[PRP] Heavy Sleepers and Shipwrecked Agendas (K'ienn/Olliah)

[Teiha]

High Reaches was aflame with talk. Fifty-nine eggs were incubating on the sands. It was so remarkable that the Trespassers' Wingleader was still trying to wrap his mind around it. There'd be weyrlings constantly underfoot for a while... but what a boon they'd become when they joined the fighting Wings! He was off-duty for the afternoon and was debating going to have another look at the eggs, but K'ienn was all too aware that Fianth only grudgingly allowed him near because of Olliah, and (to a much lesser extent) because of his rank. Rhianth seemed to tolerate him, but surely knew well of her sister’s history with Yisketh. She was unlikely to have much love for either the man or his bronze.

Olliah’s pale queen had laid an enormous clutch with Rixth, an outsider, that outmatched anything she’d ever created with Yisketh. K’ienn knew clutch numbers always spiked when Thread was falling, so he was determined not to let that sting or to dwell on it long for Yisketh's sake. Besides, it wasn’t as if Olliah herself was expecting some other man’s child.






…Shards. Where had that come from?

Well... at any rate, in the end he decided it was best not to disturb Fianth or her sister Rhianth. The candidates would be doing more than enough of that with their peeking, anyway. Maybe he'd go check on them, instead. He left his weyr, planning to make his way to the commons.

Uta

 

[Uta]

Yisketh. Thistreth reached out to the younger bronze from where he sat upon his ledge. You and Yours are needed to head to Tillek as an escort and witness to talks and negotiations with the Lord Holder. The bronze didn't see any issue with calling in a dragon and rider who were having a rest day; the rest of the Wingleaders were either in Drills, on Sweeps, in Meetings, or otherwise preoccupied. D'mon had gone through the list when the request came through, and there was only one bronze of rank free.

He himself had to fly down to Nabol's southern borders in just a candlemark, and Y'mar was currently leading a Flight Drill. But, rank didn't rest, or so the saying went and he had no doubt K'ienn would serve well.

D'mon would just have to prepare to hear about it from Zheria later.

Fianth's will have more details down in the Bowl. Neither Thistreth nor D'mon knew exactly what this was about; but he'd get the report from Olliah and K'ienn once they both returned.

- - - -

The Weyr didn't stop just because there were eggs on the Sands. It was a line that had been drilled into the goldrider from a young age; even before she Impressed Fianth. It was well-known that the Weyr never slowed down, especially now that Threadfall was back, and even with two golds clutching, there was always work to be done.

Even Olliah was not an exception.

Though the Weyr was in high-spirits with eggs hardening, the Weyrwoman Second's job didn't just stop because her queen was busy with a clutch. There were still tasks to be done, meetings to attend, and both Zheria and Padmia had ample things to send her way. In some cases, she could delegate the work and hand it off to some of the junior weyrwomen; Sylfie, Lestenna, Vera, even the newly graduated Alumet, among others.

But other duties required her attention. If Zheria couldn't (or wouldn't) do something, than it was up to Olliah to lead the way. Sometimes, the knots of a junior rider just didn't cut it, and today, of all days, an utter killjoy had taken it upon himself to be a thorn in the Weyr's side.

"I don't see why you have to do it. D'mon should send a Wingleader and be done with it!" Padmia complained, glowering at Olliah as if she had somehow been the one to decide.

"It's not a problem, really. Besides, I'll be going with one as a witness, and trust me, I'm happy to do it. Lord Dovex sometimes needs a gentler, more patient hand to get him to budge, and I know he's still carrying a grudge after what happened last Fall." She crinkled her nose. While much of the Weyr remained oblivious to the complaints of their neighboring Holds, Olliah got to experience it all; every complain, every concern, every upset. If she didn't hear about it directly, then she'd hear about it from D'mon or Zheria. Some concerns were valid, while others were simply ludicrous; not every Hold liked to give in to the Weyrs demands and requests, even with Thread falling over their heads.

"... I heard something about that mess," Padmia gave a snort. "Something about losing half his crops?"

Olliah gave a nod. "Thread got through some farmland, the sweepriders who came through after to help cleanup didn't take it as seriously as they should, and Lord Dovex took the whole thing way out of proportion. The loss of crops was certainly unfortunate, but it wasn't enough to keep him from holding back half his owed tithe. I think at this point he's just being stubborn."

Padmia gave a sigh and a shake of her head. "Well... I suppose you'll do what needs doing. We need those tithes more than ever with how crowded this place is getting..." She paused and grinned. "And with a Hatching Feast on top of it..."

Olliah rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile from her features. She was still incredibly proud of her queen. Hatchings were always exciting times for the Weyr, but Olliah was especially excited to see what came of Fianth's new brood.

"I hope D'mon put out the call for a lift. I want to see this barren, Threadscored island with my own eyes, and assess the damage firsthand. Then we'll see what Lord Dovex has to say." Standing up, she picked up the scrolls of old supply and tithe charts, put them in a satchel, and headed out to the Weyrbowl. While she hated to leave Fianth alone, the queen was in a deep, contented sleep next to her eggs. If Krahsujunth wasn't at her side, the blue would be as soon as he was able. She'd be fine without here there. One quick trip to Tillek, a little negotiating, and she'd be back by her beloved Queen's side in no time.

Now... about her ride....

Teiha

 

[Teiha]

He was only a few steps from his weyr when he felt Yisketh stir to attention. It was not idle interest; it was a response of due diligence to a pay grade above his own. What is it?

At once, Thistreth. K’ienn, we have a duty to attend. Get your leathers. He was a bit short to his rider, as per usual since Fianth’s flight, but K’ienn also detected a tinge of uneasiness in his dragon’s voice. Whatever it was, Yisketh was not happy about it.

Frankly, K’ienn was none too pleased either, but when it came down to brass tacks, a Wingleader’s time belonged to his Weyr—and K’ienn himself would be the first to argue so. After quickly pulling on his riding leathers, he met the bronze on their ledge and together they flew down to the bowl. That was when he realized exactly why Yisketh seemed a bit put off by this particular assignment. The woman standing there on the ground as if she was waiting for something… was Olliah. Why didn’t you tell me? K’ienn prodded at Yisketh.

The bronze huffed, then alternately tucked and spread his wings quite suddenly just before touching down, executing a very flashy landing that left him primly sitting on his haunches. The landing, while good to look at, was not so good to sit through with such an abrupt backwing. Yisketh thought it was worth the shared pain to enjoy a few moments of his rider trying desperately to keep his face from contorting in front of Fianth’s.

His face might have remained under control, but K’ienn’s thoughts did not. Yisketh had the honor of experiencing every profanity he knew, plus a few extras made up on the spot. He was glad the bronze was sitting upright, giving him a few more seconds to climb down, clearing his throat until he was sure his voice would sound relatively normal when he spoke. There was a bit less swagger to his step as he went to meet Olliah, stopping before her and tucking his hands into his jacket pockets. She looked ready for a trip Between, a fact that made him grimace slightly. “We must be pretty shortstaffed today, if they're pulling an off-duty Wingleader and the rider of a clutching queen.”

Uta

 

[Uta]

Teiha

Olliah wasn't paying too much to mind to the Bowl, focused instead on what she had to do, what she was going to tell Lord Dovex, or at least what she expected to have to say. It wasn't that she thought the Lord Holder was lying to the Weyr, but there was plenty of fertile land near Tillek and its coast; surely, the Weyr hadn't let so much fall through as to devastate the land entirely. It had to be an overreaction from a Lord Holder out of ire.

When the shadow of a dragon passed over her, she looked up, and felt a strange lurch in her stomach. Oh. Though she hoped the bronze and his rider were simply passing through, sure enough, the familiar scarred dragon made a rather impressive landing right before her. If Fianth had been awake, the queen would have likely made her ire known... but she was, thankfully, still in a deep sleep. She hadn't been sleeping well the past sevenday before her clutch arrived, and was making up for it now that her eggs were laid.

Oh, but it just had to be K'ienn. Olliah kept her expression schooled as the man made his way down from Yisketh,. He was a Wingleader, but she had wished for any other. Had D'mon done this on purpose or was it purely luck of the draw? Well, it didn't matter. K'ienn had as much rank as she Lord Dovex would want, in case the traditional sea Captain started pulling some sort of sexist crap. She'd worked with him in the past, and had even checked out some of his Threadscore during Fall; Olliah could and would work with him, and maybe this time, there would be no dunking him into a pool of water.

By the time he made it over to her, she looked as professional as ever. No hint of displeasure to be found, just a polite little smile. When he finally spoke, she did give a small arch of a brow. "The timing could have been better for Tillek to pull this, but I don't mind. Fianth might have clutched, but that doesn't mean my job goes on hold. I'm not the one on maternal leave here," she gave a small, self-deprecating laugh before carrying on.

"If it could have been anyone else, I'm sure it would have. With luck, this won't take long." She assured both bronze and rider. "If Yisketh wouldn't mind another passenger, we'll need to head to Tillek." She hesitated before continuing, deciding she might as well brief K'ienn on what and where they were going. "There's an island chain we need to investigate for recent or past Threadscore damage, and see if it's as devastated as Tillek claims. We may need to sweep a couple other spots on the mainland too, before we go back to Lord Dovex and talk about tithes. With Yisketh's help, it shouldn't be more than an hour or two, and then you both can have your day back."  

[Teiha]

Olliah smiled at him, but, to his disappointment, it was merely her business smile. Not smug or disdainful like Zheria’s always managed to be, but… not exactly welcoming. Was it because of him, or because she just really wasn’t in the mood to go on this little field trip? He listened to her briefing intently, an unconscious smile spreading across his lips when she mentioned the Lord Holder. This mission was absolutely his style.

“Eh, it’s no big deal. There’ll be plenty of other rest days. Anyway, this kind of investigation is one of my specialties. No doubt we’ll have Dovex revising his statement in short order.” The grin that chased his words bared a faint edge of teeth. He did so enjoy watching those charlatans feast on their own words when faced with clear evidence of their lies. He looked over at Yisketh, who seemed to be preoccupied by something off in the distance, still sitting up tall with his head facing away from his rider. Yisketh, we’re going to Tillek.

Hmm? Oh. The bronze didn’t sound very interested. He didn’t look very interested, either. He snorted and leaned down to scratch the bridge of his nose with a claw, never once turning to face the humans.

K’ienn had a sudden hunch that the bronze’s problem wasn’t necessarily himself or Olliah, but what, rather whom, Olliah was attached to. Looking at the woman and even just listening to her voice would absolutely make Yisketh think about her dragon. “Hear that? We’re going to Tillek,” he said out loud, beckoning Olliah with a swing of his hand as he walked toward the bronze. He was glad when Yisketh laid down without being asked, bringing his arm and shoulder into position for them to mount up. K’ienn stood to the side, making room for Olliah to go first if she wished.

Uta

 

[Uta]

Teiha

Olliah's smile did turn into one of humor as K'ienn's smile grew. He almost seemed excited by the prospect, though she gave a small shake of her head. "Easy there, Southern Stripe," she laughed lightly. "You just get to come along as witness. We don't need to strong arm him, or make any accusations. We're still in relatively good standing with Tillek and don't need to make a sensitive Holder even more irate. If I can't get him to change his tune, though, I'll hand him over to you...Assuming what he's saying doesn't line up with what we find." Olliah would at least attempt at diplomacy. Especially if Lord Dovex decided to put more weight into a man's words than that of a woman. She was a goldrider, certainly, but some Lord Holders held old-fashioned ideas.

Relaxing a bit, the woman was glad that Fianth was in a deep slumber. The gold hadn't stirred at all which meant she was likely to sleep for a few hours. With luck, she wouldn't even miss her riders disappearance or start grumbling about her present company. While she knew her beloved was nothing but protective, anything having to do with Yisketh or K'ienn simply made the gold cross and suspicious...not to mention jealousy of riding on any other dragon. But ignorance was bliss, and for now, the gold could sleep soundly.

When Yisketh finally leaned down to extend an arm and shoulder, Olliah gave the bronze a little bow of gratitude. "Many thanks, Yisketh. I won't steal you away for too long." This was not her first time on the bronze dragon. In Turns past she'd ridden the dragon during similar moments when Fianth was unable to fly, though her relationship with both dragon and his rider had been markedly different. Now... Well. She did hope neither rider or dragon objected. Olliah did give the bronze an almost affectionate little pet before she climbed aboard, an old habit she she had picked up from a time of more familiarity. She did not begrudge the battle-scarred bronze dragon for his rider's behavior, or the fact that their relationship had died a bitter death. But a small part of her did wonder about Fianth's feelings towards the bronze; and if her own heartache had spoiled what had otherwise been a fine and happy relationship.

Oh, her gold was besotted with Krahsujunth now, and madly in love. But what might have happened had she and K'ienn never parted ways?

Well, no sense thinking about that now. Settling upon the slightly smaller dragon was a bit unsettling. It was nothing against Yisketh, certainly; she just.... Well, it wasn't Fianth. His hide felt differently, the way he was shaped was different; it was unfamiliar, foreign almost. Not unpleasant or uncomfortable, simply different. She assumed K'ienn would feel the same if Fianth ever let him settle behind her neck! "Just let me know when Yisketh's ready for the coordinates." She had a specific place in mind to appear, outside of the main Hold and closer to the island chains where they needed to be.  

[Teiha]

K’ienn’s grin deepened at Olliah’s likening him to a large, striped feline. It was an apt comparison in several cases, even if it was meant as a gentle swipe. In one particular case, Olliah herself was just as fierce and agile. The grin disappeared as the man pressed his lips together, thinking earnestly about the fine qualities of tree bark and sand paper.

Meanwhile, Yisketh had turned to look at Olliah, specks of green and pale blue winking in throughout the yellow facets. He appreciated her courtesy very much, and truly missed being friends with her… but he couldn’t bring himself to speak his thanks just then. He made due as best he could, remaining low and still as she mounted. Her legs about his neck were much softer than his rider’s, and almost felt like a gentle hug. The bronze had a fleeting thought that she might blow away when he took to the air, but he knew Fianth’s rider was strong when she wanted to be. He’d seen them fly thread often enough, the pale queen’s powerful wings beating the air like twin rays of sunshine. Imaginary dragon flame burned the image in his mind’s eye to ash as K’ienn seated himself behind the woman. Give me the coordinates, Yisketh said to his rider, closing his mind to any more fanciful thoughts.

K’ienn relayed the message, and Yisketh prepared to jump between.

Uta