A Long Time Coming [L'varl, T'rel, J'ver, invite]

Tyrrisath settled outside the small barracks on the candidate isle, his red eyes smoldering with apprehension. They will be angry the dragon said in bold and flat speech, sighing in frustration as he lowered his head.

"Of course they will," S'kef replied as he stepped on the ground and adjusted the small leather bag on his right shoulder. He smiled widely, looking over the recently-unused building and then out across the water, back towards the Weyr proper. "And they'd better be."

He sure was. It had taken every ounce of self control not to overreact when he learned this new truth. Now, he was going to share it with those who mattered. He'd discreetly called for his Weyrsecond and his most trusted wingleader, and instructed them to invite those they deemed trustworthy beyond that. They would meet at sunrise at the candidate isle, unused and out of the way, with plenty of open space all around so that no one could approach and spy undetected.

Of course, J'ver also got an invitation, but the brownrider had already given his mate a little sneak preview of the day's business the previous evening. He'd told Z'ia, too...He couldn't be sure that J'ver would want to actually join in the discussion rather than run damage control in the Weyr proper while it was going on, and Z'ia wished to remain anonymous. S'kef would leave the invitation open for J'ver and appease Z'ia's wishes. He expected to see the others.

He moved into the meeting room originally used to interview new candidates. He tossed the papers in question onto the center table and scowled. Watch for their arrival he ordered Tyrrisath as he started to round up some chairs. Flit helped, darting around and tossing out images of chairs as she found them. He'd been working hard to train her, and it finally seemed to be catching on! She was smart enough to realize that he wanted chairs, and she wanted nothing more than to please him. He'd found that cashing in on her eagerness was the best way to get results.

"Good girl," he said as he finished up, lifting one finger for her to alight on. She was getting too big, though! He laughed, holding his hand flat for her to crawl and perch on top of, then used his other finger to scratch her neck. "We're going to have some company soon..."

We have company now

S'kef's gentle expression faded swiftly and was replaced with a scowl. "Good..."

There was a thud as Berruth landed gracelessly on the roof, then another as he took off again, the bronze having forgotten his didn't like having to climb down a building's wall to get to the ground. 

T'rel climbed off him and loosened his straps so he could rest comfortably.  Are you sure I have to stay here?  Shanith's...

I don't care what that green is doing.  His tone was harsh enough that Berruth reeled, and T'rel softened.  It would work out well for him anyways, what he was about to offer.  Stay here and don't tell anyone what was discussed and you can catch Shanith when next she flies.  The bronze perked up and settled happily enough in his place, crooning absently to himself in his happiness.

T'rel petted his dragon's nose and headed inside, looking around for S'kef.  Seeing him, he nodded repectfully in greeting then settled in a chair.  He stretched out long legs, watching the weyrleader quietly. 

Hi Tyrrisath!  How are you?  It was a good day, mine bathed me and oiled me and petted me!  Oh and Shanith spoke to me, and I got to fly and my side barely hurt at all.  And tomorrow I get to play with those in my wing somemore! And...  He shut up then, catching his rider's command to not annoy the brown, and settled to lay down with a 'woe is me' expression.

Do you know what they want?

“No.” Details had not been given with the summons, anyway, and he'd learned very quickly not to make assumptions where S'kef was concerned.

I wonder if it’s important.

“Why would we be meeting here at sunrise if it wasn’t important?”

This is exciting!

“You don’t listen to a word I say, do you?”

Korutath settled into silence as he completed his descent to the candidate isle, and L'varl couldn't hide the grin that was tugging at the corners of his mouth. He gave the bronze's neck an affectionate pat as he settled to the ground with a thump, crouching to let L'varl unbuckle his straps and slide lithely down the bronze's leg. He took a moment to swipe his palms down the fronts of his thighs, brushing out whatever creases his trousers had picked up on the flight over. Korutath, on the other hand, was quick to spot the other dragons and lumbered his way over, warbling a greeting before settling back on his haunches and looking around curiously. They'd never had much reason to come to the candidate isle, and Korutath was eager to get a look at the place now that he had the chance. It was mostly out of curiosity, L'varl knew, but some small, endlessly hopeful part of him imagined that Korutath might actually have been making observations for future use. The bronze kept a rarely recognized but respectable distance, remaining firmly within his own space though it was clear that he was itching for some friendly conversation. He practically vibrated with it.

Leaving the dragons to their own devices with one last warning to Korutath to keep things to himself--which was met with an earnest promise that yes, he would, of course he would--L'varl made his way inside, according S'kef with a polite bow of his head and a slightly less exaggerated one to T'rel. He took a seat at the table, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed over his chest and legs stretched out under the table, crossed at the ankles. Even if he wasn't exactly relaxed, he damn well was going to act like it.

He had given brief consideration to bringing someone else along, but that thought had been promptly discarded as soon as nobody had come to mind right away. Better to be cautious, he thought, than bring someone in and end up regretting it. In the brief moment of silence that followed his entrance he let his focus shift back to his dragon again, who had reduced himself to shifting from foot to foot restlessly, tail lashing in an unusually agitated manner. He was playing off of his rider's emotions, L'varl knew, but that wasn't everything. The dragon's eyes kept wandering back to the shore before snapping back to the interior of the isle, which he found much less interesting. It wasn't long before L'varl gave a mental sigh. If you're so desperate, go enjoy yourself. I may have to play politics, but I doubt anyone will care if you don't. There was a brief pause where Korutath hesitated before launching himself off the ground, gliding the few meters with talons scraping through the sand until he reached the water, when he pulled a graceful little spin and dive, disappearing under the water for a moment before he breached again. The splash was audible, if faint, from L'varl's position, and he allowed himself a small upward twitch of his lips for his dragon's sake before pulling his attention fully back to the room and the two other men in it.

S'kef nodded to each of the bronzeriders as they entered, his face fixed in an expression of anger and smoldering ambition. "I'm glad to see you both made it," he said as he tossed his bag down on the table between them.

"I've called you here to discuss something very serious," he said. He glared out the window, watching as the sun started to peek between the clouds in the distance. "I've been looking through D'ren and Tsuen's old files, and I've found something disgusting." His nostril's flared and the anger in his eyes grew deeper and more intense.  He ground his teeth and began to pace, his expression sour. He didn't bother to censor himself before these men, both of whom he trusted. They ought to know what sort of man he really was by now. He liked them because they knew, and they could deal with it.

"I didn't bother inviting any of the goldriders...useless cunts," he snarled as he continued to pace.
"And keep in mind that no word of this may leave this room except under terms that we will discuss before leaving..but certainly none of it to a goldrider. Those useless women are in possession of one useful tool and one tool only, and that is the ability of a queen dragon to influence other dragons. There are ways around this, as we will discuss...but I'd rather not add an additional obstacle to our path."

He crossed his arms. "Gold dragons will only get one so far, as Tsuen will soon learn. Look at those papers and tell me what you see."

The reports he'd tossed to them all belonged to D'ren, detailing his plans to head north years ago. They were detailed, with plenty of logistical information and even first drafts of letters penned to important figures at home, all intended to prepare them for the move. Tucked neatly behind, however, was a packet of pages ripped from the old bronzerider's journal, speaking of how he was worried for Tsuen's health and didn't want to push the issue of going home with her while her mind seemed to be slipping. Going home would wait, D'ren had said...It had to wait.

"Do you see what's become of us?" S'kef asked, borderline shouting. "Because of this woman's selfish raving and our so-called 'Weyrleader' and his foolish devotion to her, we have been left to languish in this foul jungle for turns, when we could have returned to restore the world to it's rightful order! Do you see?!"

He slammed his fist into the wall, paying no mind to the biting pain. He didn't even notice it. He quickly pulled his anger back in on itself, seething and pacing with a wicked and calculating expression on his face. He wasn't beset by uncontrollable rage, but rather a targeted and festering hatred. "Left to rot," he reemphasized, putting his hands on the table and leaning closer to the other men, eyes narrowed in fury.

"And no one, not a single damn person, has had the balls to challenge that selfish bitch and her petty command. They think the sway of a queen dragon unbreakable...I am surrounded by cowards and canines in this stinking place!"

He flopped in his seat and sneered, looking between the two bronzeriders. His anger didn't dissipate, but it did suddenly constrict, becoming cold and silent. His voice was stiff, his eyes void of compassion or pity. "D'ren is a fool, but we have inherited these lovely plans from him. I propose we move forward. We leave Tsuen to her madness...and when the time comes to break free of her precious little command...we do what we must to remove her."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about this for some time, but this proves it...It's time to act. I'm tired of sitting here and waiting to die, fawning over each new hatchling and holding my breath. Dragonriders do not sit and wait for others to dictate their fate...I think it's time we take matters back into our own hands, like any honorable dragonrider of the days before. What do you say?"

He sneered again. "...It's time to go home. Tsuen be damned."

When S'kef spoke T'rel sat back to watch him move.  Anger, disgust, ambition.  It all showed in every line of his body.  That was interesting. 

His words were more so.  T'rel didn't have to think about it.  Their rightful place was up North, ruling.  It wasn't here rotting away, worrying about wild animal attacks and stolen candidates.  Grubbing like animals for every bite to eat, every scrap of cloth or clothing, drinking swill...

"It is time for us to return home."  He flipped through the reports.  Detailed, give credit where it was due, D'ren was a good details man.  Love had been his undoing.  It was why T'rel now considered the emotion for weaklings.  He only loved Berruth and he was careful to not let it weaken him or cloud his vision and ambition. 

"These plans will work well, with only a few tweaks."  He was personally of the opinion that they should just between North in a display of force, proving beyond all shadow of doubt that dragon riders were alive and well in an undisputable show of strength and power. 

He knew though that there needed to be more to it than that.  For a moment, he could have finished the job started by T'shiro and killed D'ren for this himself.  Dragonriders belonged up North, not festering and rotting away down here. 

"Tsuen's mind is slipping.  Is Nirinath's will slipping along with it?"  He wouldn't call her weyrleader, he never had.  "Can we test that?  I know my Berruth can't slip her, but..."  He swallowed hating to admit to his dragon's weakness.  "...But he doesn't have the will anymore to even control a green, let alone buck a gold.  This damn place broke his mind and for that they both will pay." 

L'varl sat up when the reports were tossed down on the table, pulling it towards him. He rested an elbow on the table as S'kef spoke, keeping his face blank as the Weyrleader went through his pattern of emotions. The bronzerider couldn't say he was surprised, really. He knew where S'kef stood in terms of the old Weyrleadership, and on most things agreed with him. The things he didn't, he kept to himself. His opinion regarding their continued exile in the South was not something he kept close. He was silent a moment, once the other two had said their pieces.

He missed the North. He missed the cool temperatures, the snow, the ability to walk ten feet without being soaked to the bone from the humidity. It was a risky proposition, but he couldn't deny the general feeling of unrest. He knew that the desire to return North extended beyond this little room, beyond the island. How far, he didn't know. But there were enough sheep in the Weyr that where the (hopefully) majority went, the rest would follow, even if they weren't completely satisfied. Wasn't that what was already happening? There had been virtually no leadership for too long, and the Weyr as a whole had suffered from a lack of guidance. People milled about without direction or ambition.

But on the other end of the spectrum...there was still a lot to consider. Humanity was unpredictable. L'varl found it difficult to predict how his own son would react to the idea of returning North, let alone some random dragonrider who he didn't truly know beyond their name and their dragon's color and name. He surprised himself by just how exhilarating the thought was.

He was silent a long moment after T'rel's final comment, considering and debating. It was a lot to ask of a dragon, but...truly, what was left for them to lose? They'd lost their home, and were only now beginning to think of taking it back. His main concern was any repercussions. The last thing he wanted was for Korutath to suffer, but that was nothing new. Besides, any blame would fall on rider, not dragon.

"...Korutath could try it."

Out in the water, Korutath paused, turning his head towards the building. L'varl...

Hush. Don't you want to go home? "But I think we need to be careful."

J’ver had originally stayed back when S’kef headed for the Candidate Isle, telling the brownrider he would join in the discussion soon enough. First he wanted to make sure the area was secure. All they needed was a nosy Candidate or woman poking their nose in and ruining everything. What they were planning would benefit everyone but it first had to be solid without a kink so secrecy had to be upheld. It was what he was born for though so J’ver didn’t mind lurking in the shadows to make sure the area was secure and that the two so-called trusted bronzeriders didn’t have any tricks up their sleeves either.

All they needed was one of them thinking they could do a better job in leading and join the side that didn’t like a brownrider in control. J’ver trusted S’kef, however, and if his mate believed the two men now within the building could be let in on the plan and then keep it to themselves, then he would attempt to trust them as well.

Once everything looked secure from atop Rilaleeyth as they circled the lake a final time, J’ver had her land near the entrance of the building so he could delicately slide to the ground. The dragon was free to do as she wanted for the time being so long as she continued to help Tyrrisath keep watch for any strange people or other dragons. Rilaleeyth merrily skipped over to Tyrrisath’s side and quietly sat beside him with only the quickest of nuzzles. She knew he had to stay alert and he held an important position of power that didn’t need a green dragon messing up.

J’ver slipped silently into the room, going unnoticed as he always did. He had perfected the art of slinking around the Weyr without being seen during important moments some time ago. It was all a part of his belief that only the strong and smart survived. Being a shadow had given him a lot of information to help keep his hide safe and make advancing in the food chain all that much easier.

He had walked in on an interesting portion of the conversation, though one that had J’ver oddly speaking before thinking for once. “Oh, her will is slipping. B’jin of green Larrikith went North in secret two turns ago.” It was only when the words were out there hanging in the void of the room for all to hear that J’ver realized what he had said. A greenrider had broken Nirinath’s command but not only that, he had done so two turns ago. Worst of all, J’ver was the only person that knew B’jin had done so and he had kept it from S’kef due to B’jin counter-blackmailing him.

Slowly J’ver lifted his gaze to S’kef and he felt the colour paling from his face. He was in for a world of pain soon.

"I don't believe that secrecy is strictly necessary...Only that caution is," he said simply, folding his hands behind him as he continued to pace slowly back and forth, expression thoughtful and constricted. ''We can't rush into it, obviously. I would like some experimentation and observation; I want to know who wants to go home, why, and how badly...I want to know who can make the trip, who knows people who matter, and who that isn't on board that could be," he explained quickly.

He grinned and raised a brow, almost playfully. "Take for example, our little rebels. Holding their families hostage would be an effective means of persuasion, don't you think? Figuratively more than literally, of course. Who doesn't want to see their family again? And we musn't forget our dear little stolen northerners. I'm certain many of them know people back home...people whose favor we can earn by bringing their poor lost children back..children that our predecessors stole."

This was going to be fun.

"As for Tsuen and Nirinath themselves...I would like to see some testing. We can find excuses to request visits to the North...I want to start writing letters and doing some reconnaissance...but ultimately, I think we would be better off being up-front with everyone, including that rotting old cunt Tsuen." He shorted derisively. "Tsuen is crazy. But what can she do to stop us? I say we do a little preliminary work and get everything nice and lined up, then we tell everyone. Tsuen will have two choices...submit to the will of her Weyr, or we will force her to."

Bold words, but he didn't care. Gold dragon his ass, it was still just a woman.

He smiled, looking back to his subordinates in hope of approval, when J'ver made his appearance.

S'kef's normally reserved expression changed quickly, at first joyed and charmed at the sight of his beloved greenrider, then confused, and then smoldering rage.

"J'ver...Jai.." he cooed, stalking quickly the room, his form rigid in spite of the soft words. The brownrider shoved the door shut with one hand and positioned himself between it and J'ver, while one hand slipped onto the greenrider's shoulder.

He squeezed, hard.

"What did you just say...say it again so everyone can hear," he said gently. He leaned in closer to hiss his next few words: "And why didn't you say it two turns ago...?"

Flit chittered angrily. J'ver was gonna get it!

T'rel was of mixed thoughts on secrecy.  The last thing they needed was for Tsuen to find out they were making preparations to go home nad firming Nirinath's command.  Chess games with Ravana had taught him well the dangers of letting an opponent have time and space to think.

On the other hand, if word was spread carefully, discreetly, they could find unexpected support.  They would need that when the time came.  Three men, that was all S'kef had trusted to help him with this.  It was a sorry thing when that was all a weyrleader trusted.

Far as he was concerned, the whole rebellion could rot here with Tsuen when the real dragonriders left for Telgar.  Hmm that was an idea.  Let them rot in the jungle, give them the weyr they so badly wanted.  For the rest of their lives.

He'd bring it up later.  For now, he spoke aloud.  "It sounds like it will work and Korutath could try it with something small, harmless."  Hmmm...what if they could make Tsuen crazier?  Would she be more dangerous or less so?  Her grip on her dragon firmer or less so. 

Hmm...that brought up another thought.  Could all the golds working together overthrow Tsuen entirely?  Shatter her dragon's grip on the dragons of Katila and enforce their own will on them?  Did they want the goldriders finding out they could seize power that way.  Some of them were harmless.  Others...had ambitions. 

J'ver's entrance and words drew T'rel's attention next.  One look at the weyrleader showed that he hadn't known.  Greenriders.  They could never be trusted.  They were just too weak. 

Love could make anyone silly.  It was plain that it had made S'kef stupid enough to trust a green rider.  Greens chose the worthless, the weak, lazy or stupid.  It was a service, it freed those worthwhile up to ride other colors.  The question, was how had B'jin kept J'ver silent on the subject?  He seemed to remember there was love lost between the two greenriders.  If he could have, J'ver would have gotten B'jin punished for his trip when he'd been banned for the trip up north.  The real question was, how did a greenrider buck Nirinath's command when his own Berruth couldn't even think about disobeying her?

J’ver still liked to play games of control with S’kef by bucking the little system that had been set up between them but he also loved breathing. He knew better than to back talk in public or do anything more than obey his mate that was also the Weyrleader. If S’kef couldn’t control a lowly greenrider he was bedding, then how could he even fathom controlling an entire population of dragonriders and their servants? That still didn’t mean that he wasn’t thinking of a way to save his ass before it was beaten raw.

It was just unfortunate that nothing was coming to his often quick and clever mind. J’ver was proud of the way he could dole out punishments and blackmail without needing time to come up with something and he was often quite good at keeping himself out of danger. It was odd how he had managed to walk right into the fire to be cooked alive all because of his mouth that spoke uncharacteristically before thinking it through. The closeness of S’kef and the way he held firmly onto his shoulder was to blame for J’ver’s lack of cleverness in that moment but he had nothing to blame except foolishness for speaking as he had to begin with.

J’ver cleared his throat as a show that he was about to speak again and this time make sure he was heard clearly. Of course all three men had heard him perfectly the first time but S’kef would want all the details now and J’ver wasn’t sure how much he had to give. Even he could suffer from memory loss while under threat of extreme pain when the information came from two turns ago. “Two turns ago, B’jin snuck to the North to satisfy some sort of craving or curiosity without anyone knowing. I didn’t ask how he did it since at the time I wasn’t entirely certain D’ren sent him or not. B’jin’s reaction and willingness to assist me in acquiring information confirmed he had done it on his own.” That was going to earn him even more pain. J’ver wasn’t sure why he never asked how B’jin did it when it was clearly important but he supposed his mission to secure S’kef’s bid as WeyrSecond at the time was far more pressing.

Vixen appeared to chitter angrily at S’kef for making her J’ver so nervous but the greenrider quickly shooed her away with a thought. He adored his little gold but she wouldn’t do him any good right then. Vixen hissed at S’kef and then in the direction of the two other men before winking away and back to Rilaleeyth. Tyrrisath was usually a good napping buddy but right then he received glares from the golden firelizard with attitude while Rilaleeyth tried to soothe Vixen and explain to Tyrrisath. She only worries about J’ver. She will behave though.

Korutath shifted uneasily in the back of his mind, but L'varl ignored the bronze in favor of the scene in front of him. The import of the information being divulged was enough to override his typical sense of modesty where he would have at least pretended not to be paying attention to the exchange happening before him. Instead, he listened in silence, eyes following the conversation. This was much more interesting than debates and theories.

There was a certain level of personal interest beneath the professional kind, as he had never had a weyrmate, and lacked the interest in any individual for more than the occasional roll in the hay. Korutath had never been overtly interested in Flights either, thus reducing the chances of that particular brand of flightlust by a large amount. The bronzerider wasn't above getting drawn into peripheral flightlust, though, and was not so uncaring as to brush off the admittedly abrupt advances that losers tended to employ. He was knowledgeable enough, of both S'kef and the workings of relationships in general, to pick up on the air of the Weyrleader's with the greenrider, who L'varl had spared little more than a glance to upon his arrival.

He was much more interested now as J'ver spoke. Though he didn't speak, his mind was already working, questioning; a greenrider, of all things, to buck a gold's command? That in itself was interesting enough, and upon further consideration he supposed that the culprit being B'jin wasn't overtly surprising. The how, though. That was interesting, and something he could only make the faintest guess about. He had never given much thought to the untrustworthiness of greenriders; didn't consider himself particularly colourist, though there were few out there who did admit it, anyway. There was that sense of superiority that being bonded to a bronze gave him, but that was something that he accepted without thought, and something similar to what he assumed every rider felt, in perspective with the individual colors. Greens were supposed to serve, weren't they? Just like Bronzes were supposed to lead.

It wasn't until J'ver had finished his explanation that L'varl allowed his attention to turn back to his vaguely distressed dragon, who was still very much caught up on the idea of disobeying his gold's command.

She's not your anything, Korutath. Thinking like that will just get you in trouble. We talked about this. He did his best to sound soothing despite the somewhat unwelcome adrenaline this whole situation was causing. The way Korutath grumbled to himself was a testament to just how unsuccessful he was, but the dragon's tail stopped lashing, so L'varl let it go.

Idiots.


S'kef snorted and gave his little greenrider a forceful shove towards the door.  "Find out how he did it," he snarled impatiently. His eyes smoldered with urgency and anger, but there was also a glimmer of hopefulness. If J'ver was successful, the information in question might be a true blessing. If he failed, it wouldn't be so big of a deal. B'jin was a black hole, too ashamed and fearful to ever reveal even his minor secrets, much less something of this magnitude. One way or another, questions needed to be answered, and not just by B'jin.


S'kef habitually cracked his knuckles. Stay calm he reminded himself as his hard gaze slipped back towards the bronzeriders. "...Until I receive word on this matter," he said, his voice low and cold. "I want to see progress. Don't antagonize Tsuen or her dragon, though. We're going to keep it between us and those who show similar interests for now, but it is not because we are weak,' he stated. He folded his hands behind his back, concealing the way they trembled with anger. "We are already stronger than they are. We are simply too scattered," he said. "...Go out there and bring these wretches as close together as you can, and keep an eye out for opportunities...Allies, ideas, methods...whatever you happen upon. We are going to play to our strengths. Tsuen may wield a gold dragon, but one powerful trick won't work forever."

Tsuen was a one-trick pony, and a poor one at that. S'kef was convinced that only public apathy kept her in power. It was going to be an utter delight to tear her down, too.

"Specifically," S'kef continued, "I want recruits for scouting expeditions. I will secure Tsuen's 'blessing' for such things, under excuses that I know she will find innocent and suitable. It's important that we find people who are both trustworthy and have a strong head on their shoulders as well as a strong hand on their dragons. I plan to send them scouting for very particular pieces of information...we'll keep it all on a need to know basis, so no one rider knows too much...and of course, after they discover whatever it is they discover, they will camp out for a couple of days to give their dragons plenty of time to...relax."

It was exciting to think about. Who knew what he could learn about what lay waiting for them up north.  It would be a pleasure to receive the news, but an even greater pleasure to go and claim it. "So, go. Train your riders and find me scouts. I'm not spending another turn in this place."

He turned and walked out without another word.  He needed to go tidy up the house for his mate's return.

BlueDragon @badgerstripes @Insulting Truths

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