Logs:The Devil You Know
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| RL Date: 4 September, 2015 |
| Who: H'vier, K'del |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr, Southern Weyr |
| Type: Log |
| What: Even after being stabbed, K'del doesn't like the idea of guards. |
| Where: Guest Weyr, Southern Weyr |
| When: Day 23, Month 9, Turn 38 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Ali/Mentions, Aughan/Mentions, Farideh/Mentions, Ienavi/Mentions, Irianke/Mentions |
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| K'del has been bored since day one, let's face it, but by Day 23 (which is to say, a little over a sevenday since The Incident), boredom has truly taken over; there are only so many games of dice one can play, not to mention the patty-cake enjoyed by his youngest son, before everything is terrible. It's afternoon at Southern, now, and evidently K'del is now permitted to sit up in addition to enjoying the outdoors. His borrowed 'weyr' is more of a cottage, and 'the ledge' is more of a grassy area; Cadejoth takes up much of the latter, with the bronzerider settled in a chair, a sleeping child on his knee. K'del may be sleeping, too, or maybe just 'resting his eyes.' When Reisoth and H'vier arrive at Southern, they no doubt greet someone as appropriate, but it's not Cadejoth. It's some time after Reisoth arrives, granted, that H'vier ends up at K'del's temporary lodgings, walking past the bronze and toward the rider in a casual rather than purposeful sort of way. The broad bronzerider doesn't overtly announce his presence, but he's not exactly sneaking around here, either. If K'del is snoozing, the intensity of H'vier's gaze might be enough to wake anyone. K'del has more colour in his cheeks than he did a sevenday ago, and less of a glazed look in his eyes, too, when they flicker open. Indeed, there's immediate focus in the way they lift towards H'vier, acknowledging the other bronzerider with a look of equal intensity, not to mention the not-so-subtle lift of his eyebrows. "Not dead yet," is his comment, low-voiced if only for the sleeping bundle in his arms, and stated as if to imply that that must, surely, be what H'vier is here to check on. For all its intensity, H'vier's study of the other bronzerider is neutral. "I think I'd have heard if you were," is offered with a vague hint of amusement, as though the keening of dragons could have somehow been missed. "I can't decide if I'm angry or relieved that you aren't, admittedly." His voice stays likewise low, aware enough of the sleeping child. "But I couldn't miss the opportunity to see you while you're vulnerable, one way or another." There's a flicker of a smile. "Let me guess," says K'del, with enough wry amusement in his voice to suggest that he's not being wholly serious, "the only person who gets to kill me is you?" Vulnerable-- and he certainly is, moving so very little, and so stiffly-- or not, he doesn't seem concerned or bothered by the other bronzerider's presence. "I may have fantasized about you being out of the picture from time to time. But if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have done it by my own hands." It might not be the best thing to tell a man who was nearly murdered recently that you would murder him in a similar fashion, but H'vier adds, "If they'd managed to kill you, some other idiot would be Weyrleader now. I think I'd like that even less. So... congratulations, K'del." K'del's smile is wry. "Charming," he says, presumably in response to the first part of H'vier's explanation, though the rest earns a slow, cautious nod. For this, he's just a little more amused. "There's some cliche about that, isn't there? Better the devil you know. Guess I appreciate that." Even if it's a little awkward. Even if, now that he's acknowledged it, he seems short of things to actually say. "Honest," H'vier counters the wry accusation with a smile of his own. "If nothing else, I'm always honest with you, aren't I?" It's more rhetorical than anything. "Aye. You have what I want, but I can't take it from you. And if Reisoth can't earn it, I'd rather not have to take orders from someone that's as young as you were when you first got it." His head might explode if that happened. No one wants to see that. "And you clearly don't have enough people at your back if you're letting yourself get stabbed in it." K'del admits, after a moment's pause, "Reckon it'd half kill me, now, to watch one of the kids take over my knot, so I can't blame you there." Nonetheless, there's wary dubiousness in his expression; this may be an honest exchange, it may even be a semi-positive one, but that doesn't mean he wholly trusts the other bronzerider. "Not sure I believe I was the really the target so much as... a convenient one. Or should I travel around with personal guards like Aughan and his lady do?" "It doesn't matter whether you were the target or not if you end up dead either way, sir. You have an entire Weyr of trained, personal guards at your disposal. There's no reason not to use them." H'vier glances at the child, then, pointing out what K'del has surely already considered, "And I have no doubt that your children, your weyrmate, would much rather have you around awhile yet. Besides, a show of strength would do High Reaches good from time to time." "Relationships with the Holds are difficult enough without suggesting we don't trust them," is K'del's slow, quiet answer to that, one that suggests he's been doing a lot of thinking, this past sevenday. "Protection is one thing; guards is quite another." Even so, one of his hands smoothes the fine dark hair of his youngest son, unwinding one of the curls. "I've a guard on me at all times, for the moment. Going forward, we'll see, but there'll be nothing showy." H'vier clearly doesn't agree with the concept of nothing showy in regards to the Holds, but his opinion on the matter goes unspoken for the time being. Instead, the wingleader offers a stiff nod of his head. "Very well." He might consider saying more in the next few moments of hesitation, but it only ends up being, "Enjoy the rest of your downtime." He waits another moment, then turns to leave K'del as he found him. "Of course," K'del says, letting his voice follow H'vier, without any obvious intention of making the other bronzerider turn back, "That's not to say that Irianke might not want such protection, as she visits. Or for Farideh. Clear skies, H'vier." The child in his lap stirs, woken by that voice intended to carry; K'del lowers his attention to him, drawing the warm bundle closer. His forward motion hesitates, just for a moment, but then H'vier is continuing on without comment for the sake of either weyrwoman. It's kind of a comment on his opinion in itself, really. That or he intends on taking up the matter directly with them. |
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