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 Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:02 am
So the Watch had come to Warden's Weyr.
As far as M'ska was concerned, they could fly right on back home.
One would have thought that the greenrider would have been delighted to see them; he was ex-Watch himself, and he'd hardly kept it particularly subtle that he strongly disliked M'onk and everything that M'onk did. If the Watch was here to investigate, he should have been jumping for joy or something, right? Well, one would have thought that if they weren't particularly familiar with M'ska's history, or the reasons that he was at Warden's rather than being part of the Watch.
So he had politely but curtly excused himself when the big pale bronze landed and took over the conclusion of the Hatching. He and Descanth had retreated: their job was done, the babies were hatched, their final promise to Kaelyandra was fulfilled as best as they could fulfill it. He owed Warden's nothing more. Now there was only him, and Linfon, and possibly C'tis if the Secondary Warden was amenable, and the plan.
The Watch would not be permitted to interfere. No one would be permitted to interfere. They would try to stop him, and M'ska did not care to be stopped by a pack of self-righteous hypocritical blowhards.
Descanth crooned gently at him, and some of the tension left M'ska's back and shoulders as he leaned into her. The two of them were outside their weyr, M'ska brooding as he thoroughly oiled his dragon, paying particular care to working oil into the thick, tough scar where her wing once was. It had long since healed over, but oiling it thoroughly kept the scar tissue supple and flexible, so that it would not stiffen or toughen and impair her movement further. It was late for him; dawn's light was creeping gently over the horizon, and M'ska kept hours with the wherhandlers, for the most part. But some tasks he needed enough daylight to see by, and it was difficult to hold a glowbasket, the oilskin, and the soft cloth for her hide at the same time.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 10:20 am
Since it was first brought up to her on the night of their arrival, Alia had been trying to talk to M'ska and his green, who had watched over the eggs in Brakiheth's place. However, apparantly M'ska was not an easy person to find. Finally, she'd managed to get the location of his weyr, but there was an overwhelming sense that their presence was not wanted here..
<Really? What gave you that idea?> Melangth asked, so straight-face it was difficult to detect the sarcasm in his voice.
Melangth was coming with her, for this one, as he wanted to speak directly to Descanth about the clutch.
<Well, the fact that they've been avoiding us, for one.> Alia said, biting her lip. <Should.. should you tell them we're coming, or would that just give them time to escape?> she asked, only half joking.
<It seems rude to appear unannounced.> Melangth said, although she wasn't wrong. <I will tell them.> They had almost arrived, anyway.
<Descanth, me and Mine are coming to you and hoped that we could ask you a few questions.> he told her. <We are aware that Yours does not seem to want to talk to us, but please, it would not take long. We only wish to discover the truth of what has happened here.. It would be a tremendous help to us.> he added, at Alia's prompting.
Melangth landed nearby and leaned down. Before she dismounted, Alia took a deep breath, summoning all her enthusiasm and resolve. Because she had a feeling this was not going to be easy.. Jumping down, she approached the rider, but stopped a safe distance away. She kept her tone crisp; official, but friendly. "Are you M'ska?" she asked.
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:16 am
One of the Watchriders is coming to speak with us.
Which one? M’ska glanced up as if he was expecting to see bronze wings looming over him at any moment.
Not the big bronzerider. One of the blueriders. If it were the bronze, I would have sent him away already. Descanth crooned and touched her rider’s shoulder with her muzzle, and M’ska gave it an absentminded scratch.
You are welcome in our weyr, of course, she told Melangth matter-of-factly. It would be discourteous to refuse them outright, and M’ska was courteous whenever possible, no matter his inner feelings on the matter. But we would prefer to keep our discretion on which questions to answer or not answer.
M’ska glanced over at the rider who had just dismounted, set down the oil, and cleaned off his hands on the soft cloth. “Good morning, Watchrider. Yes, that would be me. But I'm afraid I don't have the answers that you're looking for."
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 4:57 pm
Alia smiled. So far so good! No biting of heads off, as she'd somewhat feared. She moved a couple of steps forward and held out her hand. "I'm Alia, from the Watch, as you said."
Despite his politeness, Alia still got a standoffish vibe from him. It sounded like he wouldn't tell her even if he did have the answers. She didn't know why, but if that was the case, she somehow had to change his mind. "I just have a few quick questions.." she said.
<Thank you.> Melangth said, folding his wings as he settled down next to the green. <And, of course. That is your right.> he added. <I heard you were the one to care for the eggs after the sad passing of their mother. That is most commendable of you.>
"I was told that you took care of the previous weyrwoman after her dragon died." Alia said, getting right to the point and relying on her tone to convey the deep respect and approval she felt towards that act (she would not waste time laying on flattery).
"I don't know whether you were her friend or just.." She shook her head slightly, recalling the description she'd heard of the scene. "Capable of human compassion, but I was wondering if she said anything to you? In particular, about the eggs and why she wanted the wherhandlers there. Did she -or for that matter, did you- suspect there was a chance that.." She stopped just short of mentioning M'onk by name, remembering J'car's warning. "That someone might try to harm them?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:11 pm
Yes, Berath and I both protected the clutch. And the whers helped. There was no gold, and the eggs needed someone to care for them. Descanth was pleasant enough to the blue, crooning gently to him and shifting so that he could settle down comfortably next to her. Certainly, she seemed to be the more welcoming of the pair… but at the same time, she was providing no information that was particularly sensitive.
M’ska accepted the hand that Alia extended, giving a brief firm handshake but then asserting his personal space again. “Yes, I saw to Kaelyandra. I was no close friend of hers and I hold no particular rank. I was simply there at the right time, and of little enough worth that M’onk could see fit to spare me.”
His voice never rose, never sharpened in bitterness despite the bluntness of his words. But when Alia moved into asking him to name names and throw around speculation, he exhaled a quiet sigh and turned away to stroke Descanth’s side again.
“I assume, since you are talking to me, that you aren’t aware of why I am at Warden’s, or how Descanth lost her wing. Please try to understand. The last time I spoke against a bronzerider – my former wingleader – his dragon tore her wing open because I had dared to challenge him. The wing had to be amputated. And then I was dismissed from the Watch, all because Descanth and I were no longer worth anything to anyone. I am not interested in pointing fingers, Watchrider. This is not my fight, and I have nothing left to give up that I can stand to lose.”
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:12 pm
If Alia was taken aback by what he had said -which she was!- she never showed it. She never blinked. "No, I wasn't aware." she said "But I can promise you that any information you give to us will conveyed with complete confidentially." she pressed on, coolly.
But, inside, her heart was hammering in her throat. She hadn't spared much thought as to how his dragon lost her wing, (accidents did happen, after all) but never in a million turns would she have guessed that.
<They did that? Someone in our Watch really did that? That's actually something that can happen?>
<Calm, my Alia. Calm.> Melangth tried to soothe her, but as usual, his caution fell on deaf ears. Shards, if someone did that to Melangth.. Shards! She should rip his arm off and see how he likes it! <Given what was just said. Do you really think that wise?>
...
<No.> she finally admitted, swallowing the last of her anger. <But remind me to find out which bronzerider that was, so I never piss him off.> she thought, then amended herself. <Actually, remind me to find out who he is, so I can murder him in his sleep.>
<Don't talk nonsense.> he told her, then turned to Descanth with a sympathetic amount of anger. <That is detestable. I hope that both of them were severely punished for it.>
"Listen, we wouldn't be here if there weren't people who thought this Weyr was being handled poorly. But we can't do anything about it if nobody talks to us." So far, she had done a good job of hiding her frustration, but now it was starting to show in her eyes and tightened hands. She was sick of asking questions and getting nothing but vague or unanswered answers back. It reminded her of so many victims who were too afraid to speak out against their abusers. This place reeked of corruption, but unless they had something to go one, there was nothing they could do about it.
"You're right, it's not your fight. Let us do the fighting." she said. "I'm not asking you to testify, just tell me what the sharding hell is going on here, and I swear to you, I will bring whoever's responsible to justice if I have to lose my job doing it."
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Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:59 pm
Oh, he was dealt with, Descanth assured Melangth matter-of-factly. He was involved with a Dust ring and we uncovered the evidence. That was why we confronted him – and why he lashed out. But he’s not in the Watch anymore, which is what matters.
The green dipped her head to touch M’ska’s shoulder gently, and the two of them conferred in silence for a moment. Then he sighed and faced Alia directly.
“I’ll answer any questions you have that can’t be traced back directly to me,” he agreed reluctantly, though his expression was no warmer than it had been before. “But you’ll forgive me if I’m not too trusting of your claims of confidentiality.”
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Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 4:41 pm
Although she maintained a clam facade, if you were in Alia's head at that moment (as Melangth was) you would have felt it doing somersaults.
some of our questions is hardly the evidence we need.>
"I understand." she said to M'ska. "You have no reason to be. But none-the-less, I can assure you that every measure of confidentiality will be taken."
Since he didn't want anything to be traced back to him, she started with a topic not directly related to them. It happened to be one of the subjects of most concern to her also. "Let's start with T'di. What can you tell me about him? I heard he and the weyrwoman were friends."
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