Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was Akerth that had T'rus out walking. Before Impressing, there'd been daily runs that kept him fit and strong. Now, well, the chores were certainly good for building muscle but he rather missed the experience of touring the Weyr grounds and meeting the various inhabitants. It'd been a good habit, one he would get back into when Akerth was large enough to be undisturbed by his absence. But, for now, he was walking with the brown who'd decided that he needed to get to know the area he would one day fly above. It was as close to a leisure activity as the dragon had ever expressed interest in. Even then, it was clear enough that his approach to the walk was not casual. He noted, cataloged, commented.

They were only just nearing the animal pens when Sharkal caught T'rus's eye. His expression, neutral until that moment, appeared to relax into something just a bit more friendly, not smiling yet but looking like someone who wanted to. Throwing rocks at the beasts wasn't something T'rus considered a good idea, it served no purpose, and if he could be cruel he was rarely so in any casual way. But then, T'rus was nothing in any casual way.

"Sharkal." He called out. He'd not yet seen the other's condition, they stood so that he could only see the man's back. "I'm glad to find you."

This one is not a rider. Though not precisely disapproving, Akerth's tone was dismissive. Sharkal had no dragon, so Akerth couldn't see what use he was.

Yet. He is a candidate, and Weyrblood. We build these bridges early, Akerth and so make them strong. T'rus stroked the dragon's headknobs a gesture that was becoming a sign between them of their silent conversations.

T'rus's expression upon seeing Sharkal's face, at least to someone good at reading such things, was an interesting display. First, genuine surprise. Sharkal was a mess and that was hardly what T'rus had been expecting. Almost immediately after, controlled neutrality, an expression that gave nothing away. And, following that, surprise again, but of a more mild sort, beneath it something like sympathy that he was trying and failing to bury.

I know what that feels like, whispered a dark, hidden part of his mind. I've been there. I've looked that way. But T'rus was accustom to not thinking of such things. He was good at dismissing memory in favor of plan. If he'd been-- off center lately, that was no reason to give into emotion.

He is injured. Akerth observed, with a sort of neutral confusion.

Yeah. That's why I learned how to duck. T'rus replied, with a hint of dry humor that his verbal conversations often lacked.

"Don't worry about it. You look like you could use the air. Someone really got a hit in." Was what T'rus said aloud, closing the gap between them and getting a better look at the other's face. "What happened? I hope you told someone."

He was a firm believer in informing authority figures of issues. After all, he'd be one. And he expected to be informed of issues.

Y'ul then. Admittedly, it could also be Cass, but while T'rus was hardly impressed with that one, he couldn't exactly imagine her punching someone. Y'ul though, that he could see. Of course, in his own way, he was impressed with her, if not her dragon. She was bright and that counted for something. But this... this counted for a lot more. But not in her favor. T'rus prized self control. In himself, yes, but in others as well. Hitting Sharkal even if they weren't banned from fighting would be bad. As they were, well.

It was something to remember.

"Y'ul? What an idiot. Smart of you though, not fighting her. Might have harmed the dragon if you had." With Sharkal staring at the ground, T'rus was stuck staring at the top of his head. "Listen, it's J'ev's job to deal with her. But you can be sure I'll keep my eye on her a well. We weyrbrats look after each other, right?"

Erath chose so rashly, I should have watched her more closely. You may tell him I am sorry for her choice. Akerth was still serene, those his gaze was starting to follow Shimmer with a mild curiosity. So many firelizards around, and he had yet to figure out how to make them useful.

"Akerth says to tell you he's sorry. He seems to think he could have made Erath choose someone else. Though that greens a waste of space, frankly." Maybe he meant it. He said like he did. And it was true that laziness wasn't exactly a trait he prized.

She's clever. The problem is motivating her. There was plenty that Akerth could say against each of his clutchmates. But still, he believed in them.

Well then, what was that? T'rus, usually fairly good at reading people, certainly didn't miss the sudden shift in Sharkal's demenor. What had he said? That he'd watch Y'ul? That they'd look out for each other. Yes, judging by the other's words, that must be it. So. Sharkal wanted someone to look out for him?

Well, just look at him. It made sense. As he remembered it, the guy used to get pushed around a lot when they were both younger. They had that in common at least, though T'rus didn't like to be remembered that way. And, well. Well. He didn't like it. That's what it came down to. He had been pushed around. And sure, he'd gotten out of it. Sure, he expected everyone to find a way to survive. But what he wanted was a Weyr where no one had to. A controlled Weyr. An orderly Weyr. A place where people made sense.

All this flitted quickly through his mind, as much of it subconscious as was aware. Mostly, all that was apparent was a brief frown, followed by a smile that looked almost identical to his usual one. Maybe it was a little softer. A little less practiced. Maybe not.

"Listen. Shark." He threw his arms around the other's shoulders in a totally manly and not at all gay gesture of utterly platonic comradeship. Also, straight. Him. Shard-it. "You already have. You think I don't need to know that one of our riders is dangerous?" Oh, our could mean so many things. The Weyr's. The Weyrling's. His and Akerth's. "Stuff like that. Stuff you hear? I need to know it. You telling me when somethings up? That's watching out for me. And you know, if your ever having trouble, you can come to me. Akerth and I will protect you."

What are you doing, T'rus? Akerth was still watching the firelizard, the noise it was making left him tilting his head sideways thoughtfully. Almost experimentally he tried his own, deeper version of the noise she'd made.

Trying to get us a spy, I think. T'rus replied, satisfaction in his tone.

Do we need one?

It can't hurt.

T'rus gave a little huffing sigh and shook his head in a rather dramatic display of disappointment. When he spoke, his voice had an edge of sadness to it, whether real or feigned. "Sharkal, I'm not bargaining with you. This isn't-" Eye rub, "This isn't me trying to make a deal."

This was totally him trying to make a deal.

"Listen, if you're looking to bargain for protection, I'm not your guy. I'm not even the best guy. Try Va'en and that Bronze brute of his, Morgath. He's an empty headed fool but I'm sure he'll happily make some sort of deal with you." The way he said deal that time sounded a little dirty. As if bronzeriders might do that sort of thing, though everyone knew they didn't.

"What I would do, if we were friends--" As I thought we were, his voice implied, "Wouldn't be get in fights for you. But I back people up, when I know they're worth backing up. And we all know, wrong as it might be, that a dragonrider's word counts for more than a weyrbrat's."

He leaned back against the fence behind which the herdbeasts were eating with docile complacency again. "Sharkal. We both grew up here. We know this place. I'd still take a hit for you, even if I wouldn't throw a punch for you. I'm not that much of an idiot. And you can still come to me, if you've got a problem, and I'll have a word with them. I'm going to have one with Y'ul."

He pushed off the fence then, and laid his hand on Akerth's neck, clearly planning to leave, "But I'll do it because we have history, not because I owe you, or you owe me."

Akerth stood without complaint, though confusion whirled brightly in his eyes and in the front of his mind. I thought we wanted him to do what he said.

We did. But we never bargain. We never owe. Owing is dangerous.

Oh. Oh, that was. That was almost cute.

You didn't just think that. A thought so forceful he accidentally projected it through his bond with Akerth.

T'rus I have told you. I would not have taken a rider who spent his time chasing gre--

You will not finish that sentence, Akerth. If you care for me, if you care about what we can accomplish you will not finish it. You will not think it. You will not bring it up again. T'rus's own tone snapped across the bond. The warmth he shared with his dragon was rare for him, but so was the dark side he was willing to show. Calmer, he continued, Anyway, I meant cute like a sick runner colt is cute. Pathetic, really.

Akerth, thoroughly confused but aware that now was not the time to press the point, said nothing. He looked at Sharkal though, waiting.

T'rus, for his part, had merely frozen in place while the conversation took place. Maybe he looked like he was arguing with his dragon, but he could just as easily have looked like he was considering Sharkal's words. When he finally looked at the other boy, and he took his time allowing their eyes to meet, he was smiling. It wasn't the slightly softer smile he'd used earlier, though. No, this was T'rus at his most armored. The smile was practiced: warm, trustworthy and utterly false.

"You mean that?" He asked, and if the average listener heard them speak they would have said he sounded hopeful, but still a little hurt. "Because I'd like that. I get enough of the other weyrlings in classes. I need someone like me, a friend who understands how things really are in this Weyr."

T'rus had the sort of firm, confident handshake that was, long ago, on a planet far away, lauded in job seminars. As it was, it was a handshake that didn't crush, but presented the potential of crushing. And that was T'rus all over. He didn't really want to hurt anyone. But he wanted to be able to. It paid to be prepared.

"Good. Well, I'll have to get back to lessons here soon." He gave a little sigh, as if he hated lessons. Which, of course, couldn't be further from the truth. Lessons were important. The information, yes. But even moreso the chance to observe his fellows. He and Akerth were learning all sorts of things about the other weyrlings. Who was quick, who needed prodding.

Like Sharkal. Sharkal was going to need a lot of prodding. But, not today.

"Try to duck, alright?" Something like a chuckle behind those words but when he continued, it was with a more serious tone. "And if anyone pushes you around, you come tell me."