a finger toward S'kagi, despite Jaenel's best efforts to pull him back. "Lords of thieves, folk of the Weyr. Liars and killers and the most miserable men to decide other, good-working folk owed them a living!"
Grim-faced, another of the traders moved forward to help haul the man away. "Caravan first, you addled wherry!" Jaenel hissed to him again, trying too late to get control of the situation he'd had a large part in starting.
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 4:45 am
"Usually I try not to give a wherries fart about the opinion of a hypocrite. If you've got a problem with the dragon riders, bring it to the Weyr and discuss it with the Weyr leaders, don't attack the very children you're claiming to defend. Because if those had been some of my wing you'd been cussing out, I'd have known about it a lot sooner, but right now the only thing you're doing is making the next generation of riders have good reason to do you no favors, and the ones that never impress will have that much more reason to stay at the Weyr, and then were will you be, driving away the capable hands you want back so much?"
He bristled, thinkng of the 'innocence' of Holders like his father, and like this man. He snorted in disgust, trying to subtly make sure there were no other candidates around for the man to accost and attack. Should he roust them all? Bring them back to the Weyr?
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 10:31 am
Kaikoloren Veyes nodded and smiled taking up L'thor's offer for the bubbly pie. He couldn't help himself because boyish needs were exactly that. So he followed L'thor and listened to everything he said about the stalls. Eventually, he wanted to be as confident as L'thor was in this setting but really he only felt like he was following in his coattails for now Oneday, it would be different.
Veyes watched the man's face floating from stall to stall with that glimmer of excitement. He spied the bubbly pies right away just by the smell. "Oh over there L'thor! It's the pies! They smell so sweet!!" Practically bouncing he moved closer to the stall and stared at the pies that had been freshly baked. If he had one, he definitely would be bouncing off the walls because he hadn't eaten anything else yet but he didn't care! His stomach was growling with anticipation of the treat!
"Oh and look over there...that one has meat rolls and jerky!" His finger pointed off to the side and then he smelled roasted nuts with cinnamon. At this point he was practically drooling as the aroma assaulted his nose. Oh shards! There were too many things to choose from!
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 2:54 pm
Oh, the man loved that. Even being dragged away by his companions, his biting laughter was loud enough to fill the ears of the whole crowd around the uncomfortable scene. "Favor from a rider? Safer to ask a favor from Thread! At least you know what to expect when it eats you alive!"
It didn't seem like there'd be any follow-up on that comment, though; the Traders were finally far enough away that the crowd began to relax and go about their business, very quickly removing the noisome group from sight. Other than the scuffed-up ground and the lingering scent of perfumed oil that had been broken open, there was little sign that the altercation had ever happened - and soon enough, that would be gone as well.
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 4:15 pm
S'kagi ground his teeth so hard that it was virtually audible, the muscles in his jaw set as iron as he did his best to keep his cool... and to stay silent. Yelling after him would do absolutely nothing for the situation, in fact it would make it worse for them.
Was it a terrible thought to pray, with an burning intensity, that the thread would return, just to justify the existence of the dragon riders? Why should they even need to justify their partnerships with the dragons, except that people like them didn't understand them.
It also burned that there were aspects of what the man was angry about that were a little too close to truth for comfort, part of which were behind his own desire to change the way things were done.
If thread never fell again, they'd have to change or be destroyed, and he didn't want to see that happen.
When they finally melted back into the crowd he forced himself to relax, tension bleeding out of his shoulders and jaw slowly, before he allowed himself to check and see if Kagiya was still there and safe.
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